Health is a choice

Working with patients for over 42 years I’ve learned the importance of proper lifestyle choices. It’s been said there are no incurable diseases just some incurable patients. Outside of rare genetic disorders most people have the inborn ability to live a healthy, pain-free life. But that ability requires making quality life choices. I’m pretty sure most people realize what shape your house would be in you never cleaned it in 20 years. A similar thing is true about your body; if you’re not proactive in taking care of your health then complicated health issues can develop that take time to repair. Unfortunately, in most cases, we are unaware that our bodies are breaking down because we have no obvious symptoms. It’s similar to drinking water, as we age our sense of thirst diminishes and we can be significantly dehydrated and not even know it.

A lot of times it is just simple things that need to be addressed in order to maintain excellent health. Movement is important, you don’t have to be conditioning for the Olympics to stay in good health even three days a week of walking or other exercise can have a significant benefit. Rest and relaxation including refreshing sleep are crucial on regulating stress hormones that can have a profound effect on your health over time. Positive mental and spiritual attitude have a healing effect on the mind as well as the body, practicing an act of kindness not only helps others in our society but floods your body with important hormones and chemicals that not only give you a sense of well-being but have health promoting benefits. Since the nervous system controls and coordinates everything in the body maintaining a stress free nervous system through regular chiropractic adjustments are crucial. Chiropractic keeps the communication channels open and allows the body to self-regulate and heal. And what you put in your mouth is crucial, it has been said that, “We dig our own graves with a fork.”

At Keefe clinic we try to engage each of these five laws of health to help you attain and maintain good health. No matter what pharmaceutical companies tell you drugs can’t heal you they can only manipulate your perception of symptoms. We not only want to encourage you to make healthy choices but also to provide tools to help you maintain the best health possible. With Vega testing we not only pick up problems that are developing but zero in on the best product or formula to restore normal function.

Since inflammation is a major destroyer of health in our society eating anti-inflammatory foods are essential, fish oils are probably the most important way to control inflammation.

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EPA DHA 300 is an excellent mercury free fish oil to help you maintain better health, 2 to 3 capsules a day will not only keep your heart healthy but help reduce inflammation in your body that can lead to arthritis and other health issues.

Antioxidants are another important addition to controlling chronic disease.

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Pomegranate plus is a blend of the most potent antioxidant foods and taking one or two a day is an excellent way to support your health. Remember with testing we can be more specific with what your body needs.

To your better health,

Dr. Keefe

If you have not set up your account at natural partners then go to npscript.com/Keefeclinic and set up an account (if a code is asked for use 6631111). There is no charge to set up this account and they do not sell email addresses. Once the account is set up you can order any of their over 9000 products in the comfort of your own home and have them shipped to your door. Note: for period of time you can get free shipping, order today! For help ordering call 888-950-2767

A treatment for CANDIDA ALBICANS. infection based on a popular home remedy has been shown to be at least as affective as currently prescribed medications. Some recent double-blind study results show the effectiveness of different treatments for "yeast" infection - boric acid powder capsules 92% cure rate.

CANDIDA ALBICANS, the most common cause of vulvovaginitis (infection, itching, and pain of the vulva and vagina) accounts for nearly 20% of outpatient gynecology visits. The currently available medications, which are vaginal creams that many patients find to be costly and unpleasant to use, have only a 60% to 90% effectiveness rate. BORIC ACID POWDER, on the other hand, is inexpensive, well accepted by patients and is non toxic. You can make your own size 0 gelatin capsules with 600 mg. of boric acid powder, and it may cost you only .31 cents to make 14 capsules.

The boric acid treatment for yeast infections has been printed in and told about by the lay press for years. In vitro studies show that its effectiveness comes from its fungistatic properties.

HIGH CURE RATE

At the University of Virginia, a study showed the results of treatment of 500 infected college students with intravaginal capsules containing 600 mg. of boric acid powder. The cure rate was 90%. Another study involved a double-blind comparison of boric acid and nystatin.

When statistically significant results were reached, the study was ended. It was found that 7 to 10 days after treatment 92% (45 of 49) of the patients treated with boric acid were cured, as measured by negative cultures and absent symptoms, as compared with 64% (35 of 55) of those treated with capsules containing 100,000 units of nystatin. At 30 days the cure rate was 76% for boric acid and 78% for nystatin. Symptom relief was attained at an equal rate in both drug groups.

So far nearly 2000 patients have been treated with boric acid powder capsules, given daily for one week then twice a week for three more weeks. Most patients had a little watery discharge during the treatment, but only six patients reported some local irritation.

Preliminary observations of the investigators suggest that a single weekly capsule of boric acid may prevent recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Insert one capsule intravaginally each night for 7 days, then twice a week for three more weeks. Do not eat sweets.

