Michael Rivers – In His 50’s
RESULTS Without DRUGS
Michael came to a principled Chiropractor in March 2007 with low back pain, acid reflux, high blood pressure, and trouble sleeping. He had been treated by his family medical doctor with prescription drugs which didn't help him at all. Since starting principled chiropractic care, he no longer takes his sleep medication or his blood pressure medication and his acid reflux is now under control. And of course his lower back is better as well. Michael followed his Chiropractic corrective care plan and never missed an appointment. He continues to maintain his progress and overall health with his recommended maintenance care appointments.
Michael says, "I really like my Chiropractors and their Team. They really seem to care for your health. I would advise anyone to visit a principled Chiropractor. You will see results without drugs. I appreciate all their help."
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Testimonial - child with dramatic changes...
Austin Umstattd -
IMPROVED REPORT CARD & GRADES
Austin first presented with Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Auditory Processing Delay, and Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. These diagnoses' required speech, feeding, and occupational therapy three times per week along with special education placement. He was being treated at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. His mom says his treatment was on how to "deal" with his disorders not on how to "heal" his disorders.
After Austin's first few specific, scientific, chiropractic adjustments, his attention span improved and he was able to sleep through the night. He also said to his mother, "That the loud noise in my head is gone. I can hear at school now."
Austin's mom says, "Austin's report card showed amazing improvement, and he is now doing well in a regular education setting. Austin can also tell me when he needs an adjustment because the "noise" in his head starts to return."
Austin's entire family is now under principled chiropractic care. Austin's mom, Veronica, realizes that not only do her son's spine and nervous system need to be in optimal health, but that the rest of the family deserves the same as well.
IMPROVED REPORT CARD & GRADES
Austin first presented with Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Auditory Processing Delay, and Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. These diagnoses' required speech, feeding, and occupational therapy three times per week along with special education placement. He was being treated at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. His mom says his treatment was on how to "deal" with his disorders not on how to "heal" his disorders.
After Austin's first few specific, scientific, chiropractic adjustments, his attention span improved and he was able to sleep through the night. He also said to his mother, "That the loud noise in my head is gone. I can hear at school now."
Austin's mom says, "Austin's report card showed amazing improvement, and he is now doing well in a regular education setting. Austin can also tell me when he needs an adjustment because the "noise" in his head starts to return."
Austin's entire family is now under principled chiropractic care. Austin's mom, Veronica, realizes that not only do her son's spine and nervous system need to be in optimal health, but that the rest of the family deserves the same as well.
Testimonial - 9 and 12 yrs old, no more allergies...
Kaitlyn & Kaira McKinnon - 9 and 12 Years old
2 Allergy Shots A Day - No More!!
Kaitlyn and Kaira found Principled Chiropractic in November 2003. At ages 9 and 12. they suffered with allergies, asthma, and migraine headaches for many years. Each received two allergy shots daily and migraine medication was a lifestyle. Both had been to numerous allergy specialists and neurologists where they were treated with medication after medication, but their symptoms never went away. Since beginning specific scientific chiropractic care, both Kaitlyn and Kaira have been able to reduce and/or eliminate Imitrex, Zyrtec, Relpac, and allergy shots. Mrs. McKinnon says, "Principled Chiropractic has been very gentle and loving for my children. It has helped our family realize how great we could feel."
2 Allergy Shots A Day - No More!!
Kaitlyn and Kaira found Principled Chiropractic in November 2003. At ages 9 and 12. they suffered with allergies, asthma, and migraine headaches for many years. Each received two allergy shots daily and migraine medication was a lifestyle. Both had been to numerous allergy specialists and neurologists where they were treated with medication after medication, but their symptoms never went away. Since beginning specific scientific chiropractic care, both Kaitlyn and Kaira have been able to reduce and/or eliminate Imitrex, Zyrtec, Relpac, and allergy shots. Mrs. McKinnon says, "Principled Chiropractic has been very gentle and loving for my children. It has helped our family realize how great we could feel."
Testimonial - 3 yrs old, off 6+ meds...
Anthony Umstattd - 3 Years Old
Off Of 6+ Medications!!
Anthony suffered with severe asthma and allergies. These diagnoses caused hives, shortness of breath, and eczema. His condition was considered to be life-threatening. His allergist recommended limited physical activity and anywhere from 6-10 medications at one time. At his next appointment with his allergist, Anthony was supposed to begin weekly allergy shots. Since starting principled chiropractic care, he has been able to eliminate Proventil, Zyrtec, Singulair, Nasonex, Albuteral, and Pulmicort- all of which were taken on a daily basis. He has also been able to reduce Mometasone Cream and Benadryl cream.
Veronica, Anthony's mom, says, "I worked in the medicial field where chiropractic care was discouraged and sometimes described as dangerous. I was very uneasy during our first visit. I never would have imagined that specific chiropractic adjustments could help with asthma and allergies. "The entire Umstattd family is now under chiropractic care. Veronica "Mom" says, "Coming to a princvipled chiropractor has really changed our lives. My little boy can now run and play outside with his brother. To me, that's Priceless!"
Off Of 6+ Medications!!
Anthony suffered with severe asthma and allergies. These diagnoses caused hives, shortness of breath, and eczema. His condition was considered to be life-threatening. His allergist recommended limited physical activity and anywhere from 6-10 medications at one time. At his next appointment with his allergist, Anthony was supposed to begin weekly allergy shots. Since starting principled chiropractic care, he has been able to eliminate Proventil, Zyrtec, Singulair, Nasonex, Albuteral, and Pulmicort- all of which were taken on a daily basis. He has also been able to reduce Mometasone Cream and Benadryl cream.
Veronica, Anthony's mom, says, "I worked in the medicial field where chiropractic care was discouraged and sometimes described as dangerous. I was very uneasy during our first visit. I never would have imagined that specific chiropractic adjustments could help with asthma and allergies. "The entire Umstattd family is now under chiropractic care. Veronica "Mom" says, "Coming to a princvipled chiropractor has really changed our lives. My little boy can now run and play outside with his brother. To me, that's Priceless!"
A Word About Sudden Infant Death Syndrome...
