Ask anyone if there is any stress in their life and they will most certainly say yes. Ask those same people if food choices can help their body handle stress and they probably don’t know what you are talking about. If reducing stress in your life is important, go watch this video now. Just click on the Red More Button in your email or the image below if you are on our website.
Watch this video and learn the natural ways you can manage inflammation and pain. Just click on the Red More Button in your email or the image below if you are on our website.
We hope you find this of value.
Watch this video now and you will learn, it doesn’t matter how much alcohol you drink, or whether you drink wine, beer or hard liquor. Alcohol is linked to cancer and the type of cancer is determined by your gender. Just click on the Red More Button in your email or the image below if you are on our website.
If you have switched to the new plant based hamburger alternatives, you need to watch this video now. Don’t get fooled because it has the word plant in the package. Just click on the Red More Button in your email or the image below if you are on our website.
We hear lots of talk about “Flora” or intestinal bacteria. Or maybe you’ve just heard that we need acidophilus or bifidus to help with digestive disorders. So what is it?
We have a natural ecological system in our body referred to as “flora”. This is mostly in our skin and our mucus membranes (mouth, nose, vagina and intestines primarily). Other tissues such as the blood, brain, heart and muscles are supposed to be free from microorganisms. This flora consists primarily of bacteria, with a few fungi, yeasts and other microorganisms. Some of these bacteria may surprise you. Our natural healthy flora contains species of streptococcus, staphylococcus, E. Coli, Enterobacterium and more than 200 other bacteria.
As recently as last month an article appeared in one of the medical journals stating that flora balance will be used in the future as a way of assessing risks for a variety of health conditions, but especially colon cancer and other intestinal-related diseases. This comes as no surprise to the thousands of natural healing practitioners who have recognized the importance of floral balance for decades!
So if an imbalance of the flora (called “dysbiosis”) is a marker for disease, what occurs in our lifestyle that alters this balance? Many things. Antibiotics are the worst culprit. According to one authority, it takes approximately 1 year of pro-biotic therapy (restoring the destroyed healthy flora) for every dose of antibiotic taken. Coffee has been reported to contribute to dysbiosis. Many of the processed foods are to blame as well. Another interesting finding is the lack of eating fermented foods. Sauerkraut, yogurt (more on yogurt later), pickled vegetables (including ginger), sprouted grains, nuts and seeds, miso, Umeboshi plums, and soy sauce are examples. Fermented means “pre-digested” which then become “pro-biotic”, meaning they restore floral balance. In addition to being pre-digested they support healthy digestion because they are so enzyme-rich. However, it is ruined by pasteurization and canning.
The body is an amazing machine and the role of healthy flora is no exception. There are many benefits to flora. The most important beneficial effect is that it keeps competing pathogens in check. In other words if your “good” or “friendly” bacteria are in high enough concentrations the “bad” or “pathogenic” bacteria don’t get out of control and cause disease. Flora is needed to synthesize or make vitamins such as Vitamin K, Vitamin B12 and other B vitamins, and to excrete excess vitamins. Flora is also needed to stimulate the development of certain tissues in the intestinal tract and in the lymphatic system. The immunological response is also highly dependent upon normal flora. Flora cross-reacts with certain pathogens preventing “invasion” by them, referred to as “natural antibodies”
So to address this issue of dysbiosis, we need to know how to restore the balance. First, eliminate the offenders. Then restore the missing microorganisms. This is referred to as pro-biotic therapy. The most common sources of probiotics are in pill form called lactobacillus acidophilus. There are other forms such as bifidobacterium bifidus and streptococcus faecium. Yogurt has long been known as the premier food source of probiotics, however recent research is discounting that. It appears that because of pasteurization there is minimal survival of the important microorganisms. Couple that with the sugar (which contributes to the “bad bacteria” colonizing), and the chemicals (dyes and flavorings) in yogurt, it is quickly becoming a deleterious option.
Another term coming to the limelight is “Prebiotics”. As we have come to understand flora better, we realize that as live microorganisms, they need certain foods or nutrients to survive and proliferate.Prebiotics are just that. They improve the chances of the probiotics sticking and growing.
Conditions often associated with dysbiosis include: chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory or autoimmune disorders, allergies or food intolerances, antibiotic use, “anti-ulcer” medication use, unexplained rashes, unexplained fatigue, malnutrition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, vaginal infections and others. Although there may be other underlying causes for those conditions, it is wise to rule out dysbiosis as one of them. If you feel you may have dysbiosis contact a trained physician to assist you in restoring balance. It is more complicated than just grabbing a bottle of a probiotic.
