Kefir: An Elixir of Life

This post is part of my ongoing discussion on digestion.  But in talking about kefir, the benefits of kefir may start with digestion but extend throughout the entire body.  I truly believe that kefir is one of the most beneficial beverages/foods to consume in the diet. 

I'll be focusing on dairy kefir in this post but coconut milk kefir and water kefir are also options, especially for those that do not consume dairy. 

Dairy kefir is a cultured, lacto-fermented beverage/food that is teeming with health benefits. Kefir is rich in beneficial bacteria and yeasts, phosphorus, vitamin K, biotin, folic acid, mineralsand enzymes.  Plus kefir is low in lactose.  Kefir is akin to plain yogurt as they share a somewhat sour taste but kefir contains both beneficial bacteria and yeasts whereas yogurt only contains beneficial bacteria. One of my research articles listed 56 different strains of beneficial organisms and microflora!  Compare that to the yogurt you bought at the grocery store that may contain 3 different strains. 

The beneficial microflora contained in kefir have multiple purposes.  Kefir assists in keeping the digestive tract balanced and healthy.  The digestive tract is home to approximately 400 different species of organisms with a population of about 100 trillion.  Yes, that's 100,000,000,000,000!  Without these microflora, problems arise.  As 70-80% of your immune system is located in your digestive tract, maintaining a proper balance in the gut is vitally important for general health.  Factors negatively affecting digestive health include stress, disease, poor nutrition, toxins, and medications. 

Kefir is gaining popularity in health food stores and there are more brands available than ever before.  Most advertise having 10 different strains of microflora.  I caution you to watch the sugar content in some flavors as it can be quite high.  If you are buying your kefir, I recommend the plain, whole milk version. 

However, if you want more bang for your kefir buck, I recommend making your own.  It's remarkably simple.  I've been making my own for a few years now and am drinking some as I speak!  There are many different tutorials online for guidance or more indepth information. 

Some of the sites I like are:

http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/
www.kefirlady.com
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/ 
http://gnowfglins.com/
http://nourishedkitchen.com/

Because kefir is so easy to make, I recommend making your own as it confers more healthy organism than the store bought versions. Additionally the store bought versions are made differently than homemade versions.  I normally have extra kefir grains available so if you need some, let me know.

Raleigh Chiropractor Recommends Castor Oil Packs

One of the most useful home therapies I recommend to patients is the use of castor oil packs. I've read that humankind has been using castor oil packs for about 3000 years. During the Middle Ages, castor oil was known as the Oil of Christ.

 I recommend castor oil packs for their detoxification and anti-inflammatory properties. The packs can be applied to the lower abdomen for assistance with digestive distress (constipation, IBS, chronic indigestion and bloating), menstrual cramps, uterine fibroids, UTI prevention, cystitis, as well as to the breasts and liver. The heat provided by the castor oil pack helps to provide warmth to organs that are over-stimulated. The pack also has strong detoxifcation qualities and has been known to assist with bile flow in the liver and inflammation in organs or joints. I do not recommend using the packs on the head.

To make a castor oil pack, you’ll need a good quality castor oil, a wool flannel, hot water bottle/heating pad, plastic and rags/towels. Most natural food stores sell both the castor oil and wool flannel

First, cut in half a plastic grocery bag and lay flat. Pour or soak the flannel in the castor oil until saturated but do not let it drip. Lay the soaked flannel across the abdomen and place the open plastic bag on top. Next, place a rag or old towel on top and then the hot water bottle/heating pad. Lie still for 45-60 minutes. When finished, remove the flannel and wash the area with a solution of baking soda and water. Beware that castor oil can stain so keep away from clothing.

I generally recommend the castor oil pack every 2-3 days until symptoms improve.

Jennifer Greenfield D.C.

Raleigh Chiropractor Recommends Eating Beets

Beets are a wonderful food not only for general health but especially for liver health. Now that summer is winding down, I’m starting to think of the root vegetables which generally color my plate in the fall and winter. The most common beet available is the red beet, but golden beets are also available.

To get the most out of beets, I recommend eating the red beets. Beets pack a nutritional punch for the liver because they contains phytonutrients called betalains and betaine. The phytonutrients are supportive and protective of the liver and a healthy liver is vital to keep the body fit, trim, and young.

Not only are the beets themselves healthy and tasty but beet greens are fabulous as well. When I grow beets in my garden, I choose varieties that have abundant green leaves on the top.

Since many people are unfamiliar with beets and how to prepare them, I have some website suggestions for more information
• The World’s Healthiest Foods: http://www.whfoods.com/
• Issue 10 (November/December 2009) has a great article called Just Beet It
• One of my favorite blogs has information on roasting beets, http://www.elanaspantry.com/how-to-roast-beets/, plus making beet hummus http://www.elanaspantry.com/beet-hummus/.
• http://sites.google.com/site/spiritualfoodcsa/food-a-pedia/beets

Roasted beets and butternut squash (or sweet potatoes) are a staple in my house during the cooler months of the year. Sauteed beet greens make a tasty side dish to any meal. I also make a beverage called Beet Kvass, which is for the more adventurous beet eaters  Email me at drgreenfield@yahoo.com for more info on the Kvass. The only thing I don’t recommend is eating beets from a can. Canned food has little nutritional value. Fresh is always best.

