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Crash Diets and Detoxes: are they necessary?

There are hundreds of detox diets and programs out there that promise the consumer quick fixes for weight loss, improved energy, better digestion, and other reasons. For many of these people, they may have been indulging in an unhealthy lifestyle for too long and want a fast way to reverse it.
If you have been wondering if a detox is something that you should do, this may actually be the worst time for it because it is a sign that the body is in a weaker state and needs nutrient support. The body naturally detoxifies itself every day through the liver, the colon, kidneys, skin, and the lymphatic system. If, for example, the liver is already sick, and you do an extreme cleanse, you may end up with serious side effects or even a hospital visit.

Avoid crash diets for weight loss

Aggressive detox diets promoted by some celebrities like the Master Cleanse, which is basically a 10 day starvation diet where you only drink a lemon juice concoction and take a laxative, can be extremely harmful to the body. Cardiologist Isadore Rosenfeld specifically singles out the Master Cleanse Diet as an example of a detox diet that can damage your heart. “A crash diet once won’t hurt your heart. But crash dieting repeatedly increases the risk of heart attack.”1 Nutrition professor Linda Bacon states that such calorie restrictive diets can lead to heart muscle loss and damaged blood vessels. “All that shrinking and growing causes micro tears that create a setup for atherosclerosis and other types of heart disease.1” Shortages of potassium, magnesium, and copper have been suggested as possible causes of the arrhythmias seen in crash dieters, and studies have also found that the diets can cause a drop in blood pressure and sodium depletion.1

If you restrict calories for a longer period of time your body may eventually switch over to breaking down muscle for energy in which can actually slow your metabolism. This is why skipping meals is not a good idea. Some people might say that headaches are a sign of detoxing but in most cases it’s probably because you are hungry. It is a documented fact published in the journal of the American Psychological Association that the majority of people regain all the weight they lose on any diet, especially the highly restrictive varieties.2 Wouldn’t it be better to think long term? Not just for weight loss, but for the health of your body as a whole?

Do you really need to detox?

The body detoxes on its own on a daily basis. The liver does most of this but the kidneys, digestive tract, lungs and the skin also play a role. Most experts agree that quick detoxes can actual cause more damage than good, especially if one of these organs has a pre-existing condition that a person may be unaware of. “Detoxification” occurs around the clock naturally, but there may be symptoms that show up over time which may suggest that these organs need support.

Warning signs that may be present if your body has accumulated too many heavy metals or toxins are:

• Inability to lose weight
• Difficulty concentrating
• Attention disorders
• Tremors
• Hormonal imbalance
• Depression or anxiety

Many people think they need to do a detox because they believe it is a quick fix or a jump start for whatever they are looking to improve. However, there are many commercial products consumers purchase that which may be affecting your overall toxic load. Take a look around the house and see if you are using products with a lot of chemicals. Common chemical-based products that can be switched for something safer include:

Household cleaners, laundry detergents, dishwasher detergents, soap, lawn care, make up, shampoos and conditioners, air fresheners, even your water!

If you work in a field where you are exposed to chemicals, or live is an area that is heavily sprayed with pesticides, even in our industrial society and with the very real problem of pollution, it is well understood you will get exposed to many toxic elements over our lifetime. Our bodies do its best to eliminate these toxins; however, excretion rates will vary from person to person.

Consider your mineral status

Optimal nutrition is essential when dealing with metal toxicity because if you are deficient in essential metals, your body will use toxic metals as “stand-ins” instead.3 For example:

• Calcium is replaced by lead, which deposits primarily in bone. Lead contributes to poor bone health such as osteopenia and osteoporosis.
• Zinc is replaced by cadmium, which tends to accumulate heavily in your kidneys. Cadmium overload is associated with peripheral neuropathy.
• Magnesium is replaced by aluminum, which, among other things, induces neurochemical changes and has been identified as a contributing factor to developing Alzheimer’s.
• Manganese is replaced by nickel, which is carcinogenic.

Dr. Kaayla Daniel et.al. also explains in the article with this information that another component that is important for the body’s ability to detox is the healthy gut flora.3 People with healthy gut flora are better able to handle the inevitable exposure to toxic metals. In contrast, people who do not have healthy gut flora are more prone to candida and other fungal overgrowth.3

Plan of action

It is important to note that no form of detoxification or extreme diet should be done prior to consulting with your physician or experienced nutritionist. Appropriate treatment regimens vary significantly from person to person, depending upon multiple dietary and lifestyle factors, specific medical conditions.