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – Related To The Spine
In a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders noted that SIDS is the leading cause of mortality in the United States of infants aged one month to one year, with 5000 to 600 deaths being attributed to SIDS. In encouraging parents to have infants sleep on their backs, Elders states that SIDS infants exhibit "...a pattern of delayed development of cardiorespiratory and central nervous system structures." However, Elders also notes that "...no specific diagnostic criteria, either when an infant is alive or after it has died, distinguish a SIDS infant from any other." [12]
Every seasoned chiropractor who has adjusted infants knows the dramatic responses which often follow the correction of a subluxation. Chiropractic care for newborns is immensely rich in clinical promise. Besides the possible link between subluxation and SIDS, the lifelong health benefits which may follow adjustment shortly after birth should be the subject of additional research. As chiropractors, we have a public health responsibility to further explore the relationship between SIDS and subluxation. www.worldchiropracticalliance.org
Peer Reviewed Journals:
Latent spinal cord and brain stem injury in newborn infants. Towbin, A, Dev Med Child Neurol. 1969 (Feb);11 (1): 54-68
• Autopsy of infants who died of SIDS revealed blood in the spinal cord, which the author hypothesized, was due to obstetrical trauma. "Spinal cord and brain stem injuries often occur during the process of birth but frequently escape diagnosis. Respiratory depression in the neonate is a cardinal sign of much injury. In infants, there may be lasting neurological defects reflecting the primary injury." Towbin further states: "mechanical stress imposed by obstetric manipulation-even the application of standard orthodox procedures may prove intolerable to the fetus. Difficult breathing in the newborn is a classic indication of such injury" He goes on to say," Survival of the newborn is governed mainly by the integrity and function of the vital centers in the brain stem. Yet paradoxically, the importance of injury at birth to the brain stem and spinal cord are matters which have generally escaped lasting attention."
Birth injury to the cervical spine and spinal cord. Reid H. Acta Neurochir Suppl (Wien). 1983; 32: 87-90
• Mechanical trauma to the cervical spine still occurs at birth. In 2 of 48 perinatal postmortems traumatic damage to the cervical spinal cord was found. Also in this series at least 12% of cases from one hospital showed some degree of trauma to the cervical spine but this was of a lesser degree in individual cases than 20 years ago.
Infantile atlantooccipital instability. The potential danger of extreme extension. Giles FH, Bina M, Sotrel A. Am J Dis Child. 1979 Jan;133(1):30-37
• During early infancy, adventitious sliding and slipping movements between the vertebral column and skull are possible in the cadaver. In ten of 17 infants, the posterior arch of the atlas inverted through the foramen magnum during extension of the head on the atlas, resulting in the anatomic potential of bilateral vertebral artery compression. These anatomic conditions may be the basis for a chain of events that contributes to death in some neonates and infants with conventioanl diseases and may be one source of unanticipated death.
Have your newborn checked by a Principled Chiropractor today to make sure they are expressing the life that God intended for them!
In a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders noted that SIDS is the leading cause of mortality in the United States of infants aged one month to one year, with 5000 to 600 deaths being attributed to SIDS. In encouraging parents to have infants sleep on their backs, Elders states that SIDS infants exhibit "...a pattern of delayed development of cardiorespiratory and central nervous system structures." However, Elders also notes that "...no specific diagnostic criteria, either when an infant is alive or after it has died, distinguish a SIDS infant from any other." [12]
Every seasoned chiropractor who has adjusted infants knows the dramatic responses which often follow the correction of a subluxation. Chiropractic care for newborns is immensely rich in clinical promise. Besides the possible link between subluxation and SIDS, the lifelong health benefits which may follow adjustment shortly after birth should be the subject of additional research. As chiropractors, we have a public health responsibility to further explore the relationship between SIDS and subluxation. www.worldchiropracticalliance.org
Peer Reviewed Journals:
Latent spinal cord and brain stem injury in newborn infants. Towbin, A, Dev Med Child Neurol. 1969 (Feb);11 (1): 54-68
• Autopsy of infants who died of SIDS revealed blood in the spinal cord, which the author hypothesized, was due to obstetrical trauma. "Spinal cord and brain stem injuries often occur during the process of birth but frequently escape diagnosis. Respiratory depression in the neonate is a cardinal sign of much injury. In infants, there may be lasting neurological defects reflecting the primary injury." Towbin further states: "mechanical stress imposed by obstetric manipulation-even the application of standard orthodox procedures may prove intolerable to the fetus. Difficult breathing in the newborn is a classic indication of such injury" He goes on to say," Survival of the newborn is governed mainly by the integrity and function of the vital centers in the brain stem. Yet paradoxically, the importance of injury at birth to the brain stem and spinal cord are matters which have generally escaped lasting attention."
Birth injury to the cervical spine and spinal cord. Reid H. Acta Neurochir Suppl (Wien). 1983; 32: 87-90
• Mechanical trauma to the cervical spine still occurs at birth. In 2 of 48 perinatal postmortems traumatic damage to the cervical spinal cord was found. Also in this series at least 12% of cases from one hospital showed some degree of trauma to the cervical spine but this was of a lesser degree in individual cases than 20 years ago.
Infantile atlantooccipital instability. The potential danger of extreme extension. Giles FH, Bina M, Sotrel A. Am J Dis Child. 1979 Jan;133(1):30-37
• During early infancy, adventitious sliding and slipping movements between the vertebral column and skull are possible in the cadaver. In ten of 17 infants, the posterior arch of the atlas inverted through the foramen magnum during extension of the head on the atlas, resulting in the anatomic potential of bilateral vertebral artery compression. These anatomic conditions may be the basis for a chain of events that contributes to death in some neonates and infants with conventioanl diseases and may be one source of unanticipated death.
Have your newborn checked by a Principled Chiropractor today to make sure they are expressing the life that God intended for them!
Some Facts About Fiber...
Fruits - Serving size - Total fiber (grams)*
Raspberries - 1 cup - 8.0
Pear, with skin - 1 medium - 5.1
Apple, with skin - 1 medium - 4.4
Figs, dried - 2 medium - 3.7
Blueberries - 1 cup - 3.5
Strawberries - 1 cup - 3.3
Banana - 1 medium - 3.1
Orange - 1 medium - 3.1
Raisins - 1.5 ounce box - 1.6
Grains, cereal & pasta - Serving size - Total fiber (grams)*
Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked - 1 cup - 6.3
Barley, pearled, cooked - 1 cup - 6.0
Oat bran muffin - 1 medium - 5.2
Bran flakes - 3/4 cup - 5.1
Oatmeal, regular or instant, cooked - 1 cup - 4.0
Popcorn, air-popped - 3 cups - 3.6
Brown rice, cooked - 1 cup - 3.5
Bread, rye - 1 slice - 1.9
Bread, whole-wheat or multigrain - 1 slice - 1.9
Legumes, nuts & seeds - Serving size - Total fiber (grams)*
Split peas, cooked - 1 cup - 16.3
Lentils, cooked - 1 cup - 15.6
Black beans, cooked - 1 cup - 15.0
Lima beans, cooked - 1 cup - 13.2
Baked beans cooked - 1 cup - 10.4
Sunflower seeds, hulled - 1/4 cup - 3.6
Almonds - 1 ounce (22 nuts) - 3.3
Pistachio nuts - 1 ounce (49 nuts) - 2.9
Pecans - 1 ounce (19 halves) - 2.7
Vegetables - Serving size - Total fiber (grams)*
Artichoke, cooked - 1 medium - 10.3
Peas, cooked - 1 cup - 8.8
Broccoli, boiled - 1 cup - 5.1
Turnip greens, boiled - 1 cup - 5.0
Sweet corn, cooked - 1 cup - 4.6
Brussels sprouts, cooked - 1 cup - 4.1
Potato, with skin, baked - 1 medium - 4.0
Tomato paste - 1/4 cup - 2.7
Carrot, raw - 1 medium - 1.7
How much Fiber do I need??