I was not an adventurous eater as a child or even a young adult. I remember the “yuck factor” when tasting a pickled beet while in my early 20s. But once I taught myself to cook and experimented with vegetables, I learned to love beets and beet greens. I encourage you to give beets a try.

And a final note…if you eat beets, please be mindful that the color of your urine and stool will turn red. So, no, you are not bleeding, it’s a result of the beets!

Happy Eating!

Jennifer Greenfield D.C.

Beets from my garden, 2009

How I eat organic

I’m very proud of how healthy I eat.  It hasn’t always been this way but I’ve evolved to truly appreciate the quality of my food.  I would say at least 95% of my diet is organic.  How do I do that on a budget?  Let me share some of my practices.

First of all I grow as much of my own produce as possible.  During this past winter I had my first cold season garden.  I grew several different types of lettuce, kale, swiss chard, carrots and turnips.  Even though it was a long, cold winter, all I used was 4ml plastic over my containers and I ate fresh food from my back yard all winter long.   I was amazed at how easy it was.  In my opinion, it’s simpler and less work than a warm season garden.  But having said that, I love my summer garden.  I have several types of tomatoes and peppers growing, plus cucumbers, melons, and squash (summer and winter).  By growing my own food, it saves me time and money since I’m not running to the grocery store as frequently. 

I’m also trying to eat food in season and that is produced locally.  This past winter I didn’t eat any fresh tomatoes or zucchini as they weren’t in season.  Food like this has to be trucked in from places like California, Argentina or even China and that just adds to the carbon foot print of the item.  Plus the cost is quite high during the off season.  That said, I do like bananas and avocados and will indulge in them intermittently. 

Many of my patients that do not grow their own produce participate in Community Sponsored Agriculture or CSAs.  You can learn more about them at www.localharvest.org for more info.  Papa Spuds is very popular in the area as well as http://www.theproducebox.com/. 

I buy as many food items as possible in bulk whether from a natural foods store or online.  I buy my beans, nuts, seeds, and grains in bulk and store them in ½ gallon mason jars at home.  I no longer by canned beans as that is significantly more expensive then buying the dry beans.  I keep my eye on sales flyers as well.

As for meat and dairy, I get most of mine from farmers.  There are farmer’s markets all over the Triangle and are a great place to get meat that has been from humanely treated animals without the use of hormones or antibiotics. 

For most of this year, Earthfare has had an email/coupon program that you sign up for and every Wednesday they email you a coupon for an item in the store.  Twice now I’ve gotten a free pound of shrimp.  Organic coffee, ice cream, produce and many others I can’t recall right now have been available free with these coupons.  Go to Earthfare.com to sign up. 

I believe both Whole Foods and Earthfare offer case discounts on items in their stores.  I believe it’s 10% in both stores.  This is another way of buying bulk and making fewer trips to the grocery store!

Lastly, there are coops available to participate in.  At work, we have a coop/buying club that about 7 of us participate in with Frontier Natural Foods Coop and Wilderness Family Naturals.  Check the companies out online to learn how to start your own buying club.  Other opportunities for buying clubs can be found through http://www.montanawheat.com/ and http://www.organicsproutedflour.net/.  I’m constantly looking for more opportunities to pass on to folks.  So, if you know about a buying club/coop opportunity, please let me know at drgreenfield@yahoo.com.  It’s a fantasy of mine to start a non-profit, community owned food coop in the area!

Raleigh Chiropractor discusses the importance of Vitamin D

It’s still winter although spring is coming. Most of us have been indoors all winter with little exposure to the sun. I know I’m starting to feel like a mushroom myself. Because of this, your vitamin D levels may have dropped significantly. I encourage you to get yourself tested as appropriate vitamin D levels are vital for optimal health. Currently there is an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency in the U.S.

Why is vitamin D important? “In a paper published in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Anthony Norman, an international expert on vitamin D, identifies vitamin D's potential for contributions to good health in the adaptive and innate immune systems, the secretion and regulation of insulin by the pancreas, the heart and blood pressure regulation, muscle strength and brain activity.” Healthy vitamin D levels are also associated with decreasing the risk of cancer of all areas of the body, Parkinson’s disease, Autism, and osteoporosis.

Currently the RDA for vitamin D is 400 IU which I believe to be severely inadequate in ensuring healthy vitamin D levels. My research has shown that 2000-5000 IU daily are necessary for most adults to maintain healthy levels. But many people are so vitamin D deficient that they need higher doses for 1-3 months before going on a maintenance dose.

There are many ways to get your vitamin D levels tested but it should be a blood test. You can contact your general practioner to run the test for you but you can also order your own test through www.directlabs.com. The correct test to order is 25(OH)D, also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D, which is the better marker of overall D status. Lastly, http://www.grassrootshealth.net/ is an organization dedicated to eradicating vitamin D deficiency and they are conducting regular research on vitamin D. If you join the group, you will get your vitamin D levels tested and contribute to a greater understanding of vitamin D.

For more information on vitamin D, I recommend you visit the Vitamin D Council at www.vitamindcouncil.org/ and as well as www.mercola.com.

