Condition of the week/Vertebrae of the week 2

The Secrets About Sugar

The average person consumes over 150 pounds of sugar each year on a per capita basis. That equals over 30 five-pound bags of sugar per person. That's a lot of sugar. It is not surprising that diseases likeobesity and diabetes are on the rise. These diseases are not just limited to adults; we are seeing them in children more and more. This article provides a better understanding of sugar and its negative effects. It also provides some healthy alternatives and guidelines to avoiding too much sugar.

Glucose is the most basic molecule of sugar in the body. The body converts all other forms of sugar into glucose. It is the only carbohydrate found in general circulation in the body and is found in the blood. Hyperglycemia is a term which basically means that you have too much glucose in the blood. Having too much glucose in your blood over time can help cause other diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

Sucrose is a sugar which will break down into glucose and fructose. It is also known as table sugar. We get most of our table sugar from sugar cane and sugar beets.

Fructose is found naturally in fruits, berries and honey. It is twice as sweet as sucrose. The absorption of fructose in the body without glucose is slow. This is better for us as it will not easily be converted into fat like glucose in the body.

High fructose corn syrup is a mixture of glucose and fructose. Food industries have replaced table sugar with high fructose corn syrup in recent years because it is less expensive. Research is now showing a correlation between high fructose corn syrup and obesity. It produces significantly higher levels of triglycerides in the body. Obesity and use of high fructose corn syrup are increasing at the same rate.

Too much sugar in the body is not good in general. It leads to calcium depletion, decreased tissue replacement rates and decreased B vitamins. It causes an increase of white blood cells because of a weakened immune system.

Diabetes is a major disease which can develop with too much sugar intake over time. There are different types of diabetes. Type Two Diabetes or Diabetes mellitus is the type that can result in eating too much sugar over time. This develops when your body can no longer handle high levels of sugar in the blood. The function of your insulin in the blood is to transport high levels of sugar out of your blood circulation. It maintains it at a certain level to keep you healthy. Eating too much sugar over time causes an overload to the insulin. The insulin can no longer handle the sugar and begins to produce insulin that doesn't work properly. Diabetes is the end result.

If you are experiencing the following symptoms, it could be a sign that you have diabetes. The symptoms are increased thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, being overly fatigued, blurred vision and sores and cuts that do not heal. If you are experiencing these symptoms you should immediately consult with a health care professional to be screened for diabetes.

Risk factor for diabetes include high blood pressure, low HDL levels, high triglyceride levels, being overweight and having a family history of diabetes.

Following a healthy diet can help to avoid diabetes. Consider a diet that is higher in protein and lesser in fat. You should decrease or eliminate sugar from your diet. Eat plenty of fiber, this will help you to feel full and help food to go through your body without turning into fat.

You should try to eat food that has a low glycemic index. Glycemic index is the extent to which food raises blood glucose compared to white bread. Foods that have a low glycemic index are most fruits and vegetables with the exception of potatoes and watermelon. Grainy breads, pasta, legumes, basmati rice, milk, fish, eggs, nuts and oils are also good examples. Bread and pastas made from whole grains are much better than those made from refined flour which has a higher glycemic index.

Foods that have a high glycemic index include corn flakes, baked potatoes, white rice, white breads and candy. These foods should be avoided.

Getting plenty of exercise is also important to help your body burn excess fat and improve metabolism.

Many use artificial sweeteners to avoid the calories and problems associated with sugar. These include Splenda (Sucralose), Nutri-sweet (Aspartame) and Saccharin. Ongoing research is now showing that these substances may be harmful and have health risks associated with them.

A good alternative to artificial sweeteners is Stevia. Stevia is commonly known as sweet leaf or sugar leaf. Its extracts are up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar. Stevia is the only non-calorie sweetener that has been approved as a food additive. Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, even enhancing glucose tolerance. It has also shown benefit in medical studies. It has been shown to improve obesity and high blood pressure.

Another healthy natural sweetener is honey. Honey has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments through topical application. More recent medical research has also shown honey to be beneficial. Honey is an antimicrobial agent and has the potential to treat a variety of ailments. However, one should be careful eating honey as it is high in calories.

