HOLIDAY HEALTH SCARE!!!

Just Kidding Everyone :)

Happy Holidays!

Dr. Jeff

Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Do as the Pilgrims Did!

Good Evening Everyone!

      We're about to begin one the happier and sometimes most stressful times of the year.  This week's blog will go over some suggestions that will help your body deal with stress that you are unable to avoid.

• Do as the Pilgrims did and eat natural wholefoods as much as possible.  This gives the body the best fuel and ability to deal with and repair damage that stress causes the body.
• Make sure to keep your spine as healthy as possible.  A healthy spine not only decreases back pain, but also allows for proper communication between the brain and body.  
• Maintain your exercise and sleep!

**Note:  If you're already doing all of those things, but still are having trouble dealing with stress going on in your life... I have a suggestion:  There's a great supplement that is offered from Standard Process called "Drenamin."  This is a product that works to support your adrenal glands.  The adrenal glands are easily exhausted with high amounts of stress, which creates a problem for your body. They are very important in regulating the production of many hormones throughout your body.  DHEA hormone is one important example because this is essentially the hormone that works to provide energy and keep your body young!!


Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff
P.S.  If you wish to try the supplement "Drenamin," please let us know and we will order it for you.



Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Common Drug Increases Risk of Heart Disease!!

Good Morning Everyone!

 

      This one goes out to everyone out there that's on a statin drug for lowering cholesterol.  Recent studies in medical journals have indicated that statins are associated with a 52% increase in calcified coronary plaque when compard to non-users of the drug!!!  You read right..... your "cholesterol/heart disease reducing" medication is now being seen to increase your risk of death from heart disease!  Rule of thumb with heart disease is to avoid anything that increases your chance of arterial wall plaque, so according to these recent studies... statin drugs would now fall into that category.

 

Actions to take from this:

• Make sure to bring this concern up to your medical doctor, as they would be able to counsel you on getting off the drug if need be.
• Again... Make sure to eat healthy!!  low sugar/sweets, low saturated fats, high good omega-3 fats, low glycemic foods, 
• Exercise... This helps tremedously with reducing your risk for heart disease.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff 

Sources:

*Progression of Vascular Calcification Is Increased With Statin Use in the Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial (VADT). Diabetes Care. 2012 Aug 8. [Epub ahead of print]

 

*Atherosclerosis. 2012 Nov;225(1):148-53. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2012.08.002. Epub 2012 Aug 24

Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

HEALTH CARE Reform = SICK CARE Reform!

Good Evening Everyone!

      The popular debate on "health care" reform would be better labeled as reform on "sick care."  The current system and most medical research is set up to treat people after they get sick.  There's very little within the current health care system or medical research to actually promote "health" and prevent sickness.  If those on capital hill truly wanted to save money in health care costs, then they should be putting at least half of their efforts on preventative care and food regulations.
      Now I'm not talking about simply spending more to educate people on the benefits of eating healthy!  I think most people know that eating healthy is good for them.  The American public just needs a little help in figuring what is actually good for them.........just as the government put restrictions on smoking (because it is bad for your health), they should also apply much tighter restrictions on food manufacturing and farming.  Most people think that what they are eating is healthy for them, even though many products are filled with harmful ingredients and preservatives.  Many of the ingredients will continually promote life threatening conditions such as obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hormonal imbalance and cancer (that's just the short list).  Those conditions alone account for 100's of billions of dollars in health care spending.
      So please don't mistake this week's blog as a Republican or Democratic issue.  This is an issue for me on common sense.... If our government wants to reduce health care spending, then it has to work to help people actually become healthier!!!  Right now, Americans rank in the mid 30's for most health rankings when compared to other developed countries.  We may live to a decent age in this country, but most often we don't feel good while we're doing it (and we spend a ton of money in Not Feeling Good!).

Knowing how they do things on Capitol Hill, you may have to take care of this yourself;   So here are some rules to live by:

• Try to eat preservative free food that is preferably organic
• Eat foods come from the land as much as possible
• Avoid Genetically Modified Fruits, Vegetables and Meats    
• Avoid high sugar or high glycemic index foods (find out glycemic index from google sources)
• Make sure you can pronounce the ingredients on the food you buy (avoid harmful man-made chemicals/additives)-- Many of these additives have been proven to increase your appetite and be very addictive.
• Exercise moderately (2-3x per week with cardiovascular and resistance training)
• Take care of your spine as it is your direct communication between your brain and body!!!

*Follow those seven points and you will do a pretty good to prevent many of this country's major health issues and costs.


Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff



Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Beef's Big Come Back!

Good Evening Everyone!