Designed Nutrition for Your Personal Needs

Have you read about certain vitamins or minerals that are good for you but are confused because “what’s good for you” changes all the time? Are you carrying around grocery bags full of vitamins but unsure if they are working for you? I understand your confusion and want to help. I can help you with a personalized health and nutrition program. This program will be custom designed for you.

The whole food vitamin supplements that I use in my office are nature’s own medicine whose purpose is to give your body the nourishment it needs not only to function optimally but also to help your repair and rebuild itself. The body is a self healing organism and is designed to be well! Wellness is our natural state.

How do I know what your body needs? I use a detailed health history form plus I do a comprehensive health exam that incorporates the body’s own neurological reflexes to help me identify your body’s health priorities and needs. These reflexes convey information on energy flow and vitality (or lack) for every organ and function of the body. I am not looking for diseases but functional imbalances that are preventing you from feeling good.

With the information learned from the health exam, I am able to make detailed and specific nutritional recommendations for you. This eliminates confusion surrounding what supplements you should take. I may also ask you to keep a food diary because even the best nutritional program can be derailed with a poor diet.

It’s important to distinguish between “over the counter” vitamins and whole food vitamins. “Over the counter” vitamins are synthetic, dead chemicals created in a lab and are only fractions of the vitamin. Vitamins are living complexes that contain cofactors, enzymes, phytonutrients and mineral activators in them that allow the body to process and use them. Because “over the counter” vitamins are only fractions of vitamins, they lack these synergistic components. Since your body can’t process the fractionated vitamin without the synergistic components, your body has to supply them. This can result in further depleting your body and essentially robbing it of what it needs to function.

It’s important to remember that the body is dynamic and ever changing. Also, as the body is increasingly nourished with improved function, your body’s needs may change. Therefore, it is important to be monitored on a regular basis.

Some suggested reading material for you include

Why Do I Need Whole Food Supplements and

Going Back to the Basics of Human Health.

I have them in my office if you’d like to look at them.

I’d love to help you regain control over your health and feel good about the vitamins and

minerals you are taking. Call the office at 919.845.3280 for more information. Be Well!

Soy is NOT a Health Food!

You may have read about my health journey in previous posts. I continue with that theme as I discuss soy foods today. I was a vegetarian for 13 years and relied heavily on soy foods regularly during that time. I read in all of the health magazines that soy was healthy and the more the better! However, since becoming a health professional, I have learned that soy is not a health food and should be avoided by women, men and children.

Modern process soy has been demonstrated by numerous studies to not only cause thyroid dysfunction, digestive irritation, nutritional deficiencies, reproductive disorders but even heart disease and cancer. Soy blocks the absorption of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc. These foundational minerals are vital to a healthy body.

Soy estrogens, also known as isoflavones were once touted as a miracle food, especially for menopausal women. But isoflavones have repeatedly been demonstrated to depress thyroid function. As little as 38 mg of isoflavones daily (less then one cup of soymilk) can result in hypothyroidism. Symptoms of depressed thyroid function include fatigue, constipation, weight gain and brain fog. Since some food manufacturers make a great profit on the sale of soy milk than dairy milk, it’s no wonder why this information isn’t readily available.

May of the commonly available soy products available today contain soy protein isolate (SPI). This product is produced at very high temperatures using a variety of chemicals, including hexane, a toxic, petroleum derivative. SPI has not been granted “Generally Recognized as Safe” status by the FDA. In addition to the chemical used to extract soybean oil and protein, many toxic substances are formed including nitrates and lysinonalanine (both of which are carcinogenic) aluminum, fluoride compounds, and MSG, which is a neurotoxin.

SPI is the key ingredient in soy infant formula. Infants consuming soy fomula have been found to have pancreatic distress and digestive damage. As those children aged, soy formula consumption has been linked to premature sexual development in girls, twice the risk of developing diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, more reproductive difficulties and asthma as adults. The real kicker is that because of the high isoflavone content in soy formula, the average intake of soy formula results in infants receiving the equivalent of 5 birth control pills per day.

Lastly, 90% of the soybeans grown in the United States are genetically modified. Seeds that are genetically modified have viruses injected into them by scientists. Currently the long term effects of this alteration of natural food is unknown. The US population is part of a large science experiment.

One does not have to be consuming soy milk or soy burgers to be exposed to soy. Soybean oil is one of the more common oils used for food production today. You’ll find it in nearly all packaged food products. Worse yet is when the oil is hydrogenated.

My intention with this information is not to alarm you but to provide food for thought (pun intended!). I consumed soy for years before I realized it’s damaging effects. You can make changes too!

More information on soy can be found at:

www.westonaprice.org

www.thewholesoystory.com

http://www.organicconsumers.org/

Challenging Modern Nutrition: The Value of a Traditional Diet

About 18 months ago, I made profound changes in the way I eat. In my history, I had been a vegetarian and vegan but until this recent change, the food I ate was ultra-low fat. I ate what I thought were balanced meals that were low in carbohydrates with heavy emphasis on vegetables and moderate amounts of protein. All that I had learned in chiropractic school and read in the mainstream media reinforced this way of eating.

But 2 years ago, I began attending seminars taught by Dr. Janet Lang. She teaches healthcare professionals about natural ways to balanced female, stress, and male hormones. In her seminars she frequently referenced Weston A. Price, DDS and his work. I’ve written about him in an earlier blog post.