A good recommendation when shopping at the grocery store is to shop around the perimeter of the store. The stuff in the middle is often high in sugar, or containing refined flours with a high glycemic index. Most grocery stores are arranged to where the healthy stuff is around the perimeter. Remember to shop for whole grain breads, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, lean meats and dairy. These are generally the healthier options.

Dr. Matthew Fiebelkorn is a Stillwater Chiropractor who teaches, speaks, and writes about wellness and health issues for adults and children and on improving their quality of life through healthier lifestyle choices.  For more information on Dr. Fiebelkorn, visit his web site. Or Call Today (651)300-0150!

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Winter Back Pain - Slipping on the Ice Means Visiting Your Chiropractor

With the onset of cold weather, a brand new danger lurks it's ugly head for those with underlying structural problems associated with their spine. The drop in temperature can affect our hydration levels and the overall tone of our muscles, but more importantly ice is everywhere and can lead to lots of back problems from the trauma... even if you don't actually fall down.

How can this be? Let's start with the fall. It's pretty obvious that if you fall down, you will likely affect your spine. The impact and shock of hitting the ground can move things out of place. It's that movement of vertebrae out of place that can cause spinal problems. The effect may not occur right away. You may just notice that "something's not right," but not enough that you decide you absolutely must do something about it right away.

It's these warnings that are the easiest to ignore. Many times people will ignore the warning signs and simply wait until they are bending down to do a simple task like picking up socks when they unexpectedly cannot move. They are doing something "dangerous" like throwing a small pillow when their back seizes up. These are the types of stories I hear everyday.

The overlooked trauma is when you don't actually fall. You come close, maybe grab on to something nearby. Still, your muscles tense up, you get scared, and then thank your lucky stars that you didn't actually fall on to the ground. It's these "near misses" that can still affect your spine.

That sudden seizing up of the muscles can also throw things out of place. The muscles attach to the spine and when they tense up, knot up, or spasm they will cause the joint to stop functioning as it is designed. Time to see the chiropractor.

The chiropractor will find the areas of your spine that have moved out of place, help move them back into place, and restore the body's normal function. The relief happens pretty quickly in most cases. A problem caught early is always easier to take care of before the crisis occurs. Not to mention how much a frozen back can ruin your entire week.

Dr. Matthew Fiebelkorn is a Stillwater Chiropractor who teaches,speaks, and writes about wellness and health issues for adults and children and on improving their quality of life through healthier lifestyle choices.  For more information on Dr. Fiebelkorn, visit his web site. Or Call Today (651)300-0150!

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The Right 4 Questions to Ask About Your Child’s Health and Your’s

It's all about the questions we ask. The questions you ask come from a point of view, or understanding, you have about things you've learned, experienced or come to believe along life's journey. As a simple example, if we see a wilting plant our desire to get the plant well leads to questions about how to prevent it from wilting. Therefore, our past experiences give us an idea of what questions one should ask to figure out what is wrong with the plant. Some of the initial questions would be: Does it need water? Does it have too much water? Does it get enough sunlight? Does it get too much sunlight?

You get the idea. The questions are all centered on the end result. Now let's change direction, what questions would one would ask if having our children reach their fullest potential was the desired end result? What can we do? What will it take? Is my child healthy? Do I know what childhood health is in today's society? Where do we begin?

WOW, a little overwhelming!! TAKE A DEEP BREATH IN because it's much easier than you think!

Many dictionaries, research reports, and unlimited sites on the internet provide the definition to the word health. The most accepted is from the World Health Organization. The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and does not consist only of the absence of disease or infirmity." Though this is a useful and accurate definition, using the W.H.O. definition classifies 70-95% of people as unhealthy. However, it falls short in providing a set of directions.

The reality is that our health is like nature. Nature is programmed to succeed. Nature is programmed to strive for its best. Not some of the time, but all of the time. Nature does not need help throughout its course, it merely requires no interference. This principle is the same for our children. Children, adults, animals, plants, essentially all living things are genetically designed by our creator to strive for this natural state of health and balance. Children are no exception.

From the above point of view that nature needs no help just no interference, there are four things one can do to help sustain and enhance our health. And, if the child or adult is not healthy, it will surely be a guiding light towards the destination of health. It will take re-examining your point of view, your beliefs about your health and your habits. Do the current habits guide towards a healthy existence in the future or not?