      I'm glad to report that after many years of being beat-up in the news and labeled as one of the major causes of heart disease, beef has figured out a way to make a come back.  These cows have set out to clear their name and prove to everyone that they can be just has healthy as eating salmon and chicken.  "How?," you might be asking.... 
      Well, cows have decided to get back to their roots and started eating grass again as their source of nutrition.  They've decided to go on strike against many of their owners who have made them eat grains because they were cheaper (and would make them larger faster).  Now, these grass-fed cows have completely changed their image and have become much like salmon;  They're low in bad/saturated fat and high in good/omega-3 fat.  Another plus is that they are much higher in vitamin E.

*So if you have decided to not eat beef because of the health risks, I am happy to report that grass-fed beef will allow you to enjoy it again!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff     



Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Sluggish Bowel Movements? Read This

(This week's blog is a needed repeat given some questions that have been coming up in the office)

Please enjoy again!

Good Evening Everyone!
       In recent weeks, we've talked a lot about nutrition and digestion.  So with this week's topic, we're going over how to make sure our elimination is working the best it possibly can.  That's right folks....this week we are going to talk about bowel movements and how to make sure that you have them regularly and in good form.  Having proper bowel movements is very important to our health and can be fairly simple to maintain.
       First, you have to maintain a high level of water in your diet ( 1/2 oz. for every pound that you weigh per day).  You should try to drink your water at room temperature for best absorption and other liquids(drinks) do not qualify as water (you need good old plain water). 
       Second, you should have a consistent level of fiber in your diet.  If you think that you're getting enough fiber in your diet because you have a bran muffin and some "fiber cereal," you would be wrong.  Fact is, that most (if not all) Americans don't have enough fiber in their diets (because of the cooking and processing of foods).  The best way to know you're getting the fiber you need is to use fiber supplements (fiber powder or fiber pills).
FIBER RULES:
1)  Start with the recommended dosage from the bottle that you have purchased.
2)  ALWAYS TAKE THE FIBER AT THE SAME TIME (give or take 15 minutes) EACH DAY!!
3)  Do Not take fiber only when constipated as you will probably not get the results you are looking for, and you'll then think that taking fiber doesn't help.  Take fiber everyday.
4)  Read Rule #2 again and actually follow it!!!!  It really works great for the digestive and elimination system of your body

Note:  If you are just starting to take fiber, allow for 2-4 weeks before any real changes in your bowel movements are seen. 

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff
Bruce Chiropractic Center
856-547-6587



Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

A Good Doctor's Mentor is 3 Years Old

Good Evening Everyone,

      My daughter and most other 3-4 year olds can drive us a bit crazy by constantly asking "why?"  Their endless quest for knowledge can become quite tiresome to us, because we don't always have the correct answer for them.  They follow each of our answers with another question which is usually "why," and this pattern will continue on and on and on and on.....  They'll finally stop when they get all the answers they're looking for, or we just simply tell them "I don't know."
      Doctors should be very much like my daughter and the rest of the 3-4 year olds out there.  They should be constantly asking "why," when caring for their patients' health issues.  Each "why" should be followed by another with the goal of truly getting to the cause of the problem.  The answer to one "why" may relieve a patient's symptoms for a while, but it may not get down to the true cause of why that patient is having that condition.
   
*Remember to challenge your doctors to be better.  They may not be able to figure the true underlying cause of your health issue, but make sure they try!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff             



Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Snack on This.... Lose Weight!!!

Good Evening Everyone!

      If you're trying to loose weight, snacking between meals can make you go in the other direction.  That's unless you choose raw almonds as your snack.  According to studies coming out of the Obesity Journal, those who chose a small handful of raw almonds as a snack instead of a complex carb (example: muffin or bagel) actually enjoyed a weight-loss benefit.  Those eating the almonds had:

62% better reduction in weight/BMI

50% better reduction in size of their waist

56% better reduction in body fat

      * Notice that I said "raw" almonds should be used as a snack, since they retain more of their natural nutritional benefits. 

Keeping it short and simple this week.... so good luck in healthy snacking!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff

 

Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Cheat in September!

Good Evening Everyone!

      In any contest or race, it helps if you can get a head start.  Setting personal or health goals can be considered a race or contest against others with similar goals.  So instead of making your goals an internal competition, make them a competition against others.   For example, many people can only maintain their exercise throughout the year if they participate in athletic competitions.  They need the competition as a way to motivate them to exercise. 
       This year, I'm asking you to consider all of your personal/health goals to be a quiet competition against others.  By "quiet," I mean that others don't need to know that you are competing against them.  And since they won't know you are competing against them, they won't mind if you get a head start either.  Most of your "competition" will be setting their goals on New Years, but you can get a jump on them by setting/starting your goals in September!  So as others are just starting on their goals, you can have a quiet celebration for yourself since you are already 4 months into your goal year! 

*And don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you got a head start :)

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff



Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Top Pediatricians Have 4 Legs?