The fundamentals of Dr. Price’s work reveal what it means to be healthy. In the mid 1990s Sally Fallon wrote Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. This sizeable book is not only a cookbook but also reference manual for eating traditional foods and realizing optimal health, based on the work by Dr. Price. Traditional foods can be thought of the way our great, great grandparents ate before the industrialization of our food supply and the extensive use of chemicals and the refining of foods.


Nourishing Traditions became my “bible” as I transitioned from my low fat diet to a way of eating that has significantly improved my health. As I’ve explored the world of eating foods prepared in this way, I’ve found additional resources. For the past year, I have been receiving menus from http://www.cookingtf.com/. This is a weekly subscription service that not only provides a menu with a week of 6 dinners with side dishes, but also a shopping list, a planning and preparation list, and a dessert every week. I now have an entire binder worth of recipes. I now primarily rely on these recipes for food ideas. Everything I have made has been phenomenally tasty.


Recently I attended the Weston Price Foundation’s annual conference called Wise Traditions. There, I met the women behind the following 2 menu mailers:

http://www.cheeseslave.com/menus-by-mail/

http://www.jennette-turner.com/dinner_with_jennette.cfm

Both women were energetic foodies who are incredibly passionate about making food not only tasty but nutritious and easy to prepare. For those that don’t know how to cook, all 3 of these menu mailers provide you with the fundamentals to get started. The planning, preparation and shopping lists are a great resource. I invite you to visit their websites, read about them and jump right in. I speak from personal experience that eating this way has changed my life.

Michael Pollan: Food and Healthcare Reform

I just finished reading 2 articles about food recently published in the mainstream press. Michael Pollan penned Big Food vs. Big Insurance in the New York Times on 9.10.2009. You may be familiar with Michael Pollan as he as written numerous books on food such as The Omnivores Dilemma and The Defense of Food. The second article, Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food by Bryan Walsh, appeared in Time magazine on August 21, 2009. These thought provoking articles illustrate the confusion, greed, vulnerability, and hope surrounding the food we eat.

I admit to being a big fan of Michal Pollan. Although I don’t agree with him on everything, I think his research and forthrightness are not only welcome but essential. In my previous blog posting, I mentioned that the health care reform debate needs a paradigm shift to ensure that all Americans health care needs are met. In Pollan”s article, he connects food and health care reform.

In his article, Pollan focuses on the health care reform debate by stating, “The American way of eating has become the elephant in the room in the debate over health care.” The Center for Disease Control has reported that 75% of health care spending is for “preventable chronic diseases.” Startling financial statistics include: Americans annually spend $147 billion to treat obesity and $116 billion to treat diabetes. Treating obesity accounts for 10% of health care spending. Pollan’s article questions why we aren’t discussing food and food system reform.

Pollan proposes that the US government is actually subsidizing the cost of treating Type 2 Diabetes. For example, over the past 10 years, lawmakers in Washington D.C. have given more than $50 billion dollars to the corn industry, thus allowing the corn to remain cheap and therefore widely available. How is corn related to health care? The increasing consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is currently fueling the obesity and diabetes epidemics. Cheap corn allows the average person to buy a Big Mac, fries, and a Coke from McDonalds for about $5. This cheap meal not only has no nutritional value but also contains a whopping 1200 calories. This is more than half of the recommended daily caloric intake for an adult.

Cheap food may be cheap at the point of sale but Pollan and Walsh both point out that when other costs are taken into consideration, the cost of food is actually much higher. Costs normally invisible to the average food consumer include:

1. the health impact (and treatment): Some of these numbers were discussed earlier·
2. environmental degradation: 19% of fossil fuels used in the U.S. are used for our “energy-intensive food system); 23 million tons of fertilizer are used annually to grow crops in the U.S.; runoff from these intensive fertilizers pollute Midwest rivers and the Gulf of Mexico killing sea life. The fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico loses 212,000 metrics tons of seafood yearly due to this fertilizer runoff.
3. animal welfare: 70% of antibiotics administered in the U.S. are given to animals raised for food, not humans, This leads to antibiotics resistance in animals and humans that costs the public-health system $4-5 billion annually.

These are just some of the costs, which illustrate that our food system is not sustainable as it currently stands. Not only do Pollan and Walsh illustrate the problems associated with our current food and health care system, they both invite discussion as to how best to develop a new food and health care paradigm. I’m thankful to both of them for illustrating the “uncomfortable realities of how we eat.”

I don’t believe all hope is lost. In an upcoming blog post, I’ll discuss why I’m hopeful that true change is possible.

How About a House Party

(Posted for Dr. Greenfield, by Jennifer Campbell, Wellness Coordinator)

What is a Health & Wellness House Party?

A Health and Wellness House Party is a Gathering of Friends, Family, Co-workers, Organizations, etc… in your own home for the purpose of learning TOGETHER about Health and Wellness Options. Dr. Greenfield will come to your place of residence (or other chosen location) and have a learning session with discussion and Q&A on any of the topics listed in this brochure. She can also work with you to formulate a topic of discussion and a presentation to go along with that desired topic. As for the party…that is up to you! We can give you healthy recipes for traditional meals made with whole foods, or you can simply decide a menu for yourself. We could also work with some of our own contacts to possibly provide snacks for your guests. Food is not required, but it always makes a gathering more personal and comfortable!The Best time for a house party is during the week after 6:30pm or on the weekends.

