Who or What Determines Your Health?...

Health comes from the inside out. If you are not putting in the proper things that your body needs in order to be healthy and maintain the ever changing dynamic of the living body, you will have deficiencies. Most people who consume the standard American diet do. Our Food Guide Pyramid is basically upside down with too much emphasis on grains and breads, but it is a large market for the farming in America…coincidence or business? Anyway, that’s not the band wagon I have intentions of hopping on during this blog...... I want to talk about what health is and how you can tell someone is healthy. Yes, it can be tricky because we are taught by society and Hollywood that if you are skinny you are healthy, but that’s just a lie. Skinny doesn’t mean healthy. Fat doesn’t mean healthy. Fit and active people who live a lifestyle of movement and eat real foods are healthy.  There are ways to get a general idea of someone‘s health. Traditional Chinese Medicine has long been looking to the eyes, gums, nails, and tongue for clues into disease and the health of a person.

Recently a new patient of mine pointed out these vertical ridges on her nails and noted that they had worsened in the past 6 months, but thought they were hereditary because she remembered her mother having them too. Heredity often gets blamed for things and we assume we can do nothing actively for it. My mom always talks about "genes and germs". I hear this lot in my day to day work. “My dad had a bad back, guess I got it too”. That’s not exactly how it works. Spinal curves are genetic. A person’s body type or build are genetic, but degeneration at certain places in the spine and wear and tear of joints and bones and ligament laxity has nothing to do with your DNA.  It does have a lot to do with your minerals and vitamins present for your body to use or the lack thereof. It does have a lot to do with your lifestyle and posture and habits. How we get minerals and vitamins in our body is through our diet. That’s the whole point of eating! Yes, I know eating is fun and it tastes good and it’s a social thing we do, but that’s the atmosphere we have created and not the purpose of the act. We forget that sometimes. My point is that yes, we do all have genes. Genes are simply instructions for how our DNA should act. It doesn’t mean that it will go that way. Whether or not the gene gets expressed is determined by a multitude of other things.  The genotype is the actual genetic makeup of a trait in a person. The phenotype is basically the genes that get expressed physically. As you can see in the examples below, environment has a direct correlation with the outcome. So whether you have good genes, or bad, you DO have control over how it all turns out. YOU ARE NOT A VICTIM OF YOUR DNA! I refused to take the defeatist or victim role of the things that have been biologically passed down to me that I cannot help. I DO have a say in my health and my future. So mom, I'm not afraid of genes or germs! :) (Germs are a whole different blog).

The interaction between genotype and phenotype has often been conceptualized by the following relationship:

genotype (G) + environment (E) → phenotype (P)

A more nuanced version of the relationship is:

genotype (G) + environment (E) + genotype & environment interactions (GE) →

phenotype (P)

If you have genes that you don’t want expressed, like we all do…then I encourage you to ask yourself: “What am I doing to prevent these things from happening? What is my lifestyle like? What do I eat? Do I take responsibility for my own health or do I look for a magic pill? Would I rather pay for something to make me appear to be healthy or skinny from the outside, or am I considering how the inside of my body is working with the choices I make?” With every food choice we make we should ask ourselves: “Is this helping me be healthy or helping me remain unhealthy?”  Just like that patient with the ridges on the nails, that’s not just a bad nail gene. That’s a sign of deficiencies, specifically for calcium and iron and could suggest a greater risk for Oseoarthritis…..which is also considered genetic. You can see from the outside sometimes what is going wrong on the inside and when you see these signs in the eyes, on the skin, on the tongue, on the nails or wherever, you can make some dietary and lifestyle changes to make yourself less susceptible to these diseases.  Don’t just take the bad luck card from the deck. Fight to try to pull a better one!!!



http://www.naturalnews.com/019396_nutrition_the_USDA.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/036948_food_cravings_sugar_addiction.html

Ageing, Autism, and Etc....

Glutathoine is an antioxidant naturally occurring in the body. All cells in the body are capable of Glutathoine production. It is the major antioxidant produced by the cells and is vital in energy production. It is used in the production of DNA and many proteins in the body. Thus, every system in the body can be affected by the state of the glutathione system, especially the immune system, the nervous system, the gastrointestinal system and the lungs. It has a vital function in iron metabolism.