Good Afternoon Everyone,

      Want to know how to minimize a newborn's allergies and/or respiratory tract illnesses?  All you have to do is get a dog if you don't already have one.  According to a recent study in the Pediatrics journal; having a dog that spends half the day outside and the other half inside, helps improve a newborn's immune system and overall health.  Here's the statistics from the study for children with dogs at home:

• 31% fewer respiratory tract infections
• 44% fewer ear infections
• 29% fewer courses of antibiotics

      The study specifically comments on having a dog that spends half the day outside in the dirt and grass.  That way, the dog brings all of that inside in the evenings for the newborn immune system to enjoy.  So basically, this study just found a different way of saying that an immune system exposed to more germs becomes stronger in time than one that is shielded from those germs.

Take Home Message:
     Health seems to coming right back to the basics in the research.  Want to feel better?... - eat healthier and exercise (or get yourself moving)!    Want a stronger immune system for your kids?... - follow what Grandma says and let those kids play outside in the dirt!!

     *It seems that researchers could save a lot of time and money by just listening to what our elders have been saying for years!


Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff

Source:
Respiratory Tract Illnesses During the First Year of Life:  Effect of Dog and Cat.  Pediatrics Volume 130, Number 2, August 2012.

     


Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

The $3 Billion Slap on the Wrist!

Good Evening Everyone,

      Back in early July of this year, the British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline plead guilty to criminal charges and agreed to pay a fine of $3billion to the U.S. Government (the Largest pharmaceutical settlement ever!!!).  Those charges were promoting its best-selling antidepressants for unapproved uses, failing to report safety information on diabetes drugs and improper marketing of many other drugs.  

      This story is disturbing for many reasons:
* First, is that most people don't even know this story.  This should have been on major headlines, but instead it was barely talked about.  Everyone should know about such serious fines (largest ever!!!) and charges to a company that probably manufactures some or most of their medications.
* Second is the amount of the fine.  Three Billion dollars seems like a large amount, but not if you are a major pharmaceutical company.  The company made $28 Billion on the drugs which make up for those in the criminal charges and settlement.  Some government officials consider the $3 billion fine to be just the cost of doing business for GlaxoSmithKline.
* Third and definitely not the least reason for this story being disturbing, is the fact that this unethical/criminal practice is happening with many other pharmaceutical companies according to this source of information. 

      So according to some government officials, this huge fine is just a slap on the wrist to a powerful company such as GlaxoSmithKline.  The scary part is that since they are making so much money on the sale of these drugs (ethical/criminal or not), there's no reason for why they should stop with these criminal acts for which they plead guilty to.  They can keep paying the fines and continue to make Huge Profits! 

Take Home Message: 
*  Remember to always bring Dr. CommonSense to your doctor visits, and please do your research about treatments and drugs that are prescribed to you. 


Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff

Source:
Glaxo Agrees to Pay $3 Billion in Fraud Settlement, July 2, 2012, The New York Times.               


Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

The Shrinking Need For Sleep!

Good Evening Everyone!

      Do we actually need less sleep?  Well, it depends on how heavy you want to be.  In a report by CNN, sleep time was studied on how it affects genetic vs. environmental influences over weight gain.  The results were interesting:  those who get under 7 hours of sleep per night can attribute 70% of weight trouble to genetic reasons.... and those who get 9 or more hours of sleep per night can attribute only 32% of weight trouble to genetics. 
      There's some science to the explanation of that, but it's kinda boring.  So let's just skip to the take home message from this CNN report:

Take Home Message:  If you get 9+ hours of sleep per night, you will have more control over your body's ability to gain weight.  If you sleep less than 7 hours, then you are leaving your body's weight gain up to the genes from your ancestors. 

*I'm more of a control freak, so if it was up to me (which it's not right now with our new addition at home:), I would get the extra sleep so that I could have more control.    


Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff




Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Find Your BEST DOCTOR!!

Good Evening Everyone!

      Has anyone been to that new doctor in town?  If you haven't, please make sure to pay them a visit.  Don't worry about the commute to get there, because I'm pretty sure you're very close to this doctor.  You'll notice that using this doctor in conjunction with all of your other doctors will help your health dramatically.  Best of all, this doctor doesn't charge you anything!! 
     Your probably thinking "who is this doctor, and when can I get an appointment?"  Well, I have good news for you!  The doctor's name is Dr. Common-Sense (Dr. C for short) and you can get an appointment anytime you want.  Dr. C. should be with you on each of your actual doctors' visits, at the food store and throughout the rest of your daily activities.  Regular visits with Dr. C. can help prevent many health issues and also get the easiest/safest/best resolution for current health issues that you may be having.
      The only problem with Dr. C. is when he or she is not used.  Sometimes, Dr. C. hides way down inside your gut and is even harder to take advice from.  I'm here to remind you to make sure you pay attention to Dr. C. no matter where he or she hides.  That means:   getting that second opinion;  following your friends' referral to a different doctor (possibly offering a more non-invasive approach);  listening to that voice telling you not to eat McDonald's;  trying not to consume things that were created in a science lab (and that you can't pronounce);  knowing that you should include some moderate exercise in your life;  etc. etc. etc. etc......

