Minimize Your Stress to Maximize Your Health

Chronic stress, which has been called America’s number one health problem, is not something to take lightly - it can have profound effects on your immune system and your overall health. Estimates have placed stress-related problems as the cause of 75 % to 90 % of all primary care physician visits.

Most people associate stress with worry, but stress can take on many forms. Stress, whether it be emotional, chemical or physical can be unhealthy and dangerous if you don’t know how to manage it.

It was recently discovered that people under chronic stress had above-normal levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), an immune-system protein that promotes inflammation and has been linked with heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, severe infections and certain cancers.

It appears that stress increases levels of IL-6, which in turn accelerates a variety of age-related diseases. Further, stress can weaken a person’s immune response, leaving them more susceptible to infection, and can lead to unhealthy lifestyle habits. For instance, stress often leads people to overeat, lose sleep, and neglect exercise - all of which can create health problems on their own.

"There is a whole new field called "neuroimmunology" that studies the effects of stress on the immune system. Scientists in this area have demonstrated alterations in the normal function of immune cells in animals during times of stress. Excessive physical stress (poor posture / unhealthy spine) significantly changes our immune cell profile. Yes folks, the quality of your posture will always influence the quality of your immune system!

It’s not practical to advise people to avoid stress because - let’s face it - we all have it. What is practical, however, is to emphasize the importance of dealing with stress before it takes a toll on your health.

Unfortunately, for most people, no one has ever taught us how to properly identify the many forms of stress in our lives. In addition, most people have absolutely no idea how to minimize or eliminate their stressors.

How many stressors do I have? Where is the stress in my life coming from? Can my stressors be eliminated or minimized, and HOW? More importantly, how do I keep the stress from coming back? These are questions that most people should be asking themselves. These are issues that most doctors should be addressing.

At our most recent seminar we clearly defined “chemical stressors” to look for, understand, and begin working on. For those of you who were in attendance, you are now in a better position to manage this type of stress in your life. If you could not attend or thought you did not need this information… I am worried about you! This seminar was extremely powerful as it gave attendees a level of awareness and motivation that all of us need to live a Maximized Life.

At Maximized Health Chiropractic our goal is to help people better identify and manage the many forms of stress in their life. Remember this… stress is the ultimate cause of pain, sickness and disease. Postural stress, work stress, emotional stress, nutritional stress, nerve irritation stress... the list goes on and on.

Have you got control of it, or has stress got control of you?

Speak up and educate others,

Dr. Craig

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Before You Get to the Checkout Line? Choose Wisely!

Organic farming differs from conventional farming in the methods used to grow crops. Where traditional farmers apply chemical fertilizers to the soil to grow their crops, organic farmers feed and build soil with natural fertilizer. Traditional farmers use insecticides to get rid of insects and disease, while organic farmers use natural methods such as insect predators and barriers for this purpose. Traditional farmers control weed growth by applying synthetic herbicides, but organic farmers use crop rotation, tillage, hand weeding, cover crops and mulches to control weeds.

The result is that conventionally grown food is often tainted with chemical residues, which can be harmful to humans. There is debate over whether dietary exposure to pesticides at levels typically found on food is dangerous, but experts say that consumers should use caution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides and 30 percent of insecticides to be carcinogenic (cancer causing).

Pesticides can have many negative influences on health, including neurotoxicity, disruption of the endocrine system, carcinogenicity and immune system suppression. Pesticide exposure may also affect male reproductive function and has been linked to miscarriages in women.

Aside from pesticide contamination, conventional produce tends to have fewer nutrients than organic produce. On average, conventional produce has only 83 percent of the nutrients of organic produce. Studies have found significantly higher levels of nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and significantly less nitrates (a toxin) in organic crops.

There is little question that organic foods are superior to non-organic ones. However, I see many patients who are not eating any vegetables because they either cannot afford them or they are too difficult to obtain. Please understand that it is better to eat non-organic vegetables than no vegetables at all.

In the same vein, it is also important to realize that fresh non-organic vegetables will be better than wilted and rotten organic vegetables that are occasionally the only ones available in smaller organic produce stands. There are many highly perishable nutrients that degrade with time and exposure to air and ultraviolet radiation. If the organic vegetables are seriously damaged, then it would be far wiser to eat fresh, undamaged non-organic vegetables.

If you must buy conventional produce, there are ways to reduce your pesticide exposure. Thoroughly washing all fruits and vegetables will help, although all pesticide residues cannot be removed by washing. You can also remove the outer layer of leaves or peel vegetables if possible.

I know that it is confusing and sometimes scary to be put in a place where your choices can greatly impact your life or the lives of your loved ones. But, make no mistake about it- eating organic food is healthier and DOES NOT have to be considerably more expensive if you shop wisely. Also, if you have a hard time buying and cooking your daily dose of organic vegetables as I do… you can always drink them! If you don't know what a Green Super Food is… either come to a nutrition seminar, ask a member of Maximized Health Chiropractic (we use them regularly), or do some research on your own. When it comes to living at your full potential- your nutritional status is a very important factor. Make wise decisions on a consistent basis, and your body will thrive!

Speak up and educate others,

Dr. Craig

Maximized Tip of the Week – Featured Product

Ask yourself… are you really getting ALL of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs by eating ALL of the vegetables that your body requires? Looking for a simple solution? Read on…

Science has recently given birth to the concept of Green SuperFoods or PhytoFoods. Super Foods are a concentrated potent source of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, fiber and the essential amino acids, which reputedly add alkalinity to our system, balance us, increase our energy, improve stamina, sharpen mental activity, and deodorize and cleanse the cells and colon.

Super Foods are a return to the basics of the food chain; generally they are organically grown in a chemical free environment. These concentrated, nutrient-rich food powders are mixed with water or juice and consumed in liquid form, preferably on an empty stomach for maximum absorption.

The Super Food that we recommend here in the office comes from a company called LifeSource. It is the highest quality Super Food I know of that is actually reasonably priced. I take the Green PhytoFoods supplement daily. Just look at the benefits below and you will easily understand why I take it- and strongly recommend it!

What are the Benefits of Green PhytoFoods?

• Increased and sustained energy levels, no more ups and downs of energy throughout the day.
• Emulsifies cholesterol & fat.
• Strengthens the immune system
• Natural weight loss by bringing the body back into nutritional balance.
• Detoxifies the intestinal tracts and cleans/purifies the colon.
• Helps control hunger as well as cravings. All natural nutrients ensure that you will get 100% absorption, while synthetic and non organic greens will provide only 5 – 15% absorption.
• Each serving is 5 – 7 servings of fruits, vegetables and whole foods.
• Neutralizes acidity. Helps with heartburn, acid reflux, and upset stomachs, all of which are caused mainly by over-acidification.
• Aids in efficient and enhanced digestion, and improves elimination of bodily wastes.
• Chlorophyll enriched, with fiber-enriched herbs and vegetables, which aids in mental clarity.
• Oxygenates the cells. Help the skin cells to regenerate more efficiently.
• Maximizes blood purification and aids in detoxification.
• Helps dramatically slow the aging processes caused by over-acidification.
• Much healthier skin (unhealthy skin is usually due to poor digestion).

Living at your full potential becomes even more possible when you nutritionally supplement the body wisely!