Your age + 5 = grams of fiber you should have each day, up to a maximum of 35 grams/day. Example, Age 7 is 7 + 5 = 12 grams of fiber each day.
*If the nerves going to the stomach and intestines are not functioning at 100%, increasing fiber intake may not improve digestive health!
Raspberries - 1 cup - 8.0
Pear, with skin - 1 medium - 5.1
Apple, with skin - 1 medium - 4.4
Figs, dried - 2 medium - 3.7
Blueberries - 1 cup - 3.5
Strawberries - 1 cup - 3.3
Banana - 1 medium - 3.1
Orange - 1 medium - 3.1
Raisins - 1.5 ounce box - 1.6
Grains, cereal & pasta - Serving size - Total fiber (grams)*
Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked - 1 cup - 6.3
Barley, pearled, cooked - 1 cup - 6.0
Oat bran muffin - 1 medium - 5.2
Bran flakes - 3/4 cup - 5.1
Oatmeal, regular or instant, cooked - 1 cup - 4.0
Popcorn, air-popped - 3 cups - 3.6
Brown rice, cooked - 1 cup - 3.5
Bread, rye - 1 slice - 1.9
Bread, whole-wheat or multigrain - 1 slice - 1.9
Legumes, nuts & seeds - Serving size - Total fiber (grams)*
Split peas, cooked - 1 cup - 16.3
Lentils, cooked - 1 cup - 15.6
Black beans, cooked - 1 cup - 15.0
Lima beans, cooked - 1 cup - 13.2
Baked beans cooked - 1 cup - 10.4
Sunflower seeds, hulled - 1/4 cup - 3.6
Almonds - 1 ounce (22 nuts) - 3.3
Pistachio nuts - 1 ounce (49 nuts) - 2.9
Pecans - 1 ounce (19 halves) - 2.7
Vegetables - Serving size - Total fiber (grams)*
Artichoke, cooked - 1 medium - 10.3
Peas, cooked - 1 cup - 8.8
Broccoli, boiled - 1 cup - 5.1
Turnip greens, boiled - 1 cup - 5.0
Sweet corn, cooked - 1 cup - 4.6
Brussels sprouts, cooked - 1 cup - 4.1
Potato, with skin, baked - 1 medium - 4.0
Tomato paste - 1/4 cup - 2.7
Carrot, raw - 1 medium - 1.7
How much Fiber do I need??
Your age + 5 = grams of fiber you should have each day, up to a maximum of 35 grams/day. Example, Age 7 is 7 + 5 = 12 grams of fiber each day.
*If the nerves going to the stomach and intestines are not functioning at 100%, increasing fiber intake may not improve digestive health!
Are You Free From Subluxation?...
A subluxation occurs when a spinal bone (vertebrae) becomes misaligned, causing compression or irritation of a spinal nerve. This results in damage and interference to the nervous system. The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord. It controls every organ, tissue and cell in the body. It is because of this fact that subluxations cause dysfunction of organs and muscles and decreases the body’s ability to heal.
How do we get subluxations?
TRAUMAS
Falling off a ladder or getting in a car accident are sure to cause spinal misalignment that results in interference to the nervous system. Most everyone has slipped on the ice or tripped down a step. These have the potential to cause a spinal subluxation. Constant and/or minor physical forces may also result in subluxation. Things such as carrying a heavy purse or backpack, the birthing process, participating in sports, or typing at a computer at work every day. Prolonged sitting, standing or sleeping positions and repetitive motions could also be causes.
TOXINS
The body is exposed to numerous chemicals on a daily basis. These chemicals are known to alter muscle tone, and therefore muscle function. Because numerous muscles are attached to the spine, alteration in their tone disrupts proper spinal alignment. Toxins are in the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the drugs we take. Not only are there external chemicals, but chemicals that are produced by the body as a result of heavy exercise, nutrient deficiency, and stress.
THOUGHTS
Society today runs at a rushed pace. There are many societal pressures and tension is an extremely common characteristic of American culture. For these reasons, emotions are a very influential factor in our health. Muscle tension as a result of stress and the body’s response to feelings of sadness, anger, or even overwhelming joy all can lead to the formation of subluxations.
Eliminate subluxation through corrective chiropractic care!
For optimal health, regular chiropractic care is vital. Only through a healthy nervous system can the body function at 100%. Everyone deserves to live at his/her full potential. Principled chiropractors specifically and scientifically correct subluxations in people of all ages, including newborns. Live your life to the fullest. Receive regular care from your principled chiropractor.
How do we get subluxations?
TRAUMAS
Falling off a ladder or getting in a car accident are sure to cause spinal misalignment that results in interference to the nervous system. Most everyone has slipped on the ice or tripped down a step. These have the potential to cause a spinal subluxation. Constant and/or minor physical forces may also result in subluxation. Things such as carrying a heavy purse or backpack, the birthing process, participating in sports, or typing at a computer at work every day. Prolonged sitting, standing or sleeping positions and repetitive motions could also be causes.
TOXINS
The body is exposed to numerous chemicals on a daily basis. These chemicals are known to alter muscle tone, and therefore muscle function. Because numerous muscles are attached to the spine, alteration in their tone disrupts proper spinal alignment. Toxins are in the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the drugs we take. Not only are there external chemicals, but chemicals that are produced by the body as a result of heavy exercise, nutrient deficiency, and stress.
THOUGHTS
Society today runs at a rushed pace. There are many societal pressures and tension is an extremely common characteristic of American culture. For these reasons, emotions are a very influential factor in our health. Muscle tension as a result of stress and the body’s response to feelings of sadness, anger, or even overwhelming joy all can lead to the formation of subluxations.
Eliminate subluxation through corrective chiropractic care!
For optimal health, regular chiropractic care is vital. Only through a healthy nervous system can the body function at 100%. Everyone deserves to live at his/her full potential. Principled chiropractors specifically and scientifically correct subluxations in people of all ages, including newborns. Live your life to the fullest. Receive regular care from your principled chiropractor.
Lifting Safety...
1. Be prepared.
Be aware of the approximate weight of the object and the distance it needs to be carried. Clear a path before moving any object.
2. Wear a back support or belt.
If you are lifting on a regular basis either on the job or at home, a back belt or support can help maintain better lifting posture.
3. Feet shoulder width apart.
A solid base of support is important while lifting. This helps maintain balance and promotes proper lifting posture. When carrying an object, take small steps.
4. Bend your knees and keep your back straight.
Keep your spine straight. Looking upward can help maintain straight posture. Raise and lower slowly by bending at the knees.
