LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

Toxicity

WHY YOU SHOULD EAT BROCCOLI WITH YOUR FISH

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Many people consume fish because of the mistaken idea that it is good for you.  While this can be true, in many situations this is just not the case.  There are several concerns when it comes to fish intake that you need to be aware of.

First is the difference between farm raised and wild caught.  Do NOT eat farm raised.  Period.  It is higher in omega 6 fats because they are usually fed corn and soy based diets, in stark contrast to wild caught salmon that eat a diet of algae, krill, zooplankton and small fish.  Many people think they are eating salmon because it is high in good fat, but unless they are ensuring that the fish is wild caught, they are mistaken.

It is clear that farm raised fish are higher in pesticides and other contaminants, which, without saying anything further, is a BAD thing.

The beautiful pink color of wild caught salmon is due to the carotenoids from the algae and zooplankton, most specifically astaxanthin.  These carotenoids have powerful health effects on their own.  In farm raised it is frequently a dye.  Again, NOT a good thing.

It is clear to me that few understand that there is a difference.  At restaurants, when querrieing the server, it is rare that they know whether a fish item is farm raised or wild caught.  Many don’t seem to know that there is a difference.  Even some of the higher dollar restaurants I have been to charge premium prices for farm raised fish.  If more customers where asking, the wait staff would know the answer right off the bat instead of having to ask the chef.

Finally, a concern present with both farm raised and wild caught is the mercury content.  See, animals in general do not get rid of heavy metals very good.  As a result, it bioconcentrates up the food chain.  So, as the fish gets bigger and eats more smaller fish, its levels of mercury goes up.  Thus, the larger fish like tuna, shark and halibut are known to have some of the highest levels of mercury.  It’s why chunk light tuna has less mercury than albacore, which is an older fish.

So sticking with low mercury fish is something to consider.  Disappointing for me because I prefer the solid consistency of fish like mahi and halibut.  Good thing this article throws some ideas out there..

In this particular mouse study, the use of isothiocyanates, such as those found in broccoli, lowered both the accumulation of mercury in the liver as well as the potential for toxicity in these cells.

So, if you’re going to sit down to a nice piece of grilled halibut, make sure it’s got a heaping side of broccoli…

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THIS COMMON CONTAMINANT CAN AFFECT FERTILITY

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I realize that my office is a single isolated system and by no means does it reflect the entire picture of what happens outside of my office.  With this in mind, I can honestly say that I have never had a patient who went through “fertility treatment” and fertility was actually addressed.

We need to understand that, when boiled down to an organism level, our body’s only goal is to reproduce and propagate the species (forget arguments about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs here).  So if a couple cannot get pregnant and do the ONE thing it is supposed to do, this is a massive red warning light that something is not right. 

So, one would think that a fertility “expert” would then dig into the more common reasons why infertility can occur.  Sadly, the couples that I have come across over the years have not had this experience.  Instead, some bloodwork is taken and they are usually given a course of Clomid or Metformin or IVF, spending thousands of dollars.  Sometimes it’s successful, sometimes not.

But, if the physiology of the couple is screaming that something is wrong, shouldn’t we pay attention to that FIRST?  Society is paying the price for forced fertility in preterm births, multiple births, obese infants and children and, in the years to come, increased rates of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Instead, a full evaluation should include looking at prediabetes (a major cause of infertility in women and almost completely lifestyle-mediated via polycystic ovarian syndrome), prenatal vitamins (almost all of the prescription ones are of very low quality and really, really expensive!) and toxic exposure.

The last one can be a toughie.  A detailed look at what a couple may be exposed to should be undertaken, from pesticides to fertilizers to flame retardants to BPA from plastic water bottles.  The couple should be counseled to avoid as many chemical exposures as is feasibly possible as well as recommendations on detoxification programs to help the body clear out the toxins we are exposed to that we cannot reasonably avoid.

THIS is infertility treatment.

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MEN–IS YOUR WATER BOTTLE GIVING YOU BREASTS?

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So this is not the first time I’ve brought up the toxins in our environment.  However, the label of your bottled water certainly does not indicate that every case comes with a training bra, but maybe it should.

Many chemicals in the environment have an estrogen-like effect.  Most notable of these is plastics and compounds used in plastics such as bisphenol A (BPA).  The estrogenic effects have consequences for both men and women.

The most obvious for women is the increased risk of estrogen related cancers like breast and endometrial cancers.  However, early onset of menses and menstrual problems like endometriosis and PMS are influenced as well.

On the male side of the equation is an increased risk of prostate cancer and enlargement of the prostate.  Loss of libido and lowered sperm counts can contribute to infertility problems in couples.

This particular article puts a scary face on my strong recommendation to ditch the plastic water bottles in favor of water from an RO system into a BPA free water bottle.  The authors find that even many products labelled “BPA free” released high levels of BPA when exposed to UV radiation, high heat or microwaving.

