IT’S THE QUALITY, STUPID… Of the uncountable diets that are out there, none that I am aware of balance the quality of the food to the calorie. Some, like Weight Watchers, look only at the calorie. Others, like Atkins, look only at the macronutrients. There is no doubt that our bodies do much better with a low calorie, high phytonutrient diet for long term health. This means that your 1200 calories / day comes from broccoli and not a Big Mac Value meal. This particular study further supports this, finding that a high quality diet alters our hunger in a positive way. We all need to look at every morsel that crosses our lips as having phytonutrient value or not. If it does NOT have value, we should not be eating it. Then we take into account calorie content…so while dark chocolate is loaded with polyphenols, it is higher in calories so keep it to a minimum. Tea and espresso, on the other hand, are virtually calorie free, and can be taken in more liberally. This is exactly how we structure our weight loss program here at the clinic. Read More…
Dietary Fiber
Top Mesa AZ Chiropractor Explains the Importance of Breakfast
ARE YOU MAKING SURE YOUR KIDS ARE GETTING A GOOD BREAKFAST? Better yet, are YOU? If you are not eating a good breakfast (I teach protein based like peanut butter, omega 3 eggs, granola or very high fiber >8 grams) and don’t make it a priority in your life, your kids will pick up on this whether or not you make sure they eat. Bottom line–skipping breakfast is very, very bad in the long run. In this particular study we see that kids skipping breakfast was already associated with worsening heart health. I ask again–are your kids getting a good breakfast? If the answer is NO, then you need to look yourself in the mirror and admit that you are damaging their long term health. Read More…
Prediabetes and Refined Carbs
IF I TELL YOU TO AVOID REFINED CARBS, WILL YOU HEAR ME? While this may come as news to some, the association of hearing loss as well as tinnitus (ringing in the ears) with prediabetes is very well established. This particular study just reinforces what we’ve already known. Bottom line is that prediabetes is very, very bad for the nervous system. Prediabetes fundamentally ruins the way cells generate energy in the form of ATP from glucose. So, cells that require boatloads of energy like brain cells, are going to develop problems. It is likely that subtle changes in hearing may be the first real sign that there is a problem with the brain cells getting enough energy. The “low hanging fruit” of damage caused by prediabetes, if you will. Keep in mind that this process of prediabetes is meanwhile destroying every other single cell in your body. Generally NOT good.
Should we be Eating/Drinking Dairy? – Mesa AZ Chiropractor
SHOULD WE BE GIVING DAIRY TO INFANTS?? Or adults for that matter? Those of us who make it a passion to understand physiology are, in general, against dairy products. It is a very common allergen for starters and is an animal based protein with little additional to offer. And let’s face it…name another mammal stupid enough to continue to drink milk after it’s weaned… Of greater concern, however, are the links between dairy and Type 1 diabetes. This particular study finds that using hydrolyzed formula (i.e. Alimentum, Nutramigen) was less likely to stimulate the body to attack the beta cells of the pancreas years later. The JRDF states that there is not enough evidence that dairy contributes to Type 1 diabetes. If it were my child, this stance is unacceptable. My son has very little exposure to dairy and this is a deliberate act based on everything I know about how dairy affects our children’s developing immune system.
The Western Diet – Mesa AZ Neck Pain Chiropractor
THE WESTERN DIET KILLS US YET AGAIN…Inflammatory bowel disease is when your body attacks its own gut. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s are the biggies. Not only are these diseases bad enough all on their own, but these conditions are associated with much higher rates of colorectal cancer. This particular study implicates the Western Diet (high in processed foods, animal saturated fats, artificial stuff, low in fruits and veggies, healthy oils, phytonutrients) in this progression from IBD to cancer. Adding more doom to the picture, it seems that the rates of IBD are going up in our children. This is likely a result of messing with the immune system too early with wanton use of antibiotics and vaccination (both of which skew the immune system towards autoimmunity). This makes it even more important to avoid antibiotics in children except in the most dire of circumstances, view each immunization with a magnifying glass and make sure they grow up knowing what fruits and veggies and olive oil look like and have no idea that you’re supposed to eat that brilliantly colored food looking product that comes in a box or plastic wrap.
A Diabetic’s Dinner
Mesa AZ Chiropractic
SO WHAT SHOULD BE ON A DIABETIC’S PLATE FOR DINNER? There have been many studies supporting the idea that a good, healthy breakfast (NOT oatmeal, NOT Cheerios, NOT yogurt; rather high fiber >8 grams or protein based like real peanut butter or veg-a-fed eggs) helps to lower caloric intake throughout the rest of the day and help us maintain a steady weight. The evening meal has recently been getting some more notoriety, finding that whole grains with higher levels of soluble fiber help to increase a compound called butyrate in the colon. This process is believed to control our appetite and metabolism and blood sugar regulation in the morning, thus helping us make better choices for breakfast…A nice circle, or a vicious circle, if you happened to skip breakfast and eat McDonalds for dinner (which seems to be all too common in diabetics I’ve come across). Read More…
Your Children’s Eating Habits Are In Your Hands
MONKEY SEE, MONKEY EAT… My child doesn’t like to eat vegetables. My child has anxiety. My child doesn’t like to try new foods. I hear this all too often. As hard as this may be to accept, the answer lies squarely in the mirror. Our children pick up our habits (good AND bad). This is one of the reasons why I will usually downplay “family history.” More often than not, we pick up our parents’ habits. Same habits on a similar set of genes will continue to produce the same outcome. Change the habit, change the outcome. Actually, the programming of what your child will eat begins during the 3rd trimester. Babies come out of the womb with a taste for what mom was eating (makes evolutionary sense–you want the baby to have a preference for the foods available locally). So, if you want your children to be healthy, that begins BEFORE pregnancy and continues long afterward. YOU are responsible for your child’s diet. Stop this scary, seemingly unstoppable progression towards sicker and sicker children. It’s in your hands.
Mesa AZ Chiropractor Gives Warning About Consuming Food Coloring
Avoid Artificial Food Colors – ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO GIVE THAT BRILLIANTLY COLORED, CARCINOGENIC JUNK FOOD TO YOUR CHILD? Many are not aware that the coal tar dyes (you know, the ones with the label like FD&C #7…and why exactly are #1-6 no longer used??) are suspected carcinogens. I remember asking a patient to bring in her prescription prenatal vitamins for me to look at. Opening the bottle, I knew instantly that the color of the tablets was not of Mother Nature. I’m sure if I shut the lights off they would’ve glowed. I proceeded to ask the patient whether she actually cared what color her prenatal vitamins were. Of course, the answer was “no.” So why had her OB written a prescription for a vitamin (supposed to help) that had suspected cancer causing agents in them? Is this a time to be playing with “maybe” the dyes don’t cause cancer? And what about just about every other food we market to kids? Do you realize most pickles (except Bubbies, which are, arguably, the best pickles on the planet) have food coloring in them? Just how much do you have to process a cucumber to take the green out? Read labels. Always, always avoid artificial food colorings. Period. And for goodness’ sake–please keep them out of reach of children! Read More…