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By plyfamilywellness 0 Comments Adjustments, Chiropractic, Diet, Exercises, Nutrition, Weight Loss , , , , , ,

The Terrible T’s

If you have come into our office you have probably heard us talking about the “Terrible T’s” quite a bit. But what are the terrible T’s and what impact do they have on your health? The 3 terrible T’s are traumas, toxins, and thoughts. Each one plays a pivotal role in health in its own unique way. Let’s break these down individually and dive into how they each can affect you.

We will start with traumas. Traumas are probably the most obvious T when it comes to the impact they have on your health. Traumas are defined as any injury, accident, fall, bump, scrape, bruise, etc. Traumas are the things you usually can easily remember. They are things that happen that you know caused some sort of pain or dysfunction in the body. For example you recall falling off your bike and hurting your knee or getting in a car accident and suddenly having neck pain. But sometimes traumas aren’t quite as obvious. Think about some repetitive traumas you go through daily. Do you sit at a desk all day? That’s a trauma for your low back. Every time you look down at your phone that’s a trauma for your neck. We are starting to see more and more cases of repetitive traumas causing problems for our patients. So how do we correct for these traumas? Chiropractic adjustments are wonderful for restoring proper joint motion and function following biomechanical injuries to the body. We love seeing the results our patients get even from just a few adjustments of the spine or even extremities! Chiropractic adjustments help to reduce pain, restore range of motion, and get people back to feeling like themselves.

The next T I would like to talk about is toxins. Toxins are things that get into your body and cause massive inflammation. That build-up of inflammation can lead to wide spread pain and discomfort. Most commonly toxins are found in our environment in the things we eat and expose ourselves to. Think of your daily routine getting ready. Do you use clean shampoo, do you use deodorant with aluminum, are you using toxic makeup products? It’s important to make the switch to clean and natural products for all of the above to make sure you are protecting yourself. Now think about the foods you eat? Are you eating enough fruits and vegetables? A majority of people are not. Do you eat fast food? Gluten? Dairy products? These things are commonly very toxic and inflammatory for people. This inflammation from food is not always present as symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort. Sometimes inflammation from food can show up as joint pain, back pain, or even nerve pain. We have seen multiple people who don’t seem to respond to chiropractic care suddenly start to see amazing improvements when we start looking at what toxins are in their environment and remove them. Our bodies were made to thrive and heal and be healthy as long as we remove toxins interfering with that process!

The last T we need to discuss is thoughts. This is one of the most difficult T’s for most of our patients to wrap their heads around. Our thoughts are so powerful when it comes to our health. Patients who have a positive outlook on their health generally see much better results in our office. In Chinese medicine they discuss in depth how each emotion effects each organ. Anger congests the liver. Fear can cause problems in the kidneys. Sadness can affect the lungs. In our office one of the most common things we see is stress. Stress is often carried in the muscles of the neck and shoulders. We can help biomechanically by adjusting the neck and stretching the musculature but unless we address your stress levels we may never find the results you are looking for.

At Ply Family Wellness we always look at our patients as a whole, not just a list of symptoms. We don’t take neck pain as just neck pain. We will dig to the root of what exactly is causing that neck pain. Was it an accident? Was there some sort of trauma? Is there a toxic overload coming from your environment? Are you overly stressed and holding it in your neck and shoulders? Could it be something else entirely? At our office we won’t settle for just relieving your pain. We also want to make sure that it doesn’t come back. If you are interested in finding out what is causing your ailments please give us a call. We would love to work with you.

 

Written by: Kameron Bavender, DC

By plyfamilywellness 1 Comments Adjustments, Chiropractic, Pediatric Chiropractic, Wellness , , , , ,

Top 5 Benefits of a Chiropractic Adjustment

  1. Pain Management

This is one of the most common reasons people seek chiropractic care.  Chiropractic adjustments have been proven to reduce neck pain, back pain, and headaches over and over in the research.  Chiropractic care has also been shown to decrease pain from injuries to the shoulders, knees, hips, and ankles.1  Many studies are now showing that the use of chiropractic can even reduce dependence on pain medications.  If you have pain of any kind be sure to see your chiropractor to see what they can do for you.