You may be wondering why this is important or even interesting. You don't have to understand the science behind why it's important or why you need appropriate levels to NATURALLY occur in your body. Let me show you some examples of common diseases and disorders that are associated with low levels of Glutathoine and then I will explain why it's not such a simple fix.

 Glutathione deficiency states include, but are not limited to, HIV/AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, Fibromyalgia, prostate and other cancers, cataracts, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, radiation poisoning, malnutritive states, arduous physical stress, and aging, and has been associated with lowered immune responses. Many clinical pathologies are associated with oxidative stress and are elaborated upon in numerous medical references. Oxidative stress is the most researched topic on PubMed (a highly reguarded medical research site where articles are peer reviewed for quality. It's where doctors go to do research instead of Google). Low glutathione is also strongly linked to diseases like cancer, AIDS, sepsis, trauma, burns and even athletic overtraining. New research has noted that low levels of Glutathoine is not only linked to aging problems and various diseases, but also developmental disorders in children such as Autism. It is featured in the popular and well known book “Healing and Preventing Autism” by Jenny McCarthy and Jerry Kartzinel. Jenny McCarthy did a lot for awareness of Autism and its possible linkage to vaccinations. Thimerosal has been shown to reduce the levels of Glutathoine naturally occurring in the body. Thimerosal is a common ingredient in many vaccines. Thus the hypothesis....



Overview: Glutathione and Its Potential Uses
www.drlera.com/specialty_formulas/Glutathione.htm

Glutathione

Aging AIDS Alcoholism Atherosclerosis Cancer Chemotherapy recovery Dental fillings

Detoxifier Drug addiction Emphysema Glaucoma Hepatitis Hypoglycemia Kidney disease

Liver disease Liver cancer Lungs Mercury poisoning Parkinson’s disease Respiratory problems Smoking Tuberculosis

Low levels of Glutathione are problematic as stated above. The tricky part is what to do about it. It's not as easy as taking a supplement or an intravenous dosage as many patients do. Many Autistic children have been given IV's of Glutathoine but it is extremely expensive and the benefits are short lived because the antioxidant is broken down and utilized at a high rate of speed once in the body. The trick is to get the body to NATURALLY MAKE ITS OWN SUPPLIES! Easier said than done!!

There is a supplement that has been researched and shown to help the body make more Glutathoine NATURALLY! It's not well known yet and consists of natural, safe herbs. The research has shown that it increases Glutathoine production up to 300%!!! That's rather significant!!! I have personally seen some exciting results with patients, friends, and family members. It gives me hope for kids who are suffering from all sorts of diagnoses and are on some strong medications that maybe someday they will be able to function at levels that require no medication. It's also helpful for anyone who is aging! I'm personally taking this. I figure it can't hurt. My 20's are slowly coming to an end. The supplement has been shown to reduce oxidative stress by 40% in 30 days!! Stay tuned for progress as it happens!....... Contact me if you just can't wait! :)

What Is A True Detox?

You often hear about detox when someone talks about weight loss. Through hearing conversations of "experts", it is apparent that there is some confusion on this topic. First it is important to note what detoxing IS and ISN'T.....

Detoxification is the process of removing toxins from the body (basically put). Where are toxins stored you may ask?....in the fat is the most common answer and true, but there is another part to detoxing.......THE LIVER!! The liver is a our largest organ and has a hand in many digestive and endocrine functions. Liver spots are noticed with estrogen dominance. The liver breaks down hormones, decides which cholesterol becomes LDL or HDL, has a role in blood sugar stabilization, works with the gallbladder, breaks down any medications or drugs we put in our system, and is our built-in detoxifier. It is the only organ that can regrow part of itself like a lizard's tail, therefore more likely for mutation defects just because of its nature....all the more reason to take care of the liver! The liver is thought to be responsible for up to 500 separate functions, usually in combination with other systems and organs.Think of the liver as an assembly line worker. If the work load is too much....poor diet, synthetic vitamins, prescription drugs, artificial sweeteners and other chemicals, over weight, regular alcohol consumption, harboring anger or resentment issues, blood sugar issues, cholesterol imbalance, etc....the products build up and bulk up on the assembly line and the poor liver is overwhelmed!!! Another important thing to note is with as little as 10 lbs overweight, the liver can turn in to non-alcoholic fatty liver. The fat accumulates and causes inflammation and scarring to the liver.