5. Tighten your stomach muscles.
Tightening your core muscles will help ensure a straight back and will help reduce the force on the spine.
6. Lift with your legs.
Your legs are stronger than your back, so bend your knees, not your waist. Again, keeping your eyes focused upwards helps to keep your back straight.
7. Lift close to your body.
Keeping the object close to your body allows for maximum strength and lessens the stress to the spine. Make sure you have a firm grip before you attempt to lift an object. Keep it centered close to your body.
8. Get help if you need it.
If an object is too heavy or awkward, get someone to help you move it. If you are straining, do not attempt to move an object by yourself.
Be aware of the approximate weight of the object and the distance it needs to be carried. Clear a path before moving any object.
2. Wear a back support or belt.
If you are lifting on a regular basis either on the job or at home, a back belt or support can help maintain better lifting posture.
3. Feet shoulder width apart.
A solid base of support is important while lifting. This helps maintain balance and promotes proper lifting posture. When carrying an object, take small steps.
4. Bend your knees and keep your back straight.
Keep your spine straight. Looking upward can help maintain straight posture. Raise and lower slowly by bending at the knees.
5. Tighten your stomach muscles.
Tightening your core muscles will help ensure a straight back and will help reduce the force on the spine.
6. Lift with your legs.
Your legs are stronger than your back, so bend your knees, not your waist. Again, keeping your eyes focused upwards helps to keep your back straight.
7. Lift close to your body.
Keeping the object close to your body allows for maximum strength and lessens the stress to the spine. Make sure you have a firm grip before you attempt to lift an object. Keep it centered close to your body.
8. Get help if you need it.
If an object is too heavy or awkward, get someone to help you move it. If you are straining, do not attempt to move an object by yourself.
Benefits of Chiropractic Care...
Quite often in my practice, a patient whom I am treating for a usual back or neck problem will experience other unexpected benefits. Generally, they will ask, rather cautiously, whether it is normal to feel this or that change. I reassure them that it is common to feel better with chiropractic treatments and I attempt to elaborate as to why they are seeing improvements in areas seemingly unrelated to their spines. This is one of the pleasurable aspects of helping people in a day-to-day chiropractic office.
I came across a report that studied this phenomenon the other day, and I thought my readers would enjoy hearing it:
The study was conducted in Sweden in the late 90’s and was reported in The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1999; 32:559-64. A group of interviewers questioned 20 consecutive patients that had just received treatment from 87 Swedish chiropractors. The patients were given a questionnaire asking if they had experienced any improved non-musculoskeletal symptoms after their adjustment. A total of 1504 responses were gathered and analyzed. The results are very informative.
Out of 1504 patients who had recently visited their chiropractor, 21-25% of cases reported at least one non-musculoskeletal benefit after their adjustment. The breakdown went like this: 26% had a pulmonary improvement (It was easier to breathe), 25% had a gastrointestinal benefit (A perception of improved GI function), 14% realized an eye/ vision improvement, and 14% felt they had gained a cardiac/circulation improvement.
A side note to this study was that the interviewers observed that in cases where other spinal areas were treated greater non-musculoskeletal improvements occurred. In other words, the number of positive reactions was directly associated with the number of spinal areas treated.
Much of this report and its findings just stands to reason and is expected by chiropractors the world over. We have all seen and heard these kinds of comments many times in our offices. Much of it can be explained by the removal of muscle tension and /or nerve interference in the spine. It is anatomical fact that the thoracic spine houses and conducts the nerves to the lungs, diaphragm, liver, stomach etc. In some future article, I intend to discuss the mechanisms of osseous spine adjustments and visceral responses.
Although this was not a particularly high-quality study, it was large enough in scope to indicate a trend. It is instructive to we practitioners in the field that adjusting spinal areas that are secondary to the main biomechanical lesion can have excellent spin-off benefits for the patient. What we need now is longer-term follow-up studies to determine many other questions that this Swedish study opens up. Such questions as: Did these patients have reportable symptoms prior or is the relief being reported immeasurable? Is this putative relief brief, short-term or long lasting? What are the results of patients seeking chiropractic care for these symptoms as their primary complaint? Much investigation in this area remains to be done. This Swedish study is a good start.
taken Jan 22, 2002 from
I came across a report that studied this phenomenon the other day, and I thought my readers would enjoy hearing it:
The study was conducted in Sweden in the late 90’s and was reported in The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1999; 32:559-64. A group of interviewers questioned 20 consecutive patients that had just received treatment from 87 Swedish chiropractors. The patients were given a questionnaire asking if they had experienced any improved non-musculoskeletal symptoms after their adjustment. A total of 1504 responses were gathered and analyzed. The results are very informative.
Out of 1504 patients who had recently visited their chiropractor, 21-25% of cases reported at least one non-musculoskeletal benefit after their adjustment. The breakdown went like this: 26% had a pulmonary improvement (It was easier to breathe), 25% had a gastrointestinal benefit (A perception of improved GI function), 14% realized an eye/ vision improvement, and 14% felt they had gained a cardiac/circulation improvement.
A side note to this study was that the interviewers observed that in cases where other spinal areas were treated greater non-musculoskeletal improvements occurred. In other words, the number of positive reactions was directly associated with the number of spinal areas treated.
Much of this report and its findings just stands to reason and is expected by chiropractors the world over. We have all seen and heard these kinds of comments many times in our offices. Much of it can be explained by the removal of muscle tension and /or nerve interference in the spine. It is anatomical fact that the thoracic spine houses and conducts the nerves to the lungs, diaphragm, liver, stomach etc. In some future article, I intend to discuss the mechanisms of osseous spine adjustments and visceral responses.
Although this was not a particularly high-quality study, it was large enough in scope to indicate a trend. It is instructive to we practitioners in the field that adjusting spinal areas that are secondary to the main biomechanical lesion can have excellent spin-off benefits for the patient. What we need now is longer-term follow-up studies to determine many other questions that this Swedish study opens up. Such questions as: Did these patients have reportable symptoms prior or is the relief being reported immeasurable? Is this putative relief brief, short-term or long lasting? What are the results of patients seeking chiropractic care for these symptoms as their primary complaint? Much investigation in this area remains to be done. This Swedish study is a good start.
taken Jan 22, 2002 from
A Word About Hugs...
* Hugging your partner could lower his or her blood pressure.
* Researchers have found that in younger women, the more hugs they get, the lower their blood pressure.
* Researchers at the University of North Carolina who investigated 69 pre-menopausal women showed that those who had the most hugs had a reduced heart rate.
* Exactly what could be responsible is not clear, but the psychiatrists who carried out the work also found that blood levels of the hormone oxytocin were much higher in the women who were hugged the most.
* Other research finds that oxytocin is released during social contact and that it is associated with social bonding, while a study at Ohio State University shows that when it is put into wounds in animals, the injuries heal much more quickly.