What are Some of the Topics She Can Speak On?

• Perfect Bones. A 6 point Plan for Healthy Bones
• Nourishing Our Children: improve your child’s health and well being through simple and effective nutritional guidelines. Based on research and information from the highly reputable and respected Weston A. Price Foundation, this lecture is essential for anyone interested in giving their children a chance at optimal health, happiness, and quality of life.
• Detoxification for Weight Loss and Wellness
• Trans Fats 101: How to find them and why you should stay away from them
• Top Ten Things: 10 things You can do for your health
• Natural Stress Management Tactics
• Menopause: a Holistic Approach to the roller coaster ride of menopause
• Understanding Hormones: How Balancing hormones can treat illness, prevent disease, and create overall balance.
• ABCs of Autism: Allergies, Behavior & Chemicals address biomedical needs of autistic children & adults as well as diet and detox therapies to treat autism
• Nutrition for Women: 10 Foods Women Should Be Eating More Often. This thought-provoking seminar will examine the nutritional health of women and discuss dietary strategies for optimal health
• Healthy on a Budget: 5-10 tips to staying healthy on a budget
  Beating the Fall time Change: Natural Treatments for Seasonal Affective Disorder and the Winter Blues.
• Fight Cold & Flu Naturally
• Preventing Breast Cancer with PROPER Nutrition
• Have you had your Omega-3 today? Why and How much fats are necessary
• Beating Depression the All Natural Way
• Are Bioidentical Hormones Right For You?
  

How Do I Set Up a House Party?

To Schedule a House Party please email ccwwellness@gmail.com to let Jennifer Campbell, our wellness coordinator, know that you are interested. If you are interested in any of these topics or if you have another topic in mind include this in the email.You Must be within 20 miles of our office to participate due to travel difficulties. This includes most of Wake Forest, Raleigh, Cary, parts of Apex and parts of Chapel Hill and Durham.Each Gathering will last about 2 hours and is sure to insight a passion for health and wellbeing in your group. Dr. Greenfield’s hope is that she can help each and every person she speaks to on their path to preventive health and overall balance.Dr. Greenfield does not charge for house parties. She simply hopes to increase public awareness of pressing health issues! Take advantage of this opportunity!

Who Is Dr. Jennifer Greenfield?

Dr. Jennifer Greenfield is managing partner of Center for Chiropractic & Wellness in Raleigh, NC. Graduating from Parker College of Chiropractic in 2005, she is now an established chiropractor, Applied Kinesiologist, Specializing in Restorative Endocrinology™. She offers in office and phone consultations for women and men of all ages looking to restore their health through Hormone Balancing.
Dr. Greenfield’s journey began at the age of 17 when unrelenting joint and muscle pain led her to seek chiropractic care. Since that time, she has believed in the power of the body to heal itself, which is a foundational premise behind chiropractic. Dr. Greenfield discovered a love of Applied Kinesiology and growing interest in nutrition while at Parker College of Chiropractic. From that time on, she applied herself and dove into learning the connection between the physical, biochemical, and emotional aspects of the body. This fascination and appreciation for the intricate synergy of the different components of the body evolved and grew when she first attended a lecture given by Janet Lang, D.C on Hormone Balancing in 2007. That lecture triggered a passion in Dr. Greenfield and she began to pursue training with Dr. Lang to become a Restorative Endocrinology Specialist.
Dr. Greenfield has structured her practice to highlight the intricate relationships of the body through physical alignment, nutrition, emotional balance and hormone balancing and has seen patients improve beyond their expectations. She incorporates many different therapies into her practice including Neuro-Emotional Technique, which clears emotional blockages in the system to allow for chemical and physical health as well as mental health. Her love of learning manifests itself in her constant search for more information through lectures, literature, research and more across the country. Her ultimate goal is the healing of the whole individual with knowledge, compassion, and understanding. In addition to treating patients, Dr. Greenfield is also a valued speaking personality in the local Raleigh area on many areas of health and wellness, and hopes to take that reputation to the national circuit.
Dr. Greenfield loves her work, but she also recognizes the importance of taking time to heal and restore her own body and mind. Some of her favorite activities are gardening, strolling the Raleigh Greenways, hiking in Umstead Park, traveling to Sedona to soak in the desert beauty, and trying out new recipes with traditional foods. She has lived in Raleigh since 2005 and truly appreciates the vibrant Triangle community where it is easy to find cultural events, intellectual stimulation and outdoor activities.

The Current Health-Paradigm Crisis

I just read an article in a chiropractic journal about the ongoing discussions on health care. The premise of the article is that we’re not in a health care crisis, rather we’re in a health-paradigm crisis. I agree with that and here’s why.

The cost of health care in this country is spiraling out of control yet as a whole, Americans experience more illness and disease than the most of the industrialized world. The average American does not take responsibility for his/her health and instead, relies on standard medical care as their primary form of health care. This results in dysfunction, imbalance, and eventually disease. In these cases, doctors must “fix” the patient. This type of healthcare should really be called “disease management.”