  1. Improved Sleep

If pain isn’t what is keeping you up at night it is likely stress. Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to reduce stress levels which, in turn, leads to more restful and restorative sleep patterns.2  Many patients report getting the best night of sleep they can remember following chiropractic adjustments.  This is because of the relaxing response of the nervous system following the chiropractic adjustment.  If you aren’t sleeping well, you should absolutely see your chiropractor for regular adjustments.

  1. Stimulates the Immune System

A chiropractic adjustment stimulates the nervous system which is directly linked to the immune system.  This stimulation has been shown to awaken the immune system to help the body fight off colds and flus and other illnesses.3 It has been shown that the subset of the population that gets regular chiropractic adjustments gets sick far less often than the rest of the population that does not get adjusted.  If you want your immune system functioning at its highest capability you should call your local chiropractor today!

  1. Improvements in Behavioral and Learning disabilities

Chiropractic care targets the nervous system.  We like to relate it to a dimmer on a light switch where if the spine is out of alignment it is as if the nervous system is being dimmed.  There is still messages getting through but not as fast or optimally as we would want.  This symptom often presents as behavioral or learning disabilities.  Chiropractic adjustments will realign the spine to remove the interference with the nerves thus removing the dimmer and getting the power turned back on at full force.  Many parents report seeing an improvement in their child’s behavior and ability to concentrate once they begin getting adjusted.4

  1. Normalizes Blood Pressure

At least one in every three adult patients we see is on some sort of blood pressure medication.  Hypertension has become an epidemic in this country.  Luckily, chiropractic adjustments have been shown to have a significant impact blood pressure.  While the mechanism of why is still not fully understood, it has been shown in the research that chiropractic adjustments are just as capable of normalizing blood pressure as some of the more common medications are.5

 

Chiropractic adjustments have so many benefits these listed are just the tip of the iceberg.  It is hard to narrow down to just the top 5!  Some benefits not listed also include chiropractic for wellness care, chiropractic for pregnancy, reduction in allergies and asthma, reduction in gastrointestinal issues, improvements in athletic performance, and so much more. If you aren’t sure if chiropractic can help you please call our office today and find out!

 

 

 

Sources:

  1. Salehi A, et al. Chiropractic: Is it Efficient in Treatment of Diseases? Review of Systematic Reviews. Int J Community based Nurs Midwifery. 2015 Oct; 3(4): 244-254. PMCID: 4591574
  2. Kang DH, McArdle T, and Suh Y. Changes in Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Across Cancer Treatment and Relationship to Stress, Mood, and Quality of Life. J Altern Complement Med. 2014 Nov; 20(11): 853-859. PMCID:4238248
  3. Kanga I, and Steiman I. Chiropractic management of a patient with breast cancer metastases to the brain and spine: a case report. J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2015 Sep;59(3):269-78. PMCID:4486990
  4. Karpouzis F, Bonello R, and Pollard H. Chiropractic care for pediatric and adolescent Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A systematic review. Chiropr Osteopat. 2010; 18:13. PMCID:2891800
  5. McMasters KL, et al. Blood pressure changes in African American patients receiving chiropractic care in a teaching clinic: a preliminary study. J Chiropr Med. 2013 Jun; 12(2): 55-59. PMCID:3730295
By plyfamilywellness 0 Comments Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss , , , , ,

Incorporating Protein into Your Diet

Protein is found throughout the body in virtually almost every tissue and organ.  In fact, 20% of the human body is made up of protein.1 The building blocks of protein are amino acids which carry out many roles such as transportation of nutrients, supporting our immune system, healing and repairing of tissue, and help remove waste. The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 8 grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight.2 Beyond that, there’s little information on the ideal amount of protein you need from the diet.  Generally, the more active you are, the more protein you will need.  Athletes or individuals who exercise on a regular basis may even need up to double the amount depending on the intensity, duration, and frequency of the exercise.

Essential amino acids are required to get from the diet because our body does not produce these types of amino acids.  If you do not get essential amino acids in your diet, proteins break down, resulting in muscle loss and problems with repair.  You can get protein from animal sources and from plant sources.  Adding a protein supplement can give the body an extra boost to heal and repair after workouts as well.  We will talk more about supplementing protein later on.