Looking at the 10 top reasons people seek healthcare

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There's a lot of misinformation, politics and deception in healthcare and as a patient it can be difficult to make educated decisions. There are really only two types of healthcare in the United States, allopathic medicine and natural healthcare. Allopathic medicine focuses on drugs and surgery whereas natural healthcare focuses on enhancing body function, diet, exercise etc. (See our posts on the natural laws of health)

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I thought, as a healthcare consumer, you might simply want to see the different approaches with the 10 most common reasons people see doctors of any type.

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Cholesterol leads the list. Most of you are probably aware of the drugs that are used for cholesterol as you see their advertisements 50 times a day on television and radio as well as print media. What you might not know is how the drugs work.

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I believe that you need to understand 80% of the cholesterol in your blood your liver made. That means only 20% comes from diet. Even so diet can lead to the stress factors that promote the liver to make cholesterol. So in natural healthcare our focus is on establishing a healthy liver. Whereas the drugs for cholesterol actually make your liver a little sick. The sick liver doesn't make as much cholesterol and thus your cholesterol numbers fall.

In natural healthcare we don't see that is making much sense. Plus the statistics don't show it makes a big difference in lifespan. You can't be healthy by making parts of your body sick so in natural healthcare we identify the proper diet that a person needs and also the nutrients the liver needs in order to establish normal cholesterol levels. I will let you decide which of these approaches makes more sense.

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Acid reflux is the next major reason people visit physicians. Most of you know that antacids are the number one approach allopathic medicine uses. Digestion is a complicated system and I encourage you to read our pamphlet on acid reflux to fully understand the process. Is acid reflux caused by a lack of antacids in our diet? Chronic antacid use causes malnutrition because it suppresses your body's normal digestive process. In natural healthcare we work at reestablishing a normal digestive system because any organ in the digestive system can be a source of acid reflux if it is operating abnormally. If you take antacids you need to ask yourself what organ is that correcting? Of course it's not correcting anything it's just suppressing symptoms at a cost. The cost to your digestive process and your nutritional status and thus your health.

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Depression. The most common allopathic approach is to use drugs that manipulate neurotransmitters. Depression is a complex condition that can have several sources of malfunction within the body. Antidepressants do not correct these problems. At best an antidepressant might artificially alter certain neurotransmitters. Did you know your neurotransmitters are made by amino acids from your diet? In natural healthcare there are many nutrients that we might work with in reestablishing normal neurotransmitter levels. For instance with serotonin L-tryptophan is a very common amino acid that might be deficient. And so instead of artificially trying to alter the serotonin level in natural healthcare we would give the body what it needs to make more serotonin. Again other neurotransmitters and other health issues like hormone imbalances or blood sugar imbalances could be involved in this. In natural healthcare we would address those underlying causes. Antidepressants do not correct any of these underlying causes.

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Osteoarthritis. Of course allopathic medicine uses dangerous painkillers and artificial anti-inflammatories to address this condition. But did you know 20,000 arthritic die every year from perforated ulcers because they take aspirin? And did you know that aspirin accelerates arthritis? Treating a symptom just allows the underlying condition time to get worse over time. Treating the underlying condition eliminates the symptoms because healing has taken place. Arthritis has multiple causes: food allergies, fatty acid deficiencies, mineral deficiencies, autoimmune processes etc. Again painkillers do not address any of these underlying causes. The natural approach would include joint realignment to reduce inflammation and decreased wear and tear of the joint. Nutritional therapy to supply nutrients for cartilage and joint health as well as essential fatty acids to supply lubrication to the joints.  There are many other things a natural healthcare provider might utilize in helping patients overcome their arthritis not just covering the symptoms and allowing the condition time to get worse.

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Pain. Advisors for the FDA have recommended all painkillers to be removed from the market because of their danger. Just a few years ago three painkillers were permanently removed from the market because of the deaths they caused. Did you know 3500 women a year die from kidney failure taking ibuprofen for their headaches? We just discussed the 20,000 arthritic who die from taking aspirin. The facts are over 3000 people a week die from prescription drugs many of those from painkillers. And do painkillers address the root cause for pain? Of course not! When people notice pain relief in natural healthcare it is because healing has taken place. There are so many different aspects to pain that we can't discuss them all here but natural healthcare is the most effective approach to dealing with the root cause of pain than any other approach on this planet. And you're not going to die from the treatment.

Diabetes. I would be the first one to say that for type 1 diabetes taking insulin might be your only choice. Insulin does not cure your diabetes and if you're diabetic you'll suffer from the disease but insulin will keep you alive. When it comes to type II diabetes natural healthcare offers tremendous help. 70% of all type II diabetics can be drug-free with normal blood sugar levels with a combination of diet and targeted nutritional therapy. Natural healthcare is the only approach that can address insulin resistance. Plus it is safe as well as effective.