* Work at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences suggests that oxytocin can induce anti-stress-like effects, including reduction in blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol: "It increases pain thresholds and stimulates various types of positive social interaction, and it promotes growth and healing. Oxytocin can be released by various types of non-noxious sensory stimulation, for example by touch and warmth," they say.
Remember that:
You need 4 hugs a day to survive...
You need 8 hugs a day to maintain...
You need 12 hugs a day to grow!!!
(Thanks to Robyn and Dr. Jason)
* Researchers have found that in younger women, the more hugs they get, the lower their blood pressure.
* Researchers at the University of North Carolina who investigated 69 pre-menopausal women showed that those who had the most hugs had a reduced heart rate.
* Exactly what could be responsible is not clear, but the psychiatrists who carried out the work also found that blood levels of the hormone oxytocin were much higher in the women who were hugged the most.
* Other research finds that oxytocin is released during social contact and that it is associated with social bonding, while a study at Ohio State University shows that when it is put into wounds in animals, the injuries heal much more quickly.
* Work at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences suggests that oxytocin can induce anti-stress-like effects, including reduction in blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol: "It increases pain thresholds and stimulates various types of positive social interaction, and it promotes growth and healing. Oxytocin can be released by various types of non-noxious sensory stimulation, for example by touch and warmth," they say.
Remember that:
You need 4 hugs a day to survive...
You need 8 hugs a day to maintain...
You need 12 hugs a day to grow!!!
(Thanks to Robyn and Dr. Jason)
The Power of Touch...
How the Power of Touch Reduces Pain and Even Fights Disease
By Roger Dobson - Tuesday, 10 October 2006
When Jim Coan scanned the brains of married women in pain, he spotted changes that may help to shed light on an age-old mystery. As soon as the women touched the hands of their husbands, there was an instant drop in activity in the areas of the brains involved in fear, danger, and threat. The women, who had been exposed to experimental pain while they were scanned, were calmer and less stressed, and a similar, but smaller, effect was triggered by the touch of strangers.
"It's the first study of the brain's reactions to human touch in a threatening situation, and the first to measure how the brain is involved in the health-enhancing properties of close social relationships," said Dr Coan, a neuroscientist at Virginia University.
Touch, a key component of traditional healing, is being increasingly studied in mainstream medicine, with some trials showing symptom benefits in a number of areas, from asthma and high blood pressure to migraine and childhood diabetes. Other research findings hint that not only does touch lower stress levels, but that it can boost the immune system and halt or slow the progress of disease.
The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine says it has carried out more than 100 studies into touch and found evidence of significant effects, including faster growth in premature babies, reduced pain, decreased autoimmune disease symptoms, lowered glucose levels in children with diabetes, and improved immune systems in people with cancer.
At the Institute for Postgraduate Dental Education in Sweden, a small trial involving 10 patients with fibromyalgia syndrome found that eight benefited from touch therapy. "The results of the pilot study are so encouraging that they warrant an extended study,'" said the researchers.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital is one of a number of leading health centres in the US that now uses healing touch therapy. "Research has demonstrated that patients who receive healing touch experience accelerated wound healing and relaxation, pain relief and general comfort," said a spokesman.
According to a Stanford University report, several studies are showing significant benefits in wound healing, pain and anxiety. It says touch therapy may also have positive effects on fracture healing and arthritis. But some studies have failed to find an effect for touch, while others have had mixed results. One review of 11 separate studies found that seven showed a beneficial effect, three showed no effect, and one had a negative effect. Two out of four studies found a significant effect, but the others showed that those who did not get the touch therapy progressed better.
Some believe the power of touch is all down to the placebo effect. "If you touch your partner they feel relaxed, but if someone else touches they may not feel as relaxed," said Professor Edzard Ernst, a professor of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter. "That is very much mind over matter. It has nothing to with the sensations of being touched, it is the expectation and the context of the intervention, rather than the specific effect of that intervention."
While touch is used extensively for stress and anxiety and in palliative care, research is now increasingly focussing on whether it can impede the progress of a number of diseases, including depression and cancer.
At the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio, a pilot study has begun involving 120 men with localised prostate cancer, to see whether hand-healing through the complementary therapy reiki affects levels of anxiety and progression of the disease. One of the hopes is that the advance of the disease can be halted or slowed.
And at the University of Iowa, a study is looking at the effects of healing touch on 64 women with advanced cervical cancer. Researchers say the aim is to see whether touch can boost the immune system and improve the body's natural defences against the disease.
While research such as this may suggest beneficial effects, the mechanisms that could be involved are far from clear. One of the most common findings from research, including a study at the Institute of Neurological Sciences in Glasgow, is that touch lowers heart rate and blood pressure. But how? Work at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, may provide an answer. It has shown that touch and massage can cut levels of stress hormones, which have been implicated in increasing the risk of a number of diseases. Touch many also increase levels of melatonin and of the feel-good hormone, serotonin.
Researchers at Ohio State University have found that psychological stress can increase the blood levels of hormones that then interfere with the delivery of cytokines, key immune system elements, to the site of an injury. The result, they say, is a slowing down of the wound healing process.
They also found that wounds took a day longer to heal when the patient had been involved in an argument with a loved one, and that in married couples who did not get on, wound healing took two days longer. "Wounds in the couples who were hostile healed at only 60 per cent of the rate of couples with low levels of hostility," said Dr Janice Kiecolt-Glaser.
That finding, plus those of Dr Coan, may explain why the touch of a loved one can be therapeutic. But they do not explain why the touch of practitioners and strangers can have a similar effect. At DePauw University in Indiana, Dr Matthew Hertenstein may have found an answer. He has discovered that touch communicates emotions. When people were touched by a stranger they could not see, who had been instructed to try to communicate a particular emotion, they were able to tell the emotional state of the other person with great accuracy.
The findings show that people can communicate several distinct emotions through touch alone, including anger, fear, disgust, love, gratitude, and sympathy. Accuracy rates ranged from 48 per cent to 83 per cent, comparable with those found in studies of emotions shown in faces and voices. "The evidence indicates that humans can communicate several distinct emotions through touch," said Dr Hertenstein. "Our study is the first to provide rigorous evidence showing that humans can reliably signal love, gratitude and sympathy with touch. These findings raise the interesting possibility that touch may convey more positive emotions than the face.''
What it suggests, too, is that touch is a much more sophisticated tool that previously thought. It could also explain why different trials on the therapeutic effects of touch can get differing results. It may be that touch works, but that it needs the right person, in the right mood, doing the touching.
By Roger Dobson - Tuesday, 10 October 2006
When Jim Coan scanned the brains of married women in pain, he spotted changes that may help to shed light on an age-old mystery. As soon as the women touched the hands of their husbands, there was an instant drop in activity in the areas of the brains involved in fear, danger, and threat. The women, who had been exposed to experimental pain while they were scanned, were calmer and less stressed, and a similar, but smaller, effect was triggered by the touch of strangers.