A TRUE DETOX cleans the liver, cleans the whole body, and also cleans out FAT where TOXINS  are also stored. Good kidney function is also important to a detox. A detox IS NOT A BOWEL MOVEMENT!!!! Many weight loss systems claim that just because you are having normal bowel movements that you are detoxing. This is simply just not true. Regular bowel movements are part of healthy body function and should happen, I'm not saying that but sometimes the bowel movement is just a bowel movement.... If you aren't having regular bowel movements, that could be for a number of different reasons....lack of digestive enzymes, dehydration, the need of more good fats in your diet, etc. Increasing your consumption of fresh water is a crucial part to detoxing. Think of your body as a stream of water. The more water, the higher the rate of movement of the water. You want the toxins to move our quickly and not hang around inside you. Also the cleaner the stream gets, the more you will notice you are influenced by unhealthy foods or chemicals. A dirty stream doesn't notice an extra piece of trash, but the trash in a clean stream can't help but be noticed!

Also important to mention is while you are doing a detox, you can not be detoxing while eating a "normal" diet. If you are eating muffins and sandwiches and things that can easily be ordered in a restaurant, you are NOT DETOXING!!! To detox your whole system, you have to rid the toxins that you have and not continuously add more with every bite. There are lots of detoxification diets. Basically it's going to be lots of vegetables, half as many fruits as vegetables, no preservatives, no MSG, no pre-packaged foods, and usually no meat until day 10 or 11 or so. It's usually 21 days. Lots of diets are 21 days or so. Have you ever noticed that? The Daniel Fast and many others are 21 days. That's more than likely because research has shown that it takes 21 days to create a new habit and break an old so changing the way you eat is DEFINITELY A HABIT!

If you are interested in doing a detox or losing weight or making a positive change for you health, I encourage you to have someone on your team to help you make the most of the time you invest in your health. Find someone who is knowledgeable in the ways of clinical nutrition and has experience working with vitamins, supplements, herbs, etc. Chiropractors with nutritional emphasis make a wonderful support system and are very knowledgeable in the physiological processes of the human body. Chiropractors actually have more human science courses in their 8 years of study than medical doctors because our focus in the body is different. We don't take all of the pharmacology classes that they do so we have time to focus on the inner works of the amazing body that God made! And that's another thing to make mention of.....God made us this body. We owe it to him to take care of it and treat it as the vessel it is for us to do God's works while we are here on this Earth. When you think of it like that, it really puts things in to perspective! :)


http://www.yourmedicaldetective.com/drgrisanti/mddc.htm

Fluoride....beneficial or poisoning?

Water fluoridation began in 1945 to decrease the amount of tooth enamel decay. We have always been told that fluoride is good for us, but did you know that fluoride ingestion has been linked to neurological disorders and IQ deficiencies in children? Fluoride is added to our drinking water, but yet people pay extra for fluoride-free toothpast! Ever thought about why????


 Water fluoridation can cause dental fluorosis, which can alter the appearance of developing teeth, most of this is mild and usually not considered to be of aesthetic or public-health concern but does account for those white streaks in people's teeth. A common occurance if you look close. The critical period of exposure is between ages one and four years, with the risk ending around age eight. Fluorosis can be prevented by monitoring all sources of fluoride, with fluoridated water directly or indirectly responsible for an estimated 40% of risk and other sources, notably toothpaste, responsible for the remaining 60%.  Bottled water can even contain fluroide levels, but it's often in unknown amounts. Some domestic water filters remove some of the added fluoride.


Fluoride can occur naturally in water in concentrations well above recommended levels, which can have several long-term adverse effects, including severe dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, and weakened bones. The World Health Organization recommends a guideline maximum fluoride value of 1.5 mg/L as a level at which fluorosis should be minimal but many other health organizations question this.