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Allergies. The most common allopathic approach is antihistamines. Histamine is a normal immune process and essential in keeping you healthy. One study indicated chronic antihistamine use could make you susceptible to cancer. Why? Chronically suppressing the immune system is not a smart idea. Allergies respond beautifully to homeopathic antigens and nutritional therapy to build up the adrenals and immune system. Antihistamines do not fix anything they just suppress symptoms. Again symptom suppression allows the underlying weakness or condition time to get worse. Natural healthcare offer some of the most dramatic healing results when it comes to allergies.

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Osteoporosis. Every osteoporosis drug has a long list of side effects. Ask this simple question, is osteoporosis a drug deficiency disease? Of course not! Of the five nutrients the FDA allows claims to be made for, hydroxyapatite for osteoporosis is one of those. Osteoporosis is a combination of nutritional deficiencies (and I'm not talking about calcium), hormone imbalances, and a lack of exercise. Which of these do the drugs fix? Of course none of these. To understand osteoporosis completely you should read our pamphlet "The truth about Osteoporosis".

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Sleep disorders. Sleeping pills are a public healthcare disaster. Just ask the lady who the police were called on and was found naked at midnight power washing her house. The sleep medication had caused the bizarre sleepwalking event because of the way it alters brain chemistry. We know serotonin and melatonin are behind most sleep disorders and guess what you get serotonin and melatonin from, L-tryptophan. Most sleep disorders are just a sign of nutritional deficiencies.  Sleeping pills do not appropriately address these issues. One of the things patients tell me when they received chiropractic care is that they sleep better. Do you think reducing the stress that misalignments cause the nervous system would help the body relax and sleep?  Find out the cause, correct the cause.

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Asthma is the last on the list of the top 10. Allopathic medicine use some of the most dangerous debilitating drugs on kids with asthma including steroids. Do these drugs cure asthma? I think you know the answer to that. Chiropractic and natural healthcare has a long history of fixing the underlying causes for asthma. Drugs don't heal! I remember the seven-year-old patient several years ago who was having alarming symptoms from the drugs his medical doctor had put him on and yet he was a prisoner in his own house. He would look out the window at his friends playing and cry because he couldn't go outside due to his allergies. Three weeks of chiropractic care he was off all of his medication and outside playing with his friends.

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The bottom line is this. You have been manipulated primarily by pharmaceutical companies in most cases into making decisions about your health that are the wrong decisions. Pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars every year on manipulating how you think about your health.

They've even come up with phony conditions and then promote their dangerous drugs to treat them. And they use slick advertising to make you think that you need to take a drug in order to be happy or healthy.

Drugs are necessary in crisis care. Drugs are like the fire department coming in with their axes and hoses to tear down doors and walls to put the fire out. Allopathic medicine is very destructive to your body and your health.

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Natural healthcare is like the carpenters and who come in and rebuild the home. If you keep the electrical system and the gas lines in good working order you might not have a fire. If you keep your body, your nervous system and energy systems in good working order you might not need emergency healthcare.

Chiropractic and natural healthcare can make a tremendous difference in your health and the health of your family. Seek solutions for your healthcare. Health is a natural expression of your body.

Back Pain

Proper Health starts with the correct acid-alkaline balance in your body. The pH level (acid - alkaline measurement) of our internal fluids affects every cell in our bodies. Extended acid imbalances of any kind can overwhelm your body, and lead to health complications.

Just as the body regulates its temperature in a rigid manner, so will it manage to preserve a very narrow pH range - especially in the blood. As a matter of fact, the body will go to such great lengths to maintain a blood pH of 7.365 that it will even create stress on other tissues, body systems, and organs to do so. Chronic acidity will interrupt all cellular activities and functions - it interferes with life itself.

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When the pH of the body gets out of balance (too acidic), we may experience low energy, fatigue, excess weight, poor digestion, aches and pains, and even more serious disorders.

The cycle of acidity begins primarily as a result of three things:
1. Ingesting acids. Eating too many acidifying foods like processed sugar, meats, dairy, coffee, alcohol, etc. Create an acid ash in the body. These acids can overload the body's ability to neutralize them.
2. Creation of acids. Pathogens and microforms create acidifying toxins in the body. As the body becomes more and more acidic, bad bacteria, yeasts and other microforms proliferate in the body. Since these organisms are living, they eat as well as create resulting toxins. These toxins are often very acidifying.
3. Improper elimination of acids. Not all acids are the same; some are weak and some are strong. Weak acids like citric acid are much easier to neutralize than strong acids like uric acid. The body uses many systems in order to buffer acids including breath, mineral reserves, and fat. When the body's buffering systems become compromised, excess acids build up.