"It's the first study of the brain's reactions to human touch in a threatening situation, and the first to measure how the brain is involved in the health-enhancing properties of close social relationships," said Dr Coan, a neuroscientist at Virginia University.
Touch, a key component of traditional healing, is being increasingly studied in mainstream medicine, with some trials showing symptom benefits in a number of areas, from asthma and high blood pressure to migraine and childhood diabetes. Other research findings hint that not only does touch lower stress levels, but that it can boost the immune system and halt or slow the progress of disease.
The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine says it has carried out more than 100 studies into touch and found evidence of significant effects, including faster growth in premature babies, reduced pain, decreased autoimmune disease symptoms, lowered glucose levels in children with diabetes, and improved immune systems in people with cancer.
At the Institute for Postgraduate Dental Education in Sweden, a small trial involving 10 patients with fibromyalgia syndrome found that eight benefited from touch therapy. "The results of the pilot study are so encouraging that they warrant an extended study,'" said the researchers.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital is one of a number of leading health centres in the US that now uses healing touch therapy. "Research has demonstrated that patients who receive healing touch experience accelerated wound healing and relaxation, pain relief and general comfort," said a spokesman.
According to a Stanford University report, several studies are showing significant benefits in wound healing, pain and anxiety. It says touch therapy may also have positive effects on fracture healing and arthritis. But some studies have failed to find an effect for touch, while others have had mixed results. One review of 11 separate studies found that seven showed a beneficial effect, three showed no effect, and one had a negative effect. Two out of four studies found a significant effect, but the others showed that those who did not get the touch therapy progressed better.
Some believe the power of touch is all down to the placebo effect. "If you touch your partner they feel relaxed, but if someone else touches they may not feel as relaxed," said Professor Edzard Ernst, a professor of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter. "That is very much mind over matter. It has nothing to with the sensations of being touched, it is the expectation and the context of the intervention, rather than the specific effect of that intervention."
While touch is used extensively for stress and anxiety and in palliative care, research is now increasingly focussing on whether it can impede the progress of a number of diseases, including depression and cancer.
At the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio, a pilot study has begun involving 120 men with localised prostate cancer, to see whether hand-healing through the complementary therapy reiki affects levels of anxiety and progression of the disease. One of the hopes is that the advance of the disease can be halted or slowed.
And at the University of Iowa, a study is looking at the effects of healing touch on 64 women with advanced cervical cancer. Researchers say the aim is to see whether touch can boost the immune system and improve the body's natural defences against the disease.
While research such as this may suggest beneficial effects, the mechanisms that could be involved are far from clear. One of the most common findings from research, including a study at the Institute of Neurological Sciences in Glasgow, is that touch lowers heart rate and blood pressure. But how? Work at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, may provide an answer. It has shown that touch and massage can cut levels of stress hormones, which have been implicated in increasing the risk of a number of diseases. Touch many also increase levels of melatonin and of the feel-good hormone, serotonin.
Researchers at Ohio State University have found that psychological stress can increase the blood levels of hormones that then interfere with the delivery of cytokines, key immune system elements, to the site of an injury. The result, they say, is a slowing down of the wound healing process.
They also found that wounds took a day longer to heal when the patient had been involved in an argument with a loved one, and that in married couples who did not get on, wound healing took two days longer. "Wounds in the couples who were hostile healed at only 60 per cent of the rate of couples with low levels of hostility," said Dr Janice Kiecolt-Glaser.
That finding, plus those of Dr Coan, may explain why the touch of a loved one can be therapeutic. But they do not explain why the touch of practitioners and strangers can have a similar effect. At DePauw University in Indiana, Dr Matthew Hertenstein may have found an answer. He has discovered that touch communicates emotions. When people were touched by a stranger they could not see, who had been instructed to try to communicate a particular emotion, they were able to tell the emotional state of the other person with great accuracy.
The findings show that people can communicate several distinct emotions through touch alone, including anger, fear, disgust, love, gratitude, and sympathy. Accuracy rates ranged from 48 per cent to 83 per cent, comparable with those found in studies of emotions shown in faces and voices. "The evidence indicates that humans can communicate several distinct emotions through touch," said Dr Hertenstein. "Our study is the first to provide rigorous evidence showing that humans can reliably signal love, gratitude and sympathy with touch. These findings raise the interesting possibility that touch may convey more positive emotions than the face.''
What it suggests, too, is that touch is a much more sophisticated tool that previously thought. It could also explain why different trials on the therapeutic effects of touch can get differing results. It may be that touch works, but that it needs the right person, in the right mood, doing the touching.
Some Healthy Snack Alternatives...
Snack Time!
½ c low fat cottage cheese with berries/peach
Celery with natural peanut butter
25-30 almonds and apple/berries
½ avocado with tomato and/or onion on wasa crackers/ 1 piece gluten-free bread
5 wasa crackers/1 piece gluten-free bread with natural peanut butter
¼ c Fage yogurt with berries
½ c oatmeal with berries/ ½ banana and ¼ c flavored granola (good for breakfast too)
½ c cereal with fat free/soy milk and fruit
Advocare snack bar or meal replacement shake
1 packet tuna in water with 1 tbsp mayo mixed, eat with veggies (celery, carrots, pepper, cucumber)
Remember:
* snacks should include a fiber/protein with a fruit/vegetable
* think of a “fist full” as 200 calories
* eat (healthy) every 2.5-3 hours, at a recommended 200-500 calories/sitting
* drink 4-5 bottles of water/day
½ c low fat cottage cheese with berries/peach
Celery with natural peanut butter
25-30 almonds and apple/berries
½ avocado with tomato and/or onion on wasa crackers/ 1 piece gluten-free bread
5 wasa crackers/1 piece gluten-free bread with natural peanut butter
¼ c Fage yogurt with berries
½ c oatmeal with berries/ ½ banana and ¼ c flavored granola (good for breakfast too)
½ c cereal with fat free/soy milk and fruit
Advocare snack bar or meal replacement shake
1 packet tuna in water with 1 tbsp mayo mixed, eat with veggies (celery, carrots, pepper, cucumber)
Remember:
* snacks should include a fiber/protein with a fruit/vegetable
* think of a “fist full” as 200 calories
* eat (healthy) every 2.5-3 hours, at a recommended 200-500 calories/sitting
* drink 4-5 bottles of water/day
A Great Shopping List...
