Five Small Meals

Archive for the ‘Our Newsletter’ Category

Welcome to Advanced Alternative Medicine Center's Our Newsletter Archive. Here you can learn more about Advanced Alternative Medicine Center, Chiropractic, and Dr. Richard Huntoon, today's choice for Chiropractors in Pooler, GA. Read Dr. Richard Huntoon's Chiropractic Our Newsletter for the health of it.

We look forward to serving you! Call - 845-561-2225.

Plenty of people go through plenty of suffering trying to lose weight. But why does it have to be that way? Surely there’s some discipline involved, but the process can actually be empowering and personally fulfilling. Weight loss doesn’t need to be about suffering. Losing weight can actually be fun.

The fun part of losing weight is the fulfillment and personal satisfaction you get out of doing what you said you’d do. The fun part is seeing the pounds come off, week by week. The fun part is seeing yourself get back in shape. And, the very fun part is the free day that you enjoy each week. The free day is built-in to your losing-weight food plan.

What’s a free day? You want to be on a food plan that changes your body’s metabolism – one that flattens out your blood glucose levels, one that flattens out your blood insulin levels. The result is a body that knows how to burn glucose for energy, rather than a body that’s out of synch and stores glucose as fat.^1,2

The best way to normalize your metabolism is to eat five or six small meals per day. This is not news. This powerful approach to maintaining optimal body weight has been around for many decades. And the multiple small meals food plan works just as well today.³

This approach has a surprise bonus – a built-in fun factor – the free day. The free day fulfills two important functions. First, your body needs to know that it’s not in starvation mode. If your body thinks it’s starving, you’ll begin to store fat. So you actually need to have a free day once a week.

Your free day also has a very important psychological purpose. You’re doing work and following a plan. A break from the plan is necessary; otherwise it’s going to become boring. It’s great to look forward to your free day and the opportunity to break the routine.

On your free day you can eat anything you want. After a while, you become less exorbitant on your free day. You still eat more pure-fun foods, but you find you’re eating less in terms of mass quantities. You just get more normalized, naturally, as you find yourself listening more to what your body really wants and needs.

Your free day, combined with the ongoing positive feedback from your bathroom scale, makes it possible and realistic to continue on the multiple small meals per day plan.

Over time your weekly weight loss decreases and eventually you stop losing weight – you’ve reached your body’s natural weight. This is a major accomplishment. Your food plan has become a way of life. You’ve learned how to eat so that you’re healthy, fit, and well. Make sure you celebrate!

¹Otani H: Oxidative stress as pathogenesis of cardiovascular risk associated with metabolic syndrome. Antiox Redox Signal 15(7):1911-1926, 2011

²Brietzke SA: A personalized approach to metabolic aspects of obesity. Mt Sinai J Med 77(5):499-510, 2010

The numbers of individuals undergoing total hip replacement and total knee replacement are increasing significantly.¹ Annual rates in the United States for total hip replacement have increased more than 50%. In Denmark, rates have been increasing by 30%. Annual rates in the United States for total knee replacement have increased by more than 170%.² In Sweden, rates have increased 500% in the last 20 years.³ With the aging of the population and increased lifespan, these rates will continue to increase.

Advanced surgical procedures are invaluable, if you need them. Of course, many persons have unrelenting, daily pain which may require radical surgery. For everyone else, though, the best way forward are the old reliables: regular exercise, as vigorous as is appropriate; a healthy diet containing plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables; and sufficient rest on as consistent basis as possible. Regular chiropractic care is also a key component of helping to keep your weight-bearing joints in peak condition.

Most hip and knee replacements are done because the person has severely painful degenerative joint disease – osteoarthritis. Hips, knees, and ankles are all weight-bearing joints. These joints are big and strong and have many surfaces on which to distribute the substantial mechanical loads which are placed on them throughout the day. But these joints don’t last forever and, like all living systems, they will eventually begin to age and break down. Serious problems ensue, however, when these critically important joints start breaking down long before their “warranty” expires.

Many hip and knee problems are a result of chronically poor posture. Almost none of us are taught how to use our bodies properly. We don’t come with instruction manuals. So as time goes on, the inefficient habits we develop as children and teenagers become permanent. People slouch, they let their abdominal muscles sag, they stand with all their weight on one leg, and their heads stick out in front rather than being centered over their chests. One result is chronically tight and painful neck, shoulder, and lower back muscles. Another result is chronically uneven distribution of the weight of the body, ultimately causing degeneration of hip and knee joints.

Lack of a healthy diet prevents the lubricating tissues of the hip and knee joints from receiving key nutrients. Lack of proper joint lubrication causes osteoarthritis. Lack of regular exercise inhibits normal joint motion and normal joint nutrition and lubrication, leading to the development of degenerative joint disease. When you add up faulty biomechanics, lack of a healthy diet, and lack of proper exercise, the result is a prescription for chronic hip and knee problems.

It’s very important to address these issues when you’re young. When you’re not as young as you were, the time to begin making healthful changes is right now. Chiropractic care directly helps improve a person’s biomechanics. Chiropractic care also helps people make the best use possible of the good food they’re beginning to eat and the regular exercise they’re beginning to get.

For most of us, the best way to prevent the need for a hip or knee replacement is to take consistent, healthy actions on our own behalf. If a hip or knee replacement turns out to be the way to go, all of these healthy actions will help ensure a quick recovery and continued good health from this point onward.