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The process of reestablishing acid-alkaline balance begins with proper diet and nutrition. This includes eating alkalizing foods (vegetables, low sugar fruits, etc.), super hydration (drinking plenty of alkaline water), and proper supplementation.

Keeping yourself BALANCED is your first line of defense in fighting any disease and alkaline water creates a major impact in balancing the body's pH.

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A body that is too acidic provides the ideal environment for diseases to manifest and thrive in. For example, accumulated acid waste in the joints encourages inflammation and arthritis. It turns acidic wastes into solids and stores them in fatty tissues resulting in hardening of the arteries and excess weight. Our body also tries to buffer the effect of this excess acid by taking calcium from the bones, and magnesium needed for heart health.

Therefore, one of the keys to great health is keeping the body pH properly balanced. Because of the predominance of hydroxyl ions produced, making the water highly alkaline, drinking plenty of alkaline water will help dissolves accumulated acid waste and will balance your body pH.

Restoring the pH balance in the body.

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Alkaline water can neutralize the acidity of the body caused by stress, modern diet, air pollution, and many bottled waters.

- A higher pH in the body reduces the need for fat and cholesterol to protect the body from damaging acids.

- Alkaline water is negatively charged and an "antioxidant." Antioxidants reduce cellular and DNA damage caused by free radicals. Negatively charged alkaline water creates energy by giving up ions to positive ions.

- Alkaline water tastes lighter with a pleasantly sweet flavor.

- Improves the body's absorption of essential nutrients

- Improves body function by cleaning your cells from the inside out.

- Using water with a higher pH level improves the taste of beverages and food.

- Improves your immune system function to help you fight diseases.

- Cooking with alkaline water improves the taste and quality of foods and using acidic water when boiling eggs improves their quality

Understanding pH Values

For those not familiar with pH scales:
Pure acid is pH 0
Pure alkaline is pH 14
Neutral (neither acid nor alkaline) is pH 7
pH 7 is ten times more alkaline than pH 6
pH 8 is 100 times more alkaline than pH 6
pH 9 is 1,000 times ore alkaline than pH 6

How much do I drink?

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Your water needs are based on your body weight. Half your body weight is your cleansing dose and 80% of that is your minimum because otherwise you're dehydrated.

100 pound person, 50 ounces is their cleansing dose and 40 ounces is a minimum of fluids they should drink every day.

How much alkaline water should I drink? That depends on your pH. We carry very sensitive pH paper for determining your urine pH which is the pH we base your need for alkaline water on. If you're a vegetarian and your pH is already alkaline then you can just drink regular filtered water. But if your pH is lower than 6.4 then you need to drink alkaline water. I would recommend 1 L a day minimum. Depending on your weight more might be indicated.

How alkaline of water should I drink? Water can come from about 7.8 to 10. You can drink water that is to alkaline for you and it is best to be tested at our office to determine the best pH. Waters with a pH of 9 to 9.5 tend to test the best, but your situation might be different.

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Both saliva and urine pH should be 6.4. When you maintain that then your blood and cells will be able to maintain the pH that is right for them. Saliva pH indicate your digestive pH whereas urine pH indicates your body pH. So for determining your need for alkaline water urine pH is the one to watch. Also it is recommended not to drink alkaline water with meals. If you're going to drink water with a meal I recommend squeezing several lemon or lime slices in the water to make it acidic. Lemon and lime will be alkaline on your body yet acid in your stomach.

I don't keep up with drug sales let alone the actions and side effects of all the latest drugs. But I would think antacids must be making pharmaceutical companies literally billions of dollars each year. (The January 8, 2001 issue of Business Week mentions that Priolsec is the top selling prescription drug in the world. It earns Astra Zeneca (the drug’s maker) 6 billion dollars per year.)

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One of the reasons that antacids sell so well is that they stop the pain in 60-70% of the cases. (A recent online survey of over 4200 patients taking Priolosec.) If you're troubled with chronic acid reflux and you can take a pill and all the pain just disappears, it seems like you're doing the right thing, doesn't it? Before you answer that let me explain the digestive process and then ask you that question again.

Digestion is literally a miracle. All the different types of foods and yet your body knows the exact enzymes and the correct amount to properly breakdown each food to its simplest component. Complex carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars, proteins are broken down into their individual amino acids and fats and oils are reduced to their individual fatty acids. And then the process of properly absorbing these nutrients along with the vitamins, minerals and enzymes plus other things that were still learning about. If you eat different foods you get different kinds and amounts of enzymes to digest them.