The steps are very basic in nature. Although they are basic, they are unfortunately, in today's society, overlooked and mostly forgotten. We must eat, move and think right under the environment of no interference to nature. These are essential to sustain and maximize our health and life.

1. First is to eat well. In order to eat well we, and especially our children, must eat plenty of what our creator put on this earth. We must insist they eat daily an abundance of fresh fruit, veggies, seeds, nuts, and moderate amounts of animal protein. Yes, we must insist. Eat these foods as close to its natural way as possible. For example: fresh fruit (3 to 5 pieces per day) vs. fruit roll ups grilled chicken vs. fried chicken fresh spinach or dark greens vs. Iceberg Lettuce The list can go on and on, but you get the general idea.

2. Second, we must move well and regularly encourage it. Moving well and playing with our children kicking the ball, walking the dog, jumping rope vs. the current trend of becoming a couch potato even if it's an interactive game such as the the Wii fit. We need to use exercise therapy to bring the family units together as well as regain some of our physical abilities that have been lost from lack of use. Its fun, now get out and play!

3. Third, we must teach our children how to think and maintain a positive outlook. Daily training on happy thoughts and positive thinking are critical to the future outcome of our children. Teach thoughts and habits which are uplifting and life promoting vs. "stinky thinking". This is a wonderful way to ensure many smiles along the way. No one wants to be around a stink bomb. Don't be or allow your children to be the stink bomb in their own life!

4. Lastly, and sometimes the most challenging, we must avoid interfering with nature's ability to be whole, healthy and complete. The human body has the ability to be whole, healthy and balanced. When it is not, it is not because it does not know how to be so.... it is because something is interfering with its natural ability to be whole, healthy and balanced. In the human body lies the wiring to all body parts and systems which allows it to maintain all systems working and functioning automatically. Thank goodness because with today's busy schedule we would be sure to forget something to do within this body, like breath; digest, repair, regenerate tissue, pump blood to all areas, send signals to use the bathroom, etc. This system is called our nervous system. Our nervous system knows exactly what to do and when exactly to do it in order to maximize the ability of the human body and it always strives for balance, health and wholeness. This does not happen every now and then, it happens all the time. Again, when something is programmed to strive for health and it's not because it doesn't know how... it's because something is interfering with this natural ability. Nervous system interference is detectable at early stages prior to any signs or symptoms that we have been lead to believe are 'common', 'normal' and or part of 'childhood growing up'. It's our points of view, our thinking of what is normal that lead us to asking the questions we ask. Have you ever thought of asking questions from a point of view using the law of nature as your point of reference? The constant is that nature never fails unless its environment is being interfered with. Just as with the wilting plant, it did not have what it needed to strive for wholeness, balance and health.

Remember, healthy and well asked questions center around the ultimate objective of attaining and maintaining health. Throughout childhood 100% is expected. If 100% is expected of them, then we, as parents, should take a close look at the lifestyle habit we are promoting and ask ourselves the difficult question of are those habits promoting a long term healthy lifestyle for our children. By following the four steps above, the human body, as with the plant, will return to its natural state of health. The amount of time it takes is dependent on the level of "wilting" present.

Dr. Matthew Fiebelkorn is a Stillwater Chiropractor who teaches,speaks, and writes about wellness and health issues for adults and children and on improving their quality of life through healthier lifestyle choices.  For more information on Dr. Fiebelkorn, visit his web site. Or Call Today (651)300-0150!

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Chiropractic Care: How It Can Help Healthy Living

Dr. Matthew Fiebelkorn is a Stillwater Chiropractor who teaches,speaks, and writes about wellness and health issues for adults and children and on improving their quality of life through healthier lifestyle choices.  For more information on Dr. Fiebelkorn, visit his web site. Or Call Today (651)300-0150!

Understanding the State of Your Nervous System

Within the world of medicine it has been well understood for years that all diseases are classified into two categories: a state of under activity and/or a state of over activity.

Medicine’s traditional approach was to develop drugs that either jump started (stimulated) or slowed (depressed) the system to attempt a normal balance (homeostasis). This medical approach is still practiced today. We must consider that if the disease is a result of over or under arousal, and I believe it is, then “good health” must be a balanced state.