¹Singh JA: Epidemiology of knee and hip arthroplasty: a systematic review. Open Orthop J 5:80-85, 2011

²Kurtz S, et al: Prevalence of primary and revision total hip and knee arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg Am 87(7):1487-1497, 2005

It is this time of year that I like to find time to be thankful for my Dad.  He’s always encouraged and continues to support me in my life.  He’s forever willing to listen to me and offer good sound advice in life’s challenging times.  He has instilled within me the strong belief that I can do anything I set my mind to and it is because of him that I became the healthcare practitioner that I am today.  With that, I’d like to acknowledge him and say THANK YOU Dad!

As I’m sure all of you have a father, take the time to say Thank You to yours.  Like last month’s Mother’s Day, you don’t have to go out and buy him anything, as I’m sure he already has enough.  Just take the time to let him know that he’s been important to you in your life and I’m sure he’d appreciate that.

My Offer To You

As a gift to ALL Fathers who are not currently a Practice Member, I offer you the opportunity to schedule an Exam and Consultation with me before the 30th of June.  This is my way of saying that I value all the father’s out there and I wish to help them for what they do in our lives.  This is a $225.00 value and it will allow you to find out if there are any unknown health concerns that might be sneaking up on you.  I will take an hour and a half to fully evaluate how all your major organs and systems are doing, and see if your nutrition and elimination systems are working properly.  I will then take the time to inform you of the options you have to help your current state of health, and the opportunity I can offer you if the circumstances allow for it.  Otherwise, I will make the appropriate referral to the qualified healthcare provider of your choice.

As a gift to ALL the Fathers who are currently a Practice Member, I will offer you a FREE hour consultation to discuss any aspect of your health you are not currently happy with and would like to change.  The hour consultation can be used to discuss exercise, diet, proper foods to be eating, detoxification or any other topic that is of a concern for you.  During this 60 minutes I will help you strategize a plan to change these concerns and get you moving in the right direction.  This will allow you to continue improving your health more fully.  This must be taken advantage of before the 30th of June.

If you know of any fathers who do not currently subscribe to this newsletter and would like to help them, please forward this information to them and ask them to go to www.spineboy.com/newsletter and sign up.  You’ll be helping them a great deal.  And it’s really a painless procedure.  Simply type your e-mail address, your first and last names, and then hit subscribe.  It’s that easy.

Be mindful, This offer is good until the last day of June.  The appointment must be made during that time period. As of June 30th, this offer will expire.  So pick up the phone NOW while you are motivated and call the Office at 561-2225.  Tell us you want to take advantage of the Father’s Day Special.  Your health will improve and you just might learn something that will literally change your life.  Call today and take advantage of this unique offer.  You’ll be happy you did.

As always, we offer Potential New Practice Members the opportunity to participate in a FREE Healthcare Class offered at the Pooler Office on Tuesday Night at 6:30 pm.  Since seating is limited, please call the Office at (845)561-2225 to register for your spot.  There is no cost for this class and it is a great way to have your health related questions answered without the obligation for purchasing something.

Parents play an important role in helping kids reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Temptation appears around every corner.  The kitchen is full of sweet and salty snacks, and television is constantly transmitting messages about the biggest burger, the gooiest desserts or the largest cup of soda that can be purchased for under a buck.  Kids and adults are faced with tough decisions every day about what to eat, when to eat it and how big a portion to take.  As parents, and more importantly, as adults, it is our job to make sure our kids are winning the battle of the bulge and growing into adults who make smart, healthy choices.

Families that have successfully tamed the calorie and junk-food beast have several things in common.  First, the kids realized there was a problem with their weight and took the initiative to do something about it, independent of their parents.  It’s a delicate line for parents to walk, since you don’t want to pressure your kids to lose weight and overeat more.  Kids who successfully kept off the pounds also drew tremendous support from their parents and siblings, especially when the family adopted all aspects of the struggling child’s new, healthy lifestyle.  Parents can help set the tone for success by having healthy, low-calorie foods in the house, exercising with their kids and helping control portion size.

It’s also important for families to develop a health regime that works for them and is conducive to their lifestyle.  For some, this might involve nutritional counseling, joining a sports team, or counting calories and measuring food portions.  Staying connected with others fighting the same battle also is a great form of moral support and encouragement.  It’s also important to give kids time to lose the weight and remind them that success is not just measured on the scale and that gradual weight loss is one of the keys to long-term success in weight management.

5 Comments Parents Will Choose to Avoid

1) “You’re just big boned compared to your brother or sister.”  Comparisons of any kind between siblings can cause major problems in any family, but especially when weight is involved.

2) “Maybe you could try a different diet.”  While this might sound encouraging, it insinuates that the child isn’t trying hard enough or that what they are doing isn’t good enough.

3) “I didn’t like my body when I was younger either.”  This comment promotes the idea that poor body image is O.K., which could cause problems later in life.

4) “You’re so great at (fill in the child’s preferred sport)!  Maybe you should try to take it to the next level.”  Some kids have a natural competitive streak while others do not.  It’s important to understand what will motivate your child and keep them positive.

5) “You look wonderful!  Have you lost weight?”  While this might seem like the perfect thing to say to someone trying to lose weight, it often can have a detrimental effect if that’s the only thing you are praising about your child.

Stay positive and get in the trenches to fight the battle with your kids.  Now is the time to begin a family legacy of healthy eating habits and regular exercise that can be passed down from generation to generation.