The bottom line is that we need to avoid many of these plastics as much as possible.  Based on this article, maybe stainless steel or glass water bottles are less questionable.  It means letting new plastics like shower curtains fully air out before you leave them in an enclosed room.  It means leaving the windows down in your car to air out the phthalates coming off the dashboard.

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IS YOUR THYROID WORRIED ABOUT BURSTING INTO FLAMES?

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Ok.  I understand that burning to a crisp would not be a fun way to go.  I also do not recall anyone personally who has been killed in any type of fire, although I’m sure there has been someone.  MAYBE this is because we use chemical retardants like Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) to slow the burn rate of things like our furniture padding (this goes for dog beds!!), upholstery, computers and drapes.

The problem is that these chemicals have a negative effect on our health.  So, on one hand, not bursting into flames (rare?), on the other hand birth defects, thyroid problems and neurological problems.

Let’s focus on the thyroid aspect noted above.  It remains a concern for me just how common thyroid problems are.  This includes hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis and thyroid cancer.  It absolutely amazes me how much we take conditions like hypothyroidism with a grain of salt and just through Synthroid at the problem.

The human body is a wonderful, miraculous, incredulous, phenomenal, indescribable wonder.  The brilliance of the orchestration of our physiology defies words.  All higher power stuff.

Oh…except for the thyroid.  That was an afterthought thrown in on day 8 and it sometimes just goes out in our twenties.  No big deal.

See how strange that sounds?  What if our hearts, brains or kidneys started to fail at 25?  No one would take that lying down.  There’d be an uproar.  A demand to find out WHY.  Not so with the thyroid.

I will tell you that study after study of toxic chemicals all seem to affect the thyroid with some degree of consistancey.  This means that ANY thyroid problems needs to be evaluated with a fine tooth comb.  Evaluation of nutrient deficiencies, stress and especially, toxicities and exposures.  Without this, the doctor who just hands out Synthroid without full evaluation is doing a massive disservice, potentially allowing for unchecked chemical toxicities to rage, almost solidifying your progression to obesity, diabetes, Alzheimers or cancer.

At the very least, any thyroid patient should evaluate their toxic exposure (as seen in this article with flame retardants) and go through a nutritionally based detox.

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TOO MUCH FAT IN PREGNANCY MAY DAMAGE THE BABY PERMANENTLY

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I know that you have been properly indoctrinated into the understanding that what we do before, during and after pregnancy will preprogram the baby for health or disease for decades to come.  The second a couple decides to become pregnant it is no longer about them–every decision they make influences the developing baby.

This particular study, while a mouse study, reinforces this finding in yet another dimension.  The feeding of a high fat diet to pregnant mice let to a permanently reduced the ability of the baby to produce antioxidants, specifically in the liver.  That means that this little baby, due to no fault of it’s own, will suffer increased liver damage as a result of mom’s behavior during pregnancy.

Add to this being overweight prior to pregnancy and reduced intake of antioxidants during pregnancy and other problems are known to occur.

Probably the scariest in society today is the sheer volume of environmental contaminants that the developing baby is exposed to.  According the the 10 Americans Study performed by http://www.ewg.org/ the average exposure of infants in the womb (from a mere 400 out of some 82,000 chemicals approved by the EPA) was to 287 different chemicals.  Run a search on YouTube for the 10 Americans Study and watch the presentation–a strong eye opener.  The exposure is massive.

Some we can be aware of and control.  BPA.  Teflon.  Flame retardants, phthalates, pesticides, insecticides, weed killers, cigarette smoke.  These are just some of the known exposures.  It’s the unknown ones affecting the developing baby that is scary.  The best we can do is limit the known exposure and counteract the exposures with the highest intake of phytonutrients possible through a plant based diet free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.

Your baby will thank you.  When he or she is 50.

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/141/7/1254.abstract

THAT “CLEAN FREST SCENT” MAY BE KILLING YOU

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We live in a world that is innudated with chemicals designed to make the world more pleasant.  Clothes don’t smell fresh like a mountain spring?  Add some fragrance to your laundry detergent.  Carpet smells like dog?  Sprinkle some powder and vacuum it up to get rid of (ummmm…I mean “cover up”) that dog smell.  But this constant exposure comes with a price.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are well known to be hazardous to our health.  They can contribute to things like respiratory problems, reproductive problems and cancer.   And we are well aware that we need to reduce our exposure when it comes to paint, copiers, pesticides, correction fluid and glue.  But what about those tricky little VOCs that are present in other everyday items?

Researchers found VOCs were present in air fresheners, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, dryer sheets, disinfectants, dish detergents, all-purpose cleaners, soaps, hand sanitizers, lotions, deodorants, and shampoos.  The VOCs released from these products were NOT disclosed on the label of the product.

The bottom line is that you can eradicate every less-than-minimally-pleasant scent in your life or you can be truly healthy, but you can’t have both.  Consider items that use essential oils or are fragrance free.  In the dryer, consider those knobby dryer balls instead of toxic dryer sheets.  You may not smell like you just walked off the set of a Dove commercial, but your body will thank you later.

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