Health Tips Newsletter

May 14, 2008

Health Tips Newsletter Archives

Greetings!

Some people like the official definition that summer starts on June 21st. Some people prefer the tradition that says Memorial Day kicks off the summer season. I think it’s the end of the bowling league.

Since my team didn’t make the playoffs, I took the opportunity to bring Christopher along and substitute for a teammate who wasn’t going to make it. We bowled only one game, but I’m proud to announce that he bowled a 73! It was his first time out and he nearly doubled Barack Obama’s score.²

We both had a lot of fun, but now on Monday nights I get to do yard work.

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Eating right

It’s rather amazing how high fuel prices have gotten lately, isn’t it? As the debates rage over the role of government, the way the fuel prices affect the economy, and what impact it all has on the environment, you can be sure that one question will come up: “If our current energy practices aren't working, what are the best sources of fuel/energy for us?"

Last month* we began answering the question of optimal fuel on a more personal level, addressing the question, "What type of fuel (food) is best for the health of our bodies?" We introduced the importance of omega-3 fatty acids and replacing our dietary oils with olive oil, and this month I'd like to continue examining the best ways we can improve our health through better nutritional choices.

* You can review any of our past newsletters by clicking the "Health Tips Newsletter" link at the left, or the "Health Tips Newsletter Archives" link in the table of contents.

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Eat a Rainbow of Foods

Most of us know we should eat more fruits and vegetables, but we also need to make sure we eat enough of the right fruits and vegetables to get all the vitamins and nutrients our bodies need.  The easy way to do this is by choosing a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables for your snacks and meals.

Different colors correlate somewhat to different vitamins and minerals our bodies need for proper functioning, so to increase your health and make sure you're getting more of the vitamins your body needs, add some deep purple grapes to get resveratrol to help your heart and blood vessels.³ Eat bright, yellow bananas, which are a great source of potassium for bone health;⁴ load your plate with magnesium and vitamin A from red, orange, and yellow peppers to aid in the production of energy and muscle relaxation; and make sure to get plenty of the oranges, yellows, and greens from citrus fruits and all of the blue and purple hues of berries for anti-oxidants and bioflavonoids, which protect against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.⁵

Even those of us who are diligent about including fruits and vegetables in our meals regularly don't eat enough variety. So, to be healthier, mix up your selection from the rainbow of choices available.

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Eat All Three Parts of the Grain*

The grains (wheat, rye, rice, even corn – a bio-engineered grain) that we find so plentiful in our everyday breads and cereals actually helped give rise to our modern civilization. Entire societies formed as individual hunter/gatherers found the benefit of organizing around these collective food sources. However, especially after the agricultural revolution, we have become too heavily dependant on them for our calories.

Granted, the grains we generally consume don’t have much fat, but the fat they have is almost totally the bad fat we spoke about in the previous newsletter.⁶ They also contain phytates, which bind minerals, keeping them from doing their job. Furthermore, the sugars and starches promote an insulin response,⁷ which drives not only the conversion of sugar to fat in the fat storage cells but stimulates the conversion of Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid to Arachidonic acid which is the primary chemical of the inflammation pathway.

Additionally, to meet the world-wide demand, the grains have become nutrient-deficient as production has increased to meet the demand and refining to extend shelf-life has removed important parts of the grain - the bran, which provides the fiber necessary for regularity and the germ, which contributes necessary protein and iron for healthy red blood cell capacity, B vitamins necessary for nerve health and energy production, and many minerals such as calcium for bone health.⁸

So, do we avoid grains altogether? While a case can be made for that, I find that to be somewhat extreme and very difficult. Instead, we should eat whole grains exclusively and cap our intake at three to four servings a day.

*Technically, there are four parts of the grain, but the outer layer called the husk is usually inedible.

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Improve Function through Chiropractic, not just diet

Eating right is all about maintaining proper function. You want every part of you to work right. Chiropractic won’t fix a bad diet, but a good diet still isn’t enough if your nervous system is working poorly. Since I like to talk about chiropractic, I thought I’d share a recent question and answer conversation here.

Does chiropractic make your back go out more easily?

The short answer is, “Of course not.” A good chiropractor will understand where the adjustment is needed and tailor the technique to that specific segment and patient. 

Does getting adjusted mean I'll need more adjustments?

Not at all! Properly rendered, chiropractic keeps the vertebrae able to follow their full range of motion, which allows the supporting muscles and ligaments to properly do their job. Being adjusted poorly, though, by a well-meaning spouse or physical or massage therapist, can lead to ligaments that have been stretched too much. It's only poor "adjusting," or adjusting where it's not needed, that leads to the back "going out" too much. While we never see this condition of pathological hypermobility in a lifelong chiropractic patient, we do see it in someone who “cracks” his or her own back.

So if chiropractic doesn't cause me to need to get adjusted more often, why should I pursue regular chiropractic care?

As we age, muscles lose the ability to produce enzymes and energy^{9, 10} so they stiffen up and weaken. If the spine isn't moving at full range of motion, it will exacerbate these issues by allowing the muscle to shorten in length, which reduces the range of motion of the vertebrae.  The vicious circle is why 80% of the population over forty years of age has a degenerative condition in their spine¹¹ and 85% of the people over fifty years old have either disc degeneration or bony overgrowth¹² which includes arthritis and bone fusion.

How often should I get adjusted? How often do you (Dr Waln) get adjusted?

It's helpful to think of chiropractic like you think of brushing your teeth. You should do it as often as it's required for your good health. I personally get professionally adjusted 2-4 times each month.

As we discussed above, some think that going to a chiropractor makes a person need chiropractic more. However, the reason a person often sees a chiropractor regularly is that the person has become aware of their spinal health and the problems that come with reduced function, just as you and I are aware that not brushing our teeth can lead immediately to bad breath, and then cumulatively to cavities, tooth loss, and serious disease.

Those unfamiliar with chiropractic care could be compared to those who had never seen a toothbrush and weren't aware of dental health - people who might have believed that bad breath, gum disease, and tooth loss are a normal part of aging. However, good chiropractic care is akin to regular dental care - brushing our teeth - and a regular patient is like one who brushes regularly; someone who is being proactive about his/her health, wanting to keep proper alignment and spinal motion so that degeneration and conditions such as arthritis don't set in due to neglect.

So, make an appointment with a chiropractor who will assess every level and only adjust what needs to be adjusted. It will help prevent future problems, not cause them -and I won’t send Christopher in to treat you until he’s graduated from chiropractic college, I promise!

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Humor

A contractor drowns in a fishing accident on his 40th birthday and finds himself greeted at the pearly gates by a brass band, flying confetti, and a crowd of cheering angels. Saint Peter runs over, pumps his hand vigorously and exclaims, “Congratulations!!!”

“Congratulations for what?” asked the surprised contractor.

“We are celebrating the fact that you lived to be 160 YEARS OLD!” Saint Peter exclaims.

“But... that’s not true,” the contractor replies. “I only lived to be 40.”

"What? That’s impossible,” insists Peter. “We added up your time sheets.”

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Thanks for reading. Call me for an appointment today; your body will thank you for it!

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