If you need help in understanding Nutrition and Exercise that is right for your children and family, please call the office and schedule a time for us to discuss your concerns.  Another option is to come to one of our FREE Health Care Classes scheduled every Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm in the Pooler Office.  Simply call the Office and schedule yourself for this FREE Service.  For a schedule of topics and dates, go to www.spineboy.com and click on FREE Health Care Class Schedule and Topics under the Main Menu on the Home Page.  And please forward this information to anyone you know who would benefit from it and encourage them to come to a FREE Health Care Class.

Being connected is very important in our modern world. Could you imagine how you’d feel if you left your cell phone at home? For teenagers, a cell phone is much more than a tool. For teens, cell phones are status symbols, but they also represent a connection to the tribe, a connection to their human network. For teens and adults, cell phones are lifelines. What about web connectivity? Many of us begin to experience withdrawal symptoms if we’re separated from our Internet connection for more than an hour. Others check their email every few minutes, ongoingly, throughout the day, every day.

We may feel secure if we’re well connected in the external electronic world, but it’s even more important to be well connected in the internal physiologic world. In the external world we think in terms of networks, primarily in terms of Internet connections. In the internal world networks are the key, too – neurologic networks, of which our nerve system is comprised.^1,2

The nerve system consists of the brain, cranial nerves, spinal cord, spinal nerves, and miles of peripheral nerves which connect the spinal cord and spinal nerves to every other cell in the body. In the body, the rules are simple. If a cell is not connected to the nerve system, the cell’s activities become disorganized and it becomes diseased and eventually dies. In a related scenario a cell may be connected, but the nerve signals it is receiving are inaccurate or inappropriate, due to problems within the nerve system itself. The results are the same –  the cell’s activities become disorganized and it becomes diseased and eventually dies. If enough cells are affected, the person develops symptoms and becomes sick.

“Problems” within the nerve system often result from spinal subluxations – a loss of full mobility between one or more pairs of spinal vertebras, with associated spinal muscle tightness or spasm, spinal joint inflammation, and spinal nerve irritation. The free flow of information between the nerve system and the rest of the body becomes compromised. Both ends of the network receive inappropriate, ineffective information and the result is a “system crash” in the form of symptoms and disease.

Chiropractic health care is especially designed to restore effective connectivity and communication between your nerve system and your other body systems.³ Your chiropractor specializes in identifying the spinal subluxations at the root of the problem and using gentle, safe, effective methods of care to restore proper balance to your spine and nerve system. Optimal functioning begins to be restored and improved levels of health and well-being are the natural result.

¹Coward LA: The hippocampal system as the cortical resource manager: a model connecting psychology, anatomy and physiology. Adv Exp Med Biol 657:315-364, 2010

²Saur D, et al: Combining functional and anatomical connectivity reveals brain networks for auditory language comprehension. Neuroimage 49(4):3187-3197, 2010

³Taylor HH, Murphy B: Altered central integration of dual somatosensory input after cervical spine manipulation. J Manipulative Physiol Ther

Your Discerning Small Intestine

Welcome to June!  As we move into the summer months, the energy of the body shifts from that of the expansive Wood Element represented by new growth, to the next of the Five elements, this being the Fire Element.  Fire represents heat, maximum expansion, and how this pertains to the body.  This Element is composed of the Small Intestine and the Heart as primary organs.  Other related organs are the major endocrines, which include the Thyroid, the Adrenals, the Ovaries and the Testes.  For the purposes of this newsletter, we will be focusing on the two major organs.  The Small Intestine represents the Yang energy or the forceful energy of the element, while the Heart represents the Yin or yielding energy of the element.  This issue will be devoted to the Small Intestine, and next month’s issue will cover the Heart.

The consciousness of the Fire Element has to do with Spirit, or self-awareness.  It is the “I am” consciousness.  The Yang activity of the Small Intestine pertains to the intellect, awareness and discernment.  This is important when appreciating that the Small Intestine is where the majority of your nutrients are absorbed from the Digestive System into the blood stream before being transported to the Liver.  The Small Intestine would need to have great discernment if it is to truly regulate what comes into the blood stream and what is kept out.  There is a special part of your body known as the Enteric Nervous System which, like a second Brain, helps determine what the body lets into the blood stream, and what it lets pass through the digestive system to excrete.  Therefore, the discerning aspect of the Small Intestine is vitally important if you want to avoid health imbalances.  Keeping the Enteric Nervous System functioning at its highest level is necessary for that to occur.

The primary emotions associated with the Fire Element are Joy and Sadness.  The natural emotion is Harmony, as the joy state provides harmony in all the processes of the body-mind complex.  It will neutralize any excess activity.  Pathologically, when one lacks joy or harmony and it involves issues of the Heart, this can lead to chronic depression creating further disharmony.  The chief emotions leading to disharmony within the Small Intestines are the feelings of being “Lost or Vulnerable,” with the minor emotions associated with the feelings of insecurity, abandonment, desertion, absentmindedness or unrequited love.  When one feels insecure or vulnerable, they tend to get “butterflies” in their stomach.  Actually this is the Fire Elements “vulnerability” that is feeding the emotion of “low self-esteem” from the Earth Elements Stomach.  This often leads to binge eating associated with sugar, as the taste of sweets will satiate the low self-esteem.

The main sense organ associated with the Fire Element is the tongue related through talking, along with the main sense associated being touch.  People who talk a lot, but never really say anything of substance are usually feeling vulnerable or insecure.  Likewise, people who don’t talk at all are usually withdrawn as they won’t engage in conversation due to the sense of being vulnerable.  Many times, one with a feeling of vulnerability and insecurity simply needs to be touched or held.