The Balanced State
A balanced state results in good health. In this balanced state a person would have: present time consciousness, good recovery ability, high energy, few symptoms, and resistance to infections, positive mental attitude, mental alertness and excellent health. This person looks younger than his/her years and remains active and vibrant. We can measure the vital signs of this state by the action of the normal physiological responses of your body. These measurements include heart rate, respiratory rate, hand temperatures, brain wave activity, and heart rate variability (ration between heart rhythm and respiratory rhythm and skin moisture).

So what if it isn’t normal?
This means that your system is working in a state of dis-ease. It cannot get along with all the activities and stresses in your life without consuming more energy than normal. Your system is now out of balance or stressed. There are four states of imbalance. These states are over-aroused, under-aroused, instable, and exhausted.

The Over-Aroused State
This state has high-energy demands. It is also the most common of the imbalanced systems as a result of the stressful lifestyle of the times. When stress is prolonged, the body’s responses stay in the high alert level longer than they were designed to, which creates damage to the system. The indications of a prolonged over-aroused nervous system are:

o Cold Hands,
o Tight Muscles,
o Grinding Teeth,
o Anxiety,
o Heart Palpitations,
o Restless Sleep,
o Poor Social Awareness,
o Poor Comprehension,
o Poor Expression of Emotion,
o Recurrent Infections,
o Multiple Competing Trains of Thought,
o High Blood Pressure,
o Accelerated Aging,
o Slowed Healing Responses,
o Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Remember now, every so-called “disease” is a result of either an over-stimulated or under-stimulated system! The signs and symptoms of this over-aroused state of the body are then grouped into various combinations and given the name of a specific disease (diagnosis). In truth, they are nothing more than manifestations of the system being out of balance in a prolonged over-aroused state. While it is true you can treat these symptoms with one form of care or another, drugs or surgery, the only question remains – by addressing the symptoms, are you doing anything to address the cause?

The Under-Aroused State
This state has “low energy” expressions. A classic example of an under stimulated nervous system is depression. It can be deceiving however, as in Attention Deficit Disorder, ADD. The misnomer of hyperactive on an ADD individual leads to a misunderstanding of the real problem. An ADD individual’s EEG, Electroencephalograph, does not demonstrate the over-aroused nervous system that one would expect from a hyper-active response pattern. It shows just the opposite. Their nervous response is just barely awake. The only method they know which will keep them awake and functioning is to keep moving and active. This is different than what we thought, isn’t it? The indications of an under-aroused nervous system are:

o ADD (including impulsivity, distraction and disorganization),
o Depression,
o Lack of Motivation,
o Poor Concentration,
o Spaced out,
o Hypoglycemia,
o Constipation,
o Low Pain Threshold,
o Difficulty Awakening,
o Cognitive Worry,
o Irritability,
o Incontinence, and
o Lack of Energy

Remember again, every so-called “disease” is a result of either an over-stimulated or under-stimulated system.

The Instable State
Here the view of the medical model of stimulate or depress treatment becomes out of date. While the concept is still valid, there is a twist in how it needs to be applied. The Instable State includes both over and under-aroused patterns plus adds a few of its own depending on its stage. This state exhibits a higher level of imbalance than either of the above and tends to move back and forth between over and under-arouse states. The system is now so stressed that any added stress creates havoc and the body’s reaction can swing wildly from over to under in a short period of time. This creates its own signs and symptoms beyond any of those found in the states above, which may include:

o Migraine Headaches,
o Seizures,
o Narcolepsy,
o Sleepwalking,
o Hot Flashes,
o PMS,
o Multiple Chemical Sensitivities,
o Bed Wetting,
o Eating Disorders,
o Bipolar Disorder,
o Mood Swings, and
o Panic Attacks

People with wide ranges of health challenges would fall into this state of imbalance.

The Exhausted State
This is the most dangerous of all. The system is now into chaos existence mode. It is so over-stressed that the body’s own systems are no longer able to work in harmony. This can be so severe that the body systems start attacking each other. Its own communication system is in such disarray that messages and responses no longer match. Unchecked it can lead to a life ending path. Health challenges include:
o All of those listed in Over-aroused
o Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,
o Epstein-Barr Syndrome,
o M.S.,
o Fibromyalgia, and
o Cancer.