Take Home:
      The bottom line is that for the most part, your health can be pretty simple if you follow 3 rules (1.  eat natural foods,  2.  maintain low stress,  3. keep yourself moving)  and make sure to consult Dr. C./ Your GUT when dealing with health issues that do arise.   


Yours In Health,

Dr. Jeff           

Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

No Way.... That's Ridiculous!

Good Evening Everyone,  (it's a long one, but try and give it a full read)

      It was my first year of chiropractic college and I believed I had a good handle on everything at that point.  I thought I understood how the body worked and why problems within the spine came about.  This was until one of the school doctors saw me trying to stretch my neck (as to relieve pain) during lunch.  The doctor knew that the pain in my neck was a chronic problem that was subject to frequent aggravations.  To my knowledge (which I figured out wasn't much at that point), my neck pain was chronic because of the trauma that I had from playing football. 
     After a conversation with the school doctor, I began to realize that my injuries were only the initial cause of my neck/nerve pain.  He informed me that the peanut butter & jelly sandwich I was eating was why I was still having this problem with my neck.  So after nodding "O.K.," I said to myself, "No Way....That's Ridiculous!"  "How could a PBJ sandwich cause my neck pain to be worse?" 
     Even though I thought it was ridiculous, I followed his recommendations and took high sugar foods like peanut butter & jelly out of my daily diet.  I replaced them with higher protein/lower carb choices, and noticed that my condition was improving.  My neck pain was becoming much less frequent and would go away faster when it was present.  I continued this new habit and eventually my neck pain just disappeared completely. 
     I thought this was great, and I was finally understanding why this improvement happened!  The PBJ sandwich and other high sugar/refined carb food choices were acting as a major stress on my body.  Stress (physical, chemical or emotional) is the underlying cause of most health issues in our body.  Stress attacks the weak spots in our body, which can continually aggravate old injuries and cause them to become chronic.  By making my diet better, I removed much of the chemical stress that my body was under.  Result:  less aggravation to my weak spot which was my old neck injury. 

Take Home Message:  Removing or reducing all kinds of stress can dramatically improve chronic conditions.


Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff     




Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

My New Son's First Adjustment

Good Evening Everyone,

      My new son was just a couple days old when he received his first chiropractic adjustment.  He didn't complain of headaches, low back pain or sciatica, but he did have some trouble in being able to nurse on his 3rd day.  Given my training, I immediately checked his spine for subluxation (misalignment in the spine).  I knew that if there was a subluxation in his spine, his nervous system would not be functioning to the best of its ability.  This alone could cause enough irritation to distract him from nursing properly.
      In checking his spine, I was able to locate two areas of subluxation.  First was in the top of the cervical (neck) spine and second was at the top of the thoracic (mid-back) spine.  Both areas can cause the nervous system to go into a irritated or panic state.  So, I provided a very light chiropractic adjustment to both areas to remove the subluxation and relieve irritation to the nervous system.  Immediately following the adjustment, he was able to go back to nursing without any problem.

      My son's spinal subluxation is common for new-borns/ babies, with even the most gentile of births.  It's for this reason that I check my kids' for subluxation from the day they are born and would also recommend it for any parent following any type of birth.  Many babies will check out fine, but catching problems early is always best for an easy resolution (as the twig is bent, so grows the tree).  


Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff




Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Where The Heck Was I?

Good Evening Everyone,


      As many of you know, I was out of the office over the past month for a couple of weeks due to my new son being born.  I'm excited to report that both he and my wife are very healthy!  I appreciate your patience and understanding with any interruption in your care. 

Now lets get back to some pretty interesting stuff!......

      So, I'm sure that you've all heard that you should try to eliminate or reduce refined carbs and replace them with more complex carbs.... But, what's an example of a comlex carb product?  That's the question I get the most when speaking about this topic.  In answering, I'm going to show some pictures of products that I use to provide me with complex carbs.

      First is a different kind of bread called "Ezekial Bread:"    This is bread from 100% sprouted whole grains which makes it free of refined flour (even wheat flour), full of pure protein, and have a much lower glycemic index rating of 36!  So, if you love bread and don't want to remove it from your diet, this product allows for a great option.  This company also makes bagels, english muffins, wraps, raisin bread ect...

*This bread works great to reduce refined carbs during lunch as it works for a great sandwich.

