Tag: Chiropractic

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Health

Take A Multiple Vitamin

TAKE A MULTIPLE VITAMIN. Although I definitely recommend eating healthy as an essential part of your health journey, taking a great quality multiple vitamin is like an insurance policy on your daily requirements.  The quality of our food is not always as great as we think.  If your fruit and veggies were picked before completely ripe (common so the produce does not rot during shipping and transportation), the concentration of vitamins and minerals received through the soil and sun will not be as powerful.  Also, we tend to eat the same foods repetitively so we are not always getting a good variety of nutrients.  Therefore, we may be missing important nutrients (vitamins, minerals and enzymes).  A multiple vitamin gives us the confidence that we are getting the basic necessities.  Don’t fool yourself, however.  You cannot eat poor quality food or make poor choices and even out the scale.  Taking a multiple vitamin does not equal a healthy diet and a sound nutritional life plan.  It is simply assurance that you will not be deficient in any of the major nutrients.  Optimal nutrition would be a healthy diet full of fresh fruits and even more vegetables, protein (animal or vegetarian) and plenty of fiber, water, good fats with little to no added sugars along with a great multiple vitamin.

Categories
Health

Get Adjusted

GET ADJUSTED:  I believe in the theory, use it or lose it!  This is so true with the health of the spine.  People ask me how they develop arthritis.  The answers include a.)  genetics, b.) prior injuries or c.) lack of motion.  When our mechanics are off, a segment or more in our spine locks up.  The vertebra or several get stuck and decrease movement causing a breakdown in the joint cartilage and a drying of the fluid around the area.  The joints stay healthy and alive by movement pushing nutrients into the area as well as removing waste products and debris.  Without movement, a sort of death of the joint occurs.  Use it or lose it is what a chiropractic adjustment will do.  When you come in for an office visit, I will check all 32 vertebrae for normal, healthy movement.  When a deficiency is detected, I will correct it by assisting the joint in its normal, healthy motion.  This can be done with an extremely gentle process or if I feel it is safe, sometimes a more forceful adjustment is recommended.  Exercises alone do not insure normal, healthy motion of each and every vertebra.  We can be extremely flexible and touch our toes but still have one or even several vertebrae locked and not moving.  Our bodies compensate and if one segment is locked, the vertebra above or below it will simply work harder.  Coming in for a chiropractic evaluation and having a chiropractor actually palpate all 32 vertebrae is a definite was to ensure that every joint is moving well and potentially prevent the breakdown of the health of the joint.  This holds true with all joints, not only with the spine.  When patients ask their orthopedists how to delay a knee or hip replacement for example, the common answer is “keep it moving”.  Remember that chiropractic adjustments are for ALL joints, not only the spine.  We treat knees, hips, elbows, wrists, ankles, etc.  Ask about all pains or problems that you are experiencing on your next office visit.  You might be surprised on other conditions that can be treated in our office.

FOR healthy posture as well as treating and preventing lower back, hip, and feet pain…USE ORTHOTICS.  

Orthotics are arch and heel supports to help correct and maintain a proper arch.  When the arches drop, which is common as we age, the knees pull inward and the hip rotate forward.  This puts more stress and strain on these joints as well as increasing the pressure on the lower discs in your spine.  For a very small investment ($35-50) you can have an awesome orthotic fit for you in our office.  I recommend a brand call POWERSTEP PRO.  This company is located in Sharonville, Ohio (support local!!!) and has amazing quality orthotics.  They come in a professional version sold in our office as well as an over the counter selection sold at many athletic stores.  There are many varieties offered from Powersteps.  Some are stronger and more supportive than others.  Some align the heels. Some have memory foam for tender feet.  Stop in and get fitted for the best version for your conditions.

Categories
Nutrition Wellness Words of Wellness

February- WORDS OF WELLNESS WITH DR. CATHY

WORDS OF WELLNESS WITH DR. CATHY                           February 2015

Dr. Cathy
February is National Heart Month. Heart disease is the number one killer of adults, both men and women, in America. I would like to use my nutritional training to offer diet and supplementation suggestions that I know will help with the prevention, as well as the treatment, of heart disease. As always, please check with your primary physician before beginning any diet or supplementation routine.

  • Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Omega 3s, are the most important supplement for almost all of us to take on a daily basis. Omega 3s are considered essential fatty acids and keep our blood vessels pliable. Our bodies don’t make Omega 3s, so we only get them from food sources and supplements. The highest concentrations are found in cold water fish (salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines), flax seed and flax oil (never heat or it becomes rancid and dangerous), walnuts, hemp milk and oils. Fish oil, my favorite choice, is the only Omega 3 that is also a very strong anti-inflammatory. Most heart disease stems from inflammation, including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, plaques and blockages. For most patients I recommend 2,000-4,000 mg per day. An average serving of salmon contains 400 mg of Omega 3s, so it is very difficult to achieve the ideal amount without supplementation. Do not take Omega 3s without your physician’s authorization if you are on blood thinners. Fish oil is an anti-coagulant and if you are already on blood thinners, it can thin your blood to a dangerous level.
  • CoEnzyme Q 10, CoQ10, is considered necessary for anyone with heart disease or a strong family history of heart disease, especially if you are currently on a statin (cholesterol lowering medication). CoQ10 provides energy to the cells. It is the strongest anti-oxidant and helps to cleanse our cells of cellular debris from poor diets, toxins, medications and air pollution. All statin medications lower CoQ10 causing patients to feel weak muscles, fatigue, shortness of breath, etc. Sometimes simply supplementing with CoQ10 will reverse these unpleasant side effects. I recommend a minimum of 100 mg for prevention and 200-400 mg if on a statin, symptomatic or for anyone with heart disease.
  • Many people preach “low fat” for heart patients. I preach healthy, good, natural fats. Our bodies need fat to keep our blood vessels open and pliable. Choose butter or olive oil instead of margarine or imitation butter. Our bodies recognize real foods and know how to process them. Always use butter and olive oils in moderation.
  • The heart is a muscle and muscles need protein to stay strong and well fueled. High sources of protein are found in animal products, beans, whole grains and vegetables. Choose free range, hormone free meats, dairy and eggs whenever possible.
  • Stay away from processed, packaged, low fat foods. They are filled with sugar and sodium to make up for the terrible processed, chemical taste. You are better off choosing full fat foods in moderation, than choosing foods comprised mostly of chemicals.

A key aspect of heart disease that I believe is many times overlooked, or at least not discussed enough, is stress. Although I may be going out on a limb, I want you to know that I have learned a very important lesson in stress reduction…loving yourself is equally important as loving everyone around you. I know everyone has so many necessary obligations squeezed into a 24 hour day, however, if you don’t carve some “you time” into those 24 hours, I believe it will eventually back fire on you. There are simple things we can do throughout the day to lower our stress levels. Turn off your cell phone in the car and enjoy the peace, meditate or listen to music that brings you joy. Visualize your stress washing down the drain when you shower. Get to the gym for 30 minutes. Take 10 minutes at the end of the day to deep breathe and focus on what you did right that day. Don’t dwell on the things that didn’t go as planned. Make yourself a priority!

Dr.Cathy