Good Foods
Fruits & Veggies- (make sure to get a variety of each 3-4 fruits & 4-6 veggies. Keep in mind not all fruits & veggies are created equal below is a list of the ones you want to have most frequently)
- Berries
- Peaches
- Green Apples
- Grapefruit
- Plums
- Cherries
- Cucumbers
- Colored peppers
- Leafy greens
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
Lean Proteins-
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Tofu
- Cottage Cheese
- Eggs
- Fish- (Tuna, Salmon, Halibut)
Other Complex Carbs- (things with color, whole grain, whole wheat etc…)
- Whole wheat/ Whole Grain bread & crackers
- Whole wheat pasta/ tortillas
- Brown Rice
- Corn Tortillas
Healthy Fats- (Avoid trans fat entirely, minimize sat. fat consumption as much as possible. Sat. fats are those from animals ie- meat, butter, cheese. A good gauge is that the fat is liquid at room temp)
- Walnuts (good omega3 source)
- Almonds
- Fatty Fish (salmon, tuna etc)
- Flaxseed Oil (for omega 3’s)
- Olive Oil (extra virgin)
OK Foods
Fruits & Veggies-
- Bananas
- Grapes
- Red Apples
- Watermelon
- Mangoes
- Pineapple
- Oranges
- Potatoes
- Peas
- Squash
- Yams
- Sweet Potatoes
- Corn
Proteins-
- Shell Fish
- Red Meat (get it with as low fat as possible, organic is best and have occasionally)
Fats-
- Peanuts
- Cheese
- Dressings (make sure to watch sugar content and get these on the sides so you can control the amount)
Prepared Foods- (these are best to get at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or markets that hold foods with no preservatives)
Make sure you read the labels on these. You want to look 1st at the serving size and calories to figure out portions. Next you’ll want to look at protein, carb and fat content. Make sure it fits into the >10 and <30 rule of protein and carbs respectively. Don’t worry about having a diet free of fat, just make sure it is the good fats. Also keep in mind that if you’re eating anything else with the meal to take that into account when preparing the meal to keep your protein, carb & fat ratios balanced.
Some Tips For Your Best Success
- Try to consume a majority of your diet from the “Good” list, and fill in the rest from the “OK” list.
- It is ok to splurge on things not on either of these lists now and then… just focus on keeping to healthy habits about 80% of the time.
- You’re going to stick to the good foods much more regularly when you’re on product since you’re making sure your core nutritional needs are being met.
- If you approach your diet as gradually improving your food choices and nutrition habits and not trying to do it all at once you’ll increase your retention exponentially
Fruits & Veggies- (make sure to get a variety of each 3-4 fruits & 4-6 veggies. Keep in mind not all fruits & veggies are created equal below is a list of the ones you want to have most frequently)
- Berries
- Peaches
- Green Apples
- Grapefruit
- Plums
- Cherries
- Cucumbers
- Colored peppers
- Leafy greens
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
Lean Proteins-
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Tofu
- Cottage Cheese
- Eggs
- Fish- (Tuna, Salmon, Halibut)
Other Complex Carbs- (things with color, whole grain, whole wheat etc…)
- Whole wheat/ Whole Grain bread & crackers
- Whole wheat pasta/ tortillas
- Brown Rice
- Corn Tortillas
Healthy Fats- (Avoid trans fat entirely, minimize sat. fat consumption as much as possible. Sat. fats are those from animals ie- meat, butter, cheese. A good gauge is that the fat is liquid at room temp)
- Walnuts (good omega3 source)
- Almonds
- Fatty Fish (salmon, tuna etc)
- Flaxseed Oil (for omega 3’s)
- Olive Oil (extra virgin)
OK Foods
Fruits & Veggies-
- Bananas
- Grapes
- Red Apples
- Watermelon
- Mangoes
- Pineapple
- Oranges
- Potatoes
- Peas
- Squash
- Yams
- Sweet Potatoes
- Corn
Proteins-
- Shell Fish
- Red Meat (get it with as low fat as possible, organic is best and have occasionally)
Fats-
- Peanuts
- Cheese
- Dressings (make sure to watch sugar content and get these on the sides so you can control the amount)
Prepared Foods- (these are best to get at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or markets that hold foods with no preservatives)
Make sure you read the labels on these. You want to look 1st at the serving size and calories to figure out portions. Next you’ll want to look at protein, carb and fat content. Make sure it fits into the >10 and <30 rule of protein and carbs respectively. Don’t worry about having a diet free of fat, just make sure it is the good fats. Also keep in mind that if you’re eating anything else with the meal to take that into account when preparing the meal to keep your protein, carb & fat ratios balanced.
Some Tips For Your Best Success
- Try to consume a majority of your diet from the “Good” list, and fill in the rest from the “OK” list.
- It is ok to splurge on things not on either of these lists now and then… just focus on keeping to healthy habits about 80% of the time.
- You’re going to stick to the good foods much more regularly when you’re on product since you’re making sure your core nutritional needs are being met.
- If you approach your diet as gradually improving your food choices and nutrition habits and not trying to do it all at once you’ll increase your retention exponentially
Some Food Substitution Ideas...
Instead of: Pork Bacon
Try: Lean turkey bacon
Instead of: White Bread
Try: Gluten free- spelt bread or OASIS sunseed bread
Instead of: Butter
Try: Smart Balance light
Instead of: Candy Bars
Try: Advocare Snack Bars
Instead of: Cereal
Try: Nature’s Path- Flax Plus Multibran or Kashi cereal
Instead of: Crackers/chips
Try: Wasa crackers or Kettle brand chips
Instead of: Creamy dressings
Try: Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Instead of: Dairy cheese
Try: Goat cheese
Instead of: Whole eggs
Try: 3 whites to 1 yolk
Instead of: Mayonnaise
Try: Helman’s canola or olive oil mayonnaise
Instead of: Pasta
Try: Brown rice or quinoa pasta
Instead of: Pasta sauce
Try: Tomato puree, add sugar and spices to taste, Healthy Choice
Instead of: Peanuts/mixed nuts
Try: Unsalted Almonds (25-30/day)
Instead of: Peanut butter
Try: Natural peanut/almond butter (ingredients: peanuts)
Instead of: Pizza
Try: Flatouts, tomato paste, toppings (personal pizzas)
Instead of: Waffles with syrup
Try: Kashi waffles with mashed berries on top
Instead of: White rice
Try: Brown rice or quinoa
Instead of: Yogurt (8%fat)
Try: Fage Greek Yogurt (5% fat - ewe’s milk)
Try: Lean turkey bacon
Instead of: White Bread
Try: Gluten free- spelt bread or OASIS sunseed bread
Instead of: Butter
Try: Smart Balance light
Instead of: Candy Bars
Try: Advocare Snack Bars
Instead of: Cereal
Try: Nature’s Path- Flax Plus Multibran or Kashi cereal
Instead of: Crackers/chips
Try: Wasa crackers or Kettle brand chips
Instead of: Creamy dressings
Try: Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Instead of: Dairy cheese
Try: Goat cheese
Instead of: Whole eggs
Try: 3 whites to 1 yolk
Instead of: Mayonnaise
Try: Helman’s canola or olive oil mayonnaise
Instead of: Pasta
Try: Brown rice or quinoa pasta
Instead of: Pasta sauce
Try: Tomato puree, add sugar and spices to taste, Healthy Choice
Instead of: Peanuts/mixed nuts
Try: Unsalted Almonds (25-30/day)
Instead of: Peanut butter
Try: Natural peanut/almond butter (ingredients: peanuts)
Instead of: Pizza
Try: Flatouts, tomato paste, toppings (personal pizzas)
Instead of: Waffles with syrup
Try: Kashi waffles with mashed berries on top
Instead of: White rice
Try: Brown rice or quinoa
Instead of: Yogurt (8%fat)
Try: Fage Greek Yogurt (5% fat - ewe’s milk)
A Word About Protein...