Have you ever read the toothpast tube? It says "Keep out of reach of children under the age of 6". Studies have shown that the benefits of fluoride are achieved only with topical application — not from ingestion. And yet most municipalities add fluoride to the tap water. Add this to the fluoride that’s in your toothpaste, and you could be setting your self up for fluoride side effects such as brain damage and reproductive issues. Some other brands that are fluoride-free that might be a healthier alternative are: Tom's of Maine, Burt's Bees Kids "Berry Bee" fluoride-free toothpast, and Jason's Natural Toothpaste. They can all easily be found in Publix, Wal- Mart, etc.  I personally use and like Tom's.

This is just something to think about and especially consider when you're purchasing toothpast for your kids.

The Stinky Truth

So I have given the advice many times before and it wasn't until recently that I decided it would be a good idea to do it myself.....a little sarcasm there. I knew what I should be doing, but I am a creature of habit so I actually have to put a lot of thought into changing my routine. Shocker for those of you who know me well!...

I finally did a little thing that I'm sure will add up to be a big improvement in my health! No, I didn't go gluten free. I'm still just thinking about that one. My "think about it" phase can last a while. I get it! I'm human! Even though I am a chiropractor doesn't mean I muscle test everything, only eat a perfect diet, exercise all the time, and live a natural, perfect life style. I admit that I am a work in progress. However, I do a lot of things very well! :)

I finally switched deodorants!!! That's my big improvement to my health for the week! I have been using a deodorant that I love for probably close to 10 years....creature of habit see? I had no complaints. No issues. But I do know what research and scientists are saying about deodorants with aluminum in them, and that happened to be mine. :( I had Justin muscle test me on it, and sadly it wasn't good for me. I switched to Tom's natural deodorant Apricot scent and am now used to it. And feeling pretty proud of myself I might mention!

Aluminum based compounds are the active ingredient in many deodorants. I suggest you read the label on the deodorant that you use to see. The aluminum based compounds create a plug that blocks the sweat ducts and stops the flow of sweat to the skin. Some research shows that these compounds are absorbed into the skin and have an estrogen like effect. Because of the location near the breast tissue and lymph nodes, the deodorant has an impact on the location of use. Estrogen and estrogen like compounds promote the growth of breast cancer cells. Some preservatives called parabans, also found in the deodorant, mimic the effects of estrogen in the body. Parabens are usually easy to identify by name, such as methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, or benzylparaben. Look on the label to know for sure.

Many people don't know, but estrogens can have a carcinogenic effect in the body. Xenoestrogen is the term used to describe estrogens that come from outside sources and are able to mimic estrogen in our bodies and act as ‘estrogen disruptors’. We are unable to break down xenoestrogens so they persist in our bodies for decades and have a cumulative and synergistic effect on our tissues. We are exposed to xenoestrogens through pesticides, plastics, petrochemicals, detergents, cosmetics, solvents, chlorinated water, fire retardants, lice shampoos and other sources. Not only that, but we ingest them when we eat dairy, meat, poultry and fish that may contain natural estrogen and (if not organic), may have been injected or fed estrogen to increase fat or milk production.

Estrogen dominant conditions are:

• Weight gain secondary to insulin resistance.
  
• Fibrocystic breast disease
  
• Certain types of PMS
  
• Migraines
  
• Menstrual disturbances--irregular and heavy bleeding.
  
• Endometriosis, the uterine tissue disorder, which is helped by the use of estrogen blockers.
  
• Fibroids, a sign of excess proliferative capacity of the uterus, which may not be balanced with sufficient progesterone.
  
• Ovarian cysts
• Breast Cancer

Anyway as you can see, those are no fun and I don't think I want any of those so I made a small change to improve my health and decrease my estrogen over load and decrease my risk for breast cancer hopefully. The deodorant that I have found that works well and is free of aluminum and parabens is Arm and Hammer All Natural deodorant. It's cheap and effective and works well. Try this one if you are looking for an easy to find switch from your current deodorant. I like little, easy things that are good for my health! Now maybe one day I will get to that gluten free point!....  :)

The Sick Season

So lately everyone I have seen in the office has had some type of illness passing through their houses. It's the sick season. Everyone thinks it is normal for this time of the year. I wonder why that's ok for all of us to except that this time of the year we are going to be sick. We are all just victims to the cruel weather. Well anyone who knows me knows I loathe being a victim. I'm determined to give the sickness a fight! :)

So here are some interesting things about the "sick season". The flu season is explained by some proposed ideas: People are in doors more often because it is cold outside and get less natural sun light, therefore less Vitamin D production in the body because sunlight is where we get Vitamin D from and Vitamin D is essential in proper immune system support. Indoors the air is drier and the flu virus thrives in dry air. While we are in doors, we are in closer contact with other people. The virus lives longer on surfaces in dry air. The season can start as early as October and go throughout the Spring.