Most desirable sources of animal based proteins would be fish, eggs, chicken, turkey, and red meat (if OK’d by your nutritionist).  If you have a normal serum ferritin and normal serum iron, then 4-6oz of red meat should be OK for you to consume on a weekly basis.  Plant based sources of protein would include beans, seeds, nut, sprouts, and quinoa.  Nut butters such as peanut butter, cashew butter, or almond butter are good sources as well.  Vegans and vegetarians need to be aware of their protein levels.  It is very common for these individuals to lack the appropriate amounts of protein for the body’s ability to heal and repair.  Chlorella is a good supplement to be taking and is vegan friendly.  Chlorella consists of 58% of protein and generally they are about 2 g of protein per 2-3 capsules/tablets.

Proteins to eliminate from the diet include soy protein and whey protein.  Many vegans or vegetarians often times refer to soy as their main source of protein.  You may not know it, but 80% of the oil Americans consume is soy.  If you look on the ingredient list of many foods, especially processed foods in the aisles of the supermarket, you will see ingredients such as “soy lecithin” and “isolated soy protein”.  Soy lecithin has known effects on reproductive abnormalities and sexual dysfunction. Containing the compound phytoestrogen, it produces similar effects on the body as estrogen.  Unfortunately, about 75% of breast cancers are estrogen-receptor positive.3   Soy is also highly genetically modified (MSG).  Common side effects of MSG exposure include:

    • tachycardia
    • heart attacks
    • asthma
    • headaches
    • joint pain
    • sterility in females

Types of Soy to Eliminate

  • Tofu
  • “Soy Protein Isolate” [Isolated Soy Protein]
  • “Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein”
  • “Texturized Vegetable Protein”
  • “Soy Protein”
  • Soy Protein Supplements

When choosing to supplement with protein for added nutrients to the diet that can help with healing and repairing, you want to be sure to choose wisely.  There are many products on the market today which are full of artificial flavoring, colors, dyes, and fillers.  Whey protein is one of the most popular supplements however, most are actually harmful.  Most whey protein manufactures use a lot of heat for production which actually denatures the protein and makes it insoluble in water. This is why the manufactures add chemicals to restore the flavor and solubility.  Also, many whey protein supplements are deficient of the healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals due to the acidic processing as well.4 Genetically modified ingredients, such as soy lecithin, are added as well artificial sweeteners such as sucralose (also known as Splenda).  We suggest supplementing with organic hemp protein instead. Hemp protein is ideal because it is a plant based form that anyone can enjoy and it is very easy to digest.  When consuming hemp protein you will not only get the benefits of protein but also a hefty serving of fiber and essential fatty acids.

Adding more protein to the diet has many benefits and is even necessary in many situations.  However, before starting any new diet or lifestyle change it is important to discuss your concerns with your experienced nutritionist.  By testing a comprehensive blood panel and hair tissue mineral analysis, we are able to determine other necessary vitamins and minerals you may need to optimize your health.  Get tested today to find out where you need to start and to know exactly what to do and what to take for better health!

 

References:

  1. http://www.aminoacid-studies.com/amino-acids/what-are-amino-acids.html
  2. Institute of Medicine, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients). 2005, National Academies Press: Washington, DC.
  3. Breastcancer.org
  4. Mercola, Joseph, Hofmekler, Ori, Stroden, Kipp. Not all whey protein is created equal.  Food Matters.  July 23, 2013

 

The information has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

By plyfamilywellness 0 Comments Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss , , , ,

Why the word “DIET” is being used wrong

Weight loss. one of the most talked about topics when it comes to women’s health.  Let’s face it, in today’s media driven society, we are putting ourselves on display more than ever and are even comparing ourselves to other women our ages all the time.  The weight may have creeped up over the years and now you feel stuck.  Or, your typical workout routines just aren’t enough anymore.  Women sometimes go to great lengths to try and discover the perfect weight loss product or program on the market.  And let’s be honest, there are way too many to choose from.  From fasting, to yo-yo dieting and detoxing, many of the weight loss programs out there now are too hard and too fast for the body to handle and, without proper guidance from a professional, you could end up causing more harm than good or even end up in the hospital!  Crash dieting has been known to cause heart palpitations, a drop in blood pressure, and even increase your risk for heart attacks.1

The word diet should be used when describing your lifestyle habits.  When people say they are “going on a diet” does this mean that they weren’t on one before? Case in point…They were on “diet” before but their diet  probably consisted of pro-inflammatory foods, fast food, sugar, and dairy.  Portion control can be quite time consuming and dictates unrealistic rules which set most people up for failure. In addition, when most people start counting their calories and following a low calorie diet, it slows their metabolism and in addition their protein intake drops too low which increases their susceptibility to infections, joint, bone and muscle disorders.