Diabetes is a perfect example. Type II diabetes is what’s called a “lifestyle” disease in that it is completely preventable and a result of poor lifestyle choices, specifica

lly diet. I recently read that in 2007,

the direct and indirect costs of treating diabetes were $174 billion. The American Diabetes Association has stated that “One out of every five health care dollars is spent caring for someone with diagnosed diabetes, while one in ten health care dollars is attributed to diabetes.” Here is a disease that is completely avoidable and 20% of health care dollars are spent on treating this disease.

What if we lived in a world where healthy choices were the norm? For example, what would the state of health care look like if Americans ate properly, exercised and slept regularly, plus received regular chiropractic care? I’d like to see that. We, as Americans, should be taking ownership of our health and focusing on wellness care plus the prevention on diseases. In the long run this type of health care saves us tremendous amounts of money. That’s what is meant by a health-paradigm crisis. What do you think?

Back to School!

It’s getting to be that time of year! As you are preparing your children for school, it’s important to get them off to the right start with proper nutrition for their minds and their bodies! When working with children I recommend several whole food nutritional supplements.

1. Chewable Catalyn: This is a pleasant tasting multiple vitamin, mineral and trace mineral concentrate for children who have trouble swallowing pills. Teenagers can benefit from regular Catalyn.


2. Tuna Omega 3 Chewable: This balanced source of DHA and EPA essential fatty acids is essential for brain and nervous system health as well as vision health. The orange flavor passes muster with even finicky eaters.


3. Calcium Lactate Powder: Calcium in necessary for proper bone growth and strength plus is an essential nutrient for the nervous and immune systems.


4. Min Tran: A source of minerals that children need for balanced nervous system function. Minerals are calming to the mind and body. Other things to keep in mind that children need for proper mind and body development include:

• Children need fat in their diet. Fat is essential for a developing healthy brains and nervous system. Nuts and seeds are an excellent snack and pack a nutritional punch with their balanced protein, fat and carbohydrate content. Almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds are excellent choices. Coconut oil is a great addition to breakfast smoothies.


• Never give carbohydrates alone. Children need sustained energy and carbohydrates given alone will only feed hyperactivity and the inability to focus. If you give your child an apple or a banana, give then some nuts and seeds, nut butter, or a slice of deli meat along with the fruit to keep their energy fires stoked.


• I make numerous types of low carbohydrate “granola” or nut and seed bars. I get a lot of inspiration from blogs. A few of my favorites include:

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/

http://www.elanaspantry.com/

http://www.cookingtf.com/

Contact CCW’s Wellness Coordinator, Jennifer Campbell at ccwwellness@gmail.com for additional recipe ideas.

Cinnamon: Sweet and Spice and Everything Nice...and healthy!

Cinnamon is known as the world’s oldest spice, having been used for the past 2000 years. You may use it in your cooking and baking or to scent your house during the autumn months, but do you know about cinnamon’s numerous health benefits?

I learned about cinnamon’s health benefits several years ago and have tried to incorporate it into my food as much as possible. It’s lovely fragrance makes it even more appealing.

Cinnamon has long been known to help lower blood sugar levels. Although research continues, it’s understood that cinnamon helps insulin work better in your body. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas which is released into the blood when you consume carbohydrates. Once the carbohydrates are broken down into their simplest form, glucose, insulin is responsible for bringing the glucose into the cell where it is used for energy production. Diabetes results when blood sugar levels are too high. Research has demonstrated that just ½ teaspoon daily of cinnamon can help balance blood sugar levels. Cinnamon oil is not recommended for internal use.

Cinnamon is also considered a muscle relaxant and digestive aid. That means it can assist with intestinal cramps and gas as well as menstrual and night time leg cramps.

Most commonly I use cinnamon in my morning smoothies but it’s a wonderfully flavorful addition to healthy baked goods. I love meals inspired by the Mediterranean region of the world and cinnamon is often a subtle flavor in many of my main dishes. Regardless of how you incorporate cinnamon into your diet, I highly recommend it.

Brazil Nuts & Selenium

My love of brazil nuts continues to grow. Have you seen these big, but funny shaped nuts? I read yet another article today describing the tremendous health benefits of brazil nuts. Not only are brazil nuts a great source of healthy fat, but they are packed with selenium, an essential trace mineral. Not only does selenium help strengthen the immune system (especially important in this age of swine flu), but also have now been shown to reduce the risk of many cancers as well as thyroid disease, infertility and arthritis. Selenium has also been shown to hinder the replication of HIV in the body. Additionally it has been demonstrated that selenium helps create enzymes in the body that prevent cellular damage due to free radicals. Wow, what a mineral!

When I’m working with patients to balance their thyroid hormones, I recommend brazil nuts because they contain more selenium than any other food I know of. Selenium is important for the thyroid because it helps convert T4 (the mostly inactive form of thyroid hormone) to T3 (the active form of thyroid hormone). So many of the women I treat have such sluggish thyroid glands and most of them are deficient in selenium.

Eating just 2 brazil nuts daily will give you the selenium your body requires. I eat brazil nuts plain but I also put them in my homemade trail mix. Give them a try!

Perimenopause: What Can You Do About It?