Many health care professionals believe the flu season starts and ends in the manner because of some environmental and nutritional aspects. October is known for Halloween and the large amount of sugary candy and food that we eat in association with this holiday. Sugar lowers the efficiency of the immune system. Cold weather, lack of sunlight, being in doors with others, and a poor diet lead to the increase of the flu outbreak and other seasonal illnesses. The flu virus and other viruses and bacteria are not monsters who live in their caves and only come out certain times of the year. These micro-organisms are present all year long so why do we have a season for them? The above ideas could be the explanation.

So what can we do besides proper hand washing techniques and spraying surfaces with a disinfectant? Notice I left out the flu vaccine all together........ Some other things we can do to support our immune system are making sure our diet isn't poor. There are eight important immune-boosting vitamins and minerals found in whole foods- Vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, carotenoids, selenium, omega 3 fatty acids and zinc.That's the whole point of eating good foods. Because we want these good ingredients out of them. These vitamins and minerals help us to function. Some good and tasty food options for these essential minerals and vitamins are: oranges and tangerines for Vitamin C, grains for Vitamin E, carrots for beta carotene and carotenoids, garlic for antioxidants and selenium, almonds and lima beans for protein and zinc, flax oil for omega-3 fatty acids,  and broccoli for Vitamins A and C and much more. And of course if you don't get enough of these foods or just can't make yourself eat them, supplementation is always an easy possibility. Taking a good multivitamin is always a good idea, but especially during this time of the year.

Also, a recent clinical trial showed that green tea-based supplements reduced the risk of flu by 75%. This is far better than the 60% risk reduction recently reported in the Lancet for vaccinations. Given that green tea provides a host of other health benefits and none of the risks of injections, it would appear to be a far superior alternative to vaccination. There are many natural things that we can to for treatment, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

I hope this helps reduce the fear and increase the confidence in the power of the human body.....of YOUR body! It's an amazing thing, especially when it works right and when it doesn't it's usually because we haven't given it the necessary fuel and tools to do so.

"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food" - Hippocrates (an old smart guy) ;)

Chiropractic, Philosophy, and God

So I went to Las Vegas this past week to a Parker seminar and I came away with many new ideas and even more reminders of things that I once knew, used to do, or always wanted to do but then forgot. That's the beautiful part of a good seminar! You learn how much you know, but realize you are not properly applying it. In my case, I realized patient education about why we do what we do as chiropractors was an area of weakness for me, I mean the real philosophy behind it. I do a wonderful job of educating the patient what I am doing, why I am testing them this way, how their body works, what shows up, what's improved, etc. but I forget to talk about the subluxation. Why? I already know the answer. Chiropractors are kinda weird and I don't want people to think I am weird too. But that doesn't mean avoid topics all together so I am trying to turn over a new leaf of sorts and incoroporate some new vocabulary and focus on some new areas. I guess my worst fear is to be put in the same category as the guy who is wearing magnets all over his body, feathers of some special bird around his neck, various types of religious beaded bracelets around his arms just to cover all the bases and because he respects the 'philosophy and culture' of all the religions of the world, walking around talking about the "universe this and the universe that", acting like chiropractic is a religion, all while chewing on tree bark! (No offense to anyone out there, do your thing :))

I do want to make a point that one of the best things about chiropractic is the wide variety of techniques and philosophies. What chiropractic is to one person, it's totally something else to another. I have worked very hard to make sure I am an example of chiropractic being nutrition, adjustments, and science based. I do not get into the gray area of the almost religious aspect of it because I am a Christian and I already know who made the body, what innate intelligence really is, and who is doing the healing. It's easy to blur the lines and confuse things if your personal philosophy isn't straight. I spend a lot of time talking to my patients about the power of their body and tie in God whenever possible. The wonderful chiropractor I used to work for in Alabama had a wonderful outlook on this and taught me more in my first year about all aspects of chiropractic than most of my peers get in the first decade in practice. He's a wonderful man and chiropractor and I will never be able to repay him for his generosity and the vision that he has given me.  Chiropractors are all so different. There are many different techniques. They all work. I always tell people that everyone needs a chiropractor and with the variety offered in the world, everyone should find a chiropractor that works for them and that they love. I know my approach isn't going to 100% satisfy everyone and that's because it's not a cookie cutter approach.