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As you chew your food you help break it down for your stomach as well as blend it with saliva which helps start the whole process. As the food enters the stomach it starts to churn and release digestive enzymes. Hydrocloric acid (HCl) is one of the most important enzymes that the stomach releases. The amount of HCl that leaves the stomach with the food entering the small intestines stimulate fluids from the liver and gallbladder as well as enzymes from the pancreas to complete the digestive process. It is essential that the right amount of HCl enters the small intestines to begin a wavelike motion called peristalsis that help move the food throughout the intestines. If the level of HCl is less than ideal then every other step in the digestive process is compromised.

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It's like when you have a row of dominos stacked together and push the first one over a chain reaction happens. Without HCl the rest of the digestive process is severely compromised. If you don't produce the right amount of enzymes then you cannot breakdown your foods properly. If you don’t break your foods down properly you can not absorbe nutrients that your body requires. Studies of individuals who have used antacids over a long peiord of time find evidence of malnutrition. Doesn't that make sense? What do antacids do? They severely reduced if not completely block the release of HCl. Remember the chain of dominos.

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When you consistently reduced the amount of HCl that is released from your stomach that causes a series of changes in the lining of your stomach. A healthy stomach has a mucous lining that protects the stomach from its own acids. When the body senses that this coating has been reduced it automatically reduces the amount of HCl it secretes. As this happens the stomach will churn more to help break down the foods. After a series of processes, this increase of abnormal stomach contractions can force what little bit of HCl you produce up into the esophagus.

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This can cause a burning or painful sensation from your stomach up into the back of your throat. This is called acid reflux. This condition is rarely due to the overproduction of HCl. If this problem is not corrected over a lifetime the chronic inflammation to the cells can lead to cancer. But be forewarned, the chronic suppression of HCl with antacids will lead to incompletely digested food irritating your intestines and increasing your chance for colon cancer. Usually the mechanism I described above is leading to the inappropriate release of HCl into the esophagus. It is true eliminating the amount of HCl you produce will relieve symptoms. It's also true that these drugs will relieve you of the normal digestive process.

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Now the main question is this- is the choice between symptom relieve with drugs or suffering pain with each meal? No! By properly correcting the dysfunction within the digestive system you can, not only restore proper function without drugs, you can also overcome your acid reflux.

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There are several principles to good digestion. Completely chewing your food, not combining proteins with sweet fruits, don't eat too quickly, eat foods that are consistent with your body and blood type, too much dairy with a meal could interfere with the digestive process and watch the junk food. Fiber helps move the food through your digestive system.

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A lot of time patients with digestive problems also notice that they have discomfort between the shoulder blades. Neurologically this is very significant. The nerves between the fourth thoracic and eight thoracic are some of the most important controlling nerves to your digestive system. If you carry nerve pressure in your upper back then your digestive system is most likely compromised. Now remember, you can have nerve pressure without back symptoms, though alot of patients with acid reflux know what I'm talking about when I talk about discomfort between their shoulder blades.

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B-vitamins are very important when it comes to digestion and because you can't store B-vitamins. A good percentage of patients with digestive problems also have deficiencies in some of their B-vitamins. We also use targeted nutritional formulas to help restore the normal lining of the stomach along with diet and Chiropractic adjustments.

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The care I just outlined for acid reflux is also extremely beneficial from most other digestive problems. Chiropractic care is the most effective treatment on the planet for digestive disorders. Most other approaches, even with gastroenterologists, focus primarily on symptom relieve and not correction.

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Now let me ask you that question again and tell me if you might have a different answer. If you're troubled with chronic acid reflux and you can take a pill and all the pain just disappears, it seems like you're doing the right thing, doesn't it? Are you?

Controlling cravings for sweets and alcohol

Refined carbohydrates can be an issue for many people to resist. The dangers of over consuming refined carbohydrates include diabetes. As we over consume carbohydrates the demand on the pancreas to secrete extra insulin can lead to inflammation in the body. This overabundance of insulin plus inflammation can lead to a condition called insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is what drives most type II diabetes. As the blood sugar fluctuates this can cause a craving for sweets and alcohol. Two nutrients that can help the body regulate sugar levels and thus cravings are B complex and chromium. Maintaining high levels of protein in the diet can also help.

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Glycoplex and Chromium Picolinate are the two nutrients we are highlighting today, I recommend taking two a day of each product.

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An alternate product for stubborn cravings would be L-GLUTAMINE (probably two or three grams daily) This amino acid has been shown to improve brain function in alcoholics, resulting in improved sleep, decreased anxiety and a reduced craving for alcohol.