If you are looking into ways to get your body healthier to function at optimal levels, truth be known that it doesn’t happen overnight. The best way to improve digestion, lose weight, improve concentration or whatever it may be, is to test the foundation of the body by doing a comprehensive blood test. By figuring out exactly what your body needs and the direction you need to go, you’ll start seeing improvements in no time. Take out the guessing. Take out the dangers of unreliable treatments. There is no “one size fits all”. By getting the body healthier as a whole, the ability to “detox” will occur naturally and you can live a healthier life.

References

  1. Miller, Bryan. “How Crash Diets Harm Your Health.” CNN, Cable News Network, 20 Apr. 2010, www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/20/crash.diets.harm.health/index.html.
  2. Moores, Susan. “Experts Warn of Detox Diet Dangers.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 18 May 2007, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/18595886/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/experts-warn-detox-diet-dangers/.
  3. Daniel, Kaayla T. “Mad As a Hatter.” The Weston A. Price Foundation, 2 Apr. 2009, www.westonaprice.org/health- topics/environmental-toxins/mad-as-a-hatter/.

Science Based Nutrition

 

Easy. Healthy. Delicious.

Hey everyone!

It has been a while since we have done a blog post. Things have been getting really busy around the clinic which is very exciting! We just absolutely LOVE serving this amazing community. Thank you to everyone that has been coming in and referring your family and friends to us!

Today’s blog post is about easy and healthy weeknight meals. I get questions ALL THE TIME about how to feed your family a healthy meal that everyone at the table will eat that is also very easy to make. I want to use this post to bring you all some great ideas and resources to do just that! Some of the easiest meals to make are some of our household favorites. I find that it is important to mix it up for us with easy meals most of the time but occasionally throw in something a little more fun and exotic to keep having fun in the kitchen. One of my favorite easy meals is a sheet pan meal I am actually making for us tonight! This meal is fun because the components can very easily be swapped around to make this meal different but still easy and delicious.

For this meal I start with a basic formula. Protein + Veggie + Veggie = Dinner! Seems simple enough right? But think of the possibilities! Fish + Broccoli + Asparagus or Chicken + Butternut Squash + Green Beans…endless combinations! Everything goes on a sheet pan and gets roasted…couldn’t be easier. We are big fans of roasting veggies for dinner. If you haven’t tried roasted broccoli or roasted Brussels sprouts then you are really missing out! When you roast vegetables they take on totally different flavors. For example, think of a radish. When consumed raw, radishes have a spicy taste to them. However, when you roast a radish it suddenly takes on the flavor of a potato! Such a fun new twist to an awesome vegetable. Another benefit of roasting the veggies is that you can roast veggies straight out of the freezer. This leads to ultimate convenience. We always have at least 2 or 3 different bags of frozen vegetables in our freezer along with frozen fish. By keeping the freezer stocked with frozen fish and veggies I know I can always whip this meal together in no time if needed.

For the sake of this post I will use one of our favorite combinations in that formula. Fish + Broccoli + Potatoes. I like to use the bag of organic fingerling potatoes from HEB for this meal because they are colorful and taste so good roasted. We use the frozen organic broccoli from HEB and the frozen wild caught cod from Sam’s Club. All I had to do was wash and cut up the potatoes while the oven was preheating then throw everything in and badaboom DINNER IS SERVED! One of my favorite ways to play around with this meal is changing up the seasonings. You could use more of an Italian blend one day and then use more of a spicy Mexican flare the next and it would feel like a completely different meal! We kept it very simple this round and simply used garlic and onion powder, salt, and pepper. So easy!

I put the potatoes and broccoli in the oven at 400 for 35-40 minutes. We have a very old and slow oven…newer ovens would require even less time! After about 20 minutes I take out the broccoli tray and add the fish then put the tray back in for the final 15-20 minutes. The fish was seasoned with lemon, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Nothing fancy here this time but feel free to get creative!

I served everything together in a bowl. I topped mine with some Tessemae diary free ranch but Dr. Ply chose to eat his without any dressing because it was not needed! If we had gone with more of a Mexican blend of spices I likely would have topped mine with salsa instead for a fun change up!

Please note…I am no food photographer! Pictures do not do this justice! Take my word for it, this meal is ridiculously easy and so delicious.

If you try your own combinations let us know in the comments! I hope you all enjoy the idea! For more ideas on easy weeknight meals that are a little more fun (and beautifully photographed) check out http://www.thedefineddish.com to get some inspiration. Bonus points that she has young children to feed and is always updating her recipes to include how her children eat them!

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