The main taste associated with the Fire Element is that of bitter, and the main fluid associated is that of sweat.  Physical areas governed by the Small Intestine are the Unilateral Pelvis (right or left), the knee and the pubic symphasis.  Any conditions involving the pelvis usually has a Small Intestine component to it.  Muscles governed by the Small Intestine are the abdominal muscles and the quadriceps of the anterior thigh.  People who have anterior thigh problems, pulled quadriceps muscles, or people who have abdominal hernias or muscle pulls related to their abdominals need to consider the health of their Small Intestine.

The Small Intestines main function, as mentioned, is related to the absorption of all the final breakdown products of the food we eat.  In a normal healthy individual, proteins get broken down into amino acids, fats into free fatty acids, and carbohydrates into glucose.  All of this occurs before the food-stuff enters into the part of the Small Intestine known as the jejunum. Once these final breakdown products are created, true absorption into the body will take place, as the food-stuff will now pass through the intestinal wall, and enter into the blood stream.  Any difficulty with this process will lead to symptoms.  Symptoms of Small Intestine imbalance can range from simple gas and bloating a little while after eating, to actual indigestion, or maybe true abdominal pain.  Conditions such as Tropical Sprue or Celiac Disease results in malabsorption of food leading to multiple nutritional deficiencies and further disease.  Another condition is called Whipple’s Disease.  Consider the fact that many times these conditions are brought on or exacerbated as a result of taking antibiotics.

Of Note, the use of Antibiotics will create a deficiency in the absorption of your B vitamins.  Since your body requires B vitamins for so many vital functions, including normal nerve transmission and regular heart rhythm, one would need to take a Probiotic to help repopulate the normal flora needed to allow for proper absorption and assimilation of your B vitamins, along with the rest of your food.  And as mentioned and will be discussed in our next issue, a lack of B vitamins cause irregularities in Heart function.

What To Consider

If you suspect you have a Small Intestine imbalance by experiencing 1) lots of gas, bloating or indigestion; 2) the use of antacids from over-the-counter meds to prescription meds; 3) knowing that nuts, seeds or high fiber foods irritate your digestion; 4) a history of Antibiotic intake and didn’t take the necessary Probiotic to counterbalance the loss of friendly bacteria, you’ll want to consider having your Small Intestine evaluated for proper digestion and function.

Nutritional support for the Small Intestine includes a product called Gastrex from Standard Process.  It is designed to help rebuild the lining of the Small Intestine.  This is important for those with ulcers, or regular indigestion.  Another whole food supplement designed to decrease the gas and bloating would be Zypan, also by Standard Process.  It contains pepsin and hydrochloric acid which helps to break foods down to their component parts for optimal absorption into the blood stream.  Helpful herbal remedies from MediHerb are Colax, designed to support bile production and flow into the Small Intestine, and DermCo which helps with healthy intestinal function.  Golden Seal helps to stimulate digestion, cleans the digestive tract, and maintains healthy mucous membranes.  The best herbal combination is available in a product called DiGest Phytosynergist, also from MediHerb designed to support healthy digestion and intestinal function, promotes healthy gastrointestinal tone, promotes healthy intestinal flora, and keeps the Liver functioning well.

Have You Taken Antibiotics In Your Life At Any Time?

The best thing anyone can do who has consumed antibiotics at any time in their life, is to take a supplement called Acidophilus.  This is a Probiotic formula which helps to counter balance the effects of Antibiotics.  It helps to replace the good, friendly bacteria the body needs that will be killed off by the Antibiotic therapy.  Available in most health food stores, it should be kept in the refrigerator, as the cultures are only viable if stored at cold temperatures.  This is a product that all Americans should be taking as a part of a healthy diet.  Failure to do so will result in Food Allergies, Liver Stress, Arthritis, Vision problems, muscle aches and pains, sometimes called Fibromyalgia and skin disorders such as Psoriasis, and Eczema.  We make available a supplement called Ultra Flora Plus, Dairy Free from Metagenics, available in capsule or powder depending upon your preference.  This is the ONE TRUE supplement everyone should take every day.

My Offer To You

If you are a Current Practice Member and suspect that you have an issue with your Small Intestine, you need to have the Small Intestine Check.  If you suffer with any of the above symptoms, or have a history of antibiotic intake, you need to have the Small Intestine Check.  To take advantage of the Small Intestine Check, all you need to do is call The Office at (845) 561-2225 and tell us to schedule you for the Small Intestine Check.  This is a $75.00 value and I will include it with your next visit to the office at no charge.  That’s right, it’s FREE!  But you must act fast.  This offer expires on the 30th of June.  After that the normal $75.00 will apply.  So call the Office today.  Better yet, CALL THE OFFICE NOW!  Schedule your Small Intestine Check before the offer expires.

If you are a Potential New Practice Member, I will offer you the same thing.  Come in as a New Patient, and during the evaluation, I will include the Small Intestine Check as part of the evaluation.  Simply pick up the phone and call the office.  Tell the Office you are a New Patient and want to have the Small Intestine Check with your New Patient Visit.  But you must act quickly too.  For after June 30th, the offer will be gone.  Why wait, CALL NOW!  (845) 561-2225.  We’ll get you in for your evaluation.