Perimenopause is defined as the 2-3 years around the onset of menopause. Menopause generally affects women in their late 40s or early 50s although it can happen earlier or later. Perimenopausal women experience many changes within their bodies but that does not mean that a woman should be symptomatic. Hot flashes, brain fog, fatigue, weight gain, and general malaise are all very common in perimenopausal women but these symptoms are not natural.

When a woman is shifting into menopause, her ovaries are starting to wind down their production of estrogen and progesterone. Menopausal women still needs and produces these important hormones. Since the ovaries are no longer producing these hormones, the adrenal glands must now take up the responsibility. The adrenal glands are more commonly known for producing stress hormones but a menopausal woman’s adrenal glands now produce her progesterone. Estrogen is generally produced in the fat cells.

A woman who has stressed adrenal glands will most likely have a difficult transition to menopause. The hot flashes, brain fog, fatigue, and weight gain mentioned earlier are typical symptoms a woman will have if she has stressed adrenal glands.

But all is not lost. Even if a woman is experiencing these symptoms, they can be reversed through proper evaluation and treatment. I use saliva testing and/or hair analysis to help properly evaluate a woman’s female and stress hormones. This is a functional approach to a woman’s health. I am not looking for diseases, but rather for imbalances that prevent the body from healing. In addition to saliva testing, I use appropriate nutritional support, diet changes and stress modification to assist a woman into menopause. However, if a woman is already menopausal and having the same symptoms, this type of evaluation and treatment is appropriate for her as well. There’s no need to suffer through perimenopause or menopause.

The Cost of Obesity

The rates of obesity in the United States are staggering. The depth and breadth of the problem is astounding and the costs are many. The National Center for Health statistics has been tracking America’s obesity problem for over four decades.

• Between 1962 and the year 2000, the number of obese Americans grew from 13% to an alarming 31% of the population.
• 63% of Americans are overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25.0.
• 31% are obese with a BMI in excess of 30.0.
• Childhood obesity in the United States has more than tripled in the past two decades.
• According to the U.S. Surgeon General report obesity is responsible for 300,000 deaths every year.
  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a fascinating series of charts noting the obesity trends from 1985-2007. Go to http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/index.htm to view the charts.

Research has demonstrated the following increased health risks associated with being overweight or obese.

· Coronary heart disease

· Type 2 diabetes

· Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

· Hypertension (high blood pressure)

· Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)

· Stroke

· Liver and Gallbladder disease

· Sleep apnea and respiratory problems

· Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)

· Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

As mentioned above, children are affected just as adults. The CDC reports that “obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. For example, one study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at aged 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25 years. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children. The latter study also found that if overweight begins before 8 years of age, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe.”

The health consequences for overweight and obese children make them more

“more likely to have risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes) than are other children and adolescents.” Additional consequences include impaired learning in school and poor self-esteem to name a few.

The financial costs for obesity/overweight related health care include $79 billion dollars spent annually, in the United States alone. Half of that money is taxpayer funded as the costs are paid for by Medicare and Medicaid. These numbers were from 1998 and one can assume that they have increased as the rates of obesity continue to rise. These are only the direct health care related costs. Additional economic costs include decreased productivity, restricted activity, absenteeism, bed days and even premature death!

This is a real problem and truly, it concerns me more than the swine flu. It’s up to us to change the way we feed our children. We must realize that we are role models as children learn their eating habits from their parents. Let’s start reversing these trends!

Monosodium Glutamate : MSG

Today I had the opportunity to look at the ingredients of a common food product, Rice A Roni (Creamy Four Cheese Flavor). The ingredient list reads like this:

Rice, wheat flour, durum wheat semolina, partially hydrogenated palm oil, salt, cheddar, parmesan, romano, and blue cheese, reduced lactose whey, whey, corn syrup, onions, palm oil, corn starch-modified, monosodium glutamate, natural flavor, cream, sugar, nonfat milk, sodium caseinate, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, enzyme modified cheddar cheese, autolyzed yeast extract, lactic acid, parsley, citric acid, annatto extract color, niacin, soy lecithin, ferric orthophosphate, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid, riboflavin.

My first reaction was “wow, that’s a lot of ingredients for cheese rice.” My second reaction was horror as I realized how many forms of transfats and monosodium glutamate (MSG) were in this food product. (The MSG containing ingredients are in bold.) I don’t consider this Rice A Roni food as this food was created in a lab, not by mother nature.

The short answer to “What is Monosodium Glutamate” is that MSG is a potential neurotoxin that has been linked with simple disorders such as skin rashes to life threatening brain lesions. Research has also linked MSG and its derivates with behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, reproductive disorders and obesity.

Traditionally, MSG has been used as a “flavor enhancer” in food. In this way, this chemical food additive chemically tricks the brain into not only liking a food but also wanting more. Many food products are labeled as containing monosodium glutamate but sadly, many are not. FDA loopholes put many people at risk of potentially life-threatening illnesses.

It’s estimated that 40% of Americans react negatively to MSG and it’s derivates. I gasp anytime I’m with somebody I care about and I see them eating food products containing MSG. It saddens me tremendously when I see children eating these foods. I suggest to everybody to read the ingredients in the food you are eating. If eating a packaged food, try to eat one that has 5 ingredients or less. Even products at health food stores are not safe. I’ve routinely seen the following ingredients in health food stores. All of these are pseudonyms for MSG and MSG containing ingredients.

