Ventura Spinal Care Center » wellness

Good Hydration is an Important Key to Good Health

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:02:21 +0000

Chiropractors, like Dr. Alff, are committed to making sure their patients know the importance of drinking enough water everyday. The chant is “Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!” Water is as essential as air when it comes to human survival. Therefore, one would suppose that drinking a sufficient quantity of water would be as visceral as breathing in enough air, but a surprising 75 percent of Americans suffer from mild, incessant dehydration. (Most individuals aren’t breathing enough either, but one issue at a time.) You cannot have good health without drinking an adequate amount of water. Every system in your body — every cell, tissue, and organ — is dependent up water to function properly. Your saliva, and the fluids surrounding your joints, are essentially water. Water balances the temperature and metabolism of the body, and keeps the blood circulating. Drinking plenty of water daily has been shown to improve nutrient absorption and toxin removal, and to reduce heartburn, hypertension, exhaustion, headaches, and even back pain.

Athletes are particularly at risk when it comes to functional challenges caused by dehydration. “Physiologically, their core body temperature could be higher than it should have been if they were hydrated. Their heart rate will be higher, and they’re going to perceive that they’re working harder than they actually are,” said Susan Yeargin, assistant professor of athletic training in Indiana State’s College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services. According to researchers at Indiana State University, a high percentage of collegiate and professional athletes begin the season dehydrated, putting their health at risk even before they begin strenuous workouts. In fact, Pre-season physical examinations, in fact, found that 80 percent of football players presented with.

Wondering how much water is enough water? Chiropractors, like almost all health care professionals, advise no less than eight, 8-ounce glasses of water every day for many patients, but for our patients who are athletes, or for individuals who carry around excess weight or exercise or work in a hot environment, we propose even more. How can you be sure if you, personally, are drinking an adequate amount of water? The color of your urine is a good gauge. If it is a light, pale yellow, it’s an indication that you’re well-hydrated!

Technorati Tags: back pain, chiropractors, drinking enough water, exhaustion, headaches, heartburn, hydration, hypertension

Chiropractic Ventura: Balanced Choices Are Keys to Good Health and Longevity

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:28:31 +0000

chiropractic Ventura is concerned about your overall wellness. Here is important information about good health and longevity:

Recently I found an article on sciencedaily.com regarding a study done on aged mice bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and the benefits of caffeine in reversing memory loss. The article lead with the angle that “Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup.” It went on to report on coterminous studies published online July 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that proved that caffeine considerably decreased abnormal levels of the protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, both in the brains and in the blood of mice that had developed symptoms of the disease.

But, before you make a decision to add an extra cuppa to your daily routine, let me warn you that under “Related Stories” on the website were a couple of articles reporting on studies that professed to prove the negative effects of caffeine, “Morning Jolt of Caffeine May Mask Serious Sleep Problems,” and “Coffee Consumption Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Attack For Persons With Certain Gene Variation.”

Almost every angle of thought, from my experience, particularly when it has to do with age-related health issues, can be confirmed, or at least bolstered, by a number of specific studies. The “good/bad” studies related to caffeine naturally aren’t, of course, the only ones. Even so, it did get me to thinking about the probability that there will never be any “one thing” that will absolutely aid we, humans, in living longer, healthier lives. Humans are dynamic, biological beings. We are free to participate in life. We’re not confined to a cage! And, moreover, though Alzheimer’s disease apparently is on the rise, obviously none of us has been “artificially induced to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” therefore caffeine isn’t absolutely the “one thing” that will prevent or reverse it.

Our body is an exquisite, intricate system that is designed to function homeostasis or balance. Consequently good health has more to do with a healthy, balanced way of living, as opposed to our jumping on the bandwagon of the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one specific thing in the hope that it will reverse all of the other immoderate and unwholesome things we do to our bodies.

I believe, as a doctor of chiropractic, that every single day we have an opportunity to make decisions that will assist us to live longer, healthier lives, healthy choices for our body and mind. We know what genuinely “feels” right and what doesn’t when it comes to what is good for our body. So, I just wanted to offer some thoughts for you to keep in mind the next time you reach for that extra cup of coffee or second glass of red wine. There is no “one thing” that will do “everything” for your age-related health issues.

Technorati Tags: age-related health issues, caffeine, Chiropractor, health, longevity, red wine

Chiropractic Ventura Advises: Don't Let PMS Put You On the Bench

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:08:59 +0000

Chiropractic Ventura is concerned about your overall wellness as a woman. At one time or another, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) affects and estimated 90% of women and nearly 20% of those women afflicted undergo severe to incapacitating symptoms. Telling a woman that her PMS is “just in her head” can be not only just plain risky, it’s also just plain wrong! In nearly all cases, there are physiological origins of PMS, including one that you might find surprising — spinal misalignment. That’s right. Your back could actually be the “offender.” Spinal misalignment, especially in the lower back, can frequently cause a large variety of female health problems in addition to Premenstrual Syndrome, such as pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, incontinence, and even infertility.