So my first 2 things that I want to work harder on are: #1 educating people, my patients or not, about a subluxation and #2 expanding the pediatric side of my practice which is probably the most challenging population group because #1 isn't done enough....

So a vertebral subluxation is a misalignment of a vertebra to a lesser degree than a dislocation putting pressure on the nerves that exit the spine that protects and covers the spinal cord of that region and thus having an effect on the organs or tissues that the nerve goes to (in layman's terms). There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves; 26 of these pass through movable vertebral segments. Five pairs of spinal nerves (accompanied by some parasympathetic fibers) pass through solid bony openings in the sacrum. There are an additional 12 pairs of cranial nerves which pass through bony openings in the base of the skull (including the 10th cranial parasympathetic vagus nerve, which travels down to supply visceral structures in the thorax and abdomen). You can see how an adjustment can be so globally powerful by affecting any number of these guys.  Unless you have been adjusted, you probably have a subluxation because they are caused by 3 common causes: emotional, chemical, and physical. So you can see how artificial sweeteners, bad diet, negative thoughts, stressful jobs, falls, childbirth, and long car drives can all cause a subluxation. It's been shown in nerve conduction studies that it takes only the amount of pressure equal to the weight of a dime to decrease nerve flow by up to 60% according to research conducted at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Your body is so innervated by nerves that if you were to take off all of the flesh off of a person, you would still be able to identify them and see the details of their body just because of the massive innervation via nerves. I don't think anyone can dispute the importance and value of nerves.

Moving on to my #2, children need chiropractic care! Some need it more than adults! 35% of births are estimated to be via C-section. The travel though the birth canal is the very first alignment of the spine. It's equivalent to the butterfly squeezing through the cocoon. If anyone has ever tried to assist a little butterfly and done the work for them, you know that the butterfly wasn't the better for it. Every butterfly I ever tried to help never flew because I opened the hole up so large it didn't squeeze him at all and the fluid never dissipated and his wings never spread and he never flew. Sad, I know. So for those kids, like my own, who miss the first alignment of the spine, an adjustment is very important! Since different segments give way to nerves who innervate different organs, you can have an effect on constipation, ear infections, digestive issues, allergies, immune system, and many other common childhood issues all by the adjustment! If you're thinking that the adjustment sounds like a powerful thing, then I'm conveying the message somewhat well! The first adjustment a baby needs to receive is when he or she is still in the womb. Maternity care is imperative for a healthy delivery of a healthy baby. The baby spends most of it's development upside down, crunched up, then in many cases is pulled out and injected with various chemicals all in the first phase of life. Then the child has to cut teeth, learn how to control muscles, walk, and is carried on Mom's hip and car seats. Childhood is kinda rough. If we adults had to learn how to walk we would need physical therapy and if we had to cut that many teeth again, we would have a prescription of Lortab on hand. Kids are resilient, amazing little people! It's all about giving them the best start to life as possible!  It's never too late to start getting adjusted and it's never too early.

I am so passionate about chiropractic for many different reasons. One is because you can see how wonderfully God made the body and it's designed to work well and well for a long time. Health comes from the inside out. It's been an amazing thing for me for various reasons throughout my life from being a child who suffered from migraines to being diagnosed with scoliosis to whip lash injuries from car wrecks to improving my immune system so I'm not the first person to always catch a cold to maternity care to dealing with baby blues after the pregnancy, etc. It's so wonderful to watch my child grow under this alternative way of thinking and see how he blossoms in every situation in every phase of life that he has been though yet and I just think, the proof is in the pudding! If anyone who reads this has any questions or wants to know more, please feel free to ask. :)