Fort Worth Chiropractor » wellness

Drinking Plenty of Water Is Essential to Your Health

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:53:45 +0000

We, Fort Worth chiropractors, are “maniacs” when it comes to getting our patients to drink plenty of water each day. The mantra is “Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!” Water, second only to air, is fundamental for human survival. Survival instincts, then, would seem to assure that we would drink a healthy amount of water as habitually as we breathe in air. (Most individuals are not breathing enough either, but that topic is for another time.) Your good health depends on your drinking water, and plenty of it. Every system in your body — every cell, tissue, and organ — requires water to function adequately. Your saliva, and the fluids surrounding your joints, are essentially water. Your blood is kept circulating and your body temperature and metabolism are moderated by water. The improvement of nutrient absorption and toxin removal, as well as the reduction of heartburn, hypertension, exhaustion, and headaches have been attributed to the daily intake of plenty of water.

Athletes are especially at risk when it comes to problems caused by dehydration. Researcher, Susan Yeargin, assistant professor of athletic training in Indiana State’s College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services, said of athletes,”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.” 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.

Just how much water is enough water might be a little confusing. Chiropractors, like most health care professionals, suggest no less than eight, 8-ounce glasses of water per day for most patients, though for our athletic patients, or for those who carry around excess weight or exercise or work where it’s hot, we propose even more. There is a fairly uncomplicated way for you to know if you’re drinking enough water. The color of your urine is a good gauge. You’re well-hydrated if it comes out a light, pale yellow!

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

Fort Worth Chiropractor: A Balanced Lifestyle Is The Key to Good Health and Longevity

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:51:00 +0000

Recently I saw an article on sciencedaily.com detailing a study performed on aged mice bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and the boost that caffeine gave to improving memory loss. The article lead with the tease that “Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup.” It continued by reporting on back-to-back studies published online July 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that showed that caffeine significantly 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 decide to add an extra cup of coffee to your morning ritual, let me warn you that also on the website, under “Related Stories,” were a couple of articles about studies that showed 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.”

Nearly every angle of thought, I’ve noticed, particularly when it has to do with age-related health issues, can be corroborated, or at least given credence, by a number of specific studies. The “good/bad” studies related to caffeine certainly aren’t, of course, the only ones. Nonetheless, it did get me to pondering about the reasonableness that there will never be simply “one thing” that will absolutely help we, humans, to live longer, healthier lives. We are dynamic, biological creatures. We are free to engage in life. We’re not confined to a cage! And, furthermore, though Alzheimer’s disease may be on the rise, obviously we, cage-free humans, have not been “singled out to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” therefore caffeine isn’t going to be the “one thing” that will reverse or prevent it.

Our body is an exquisite, involved system that is based on homeostasis (balance). It makes sense, then, that good health has more to do with a healthy, balanced attitude towards living, rather than our being briefly convinced by the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one particular thing in the hope that it will reverse all of the other over-indulgent and unwholesome things we have done to our bodies.

As a chiropractor, I believe that every moment of the day we have an opportunity to make healthy choices for our body, to decide what will assist us to live longer, healthier lives. We know what truly “feels” life enriching and what doesn’t when it comes to what is good for our body. So, I just wanted to pass along a little something for you to keep in mind the next time you consider having that extra cup of coffee or second glass of red wine. Neither one of those things is the “one thing” that will do “everything” for your age-related health issues.

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

Don't Let PMS Put You Out of the Game

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:27:59 +0000

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) disturbs an estimated 90% of women, at one time or another, and nearly 20% of those women afflicted undergo severe to disabling symptoms. Inferring to a woman that her PMS is “just in her head” can be not only just plain risky, it’s also just plain wrong! There are physiological causes of PMS in the majority of cases, including one that might surprise you — spinal misalignment. That’s right. Your back could actually be the problem. Spinal subluxations, especially in the lower back, can frequently produce 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 relieve the symptoms of PMS? Chiropractic adjustments get rid of nerve impingement in your body. Every cell, fiber, tissue, organ, and system in your body is controlled and regulated by your nervous system. Your reproductive system is included in this master regulation. If your reproductive system isn’t operating properly because of nerve impingement, it can generate a variety of symptoms such as those analogous with PMS. When your reproductive system is overactive, you might experience agitation, pain, heavy bleeding, or severe cramping. Missed periods or infertility can be caused by an under-activity reproductive system. The good news is that if nerve impingement is generating your PMS symptoms, then chiropractic care can assist because spinal manipulations restore unimpeded activity to your nervous system and, hence, assisting it in functioning more normally.

Many women find an improvement in their reproductive health, in conjunction with improved general health, while under chiropractic care. So, if you’ve been thinking that your PMS is just in head, think again! Then call your Fort Worth Chiropractor. Chiropractic management provides 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

There Are Worse Things Than Eating Fast Food

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:56:59 +0000

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

Start Today to Reduce Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:05:59 +0000

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