Live Life Healthy

One would think that living in agreement with nature would be common sense. However, in this day in age, common sense is not so common. So before personal responsibility goes the way of the human extinction, here are a few suggestions on how the gain and maintain health.

1.  Eat Whole Foods. Focus on diet of inclusion.

 

2.  Eat a balanced diet with optimal protein, unrefined carbohydrates and the right fats. There are health promoting and health destroying foods within each macro nutrient category; Fats, Carbohydrates and Proteins. Our body is a chemistry lab, not a bank account and the types of foods you eat cause specific hormonal responses that can harm or heal you.

 

3.  Stay hydrated. Water is a by-product of beta oxidation and you need it to burn fat!  If you are even slightly dehydrated you will lower your metabolism and you won't be able to perform at your peak.

 

4.  Make an oil change. The types of fats and oils you eat can dramatically impact your health.  Emphasize monounsaturated fats and omega 3 fats found in cold water fish, avocados, raw nuts and seeds (not peanuts) and olive oil.

 

5.  Eat foods rich in phyto-nutrients and antioxidants. Some of our favorites include red grapes, turmeric, sesame, tomatoes in olive oil, ginger, celery, rosemary, saffron, garlic, cherries, berries, cabbage, umbelliferous vegetables, green tea, freshly ground flax seed meal (not oil) and licorice. Live food is best. 

 

6.  Avoid health destructive foods and toxic chemicals -

  - pro-inflammatory and rancid fats including - corn, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed oils, all margarine, trans fats and fried foods.

  - hormones and additives in meats, chicken and eggs

  - farm raised fish treated with additives, hormones and unhealthy feed ( buy wild caught fish )

  - alcohol and caffeine

  - Processed foods

  - refined and simple sugars, high glycemic load foods including fruit juice, white flour, etc.

  - Iron fortified cereals (and vitamins)

  - Soda

  - Drugs - OTC or prescribed (sulfur, mercury, thermisol etc)

  

7.  You cannot supplement a poor diet to make it healthy. It is virtually impossible to get all of the nutrients you need even in the most healthy and balanced diet. Use supplements to enhance a healthy diet to make it optimal.

 

Supplements nearly everyone needs include a pharmaceutical grade multiple (make sure it includes 800 mcg of folic acid) taken 2 x's per day, omega 3 essential fatty acids and minerals, especially magnesium.

 

8.  Balance your hormone responses. Think of your body like as chemistry lab; eat, work, exercise, rest and play to support appropriate hormone responses of growth hormone, cortisol, adrenaline and insulin.

 

9.  Avoid toxic exposure - eat organic, use environmentally friendly household products, filter your air and water.  It is estimated that 80% of all cancers are from tobacco, nutrition and environmental carcinogens.  Add houseplants to reduce the chemicals in the air.  Some of the best are Areca Palms, Lady Palms, English Ivy, Boston Ferns, Rubber Plants.  2-3 per 100 feet.

 

10.  Exercise, like nutrition and supplementation, is dose dependent. You must make sure you are doing the right amount of each to ensure optimal results. Too much can have a negative effect as too little. There are 3 types of exercise; adaptive (resistance training), calming (flexibility/core exercises) and stimulating (cardio). Which type, how much of it and at what intensity depends on your  metabolism type.

 

11.  Maintain your ideal body fat percentage and remember you must be healthy to lose body fat and increase lean muscle mass. Test your body fat percentage vs. testing your weight regularly.

 

12.  Take time out for fun and get adequate rest. Laughing and smiling changes your brain chemistry for the better. Mindful exercise like yoga and aerobics have been shown to enhance the immune system. Do not eat 3 hours before bedtime so the body can put its efforts into repair vs. digestion.

 

13.  Regular Chiropractic Care: Research demonstrates your nervous system controls all body function - your immune system, glandular system, circulatory system, digestive system, elimination system, and musculoskeletal system. Regular chiropractic care is the foundation for optimizing health and assisting the body in restoring health, maintaining and maximizing function.

Follow these simple steps to  maintain your own health and those of your loved ones.

NIACIN - Some Important Facts

Niacin is well known as the "cholesterol fighter in a bottle". A quote from long ago, "Niacin is the most inexpensive and effective internal cleansing mechanism known to man."

Following ingestion of niacin, one will expect "side effects" of itching and flushing of the skin. Please note that flushing is normal, and not an allergic reaction. It's what niacin does as it cleanses the body of toxins and poisons. The best side effect I experience is the calmness that follows a dosage.

Cardiovascular disease is significant killer in the United States, and it is frequently associated with high cholesterol. Our American diet, with fast food, toxin-loaded, refined sugar cholesterol-impregnated foods, is the frequent messenger of destruction and death.

In recent years, niacin has become widely used as a potent cholesterol fighter. Various studies indicate doses of niacin increase beneficial high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, lower harmful low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and decrease triglycerides. However, all too often extremely high doses of niacin are prescribed (usually 500 to 4500 mg/day). Those amounts are not necessary. I receive the same flushing reaction from 100 milligrams as I do for 500mg, thus, low dosages are what I recommend.

