The Saturated fat myth!

I say all the time that the greatest asset I have to offer is not the care that I give in my office, rather the education I can provide.  If I fail to educate my patients as to not only what is causing them to feel the way they do, but also how to never be in the same situation again, I have failed as a Doctor.  In its simplist definition the word doctor means teacher.  So my primary purpose is to teach people how to change their habits.  So today I want to talk about heart disease.  How many of you have heard that saturated fats cause heart disease?  A show of hands would probably reveal all of you have heard this.  Well.......they do not.  In fact two recent studies state that saturated fats do NOT cause heart disease.  take a moment to catch you breath.  I know that you are probably shocked th hear that.  For decades we have been told of the dangers of saturated fats.  We have seen it all over food labels, etc......The WHO/FAO report says that “Intake of SFA [saturated fatty acids] was not significantly associated with CHD mortality…"   They go on to say "SFA intake was not significantly associated CHD events [e.g. heart attacks]…" You may want to know what the effect of low fat diets were on risk.........according to the WHO “…fatal CHD was not reduced by…the low-fat diets…”

Another recent study by Siri-Tarino PW, et al. concluded the following :
1. No association between saturated fat and risk of heart disease
2. No association between saturated fat and risk of stroke

In an nutshell what is being said is that saturated fats have no relationship to the risk for cardiovascular disease. 

Time to spring back into action

Ahhhhhh March.  It comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb as they say.  This year so far has been no different with the heavy storms of the early part of the month giving way to the glorious sunshine and warm temperatures.  So we have sprung forward on our clocks and inevitably we will feel the urge to engage in a more active lifestyle outside of our homes.  Just as an athlete must go through training camp to prepare his body for the rigors of the upcoming season, we should take care to prepare our bodies for the rigors of the weekend warrior playing field (whether that be in a softball league, or in our back yard working in the garden).  Unless you have been actively participating in a comprehensive fitness program through the winter, your body will not be accustomed to the increase in activity you will be asking it to perform.  Here are a few tips for you to have a successful, if not less painful, transition from winter inactivity to all the fun of spring and summer.

First you must remember to start slow.  Even the lightest activity will tax your muscles and joints.
Second warm up.  Light walking and stretching will improve flexibility and joint range of motion for the activity.
Third stay hydrated.  Nothing leads to cramps faster than dehydration.
Fourth, take breaks.  again, you may not feel as though you are working hard, but your body is not acclimated yet.
Fifth, cool down.  Finish with a light walk and stretch.

Of course a spring adjustment to keep your spine in line and nerve flow optimal is always a key component to good health.

Each time you go out to do things, you can gradually increase the workload as your body acclimates to the increase in activity.  Follow these tips and you can reduce the "growing pains" of spring. 


http://www.whitemarshspine.com/

What is health?

When I ask the question 'what is health?', I hear a lot of different answers. 

Health is not being sick.
Health is not having symptoms.
Health is feeling good.
etc.

But do these definitions really fully describe what health is?  Webster's defines health as being sound in mind, body, and spirit.  The World Health Organization defines health at a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.  WOW!  Not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.  Does that mean you can be unhealthy or sick and not have symptoms?  Yes it does.  Take the heart disease patient.  Often times the first sign or symptom of heart disease is the heart attack.  I think we all can agree that the heart disease was there for a long time before the heart attack.  All care from this point is emergency care.  Not health care.  True health comes from you, not to you.  You cannot take a pill or a potion and expect to find health as a result.  Health is an expression from inside out where everything in your body is working perfect all at once.  How do you get it?  I think we all know the things we can do to promote good health...........Eat a healthy diet rich in whole foods and avoiding highly processed "foods".  Proper exercise to train our musculoskeletal system and our cardiovascular system.  Proper rest to allow our body to recover fully from the day that passed and prepare for the day to come.  A positive mental outlook is imperative to good health as well.  And one that you probably haven't even thought of, which is the most important........proper nerve flow.  Why is proper nerve flow the most important component?  Because without a properly functioning nerve system, your body doesn't have a clue what to do with all the rest of the components of good health.  It is the master communicator in the body.  It coordinates all life functions.  If it is not functioning without interference, how will your body be truly healthy?  The truth is it can't.  It may be able to resemble something like health, but it cannot truly be healthy.  Chiropractic restores and maintains proper nerve flow by removing nerve interference caused by vertebral subluxations.  So eat well, exercise, get plenty of rest, keep focused on the positive, and keep your spine free of subluxations so YOU can be the best YOU you can be.

http://www.whitemarshspine.com/

Welcome

Hello and welcome to what will be the first of many informative and relevant articles about health and wellness and what you can do to be the best YOU you can be.  Stay tuned for new content coming soon.