I am moved to write this article as some people who are close to me can benefit from the information.  As I feel all new parents can benefit from this information, it is my intention to write this article so as to educate and help those who are new parents, or even return parents, make a more fully informed decision as to how to assist their new born child to health and freedom from chronic ear infections and potential ear tubes.  It will also serve them to prevent the basis for a series of trips to the pediatrician for repeated antibiotics which has been shown to suppress the immune system, impair normal immune development and lead to chronic allergies and upper respiratory symptoms.  This is not meant to be alarming, but simply an effort to make the reader aware of what potentially waits in your future if one continues down the path of traditional allopathic medical treatment for childhood ear infections.  It is my intention to get your attention, because the consequences of traditional treatments are never-ending and quite difficult for the parent and child, both financially and emotionally.

So why does one get middle ear infections?  This is pretty easy to explain.  We begin with the gestation of the baby within the mother.  If the mother has a digestive yeast/candidia imbalance while pregnant (craves sweets and eats lots of carbohydrates in the form of pasta, breads, etc.), the child will grow up in an environment that promotes the same imbalance within them.  Therefore, the child will have a tendency to develop a digestive yeast/candidia imbalance.  This means when the child begins feeding, formula or breast milk (always feed your child breast milk only for a minimum of the first 12 to 18 months) the child will begin to create mucus that leads to upper respiratory congestion and ear congestion.  The ear congestion will eventually lead to middle ear infections.

If we move to the birthing process, if a child is delivered vaginally, the amount of pressure on the newborn varies depending on the size and weight of the baby along with the ease or difficulty passing through the birth canal.  Appreciating that a 6 to 10 pound baby fitting through a hole the size of a quarter is stressful.  To both the mother and the baby.  And although the birth process is both normal and natural, having the mother lay on her back and do crunches to expel the baby is not the best way to support the delivery of the baby.  More natural would be to allow the mother to squat and allow the natural muscle contractions and gravity to assist in the process.  But because this makes it difficult for the doctor, it has been deemed necessary that the mother do these modified crunches for the ease of the delivering doctor.  Appreciate that all other mammals give birth standing up or squatting.

Now, if the child is refusing to simply slide out and the “slow labor experience” occurs, this puts more pressure on the baby as it passes through the birth canal.  The longer it takes the more pressure and the more potential for distortion in the baby’s head, neck and back.  When the head first appears, many times the doctor will rotate the head (sometimes as much as 180 degrees) to get the shoulder to appear.  Once the first shoulder has cleared the vaginal opening, the body will then simply slide out.  A potential problem occurs when the rotation of the head to get the shoulder to clear puts abnormal stress on the attachment of the head on the spine.  This sets the child up for improper alignment of the head on the spine, creating the basis for middle ear infections, as the fluids of the middle ear will not drain properly due to the misalignment. 

Well what if the baby was delivered via C-section?  This too creates potential problems, as the contraction associated with passing through the birth canal and then the expansion after leaving the canal initiates the pumping mechanism of the bones in the skull with the sacral area of the pelvis promoting normal cerebrospinal fluid flow over the brain and spinal cord.  Since the baby didn’t pass through the birth canal, they didn’t experience the initiation of this pumping mechanism.  Failure to properly initiate this mechanism can also lead to improper fluid flow, and causes cranial faults within the bones of the skull, which can then lead to a back up of fluid in the middle ear.

Another possible contributor to middle ear infections are food sensitivities which may show up as reflux in the infant.  The reflux and spitting up of food usually will back up through the internal auditory meatus (a tube that connects the middle ear with the back of the throat and helps us equalize the pressure in the middle ear when we go on a plane and need to chew gum) and travel up into the middle ear creating the basis for an ear infection.  Feeding your child a bottle while they are laying with their head back, especially if they are already congested, will certainly contribute to this problem.  And how many parents unknowingly do this every feeding?

One of the other potential causes is the parents need to have their child sit up and hold up their head sooner, rather than later.  If the child has a heavy head, a big head (compared to the rest of their body, which is quite normal) or hasn’t developed the neck strength to hold up their head, this will create the basis for misalignments in the neck, especially between the base of the head and the top of the spine.  Can you see your child with their head bobbing from side to side, desperately trying to keep their head up?  How many times a day does that happen?  This creates spinal mis-alignments in the neck.  Can you see your child sleeping in their car seat or their baby transporter with their head always turned to one side?  How many times does this happen?  This is the basis and potentially the result of spinal mis-alignments in the neck.  This will lead to a blockage at the base of the skull and the top of the spine.  Unfortunately, this is the exact level associated with blocking the proper drainage of the middle ear into the back of the throat.  Therefore, if there is a misaligned first or second vertebrae that the head sits on, the fluid will now have difficulty draining in a normal fashion and will lead to pressure in the ear, potentially leading to a middle ear infection.

So What Should A New Parent (or returning parent) Do? Regardless of what occurs during the pregnancy and the potential for a digestive yeast/candidia imbalance within the mother and therefore the baby, the parents both should consider being open to restoring balance to the baby’s spinal alignment.  The sooner, the better.  Considering this right after the birthing process is best, as addressing the imbalance sooner rather than later will only help to reduce and allow for the elimination of a potential problem.  The experts at restoring proper spinal alignment in adults, as well as babies, are chiropractors.  Now I can hear the natural question in many parents, “Is it safe for my new born to get a chiropractic adjustment?  I have seen that, and (possibly) even experienced it myself, and it seems a little “violent” and potentially harmful, like the new born may be hurt.  I’ve heard stories about people being hurt and even paralyzed by chiropractors.  I don’t want that for my new born.  I’ll wait until they are older and are more stable in their development.”   I appreciate that position, and I’m not here to argue with you over what you have heard, nor am I here to say you’ve seen too many Hollywood movies of people having their necks broken while being involved in a fight scene.  We develop our belief systems in countless different ways.  What I am here to offer you is sound health care advise based on countless healthy babies who receive regular chiropractic care and do so without any incident.  And who go without developing middle ear infections and who never need to have surgery to have tubes put in their ears.