To your better health,

Dr. Keefe

If you have not set up your account at natural partners then go to npscript.com/Keefeclinic and set up an account (if a code is asked for use 6631111). There is no charge to set up this account and they do not sell email addresses. Once the account is set up you can order any of their over 9000 products in the comfort of your own home and have them shipped to your door. Note: for period of time you can get free shipping, order today! For help ordering call 888-950-2767

Headaches

Chiropractic adjustments are one of the best treatments for headaches. Studies show chiropractic adjustments rank at the top of effectiveness for all types of headaches. Since most headaches are related to misalignments in the neck, the adjustment takes pressure off the nerves that trigger the headache. Not all headaches are related to neck misalignments. The Liver can be a source of headaches when it’s not doing its job detoxifying thebody. Not only is the liver responsible for removing toxins the liver also removes excess hormones from the body. When the liver is not doing his job this can lead to chemical reactions that can trigger headaches.

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To your better health,

Dr. Keefe

If you have not set up your account at natural partners then go to npscript.com/Keefeclinic and set up an account (if a code is asked for use 6631111). There is no charge to set up this account and they do not sell email addresses. Once the account is set up you can order any of their over 9000 products in the comfort of your own home and have them shipped to your door. Note: for period of time you can get free shipping, order today! For help ordering call 888-950-2767

Can Vitamin C help with concussions?

How should hockey star Sidney Crosby, or my own child, be treated if he suffered a brain concussion?

To answer this question I interviewed Dr. Andrew Saul, editor-in-chief of the Orthomolecular Medical News Service, and a world authority on nutrition. Dr. Saul confirmed what I suspected, that bruised brains are not receiving the treatment they desperately need.

Newton's Law states, "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." Unfortunately, our Maker didn't use screws to anchor the human brain inside its skull. So, without this protection, sudden blows to the head toss the brain against a formidable hard skull, causing various degrees of injury.

But there's a problem. It's easy to diagnose a fractured arm, but impossible to know the amount of brain injury after a concussion.

Concussion causes a variety of symptoms such as headache, double vision and the feeling of "having my bell rung." So some hockey players do not remember the score. Or they suffer seizures, weakness on one side, and loss of consciousness. Dr. Karen Johnston, neurosurgeon at McGill University, Montreal, states a cardinal rule: "Players suspected of having a concussion must sit out the game. They must never be told to 'shake it off' or left alone, and must be seen by a physician."

The time honoured therapy for concussion is rest and a gradual return to the game. But recent research shows that some activity can improve the outcome.
Researchers also stress the need for sound nutrition. For instance, the body needs renewed magnesium and zinc as it loses these minerals after concussion. Omega -3 fatty acids, abundant in fish oil, help to decrease inflammation. Vitamin D is also believed to be neuroprotective along with a high protein diet.

But I suggested to Dr. Saul, "If my child suffered a concussion I'd ask doctors to immediately start an intravenous infusion containing 30,000 to 100,000 milligrams of Vitamin C. I'd continue this dose for one week to decrease inflammatory risk and reduce brain damage." Saul agreed. He replied, "Yes, it makes complete sense as the blood level of C is depressed following trauma such as a concussion. We also know that vitamin C is a great antioxidant and helps to repair injured tissue."But his follow up surprised me. "I would take vitamin C", he added, "in advance of any contact sport, especially an open battle like hockey." Saul was saying what should always be preached, that "prevention is better than cure." It's true whether dealing with cardiovascular disease or concussion.
I've repeatedly stressed that high doses of Vitamin C decrease the risk of heart attack. The vast majority of doctors, however, disagree with me. They are convinced that only cholesterol-lowering drugs prevent coronary attack.

There should be no disagreement on this issue as stress has been proven to decrease blood levels of C. For instance, cancer patients have one-third the amount of C needed by the body, those with diabetes one-half, and after traumatic accidents like concussion, the level can decrease to just 10%! The sad news is that C's magic and safety has been known for decades but ignored by the medical profession. I believe that Vitamin C, given intravenously, can cure viral diseases like polio, meningitis, encephalitis, measles, heal burns, and even neutralize the toxin of a poisonous snake. And I've personally been cold-free for years due to a high intake of C.

Dr. Frederick R. Klenner, who first cured polio with Vitamin C, created another rule. High doses of C must be administered for success. Will Sidney Crosby or other players get high doses of intravenous Vitamin C for a concussion? It's most unlikely.

History shows that it's hard to change ingrained habits of the medical establishment.
But individuals can get smart. Or as Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, preached, "always choose the least sensational treatment." Again Vitamin C fits the bill.

When healthcare becomes dangerous

It’s been said that if the only tool you have is a hammer then everything looks like a nail. I think everybody can see that fixing the electronics of your TV with a hammer is probably not a good choice of tools.

As a healthcare provider if your only tool is drugs then everything else looks like a drug deficiency condition. How many believe that headaches are  a drug deficiency disease or acid reflux is because you not taking enough drugs or how about low back pain is it because you don’t take enough opiate drugs.