*For breakfast, this company makes a great cereal that has low or zero grams of sugar per serving!  I eat this for breakfast and if you mix it with some fresh berries, it actually tastes quite good.  The cereal, like the bread gives you all of the advantages that I listed above.  see picture below:

*The cinnamon raisin is the only one that will have a bit higher sugar (because of the raisins), but it will still be free of refined carbs.

Try and pick up these two products at either whole foods or wegmans (some shop-rites also carry it).  They will do a great job in replacing two staples in many of your diets, and ultimatedy reduce your intake of sugar & refined carbs.  Result:  Less storage of energy (i.e.  FAT) from what you eat!



Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff

Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Weight Gain from Calorie Counting? Hmmmm...

Good Evening Everyone!

      This one goes out to all calorie counters out there.  The idea that a calorie is a calorie no matter the source is one that has been misleading many people on the difficult path to weight-loss.  All calories are not created equal, and thinking so can actually lead to weight gain.
      In the American diet, calories from fructose containing products make for the biggest reason in this misconception (as fructose is one the most consumed ingredients).  One hundred fructose calories does NOT equal 100 calories from protein, fat or glucose!!  The body breaks down fructose entirely different.  Fructose is turned directly into fat!  Fructose does NOT turn off ghrelin (hunger hormone) and turn on leptin (satiety hormone).  So the result is:  You keep wanting to eat and what you eat creates/stores more FAT!!!
     Therefore a diet rich in fructose products will result in weight gain, low HDL, high LDL, high triglycerides, high blood sugar and high blood pressure.  This will then lead to insulin resistance in the body -- which then will lead to Type II diabetes, heart disease and many cancers.

Take Home Message:  Take a good look at what you are eating and not only how much you are eating of it!


Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff




Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Looking Good With Healthier Hair!

Good Evening Everyone!

      Let's keep it light this week and talk about something that's simply going to make us look good!  A healthy head of hair always makes one look at their best and something from the food store cooking isle will help us achieve that.  That product from the food store is coconut oil.  Research has indicated that using coconut oil (melted and lightly applied) as a pre-wash conditioner will prevent the loss of protein from hair and reduce damage/breakage due to washing.  This is possible because coconut oil repels water when applied, and therefor reduces water penetration into the hair strands. 

Note:  The research indicated all types of hair improved, but chemically treated hair saw the biggest benefit when using coconut oil as a pre-wash. 

Yours in Health (and looking good)

Dr. Jeff


Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Cavemen Didn't Die From This....

Good Evening Everyone!

      Humans have been hunter-gatherers for over 99% of our time here on earth and have only used agriculture for less than 1% of our history!  There are still uncivilized hunter-gatherer societies here on earth and for them just like our cavemen predecessors, cancer is a very rare cause of death.  Diet is one of the main differences between those societies and ours.  The hunter-gatherer diet consists of fat, meat and occasional roots, berries & other sources of carbohydrates.  This is a large difference from our Western diet which is based mainly on easily digestible carbohydrates derived from grains as a staple food.
      Since our western diet is made up of mainly refined carbohydrates, we as a result have consistent high body sugar content.  This provides an environment which is proving to be a breading ground for cancer cells/tumors and it  happens is a couple ways:    First, is that cancer cells use glucose (sugar) as a fuel for a process called anaerobic glycolysis to produce ATP (energy for the cell to survive).  So as a result, high carbohydrate/sugar diets are great for growing/multiplying cancer cells/tumors.  Second, is that anaerobic glycolysis (cancer cell's process for energy production) produces high levels of lactic acid and hydrogen ions.  High levels of these two compounds help tumors to become more aggressive to invade and metastasize to other areas of the body.   Translation:  A diet rich in consistent sugar/carbs = a greater chance of developing an aggressive cancer in your body  (read that sentence again if you need to!)
      I've spoke about the harmful effects of sugar in the past, but this week's blog should help to drive home another possible serious side effect of having a diet that is overloaded in refined carbohydrates/sugars.  So, do yourself a favor and reduce your sugar/carb intake and give cancer/tumors less of a chance for developing or advancing in your body.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff

Resource:
Is There a role for Carbohydrate Restriction in the Treatment and Prevention of Cancer,  Nutrition and Metabolism, October 2011; 8(75).
            



Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Squeeze an Ice Cube.... Loose a Pound!

Good Evening Everyone!