Hurray!! You have made it to the solution from a genetically congruent Wellness point of view.

Neurologically Based Chiropractic (NBC)
The balanced-unbalanced system we are talking about is your wonderful Nervous System. It is the nervous system with which chiropractic works to restore your health. We can measure the state of your nervous system and show you why you are experiencing your health challenge. Once we have done that, then we can discuss your options, i.e. a program of care to help restore yourself to a normal health balance or recommend other options. If you feel you are in the instable group, it is very important that you tell your doctor.

This is not about treating a disease, as that is not what Chiropractors do. The intent of chiropractic is to help your nervous system return to a healthy balanced state, a state of ease and correct function by removing interference and retraining normal patterns of reaction to occur. Remember, your body does the healing. To date there isn’t one documented case where a doctor healed not even a fractured bone. Us doctors, guide, assist, recommend and facilitate our patients toward health. The individual, specifically the human body and its natural inner ability is what mends and heals the person.

At HealthSource Chiropractic of Stillwater, our job is to assess your nervous system and either jump starts it or slows it down by means of the chiropractic adjustment, restoring it to the wonderful, normal state of balance. In addition, we are able to offer additional retraining methods to augment the power of the chiropractic adjustment. So, today is the day to call our office at (651)300-0150. If you would like more information about our office, please visit us on the web.

As always, we welcome your feedback as well as the opportunity to help you and those you care about reach your optimum potential. Your health is your most valuable asset so please do not wait for symptoms to arise before you take action. Always remember to be proactive about your health, not reactive.

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4 Simple Exercises To Help Relieve Minor Back Pain

While this idea is a great one for the first 24 hours after injuring your back, prolonged inactivity can actually stiffen those injured muscles and make healing more difficult. Exercise on the other hand helps to strengthen the surrounding muscles and helps increase major blood flow to the injured area which promotes healing and often relieves the back pain making it more bearable. Exercising your back does not mean lifting weights or running a marathon. It means gentle exercise that helps stretch and strengthen your muscles. That being said here are 4 simple exercises that you can do at home that will help to relieve that back pain and strengthen your muscles to aid in healing and help prevent further injury.

The Reach

Stand with both feet together or slightly apart in front of a door. Slowly extend your arms over your head and reach as far as possible over the door jam while keeping your feet flat. Hold that position to the count of 10. You should feel the muscles in your back begin to stretch which is the entire purpose of this exercise. By stretching the muscles slowly, you can alleviate lower back pain and strengthen your muscles in the bargain.

Heal Raises (Also Called Tip Toes)

Once again stand straight up with your feet flat on the floor, shoulders back and head up. Slowly raise your heels up and down about 10 times. This exercise will provide a gentle pull and strengthening of the muscles in your thighs, buttocks and lower back region. Helping to reduce pain and aid healing.

Heel Slides

Lie flat on your back on the floor, slowly bend and straighten your knees one knee at a time alternating the legs. Bring your heel as close to your body as possible with each slide. Repeat 10 times. This exercise can be gradually increase to 20 times as the muscles become stronger and the pain lessens.

Straight Leg Raises

Once again lie flat on your back with one knee bent and the other leg straight. Tighten your abdominal muscles and slowly lift the straight leg about 6 to 8 inches off the floor. Hold it to the count of 6 and slowly lower it. Repeat changing legs. When starting out don't overdo this exercise start at about 5 repetitions or less and gradually increase to 10 repetitions.

Helpful Hints

Using a heating pad for 20 minutes followed by an ice pack for the same length of time both before and after doing these strengthening exercisers may help you to get through them easier. If any of these exercises causes the pain to drastically worsen stop immediately and seek medical care. However, keep in mind that there will be some discomfort initially which will fade as your muscles heal and gain more strength. Continuing these exercises after your back heals as part of a regular routine may help prevent re injury to your back muscles.

Dr. Matthew Fiebelkorn is a Stillwater Chiropractor who teaches,speaks, and writes about wellness and health issues for adults and children and on improving their quality of life through healthier lifestyle choices.  For more information on Dr. Fiebelkorn, visit his web site. Or Call Today (651)300-0150!

HealthSource Chiropractic of Stillwater

http://www.healthsourceofstillwater.com

651-300-0150

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