We all have tendencies to follow patterns like always going to the same place to get your car fixed or the same place to get a steak. We usually start some of those patterns by what we perceive people in general are doing. Those types of perceptions can be programmed by advertisements both on television and print media. In today’s environment it’s important to think for yourself and when it comes to your health you want to make choices that fix problems and not just cover them up.

Chiropractic and natural healthcare gets results not because we use powerful chemicals to cover symptoms but because we treat underlying causes for those symptoms. It’s true in some cases you can take a pain pill when you have a headache but it’s not true a lack of pain pills have caused your headache. So if you undergo treatment that leaves the underlying cause alone you’re asking for health problems to become more advanced and deeper entrenched within your body.

Simply put; health problems come from breaking certain natural laws. We focus on the 5 most important law which include: diet, exercise, positive mental and spiritual attitude, rest and stress handling and the last law: maintain a healthy nervous system (a pressure free balanced nervous system). Our bodies were designed to self-repair but if you lack the building blocks or the regulation and control of the nervous system then your body starts to break down.

Chiropractic/natural healthcare 1^st, drugs 2^nd, surgery last. In today’s healthcare market the wrong choice could cost you a life of addiction or death. Make wise decisions.

Product highlight: Enflamen is a combination product for pain and inflammation. 3 times a day is the recommended dose. We have multiple products for pain and inflammation so Vega testing is an effective way for us to find an effective product for your condition.

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To your better health,

Dr. Keefe

Low back pain is the number 1 health problem in the United States and most Western countries. Both drugs and surgery have been shown to be inferior approaches in the treatment of low back pain.

91 people die every day because of opiate addiction started by a prescription given to them by their medical doctor for pain, low back pain being the most common. Medical doctors have minimal training in structural problems that’s why they throw drugs and surgery at the problem. In the 1990s the US government released a report to every doctor’s office and healthcare facility in the US concerning low back pain and recommending spinal adjusting as the number 1 active and effective treatment. Yet you will read below that supposedly most doctors are unaware of this. Drug therapy kills 2000 people a week based on Senate reports and that has been happening for as long as we have records and will only increase if change isn’t forced upon the medical profession. Here’s a summary of the report released by the government around 20 years ago.

The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, a branch of Health and Human Services, reviewed all treatments for acute low back pain and developed the following conclusions:

Physical therapy is not cost effective.

Acupuncture is not effective.

Over the counter anti-inflammatory medication worked as well as prescription ones (Cox-2 inhibitors were not included in the study).

Sclerotherapy and Prolotherapy are not effective.

The use of cortisone injections should be used only in cases of sciatic pain which radiates down the leg and doesn’t respond to conservative therapy.

Surgery is over used and should be offered in less then 1% of cases.

Rest should be given initially for 24-48 hours.

Early movement that is tolerable should be initiated after 48 hours.

Cushioning in shoes can be helpful.

Spinal adjustments are the only active form of therapy given by a professional which is helpful.

Since most doctors and patients are not aware of this report, patients all around the country are needlessly suffering and being mistreated. There are many treatments available for severe back problems that have better short and long term benefits over spinal surgery, epidural injections and long term pain medications. Our office is aware of the latest advances and are free to discuss these alternatives with you. 918-663-1111

The last thing you might expect going to a doctor for a health problem is becoming a drug addict in the process. In the U.S., painkiller addiction is so rampant that 91 Americans die every day from an overdose of prescription opioids or heroin.

In 1986 the government sent a report to every doctor and healthcare facility in the US. That report was based on extensive research into back pain. Most people might not realize that low back pain is the number 1 health problem in the United States. It's responsible for more time off work, the high cost of rehabilitation on top of the extra high cost of surgery. Since surgery is only 20 to 30% effective and cost a lot of money the government decided to find the most effective treatment for back pain. After they evaluated all the research from around the world the number 1 active treatment they recommended was spinal adjustments. And so they sent this report to every healthcare facility in the United States in hopes of saving the country money.

Unfortunately this report was largely ignored. Surgeons kept doing ineffective surgery, and drug therapist kept giving more powerful painkillers. Today if you listen to news reports you realize we are having an opiate addiction problem like none other. Even though opiates can block pain they also cause a lot of drug addicts to this deadly drug. Since our healthcare system seems to focus more on gaining power over helping patients then you have to be your own protector. Just because a doctor writes your prescription doesn't mean that prescription is going to be both safe and effective for you.