      This week's topic is on a very cool trick that is based on research from Stanford University School of Medicine.  The article separated two groups of over-weight women.  One group held a "cooling device" as they exercised and the other did not.  The device was designed to keep the palms at a lower temperature while exercising.  The results of the "cooling group" were very interesting:

-  They were able to walk 1.5 miles is 5 minutes shorter time
-  Their heart rate went up from 136 beats/minute to 154 beats/minute during exercise
-  They lost over 2 inches off their waist by the end of the 12 weeks
-  Their blood pressure reduced from an average of 140/85 to an average of 125/70

* Note:  The group without the cooling device for the hands did not achieve any of the results above after 12 weeks of the same exercise

Some pretty interesting stuff this week, but I have to investigate further for what the "cooling device" was  and where to get it.  When I find out the additional info on the device, I will pass it along to you.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff 

     



Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

I Hate to Beat A Dead Horse, But....

Good Evening Everyone!

      I've touched on this week's topic before, but there's information from recent studies that I thought you should know about.  The topic is cholesterol, statin drugs and heart disease.  The first study is one that proves a very scary link between statin use and the development of diabetes in post-menopausal women.  The report was that the risk of diabetes was increased by 71% for all post-menopausal women taking statin drugs!!!  Also noted, was that for women with prior heart attacks/conditions; statin drugs do not help prevent future heart attacks according to meta-analysis on mortality.
      The next study tested the overall validity in the use of cholesterol in heart disease mortality.  Translation:  Is cholesterol as we see it now an accurate measure/predictor of death from heart disease?  The short answer.... NO!  In fact, a level of total cholesterol up to 271 proved to be beneficial for women in preventing death from heart disease.  In general for both sexes, a total cholesterol above 213 was not associated with increased death from heart disease.

*So if you or family members are on statin drugs for cholesterol, please make sure to ask your medical doctor about the safety of them and other options to prevent heart disease.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff

References:
1)  Is the use of cholesterol in mortality risk algorithms in clinical guidelines valid?  Ten years prospective data from the Norwegian HUNT 2 Study.  Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, February 2011; vol. 18; No. 1; pp. 159-168.
2)  Statin Use and Risk of Diabetes Mellitus in Postmenopausal Women  Archives of Internal Medicine, January 23, 2012; Vol. 172; No. 2; pp. 144-152.



Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

The Amazing Disc!

Good Morning Everyone!

      We're having some beautiful weather this week, so I'll make sure to keep this short (so you can get back outside and enjoy)!  I have many patients that have low back pain as their main complaint.  As with anything else, I have two jobs in taking care of this problem.  First, I have treat the problem as it is for the patient.  Second, I have to help figure out how to prevent the problem in the future.  The second part is often more difficult than the first. 
      The problem with trying to prevent low back pain is that the source of the low back pain for most patients is also their main source on income.  This means that most people get low back pain as a result of sitting all day at their jobs.  This is tough to get around since they have to sit to make money, but I have figured out a great solution that most people can use to strengthen their low back while sitting at work.
     
      *That solution is using a stability disc to sit on at work.  This disc keeps you dynamic all day while sitting.  Being dynamic allows your low back and abdominal muscles to strengthen while sitting!  This disc can be purchased at Dick's Sporting Goods.  There's a link below to the Dick's Sporting Goods web page that's specifically pointing to that product.  Any questions... Let me know!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3968517


Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

So Your Body's Acidic.... What Now?

Good Afternoon Everyone,

      We spoke about your body's pH last week and how being acidic can produce harmful effects to your overall health.  We'll talk this week about why that may be happening and what we can do to fix the problem.  As we go over why this is happening, we'll mention a few different things:  water, sugar, soda, coffee, and overcooking. 

1)  Water -- Most people are dehydrated, and many of those are severely dehydrated without really knowing it.  We should consume 3-4 quarts of water a day (enough to where you have to urinate every hour) to help your body maintain a neutral pH.
2)  Sugar -- Having a diet that is high in sweets and high glycemic foods will have the effect of decreasing the acidity in your stomach.  This in turn will prevent you from being able to fully break-down your food as it enters and leaves your stomach.  As a result, protein will leave your stomach with a high acidic content to it.  This then will add to the acidic climate of your whole body.
3)  Soda -- Most soda has a pH of around 3!  Drinking these will of course lower your body's pH.  Limit energy drinks, sports drinks, tea and coffee also as they are acid forming in your body.
4)  Overcooking -- overcooking your food (especially vegetables) will reduce the enzymes that your body ingests which are normally used to help control the acidic content of food as it leaves the stomach.

So how do we fix this?  Well, you need to follow the advice in steps 1-4 above, but that may not be enough.  In the event that this is not enough, I recently found a product to help increase pH effectively.  That product is called "pHresh Balance" by Doctor pHresh Nutritionals (this is one that you will have to order through my office so let me know if you would like me to look into it).  I have seen this to be very effectively recently in raising pH quickly. 

As always, please email me with any questions.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff




Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Can Your Blood Burn Through Metal?