Are you wondering how chiropractic can ease the symptoms of PMS? Chiropractic treatments get rid of nerve impingement in your body. Every cell, fiber, tissue, organ, and system in your body is governed and regulated by your nervous system. Your reproductive system is included in this master regulation. If your reproductive system isn’t performing optimally because of nerve impingement, it can produce an array of symptoms such as those analogous with PMS. You would most likely experience agitation, pain, heavy bleeding, or severe cramping if your reproductive system were overactive. Missed periods or infertility can be caused by an under-activity reproductive system. The good news is that if nerve impedance is producing your PMS symptoms, then chiropractic treatment can assist because adjustments restore harmony and balance to your nervous system and, as a result, assisting it in functioning more normally.

In addition to improved general health, many women experience enhanced reproductive health, as well, while under chiropractic care. So, if you’ve been thinking that your PMS is just in head, think again! Then call your chiropractor. Chiropractic care offers an all natural answer for PMS that could assist you in avoiding periodic misery, without medication, and keep you symptom-free and energetic all month long.

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, Chiropractor, cramping, heavy bleeding, PMS

Chiropractic Ventura: You Can Reduce Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease No Matter What Your Age

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:22:59 +0000

Chiropractic Ventura promotes wellness for all ages: Doesn’t it seem that healthy lifestyle information is everywhere you look these days? There are magazines and TV shows all about healthy foods and beneficial exercises. There are even recipes for nutritious meals in the newspaper. But, even though more Americans today are aware that eating nutritious meals, getting exercise, and keeping their body weight down is essential for health and longevity, a new study reported in the June 2009 issue of the American Journal of Medicine has found that the number of middle-aged and older Americans who have adopted a healthy lifestyle has actually declined substantially in the past two decades. Using data from a large government health survey, researchers found that in 2006, only 26 percent of Americans ages 40 to 74 said they ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. That’s down 16 percent from the 42 percent who responded in the 1988 survey! When it came to exercise, the same kind of decline was reported. Only 43 percent said they worked out at least 12 times per month, versus 53 percent in 1988. Not surprisingly, the rate of obesity in the United States went in the opposite direction, from 28 percent in 1988 to 36 percent in 2006.

The findings were based on data from the National health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a regularly conducted government health survey. Researchers focused on surveys conducted between 1988 and 1994 and between 2001 and 2006, which together included more than 15,000 Americans between the ages of 40 and 74. They looked at rates of five lifestyle factors involved in preventing a range of health risks: maintaining a normal weight, getting regular exercise, eating enough fruits and vegetables, not smoking, and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol.

Though the study cannot tell us why healthy lifestyle habits are on the decline, lead researcher, Dr. Dana E. King, of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, said that one reason may be that these changes are just difficult to make. “People’s increasingly hectic lives may be making it hard to fit in regular exercise, or to sit down to healthier, home-cooked meals rather than eating take-out.” He suggested some simple steps can make a difference. “It’s not hard, for example, to take some fruit to work with you, instead of going to the vending machine.” (Parking a little farther away from your destination and walking a bit can help, too.) Most importantly, Dr. King stressed that “it’s never too late” for middle-aged and older adults to make lifestyle changes for the better. In fact, in an earlier study, King and his colleagues found that when middle-aged adults newly adopted a healthier lifestyle — including regular exercise and eating more fruits and vegetables — their risk of developing cardiovascular disease or dying over the next several years fell by as much as 40 percent.

If you think about it, there aren’t many things in life that carry an “it’s never too late” guarantee. So, why not start today, no matter what your age may be? Your healthy future is depending on you!

Technorati Tags: cardiovascular disease, healthy lifestyle, middle-aged adults, weight loss

Chiropractic Ventura Warns: Could You Be Eating Your Fast Food Wrappers?

admin — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:18:59 +0000

chiropractic Ventura offers the newest findings that concern your overall wellness: Are you ready for this? For years (and years) chiropractors like me, plus nutritionists and other health-conscious professionals have been advising men, women, and children to lay off the fast foods. Everyone is aware already of the artery-clogging, fat-producing effects of a fast food diet. So, tell you something you don’t know, right? Well, here it is: It’s not just the fast food, itself, that can shorten your life span, but the wrapper it comes in that is a risk to your health and longevity, as well!

Add to the growing list of chemicals showing up in human blood, chemicals called diPAPs. They’re found in the compounds that make food wrappers grease-proof. These chemicals are fairly new and scientists don’t know yet if they are harmful to human health. But diPAPs break down into another worrisome chemical, called PFOA (perfuorooctanoic acid), which is in a class of compounds called perflurochemicals, and may be carcinogenic.

PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate, another perflurochemical) are resistant to oil and water, which makes them perfect for use as fast food wrappers, and as liners on nonstick pans, microwave popcorn bags, and pizza boxes, not to mention carpets clothes, and electronics among many other applications. The problem is that these compounds end up in the environment, our food and our bodies.

“The take-home message is that some chemicals that make our lives easier, better and more satisfying end up in our bloodstream with unknown toxicological consequences,” said Scott Mabury, a chemist at the University of Toronto. “We should be smart enough to design chemicals that do what we want them to do without causing a chemical pollution problem.” Imagine that — designing chemicals that wouldn’t harm our bodies or pollute the environment. I wonder why no one has thought about that until now?

For the complete article, go tohttp://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/15/food-wrapper-chemical.html?campaign=w01-101-ae-0001

Technorati Tags: diet, fast food, health, pollution