Sugar harms your health in many ways. Most people know this, yet few control the intake of it. Worse yet, they are given to children in greater and greater quantities. An example is soda pop: more than a quarter of all drinks consumed in the United States are soda. More than 15 billion gallons were sold in 2000 and that number is rising every year. That means every man, woman and child consumes at least one 12-ounce can per day. Obviously not everyone consumes sodas – many people drink more than their share!
In one study it was found that that 56% of 8 year olds consume sodas daily and at least 30% of teenage boys drink greater than 3 cans per day. Sixty percent of all public and private high schools and middle schools have vending machines or otherwise sell sodas to the kids. Carbonated soda pop provides more added sugar in the diet than cookies, candies and ice cream combined. This has resulted in an increase in obesity, tooth decay, weakened bones and caffeine dependence in our children. For every daily serving of soda consumed the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times. Researchers found that kids that drink sodas consume almost 200 more calories per day than kids who do not. Sugar and corn syrup from soft drinks, juices and the copious teas and sports drinks now supply more than 10 percent of our total calories.
We have turned into a nation that has replaced real foods (such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and meats) with carbohydrates that are refined and treated by the body no differently than eating a cookie. Fat, fiber and protein slow the rate carbohydrates enter the blood stream. This prevents a sudden rise in insulin levels, with a subsequent drop thereafter. Refined carbohydrates (also known as “white trash”) such as cereals, pasta, potatoes, white rice, breads and other refined grains contain virtually no nutrients. We are feeding our bodies empty calories, and then wonder why we have so many diseases!
Grain consumption, especially refined grains, has increased almost 60 pounds per person, and caloric sweeteners (primarily high-fructose corn syrup) by 30 pounds. We consume more total calories (up to 400 more) each day since the government started recommending low-fat diets. Most people don’t realize that “low fat” foods contain more sugar, and “diet” foods contain either high fat or artificial sweeteners.
Sugar harms the body in many ways: it suppresses the immune system immediately and takes 3 days to recover. It can cause a rapid rise in adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating and crankiness in children. It weakens eyesight, contributes to gallstones and appendicitis, and suppresses calcium absorption in the bones (in fact, soda is now considered the number one contributor to osteoporosis). Sugar can cause many problems with digestion, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and many other bowel diseases. It interferes with protein absorption, impairs DNA structure, makes your skin age more quickly, reduces learning capacity, increases hormonal imbalance, weakens the adrenal glands (which makes you fatigued, increases emotional instability, causes high blood pressure in obese individuals, induces cell death, feeds cancer cells, contributes to PMS, causes a rise in cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. And the list goes on. This is in addition to the already recognizable causes such as obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.
All of this is accentuated if your body does not handle blood sugar well. Blood sugar is managed primarily by the liver, adrenals and pancreas. A weakness in one of those glands results in a weakness in how the body responds to sugar. The more sugar consumed, the worse the condition. Diabetes and hypoglycemia are at an all-time high.
Eating foods rich in minerals (such as spinach, beet greens, collards, swiss chard, kale, and broccoli) assist the organs in managing blood sugar. They also help to control sugar cravings. Much of the time, the use of “green” mineral supplements is also needed. Greens such as kelp, alfalfa, spirulina and others, tableted, are good sources of complex minerals. Digestion also plays an important role.
Sugar cravings for many people make it difficult to stop drinking or eating sugar. It’s a sign of other imbalances in the body and can be treated through acupuncture, chiropractic, nutrition, herbal b6 medicine or all four. Since sugar causes many problems in the body, it would be wise to reduce the intake of sugary foods. If this is difficult, get help from a professional trained to support you in this area.
Research found that people who ate the most soluble fiber had the lowest incidence of dementia. Watch this video now to learn how to add the best sources of fiber to your diet. Just click on the Red More Button in your email or the image below if you are on our website.
Cooking your own meals is not only easy but very rewarding. The problem is most people no longer know how to do it in a way that tastes good and is healthy. Men are even worse. 25% of men cannot cook at all. How important is it to cook your own food? Watch this video now and find out why cooking is worth the little bit of effort it takes. Click the Red More Button in your email or the image below if you are on our website.
Is it important to eat organic, at least when ever possible? Watch this video. As your Riverside Chiropractor I am always here to address any health concerns or questions that you might have. In Better health, Dr. Micah Ries
In this video Riverside Chiropractor Dr. Micah Ries Happy St. Patrick’s Day. The Benefits of Green. Cilantro is More Effective Germ Killer Than Some Antibiotics. New research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry identified a compound in cilantro that kills samonella bacteria.