Good Morning Everyone,

      Have you ever seen the movie "Aliens," with Sigourney Weaver as the star?  Well if not, the summary is that there are aliens in the movie that have extremely acidic blood that will burn right through metal!  Acidic blood may work well for the aliens in that movie, but for us it can actually cause quite a health problem.  In fact, we actually function best when our blood/body is slightly basic (alkaline).  Our acidity is measured by the pH scale; in which a measurement of 7 or a little higher is best for us to function properly. 
      When our whole system pH sinks below 7 it starts to become acidic, and gets more acidic as the pH level continues to lower.  The body cannot deal with high acidity, so it will do whatever it needs to fix the problem.  This means that it will take alkaline minerals other tissues (such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium) to try to return your pH to normal.  Robbing these minerals will interfere with the balance in the bloodstream & tissues.  This is turn will cause some minor and some major problems with your entire health. 

Some symptoms of low pH include:  (there are more than just listed here)
-  aches and pains
-  chronic fatigue
-  trouble sleeping
-  kidney stones
-  generalized weakness
-  worsening of all health conditions that you currently have
-  osteoporosis
-  muscle cramping

Having acidic body pH is surprisingly common due to the American Diet.  There are things to avoid and things to add to the diet that will help return the pH to a normal level. 

We'll go over how to test your pH and what to do if it is acidic for next week's blog.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff         





Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Reduce Heart Disease Naturally! (Not Just Cholesterol)

Good Evening Everyone,

        As promised from my previous blog, this week's topic is how to reduce the risk of heart disease naturally (remember... I didn't say how to only reduce cholesterol naturally).  We have to first understand what heart disease is and why it happens.  Heart disease is most commonly know as one that happens from plaque forming in the arteries going to and around the heart.  The "smoking gun" involved with plaque formation is most commonly thought to be cholesterol (LDL- "bad cholesterol").  While cholesterol plays a part in plaque formation/heart disease, there are other factors that contribute as well.  Your body's general inflammation rate (measured by C-reactive protein test) plays just as important a role in plaque formation.  Having high triglycerides along with low good cholesterol (HDL) levels is also a major risk factor for heart disease.
       Ok.... So how do we make all of those things better without taking cholesterol drugs?  Well, lets just talk about two of the most powerful ways to help reduce your risk for heart disease:

1)  I've said it before and here we go again.... REDUCE SUGAR INTAKE!  Excess sugar intake by way of refined carbohydrates (table sugar, sweets, white breads, crackers, high glycemic index foods, ect.), makes your body release excess levels of insulin.  This influences your Liver to make more cholesterol (LDL) to eventually be stored as fat.  NOTE:  The LIVER makes most of the cholesterol circulating in your body... You get very little from your ingestion of cholesterol.  In summary, we have to stop telling the liver that we need to make excess cholesterol.

2)  REDUCE INFLAMMATION IN YOUR BODY!  This is done best by increasing Omega-3 fat consumption (2-3000 mg per day).  This needs to be paired with taking a b-complex type supplement to make sure the omega-3 fat is stable in your body.  Next, is to increase your water intake to 3-4 quarts of water per day.

Good Luck in making these changes and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff
drjeff@brucechiropracticonline.com



Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

A GUARANTEED Side Effect of Cholesterol Medication!

Good Evening Everyone,

      Cholesterol lowering drugs (statin drugs) have made for big business in 2010 with a total U.S. spending of $19 billion.  It's not a secret that these cholesterol drugs have been known to cause many side effects.  One side effect is not only possible, but now has proven to be a definite harmful effect of cholesterol drugs!  That side effect is peripheral nerve damage (damage to nerves outside of the spine and brain).  To quote a recent study; statin/cholesterol drugs will cause "definite damage to peripheral nerves," when using them for over two years!
      If you're taking these drugs because of what your total cholesterol number is, please realize that this number means very little in regards to your risk for heart disease (unless it is 330 or more).  Closer attention should be paid to your HDL (good cholesterol) / Total Cholesterol ratio:  it should be 24% or more.  Your Triglyceride/HDL ratio should also get more attention:  it should be below 2.  
    
*Next blog, we'll go over the best way to reduce your chance of having heart disease naturally (notice I didn't say we'll go over how to reduce your cholesterol naturally) 

Reminder:  I'll be on vacation next week and having Dr. Bruce fill in for me.  For those of you who don't know him, he has over 50 years experience and is from whom I prefer to get my adjustments. 


Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff

Source:
Treatment with statins and peripheral neuropathy:  results of 36-months a prospective clinical and neurophysiological follow-up. Neuro Endocrinol Lett, 2011 Sep 3;32(5):688-690.



Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

The Calorie/Pound Equation

Good Evening Everyone!