But let’s address the fear of being hurt first.  Appreciate the amount of pressure and stress it takes to re-align a baby’s head properly onto the spine is considerably less than the 150 lbs of pressure it takes to push a baby through the birth canal, or the 10 to 15 pounds of pressure it takes to rotate a new born’s head as much as 180 degrees to get the shoulder to pop out during the natural delivery process.  It is also much less pressure used in extracting the baby out of the uterus of a mother going through a C-section, as the doctors are now more concerned with finishing the surgery on the mother, as the baby gets whisked away to be checked.  Assuming your child survived these traumas, I am absolutely certain your child could survive a simple spinal adjustment to restore proper fluid drainage.  If I personally use greater than 1 to 2 pounds of pressure to re-align a baby’s neck, that is a lot.  And I don’t use that much to adjust most of my adult patients.  Most babies adjust by simply turning their head while slightly extending their head backwards, and the mis-aligned bone slips right back into its natural place when contacting the proper vertebrae.  The only time it gets more difficult than that is when the child gets chronic, and the mis-alignment has been there for more than a month.  Then the child may need more than one adjustment to restore balance.  And the same amount of pressure will be needed, it would just involve more than one treatment.  The main point here is it doesn’t take that much to help the child return to normal alignment and promote proper middle ear function. And I’ve seen middle ear infections clear within 24 hours without the whole allopathic antibiotic treatment.  And I’ve seen it take a couple, or possibly as many as 4 or 5 visits to completely resolve a more chronic problem, and to have it never return.

But what about the Antibiotic Treatment?  Please appreciate that antibiotics have their place in treating infection. And many times the therapy is done before adequately understanding that the pain and pressure being experienced is actually a bacterial infection.  Perhaps it is just fluid back-up due to misalignment creating the pressure, and not a true infection.  The antibiotics are not needed at that point.  Insisting the doctor confirm the bacterial infection is vital at this point.  Don’t just assume this is a bacterial infection and simply go along with the recommendation of antibiotics because you think it is normal for this to occur.  Because if given the antibiotic therapy, the child will result in having a digestive yeast/candidia imbalance and you are now the proud parents of a child who will likely develop upper respiratory problems, digestive problems, allergies and a deficient immune system.  And if the antibiotics don’t get rid of the fluid buildup, or if the child develops repeated middle ear pressure or infection, you will then be asked to consider having surgery on your child to have tubes put in the ears to help the fluid drain unnaturally vs. simply restoring proper alignment in the upper cervical spine and allowing proper drainage of the fluid that was backing up in the middle ear. Doesn’t that seem like a easier first line of treatment, before going to the more invasive antibiotic treatment and/or ear tube surgery?

Why Wouldn’t You Try More Conservative First?  I do my best to appreciate different points of view and different perspectives, and I will always continue to allow people to make their own choices about their health and the health of their children.  And as a health care practitioner who cares to impart helpful advice to my practice members, if you have had any experience with chiropractic, at least through my office and through me, why wouldn’t you consider consulting with me for any of your health related issues?  And I hope you can understand that I am not against medication as a sometimes necessary treatment.  It just concerns me that well educated and well intentioned parents make long-term choices for their health and the health of their family by taking short-term medical solutions designed to treat symptoms, without thinking of more natural and conservative measures first that don’t create long-term negative health consequences as a result of that form of care.  Any time you have any question about any health related issue, even if after hearing the advise you choose not to take the advise offered, please contact me at my office (845)561-2225 or e-mail at docrick@spineboy.com.  It would be my pleasure and is my mission to help you and your family to better health by making better, more informed health decisions.

My Offer To You

If you are a parent who has a child who either has or has had ear infections, I invite you to bring your child(ren) into the office and have a FREE evaluation any time during the next 6 weeks.  That is until school lets out.  Simply call the office and ask us to put your child in for the Is My Head On Straight Evaluation.  Normally a $ 75.00 value, I will waive the evaluation cost in an effort to help you and your child live a healthy and sane life.  Simply call The Office at (845)561-BACK (2225).  And if you know of any other children or parents who could benefit from this service, ask them to call.  Lets help the whole community by making sure our children have their head’s on straight.

Also, in my new book, When Your Health Matters: Using Your Body’s Natural Rhythms To Restore Your Health, available for sale through the office will give you all the information you need on Antibiotics and You.  To purchase your own copy of my new book, simply call the Office and I will write a personal dedication to you when you come pick it up.  Call (845)561-BACK or 561-2225 and I will put your copy aside.