There are many factors that influence one’s ability to lose weight.  Ask yourself, why have you gained weight?  Have you ruled out factors that only a health professional can discover such as altered Thyroid function, imbalanced hormones, poor digestion, or even the medications you are on?

So where should you start?

  1. Get a physical. You want to be sure that before you start any exercise program, you are cleared to do so. This is especially important for those that are not currently exercising.
  2. Get your blood tested thoroughly. This will tell you exactly what your body is lacking or what toxicities you may have.  You may have to take supplements to fix the deficiencies found.  By getting your blood tested, you won’t have to guess at what supplements you may need.  For specialty cases, such as autoimmune diseases, you may be referred to your endocrinologist.
  3. Drink 2-3 quarts of clean filtered water daily. Be sure you measure it so you know how much you are drinking.  TIP: Try filling up a 32 oz water bottle in the morning and drink it by lunch time.  Then fill it up again and drink another 32 oz before dinner.
  4. Read your labels. Try to avoid all soy, artificial sweeteners, colors, dyes, and whey.  The deal with soy is that most of it is genetically modified and heavily sprayed with pesticides.  Too much consumption of this can cause endocrine imbalances which affects your hormones and thyroid.  Soy has the ability to actually mimic estrogen in our bodies which not only increases your chances of breast cancer, but the body encourages the body to hold onto fat.  If you are drinking a protein shake as a meal replacement or after a workout, be sure you avoid the powders with soy in them.  Opt for an egg white protein, rice powder, or pea powder.
  5. Cut down on the sugar. This includes fruit juice and soda, breads, pasta, crackers, cookies, chips, potatoes, and sweets. With carbohydrates, it is a fact that if you consume more than your body can use, your body stores them for later (which contributes to weight gain).
  6. Reduce dairy. Did you know that 60% of adults are unable to digest milk?  This is mainly because lactase, the enzyme responsible for digestion of milk, is stopped produced when we are 2-5 years old.2 Consumption of dairy can increase gas, bloating, diarrhea, and nausea.
  7. Increase proteins and healthy fats in the diet. Chicken, fish, nuts, seeds, quinoa, beans, eggs, and even some red meat are all good sources of proteins.  (TIP: Be sure to know what your Serum Iron and Ferritin levels are in the blood before consuming a lot of red meat.  It would be contraindicated to do so if your Ferritin is high.)  Healthy fats to include more of in the diet would be avocados, fish, nuts and nut butters, olive oil, and coconut oil.
  8. Try to eat vegetables with every meal. Fresh or frozen is best.
  9. Give it time. Changing up your “lifestyle habits” is not going to be easy.  But remember, if you are not taking care of yourself, you may not be healthy enough one day to take care of your family.  It may even take months.  But if you make just 1-5% progress every month, think about where you will be at the end of the year!

These guidelines are general.  Every individual is different and will need a different approach towards their goal.  There is not one “cure all” factor.  The most important factor to consider when considering making changes to your lifestyle is to be sure you get tested first.  By doing a comprehensive blood panel and tissue mineral analysis by an experienced nutritionist, deficiencies and toxicities can be detected.  This will save you time and money in the long run because you won’t be guessing at what your body needs and where you are lacking.  Lose weight in a healthy way by making the necessary lifestyle changes in order to have long term success with weight loss.

 

 

REFERENCES

  1. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/20/crash.diets.harm.health/
  2. Weise, Elizabeth. Sixty percent of adults can’t digest milk.  USA today.  9/15/2009.

 

The information has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 

By plyfamilywellness 0 Comments Uncategorized

Coming Soon!

We will be updating this blog weekly very soon!  We are excited to start providing our patients and community with the most up to date health information available.  Check back soon for more information!