      I hope that everyone is off to a great start with their New Year's health resolutions!  For those that have joined the gym and begun to exercise again, I have some tips to remember.  First, is to make sure that you work on improving the foods that you eat and decreasing your caloric intake.  Try to limit/eliminate snacks, sweets, beverages and fast foods that are all loaded with added fats, sugars, and refined grains.   This is easier done by just trying to eat foods that are low in sugar and have minimal ingredients.  If you're able to improve the quality of food you eat, reducing calories should be easier.  Remember that many of the bad foods are not only high in calories, but they're also addictive (and actually make you want to eat more often).

Here's an equation (for extra motivation) to remember if you are having difficulty making these changes:
  *an extra 3500 calories is converted into 1 pound of fat!

Here's a statistic that may help drive the point home even further:
  *Since 1970, the average daily calorie intake has increased by 600 calories per day!
  *Lets do the math -- 600calories per day multiplied by 365 days is 219,000 extra calories per year!
                              -- if we plug that into the equation above, that is 219,000 divided by 3500 = 62 pounds of extra fat onto a person per year!

So the point here is... Exercise without improving diet is not very effective in reaching health goals.  If you do both, you will be truly amazed at the results you get!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff
drjeff@brucechiropracticonline.com

Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Forgetting Things... May Be a Sign of...

Good Evening Everyone,

      Does Alzheimer's Disease (Dementia) and Parkinson's Disease run in your family?  If it does and even if it doesn't you may want to read further.  In an article that I just reviewed, researchers have compared Alzheimer's & Parkinson's patients with people of similar age/sex that do not have the diseases.  All patients were over 50 years of age.  For those patients with these diseases, they found significantly low zinc levels when compared to the patients without the diseases.
      Zinc is extremely important in brain function.  More specifically, zinc is needed at the highest level in the hippocampus of the brain.  The hippocampus is mainly involved in short-term memory and is found to be severely affected in Alzheimer's disease.  Zinc deficiency negatively affects other areas of the brain and nerves which can contribute to Parkinson's symptoms.
      This study also reported that people who don't eat much meat have an increased a risk for zinc deficiency (especially elderly patients).  So increasing meat intake (if less than normal) can help with deficient zinc levels in the body.  Using zinc supplements can also help and has been found to be the most consistent way to bring up & keep zinc levels at a normal level.

If supplementing with Zinc, the recommended dosage is 15-25mg per day.  Taking too much zinc can make you deficient in copper (so don't over do it).

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff
drjeff@brucechiropracticonline.com      

Source:
Subclinical Zinc Deficiency in Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease.  American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, September 14, 2010; Vol. 25; No. 7; pp. 572-575

Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Here We Go Again...

Happy 2012 Everyone!

      I hope that everyone had the best holiday season possible!  I also hope that in looking back over 2011 that everyone accomplished all or a least one of the goals that they set in the beginning of the year.  For those that didn't and want a try again; now is your chance. 
     Lets start with probably the most common goal set at New Years.....Weight-loss.   I know many people are setting that goal as you read this and I also know that many people will give up on it before the spring time.  The reason for this is that many people go about it all wrong.  Weight-loss can be broken down into two main components:  DIET and EXERCISE.  Those that fail at weight-loss usually set goals in diet and exercise that are very difficult to maintain.  They do well for the first few weeks, but then begin to fall back into old habits soon after.  Then as soon as the old habits begin they tend to give up with the excuse of it just being too hard. 
      I'm here to help you this year by letting you know there's a better way:  In two words.... START SLOW!  Here are some suggestions:

1)  Work on your diet first
      -  don't make too many changes
      -  start by reducing sugar in your diet (cut-out/reduce soda, juice, desserts and sugar in your coffee/tea)
      -  increase water intake (especially a half hour before your meals as it will help to satisfy some of the hunger that you have)  This will help decrease your portion sizes.
      -  try and decrease your total bread intake by half

2)  Work on exercise second
      -  exercising without an established, healthier diet can be very frustrating
      -  don't begin or increase your exercise until you have been keeping a better diet for at least 6 weeks.
      -  start by only exercising 2 days per week
      -  if you can exercise 2 days a week consistently for 8 weeks, then you can try to add a third day
      -  3-4 days per week of exercise should be all you ever need

Good Luck!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Jeff

P.S.  This is all I did over the past year and I lost 27 lbs (which was most of what I needed to lose).  You also didn't hear me say that you had to stop eating hoagies, pizza, hamburgers or french fries....   You can still eat those things (in moderation).  You just have to increase your water intake & decrease your sweets, so you will find it much easier to reduce the portion sizes of those things.
     





Any medical information provided in Doctor Jeff's Blog is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. Any information provided is not meant to diagnose, treat or manage any specific disease/condition.Doctor Jeff's Blog respects the confidentiality of individual patients and site visitors. All clinical anecdotes are compliant with HIPAA regulations.