Chiropractic Care and Healthy Bones

Exercise is a key component in the lifelong endeavor of achieving and maintaining vibrant good health. An immediate benefit of regular exercise is healthy bones. Other action steps we can take to help ensure that our bones stay healthy are getting sufficient calcium in our diet and, wherever possible, getting 15 to 30 minutes of unprotected sunlight several times per week.Chiropractic care is an important part of this equation. By getting regular chiropractic care we help ensure that our nerve system is functioning at peak efficiency. When our nerve systems are fully online, all our cells, tissues, and organs are able to do what they’re supposed to do when they’re supposed to do it. With a properly functioning nerve system, bone cells are enabled to build solid, dynamic structures that will last. Thus, chiropractic care helps support all the other good things we’re doing for ourselves, including regular exercise, a healthy diet, and proper rest. Make sure that regular chiropractic care is part of your plan for maintaining strong, healthy bones.

As with the rest of our physical selves, we don’t think about our bones until something goes wrong. Bones are just there, under the surface and unseen, normally never taking up space in our conscious thought processes. Trauma, of course, can injure a bone. But in most circumstances a bone bruise or a fracture heals on its own in due course. You might need a brace, sling, or cast to protect the bone while it’s rebuilding, but within four to six weeks everything is back to normal.

On the other hand, many actual diseases can affect bones for a very long time, perhaps even for the rest of your lifetime. Some of these serious conditions are preventable. Some are not. Osteoporosis is a disorder which may have serious consequences, including disabling hip fractures and crippling fractures of the lumbar vertebras. For many people, however, osteoporosis is preventable, and it’s very important to know how to do that.

Osteoporosis involves loss of bone substance and disorganization of bone structure. “Osteo” means bone and “porosis” means pores or passages. In osteoporosis the biochemical bony matrix is broken down and bony tissue itself is resorbed, creating “passageways” or holes in the affected bone. Metabolic factors involved in the process of osteoporosis include calcium levels and vitamin D levels, as well as the activity of bone cells – osteoblasts – which produce bone matrix.

As with everything else in the human body, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. Bone appears to be hard and durable, a finished product, but in fact bone tissue is highly dynamic. Bone is continually being built up in response to physiologic, weight-bearing stresses such as exercise. But bone is continually being broken down in response to metabolic needs elsewhere in the body. A dynamic tension exists between these two processes, and in osteoporosis the pendulum has swung to the side of breaking down bone tissue. The obvious consequences include weakening of bone’s structural strength. Eventually, long bones such as the thigh bone or strategically located bones such as the lumbar vertebra have lost so much structural integrity that they break under pressure of previously normal weight-bearing loads.

Like the rest of the components of our bodies, our bones are a precious natural resource. Unlike gas or coal, our bones are a renewable resource. But we must pay attention to the need for these structures to renew themselves. If a bone isn’t being used efficiently, higher-priority metabolic needs in other locations will cause important biochemicals to be taken out of the bone. The bone, such a thigh bone, will begin to lose its structure. The appropriate question is how can we ensure that our bones are being used efficiently? How can we ensure that our bones are in fact dynamic structures, rather than merely cages to protect our vital organs or coat racks on which to hang our muscles?

One of the main answers to these questions, which after all really are questions regarding how to achieve good health, is regular exercise.^1,2,3 Bones will retain their metabolic structure if they are required to do so. The body is very smart and locates precious resources where they are needed. If weight-bearing loads are consistently placed on your spine and long bones, these dynamic structures will not only retain their shape and strength but in fact will build more bony layers and become stronger. And of course, if we want to have a lifetime of vibrant, vital health, we want to have strong, healthy bones that will help us make it so.

¹Sundell J: Resistance training is an effective tool against metabolic and frailty syndromes. Adv Prev Med Epub Dec 13, 2010 doi:10.4061/2011/984683

²Bababtunde OO, et al: A meta-analysis of brief high-impact exercises for enhancing bone health in premenopausal women. Osteoporos Int Sept 28 2011 (Epub ahead of print) PMID: 21953474

Having attended a four-day Nutritional Lyceum in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, I was treated to quite a spectacular four days with the top nutritional experts delivering the most up-to-date information on restoring health through high quality nutrition.  And of all the information that was presented within the seminars, the information about balancing your hormonal levels, and how to determine most accurately where the imbalance is coming from, seemed to be the most helpful.  Having asked some of the other practitioners which speaker they enjoyed the most and what information did they consider the most valuable, everyone had the same answer… “The information about balancing hormones.”  Since there were two different speakers, Angela Hywood, ND from Australia and Dr. Janet Lang, from the mid-west, I will be pulling from both of their information to help you understand the basis for fully balancing your hormones and what the best way to evaluate where your hormones are out of balance.  For this newsletter, I will be discussing Dr. Hywood’s information entitled “Stress Management: Strategies to Support Adrenal Vitality,” and our next newsletter will focus on Dr. Lang’s information “Functional Endocrinology: Balancing Female Hormones.”

Understanding the Stress Response

When dealing with stress, the glands associated with the body’s response to it are the Adrenal Glands.  These are paired glands that sit just above your Kidneys.  It should be noted that Sex Hormone Balance cannot be achieved without healthy Adrenal function.  Because of that, I am discussing Adrenal function first and we will visit the Sex hormone portion in my next newsletter.