If fruits and vegetables are so good for you, why not just go all the way and become a vegetarian? This is a choice many people make, and it's certainly a valid option.
Regardless, it's necessary for all of us to ensure our diet contains "complete protein". The proteins that make up most of our body's structures are themselves composed of amino acids - there are approximately 20 known varieties. Of these, eight amino acids are described as "essential" - we need to obtain these essential amino acids via the food we eat.
Essential amino acids are found in turkey, chicken, fish, meat, milk, cheese, and eggs. Vegetarians who do not eat any of these foods must be sure to obtain their daily requirement of essential amino acids.
How much protein should a person eat each day? For good metabolic efficiency, i.e., for fit people who exercise regularly, an approximate measurement is one gram of protein for each pound of body weight.
Regardless, it's necessary for all of us to ensure our diet contains "complete protein". The proteins that make up most of our body's structures are themselves composed of amino acids - there are approximately 20 known varieties. Of these, eight amino acids are described as "essential" - we need to obtain these essential amino acids via the food we eat.
Essential amino acids are found in turkey, chicken, fish, meat, milk, cheese, and eggs. Vegetarians who do not eat any of these foods must be sure to obtain their daily requirement of essential amino acids.
How much protein should a person eat each day? For good metabolic efficiency, i.e., for fit people who exercise regularly, an approximate measurement is one gram of protein for each pound of body weight.
Five to Stay Alive...
It's the rare child who actually wants to eat fruits and vegetables. Kids are bombarded by television and radio ads for cereals, candy, and chips that contain huge amounts of sugar and large quantities of saturated fat. The sugar craving begins in childhood - kids quickly develop a taste for sweets. To a child's sugar-sensitized palette, the complex sugars contained in fruits and vegetables are a poor substitute.
We carry these habits into adulthood and our long-term health suffers as a result. Twenty-four hours is not enough time in the day for most of us, and many consistently choose fast foods as a means of satisfying our need for food and a method for limiting the amount of precious time we spend on meal preparation.
But fast foods are not really food in the sense that the nutrition they provide is minimal. Fast foods are essentially empty calories.
In the 1950s and 1960s a well-known health-related slogan was "an apple a day makes the doctor away". This advice represented ancient folk wisdom. Today, decades of research has shown that apples - and all fruits and vegetables - have remarkable health-promoting and disease-fighting properties.
Most fruits and vegetables are packed with magical biochemicals called phytochemicals - "phyto" means plant. Phytochemicals give fruits and vegetables their color, so the more colorful a food, the more phytochemicals it contains.
Ongoing research studies show that phytochemicals - of which there are thousands of varieties - provide protection against the development of many chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and arthritis. Many phytochemicals are antioxidants and neutralize free radicals in human cells. Others have anti-inflammatory properties - these help slow the aging process.
Fruits and vegetables are so important for our health and well-being that many national organizations have promoted the "five to stay alive rule" - the recommendation is to eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables each day.
Portions could include any of these - an apple, an orange, a banana, a cup of grapes, a cup of blueberries, a yam, a couple of carrots, a couple of tomatoes, and a couple of tablespoons of broccoli.
For many of us, "five to stay alive" would be a radical departure from our old habits. It might take a little effort to develop new shopping and eating habits, but once you're in the groove it's likely you'll be feeling so much better you'll wonder why you didn't start this healthy-eating plan sooner.
Your chiropractor is knowledgeable in nutritional health and will be glad to help you create a food plan that works for you and your family.
de Kok TM, et al: Mechanisms of combined action of different chemopreventive dietary compounds: a review. Eur J Nutr 47(Suppl 2):59-59, 2008
Ware WR: Nutrition and the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer: Association of Cytochrome P450 CYP1B1 With the Role of Fruit and Fruit Extracts. Integr Cancer Ther December 2008
Liu RH: Potential synergy of phytochemicals in cancer prevention: mechanism of action. J Nutr 134(Suppl 12):3479S-3485S, 2004
We carry these habits into adulthood and our long-term health suffers as a result. Twenty-four hours is not enough time in the day for most of us, and many consistently choose fast foods as a means of satisfying our need for food and a method for limiting the amount of precious time we spend on meal preparation.
But fast foods are not really food in the sense that the nutrition they provide is minimal. Fast foods are essentially empty calories.
In the 1950s and 1960s a well-known health-related slogan was "an apple a day makes the doctor away". This advice represented ancient folk wisdom. Today, decades of research has shown that apples - and all fruits and vegetables - have remarkable health-promoting and disease-fighting properties.
Most fruits and vegetables are packed with magical biochemicals called phytochemicals - "phyto" means plant. Phytochemicals give fruits and vegetables their color, so the more colorful a food, the more phytochemicals it contains.
Ongoing research studies show that phytochemicals - of which there are thousands of varieties - provide protection against the development of many chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and arthritis. Many phytochemicals are antioxidants and neutralize free radicals in human cells. Others have anti-inflammatory properties - these help slow the aging process.
Fruits and vegetables are so important for our health and well-being that many national organizations have promoted the "five to stay alive rule" - the recommendation is to eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables each day.
Portions could include any of these - an apple, an orange, a banana, a cup of grapes, a cup of blueberries, a yam, a couple of carrots, a couple of tomatoes, and a couple of tablespoons of broccoli.
For many of us, "five to stay alive" would be a radical departure from our old habits. It might take a little effort to develop new shopping and eating habits, but once you're in the groove it's likely you'll be feeling so much better you'll wonder why you didn't start this healthy-eating plan sooner.
Your chiropractor is knowledgeable in nutritional health and will be glad to help you create a food plan that works for you and your family.
de Kok TM, et al: Mechanisms of combined action of different chemopreventive dietary compounds: a review. Eur J Nutr 47(Suppl 2):59-59, 2008
Ware WR: Nutrition and the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer: Association of Cytochrome P450 CYP1B1 With the Role of Fruit and Fruit Extracts. Integr Cancer Ther December 2008
Liu RH: Potential synergy of phytochemicals in cancer prevention: mechanism of action. J Nutr 134(Suppl 12):3479S-3485S, 2004
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