• amino acids
  
• autolyzed yeast
  
• glutamate
  
• glutamic acid
  
• any “hydrolyzed protein”
  
• monopotassium glutamate
  
• monosodium glutamate
• sodium or calcium caseinate
  
• textured protein
  
• whey protein concentrate
  

Ultimately, we are responsible for what we buy at the grocery store and consume in our homes. Making your own food is a sure way to avoid harmful additives in food. To learn more about how to keep yourself safe and help to alert others about these toxins, please visit www.truthinlabeling.org. Also, Russell Blaylock, M.D. has written several books not only on MSG but other neurotoxins such as aspartame. Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills is his first book on the subject. You can also read about him at http://www.russellblaylockmd.com.

Children’s Health: Growing Pains

Although children may commonly experience “growing pains,” it is not normal. Most commonly it is a mineral deficiency, mostly calcium. Most of the calcium in the body resides in the bones. In fact, 99% of the calcium in the human body can be found on bones. However, there is 1% that stays in the blood and is responsible for a variety of functions. These functions include maintaining the immune and nervous system and enabling muscle contraction.

When a child does not have enough calcium “growing pains” can result. These pains occur when joint ends grow too quickly and there isn’t enough calcium to keep up. Similarly, another consequence of insufficient calcium is muscle cramps.

Restoring good calcium levels is critical to resolving the joint pain or muscle cramps. Not only is the right calcium important but also, the body needs appropriate essential fatty acids to drive the calcium into the muscles or bones. The best calcium is Calcium Lactate. It is extremely bio-available which means that it only goes through one enzymatic process so the body can use it. Other forms of calcium require between 3 and 13 different processes before the body can use it. Calcium Lactate is quick and effective.


I also use Cataplex F tablets as a calcium mobilizer. Cataplex F is a source of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids that transports calcium from the blood into the tissues. And lastly when treating children with “growing pains” or muscle cramps, I use the natural mineral tranquilizer called Min Tran. Min Tran contains numerous minerals, of which many children are deficient. Additionally, Min Tran is a natural calming agent.

Swine Flu Grabbing National Headlines: What can you do?

Swine flu has grabbed national and international headlines over the past few days. Today marked the first death in the recent surge of cases. While I believe the national media is using scare tactics rather than providing useful information, it is important to take this potential threat seriously.

I think it’s important to question why we are susceptible to these flu viruses. One major reason is nutritional deficiencies. Wholesome and health promoting foods are not staples of most Americans’ diet. Americans are a nation of overfed and undernourished people. This coupled with the chemical burden our bodies face each day from air/water pollution, pesticides, plastics, and medications has dramatically comprised the health of our country. Refined (packaged) foods lack the vitamin A, C, E complexes, B6, folic acid, zinc selenium, iron, copper, probiotics, and enzymes necessary to support a healthy immune system.

The human body is designed to be well. The immune system’s job it to protect the body from bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. When the body is nutritionally strong, the immune system works as it should. However, stress, lack of sleep, and a poor diet all affect the body’s ability to ward off potential illness.

I regularly work with patients to build their immune systems in a natural way. As one is learning to eat nutritionally dense food, I suggest using whole food concentrate supplements to support the healing and protective processes in the body. I specifically use Standard Process nutritional supplements. I have found no other nutritional support help restore health and vitality to the body as I have with Standard Process. You can learn more about Standard Process at www.standardprocess.com.

Your Child's Health

The statistics are startling. By 2004, approximately 10 million children had been diagnosed with asthma with another 9 million being diagnosed with allergies. The childhood obesity rate has more than doubled in the past 30 years. Stomach pain is now the most common reason for a pediatric office visit. Spending on psychotropic drugs for the treatment of depression and psychosis in children has increased 49% recently. And lastly, autism is currently the fastest growing developmental disability, with a current growth rate of 10-17% annually. This means austism affects 1 in 150 children.

What’s going on? The reasons behind these escalating children’s health issues are numerous and specific to the individual children. Because of that, deciding how to evaluate and treat a child can be confusing.

In my years of practice, the number of pediatric patients I treat continues to rise. For that reason, I’d like to offer some thoughts on how I evaluate and treat children. As with any patient I see in the office, it’s important to look at the whole child, not just the symptoms. Only through addressing the root causes of a child’s illness will allow the body to heal itself.
Some tools I use in the office include:

1. Youth Health History Questionnaire: this form seeks to illustrate specific foundational issues a child is experiencing.
2. Symptom Survey: this form is a detailed examination of symptoms as they relate to various body systems such as blood sugar handling, digestion, and hormone dysfunction.
3. 7 Day Food Diary: this form helps identify excess of deficiencies of certain foods plus issues associated with hydration and meal/snack timing.
4. Iodine Patch test: this test is an inexpensive and simple tool to evaluate the iodine status of a child
5. Saliva testing: these non-invasive tests help to identify imbalances in a child’s stress hormones but also common food allergies. Saliva is a more affordable option than blood testing as well as no blood draw.
6. Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis: this test evaluates the functions and relationships of 11 different minerals that are necessary for basic body functions. This test also evaluates for heavy metal toxicities.

I have found these tests to yield the best, most comprehensive information on how to address a child’s health issues. Please contact the office if you’d like more information.