Back in the 1930’s a doctor by the name of Hans Selye determined that stress is a state of threatened homeostasis, and a stressor is anything that threatens this balance within the body.  The General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) associated with the body’s reaction to stress is as follows.  There are three phases the body will go through when trying to maintain balance within, and these are Phase 1 The Alarm Phase where the body produces the hormones Cortisol and DHEA in response to the fight or flight response.  The normal release of these hormones occurs during these stressful times in our day (getting our normal routine handled in an efficient manner) and the body is usually asymptomatic, as the stress is mostly short lived in duration.  Everyone experiences this type of response with the resulting normal adaptation and resistance.  As stress begins to accumulate and become more of a challenge, Phase 2 known as The Resistance Stress Phase kicks in.  This is the early stage of Adrenal exhaustion.  The person has become what is termed Sympathetic Dominant.  Cortisol increases in response to the stress, but the DHEA begins to decline.  The person who is Sympathetic Dominant feels “stressed” as this is associated with anxiety attacks, mood swings, and problems falling asleep.  Does any of this sound familiar?  Phase 3 The Exhaustion Phase has both Cortisol and DHEA in decreased amounts.  This is associated with the symptoms of problems staying asleep, feeling down or depressed, along with fatigue or physical exhaustion.   Maybe this sounds like you.  Your nervous system is now Parasympathetic Dominant.

So what are these two hormones, and why are they important?  Both of these hormones are derived from cholesterol, which then gets converted to a second hormone called Pregnenalone.  The Pregnenalone then gets converted to Cortisol and DHEA.  Cortisol influences the activity of Insulin, Thyroid Hormones and DHEA.  Insulin release is directly tied to Cortisol production, while Thyroid Hormones and DHEA are suppressed and lowered upon Cortisol release.  Cortisol is directly involved in Balancing Blood Glucose, the Immune System Response, Bone turnover rate, Mood and thought, REM sleep and Tissue breakdown.  Under prolonged stress, Cortisol will increase initially, followed by a decrease over time due to the constancy of the stress.  This results in declines within the Immune System function leading to Natural Killer Cell cytotoxicity, problems with Secretory IgA levels and the disruption of gastrointestinal microflora balance.  In laymen’s terms, you can’t fight off infection, as well as, your digestion and food breakdown become poor, leading to food allergies and poor health. Some foods which stress out the body and create increases in Cortisol release are your Hydrogenated and Trans Fats.  Take the time to read your food labels and realize every time you consume those types of foods, you will be decreasing your body’s ability to fighting off infection, in addition to increasing your chance for developing food allergies.

What To Consider

Everyone suffers the effects of stress.  A great place to start improving your health is to improve your body’s ability to handle the stress you experience.  From the seminar, I was taught how to evaluate a person’s response to their stress by ordering a Saliva Test that can be done within your own home.  The test kit is taken home and saliva samples are collected by you at four times during the day.  Each sample is placed within the test kit and then it is mailed to the company in a postage paid package.  The results are then sent to my office where we then have you come in and go over the results.  Based on what the test shows, it tells us exactly what the protocol is for balancing your Adrenal response to stress, and what it will take to keep you healthy.  The technology behind it is great and the protocols are fantastic.

Why it is important to evaluate your hormones this way instead of using a blood test?  Blood tests are not as diagnostically significant in determining abnormal hormone levels.  Blood tests are also more expensive then the saliva tests, and because of the various hormones effecting each other,  blood tests can come back normal even though hormonal imbalances exist.  Advantages of Saliva testing are the free hormone levels are more diagnostically significant, and the validity and accuracy of saliva testing is well established through research.

My Offer To You

For ALL Current Practice Members and Prospective New Practice Members:  If you suffer from a stressful life, either minimally or maximally, you would benefit from having one of these tests done.  It will help you see which of the three phases you are currently in, and help us to determine how to eliminate the effects of that stress.  Some other conditions associated with too much Adrenal stress would be Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, PMS, menopausal symptoms such as Hot Flashes, Night Sweats, Insomnia, along with a decreased libido.  If any of these sound like you or a loved one, call the office today at (845) 561-2225 and tell us you need to get the Stress Evaluation.  During the Month of May, I offer you this as part of Our Mother’s Day Give Away.  Make an appointment during the Month of May and during your visit I will do a simple test to evaluate the need for the Saliva Test.  If you qualify, we will give you a test-kit to take home and when we get the results, the two of us can then make the necessary changes to your system and allow for your body to begin managing your stress in a much better way.  Why wait any longer, Call The Office Now at (845) 561-2225 and schedule your appointment Today! 

And men be mindful, this is not just a woman’s health issue.  Men too suffer from Adrenal burn-out which creates Impotence/Erectile Dysfunction, and a condition known as Andropause or Male-menopause, which includes a decreased libido.  So you too need to call The Office at (845) 561-2225 and tell us you want to evaluate your stress response.  Why wait, call NOW while I have your attention.

And for those of you who live out of town, the Saliva Test can be mailed to you and we can consult over the phone, or through e-mail when dealing with the results.  You don’t even have to live in the Hudson Valley in order for me to help you.  So you too can get the help you need by calling the office at (845) 561-2225.  I welcome the opportunity.  Give us a call and get a handle on how your body manages your stress Today!

For more complete information on this and all hormone related concerns, consider purchasing my new book entitled When Your Health Matters: Using Your Body’s Natural Rhythms To Restore Your Health, available by calling my office at (845)561-BACK or 561-2225.  Call me and I will be happy to set one aside, or you can call me and I will mail you an autographed copy.

There Is Still Time To Detox This Year, But You Must Hurry!

The Window Is Closing!

Only 1 more week to get started. If you don’t start by then, you’ll have to wait until next year.

DON’T WAIT!

Call The Office and Tell Us you still want to do it!

Ask Us to order your products and come get your manual.

YOU CAN DO THIS!

It isn’t as hard as you think, and the benefits are endless!

CALL (845) 561-BACK (2225)

DO IT NOW, or wait a whole other year!