Studies conducted by scientists from Auburn University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Georgia Southern University, and the Hames Heart Institute (Claxton, Georgia), Professor Lefavi studied the serum cholesterol levels of healthy, college-age athletes. They found that cholesterol could be significantly lowered an average of 14 percent, and total cholesterol/HDL ratios improved by seven percent by merely adding only 200 mcg niacin supplement to their daily diets. These findings are even more significant when we note that subjects were classified as "normal," having cholesterol levels "within normal limits."

Early studies suggest that vitamin B3, or niacin, a common water-soluble vitamin, may help improve neurological function after stroke. When rats with ischemic stroke were given niacin, their brains showed growth of new blood vessels, and sprouting of nerve cells which greatly improved neurological outcome. Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in America and a leading cause of disability. Ischemic strokes occur as a result of an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. Ischemic stroke accounts for about 87 percent of all cases.

One underlying condition for this type of obstruction is the development of fatty cholesterol deposits lining the vessel walls. Niacin is known to be the most effective medicine in current clinical use for increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), which helps get rid of those fatty deposits.

Therefore, research indicates that niacin is the hope on the horizon for cholesterol's cascading catastrophe. Niacin supplementation is a viable tool in everyone's daily fight against high serum cholesterol and our country's major killer, cardiovascular disease.

For your overall health, you might consider NOT stocking up on cheesecake, doughnuts, candy and other cholesterol-laden garbage. Instead, with this knowledge, go to your local chiropractor or health food store and purchase a natural form of niacin.

Belly Fat

Excess accumulation of belly fat is more dangerous than excess fat around your hips and thighs. Belly fat is associated with serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Your genes can contribute to your being overweight and help determine where you carry this extra fat, but poor lifestyle choices are likely to worsen the issue.

Eating high-fat foods is not helpful, but excess calories of any kind can increase your waistline and contribute to belly fat. Still, there is no single cause of belly fat. Genetics, diet, age, and lifestyle can all play a role. Changing dietary habits can help you fight the battle of the bulge and fight belly fat: Read labels, reduce saturated fats, increase the amount of fruits and veggies you eat, and control and reduce your portions.

Excess calories, whether from alcohol, sweetened beverages, or over-sized portions of food, can increase belly fat. Our bodies need calories, yet gram for gram, alcohol has almost as many calories as fat.

Alcohol does seem to have a particular association with an increased waistline, though. In general, that’s because when you drink alcohol, your liver is too busy burning off alcohol to burn off fat, leaving you with a beer belly. Studies show that alcohol can cause you to feel hungry by affecting hormones that regulate a sense of satiety.

Researchers at Wake Forest University found that trans fats, which are created by partially hydrogenated oil, increase the amount of fat around the belly and redistribute fat tissue to the abdomen from other parts of the body. Trans fats may be found in such foods as margarine, pastries, cookies and crackers, and fried and convenience foods.

Green tea, in combination with exercise, could help you lose weight, according to the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers think substances in green tea known as catechins stimulate the body to burn calories and enhance loss of belly fat. Blueberries also show promise, albeit in rodents. In one study, rats bred to become obese were fed either a high-fat diet or a low-fat diet rich in blueberries. Rats fed a blueberry-rich diet had less abdominal fat.

Many fast food options are typically high-fat, calorie-dense foods that are eaten in large portions -- all of which contribute to over-consumption of calories, weight gain, and an increase in belly fat when eaten frequently. Many fast food restaurants don’t provide nutritional information, but studies have shown that when this is available, people tend to pick lower-calorie meals.

According to the American Heart Association, “soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the No. 1 source of added sugars in the American diet.” Added sugars mean added calories, something you want to avoid to help with weight loss and cut down on belly fat. Yet, high-fructose corn syrup has gradually replaced refined sugar as the main sweetener in soft drinks and has been blamed as a potential contributor to the obesity epidemic.

Does switching to diet sodas help? Although some research has suggested that people who drink artificially sweetened sodas as part of a calorie-restricted diet do lose weight, other studies have suggested that diet soft drinks could even lead to weight gain. For now, there’s no conclusive evidence either way.

To trim your waistline, add whole grains to your diet. For example, choose brown or wild rice instead of white rice. Refined and other highly processed foods can contribute to weight gain and interfere with weight loss. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that a calorie-controlled diet rich in whole grains can trim extra fat from the waistline of obese subjects.

Couscous, spaghetti, and corn flakes are made from refined grains (though whole grain options may be available). But popcorn is a whole grain food that can boost fiber. The best way to prepare popcorn is with an air-popper, which requires no oil for cooking. Read labels to see what oils have been added to microwave popcorn.

All else being equal, though, whole grains are better than refined grains because they tend to be high in fiber and take longer to digest. This satisfies your hunger better and helps lower blood glucose levels and reduce fat.

Overall, men tend to store fat in the abdominal area more than women do, thanks to sex hormone differences. Before age 40, women tend to store most of their fat in the hips, thighs, and buttocks. After 40, as estrogen levels drop, body fat is redistributed to the abdomen.

When you lose weight, you’re much more likely to lose it in your midsection. Losing weight on a well-balanced plan will melt body fat, including belly fat. The best way to decrease your waist size is through healthy eating and regular exercise.