Studies have shown over the past 50 years or so that there are over 2000 people who die every week from prescriptions they get from their doctor. These statistics only come from hospital bound patients we’re not for sure how many a week die who are not hospitalized. 2000 a week is like 3 jumbo jets crashing every week with no survivors for the past 50 years. There are over a million hospitalizations related to drug therapy per year. Now I would be the 1st to say that in certain conditions drugs are necessary to keep a person alive i.e. insulin for type 1diabetes. But the percent of the population who needs prescriptions to survive is a very low percent. Most people's conditions could be safely and effectively resolved through natural healthcare and chiropractic.

A seven-year study showed that patients whose primary physician was a chiropractor, experienced these results: 60% less hospital admissions, 59% less days in the hospital, 62% less outpatient surgeries, 85% less in pharmaceutical costs.  Not only is natural healthcare/chiropractic substantially more effective in the countries’ number 1 health problem (low back pain) nutritional therapy and chiropractic can effectively resolve most nonemergency health challenges.

If you're having a heart attack you need to be in the hospital but after you’re released, if you want to fix the underlining problem that led to the heart attack, then drugs are not going to help you very much. Natural healthcare/chiropractic focuses on the underlying cause of disease. For instance type II diabetes is a growing problem in our society and drugs do not correct that, insulin might be essential in type I diabetes for those bodies who can't make insulin so you have to take it in order to stay alive. But conditions like type II diabetes are related to dietary faults and the subsequent over stressing of the bodies sugar management systems. Simple dietary changes along with targeted nutritional therapy can help the cells recognize insulin and self-regulate blood sugar levels.

I don't care if we are talking about allergies, blood pressure, autoimmune problems, and hormone problems in a high percent of cases you simply find the cause and correct the cause and health is the result. But we live in a pharmaceutical controlled society when it comes to healthcare. Multibillion dollar pharmaceutical companies have taken over healthcare and most clinics and hospitals. Unfortunately their bottom line is not your health but their bank account.

Just because you can take a drug and that drug may make acid reflux feel better doesn't mean that's the correct approach. Shutting down your digestive system at the level of the stomach will deftly remove acid that might burn your esophagus but it will also remove the initial digestive process to properly digest and absorb nutrients from what you eat. That's why studies of people who have taken antacids for long periods of time develop signs and symptoms of malnutrition. When you mess with the digestive system you mess with life. Acid reflux like headaches or back pain have a cause. Never is that because of a lack of pharmaceuticals.

Unfortunately in today's healthcare system symptom relief has become the dominant approach. That makes as much sense as clipping the wire to the warning light on your dashboard and thinking you've taken care of something, yes the warning light has gone off but the problem still there. This is one of the reasons why chronic disease has skyrocketed over the past 40 years. Who would guess it? If you don't fix the problem it just becomes much worse.

Natural healthcare/chiropractic offers a completely different approach to health care in that we don't play the symptom relief came. Our total focus is on finding the cause and then developing effective strategies to resolve the cause. When the cause is eliminated so are the symptoms.

You might think all doctors have this mindset but not if their primary treatment is pharmaceuticals. Except in very rare cases pharmaceuticals are never the appropriate treatment for most healthcare problems. If you have reoccurring headaches then either you have vertebra in your neck out of place or you have toxicity issues or possibly hormonal issues that need to be corrected. Painkillers don't fix any of those possible causes. Painkillers are the biggest killers in drug therapy. Several well-known painkillers have been taken off the market over the past 20 years because of the death rate. And opiates will not only kill you but they can cause a lifetime addiction and they don't fix at all the underlying cause for pain.

Buyer beware is a important slogan to protect yourself in the marketplace. Unfortunately in today's healthcare system you need to take responsibility for yours and your families choices in healthcare.

Diet sodas may be tied to stroke, dementia risk

(CNN)Gulping down an artificially sweetened beverage not only may be associated with health risks for your body, but also possibly your brain, a new study suggests.

Artificially sweetened drinks, such as diet sodas, were tied to a higher risk of stroke and dementia in the study, which published in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke on Thursday.

The study sheds light only on an association, as the researchers were unable to determine an actual cause-and-effect relationship between sipping artificially sweetened drinks and an increased risk for stroke and dementia. Therefore, some experts caution that the findings should be interpreted carefully.

No connection was found between those health risks and other sugary beverages, such as sugar-sweetened sodas, fruit juice and fruit drinks.

Are diet sodas dangerous to your health?

"We have little data on the health effects of diet drinks and this is problematic because diet drinks are popular amongst the general population," said Matthew Pase, a senior research fellow in the department of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and lead author of the new study.

"More research is needed to study the health effects of diet drinks so that consumers can make informed choices concerning their health," he said.

The new study involved data on 2,888 adults older than 45 and 1,484 adults older than 60 from the town of Framingham, Massachusetts. The data came from the Framingham Heart Study, a project of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Boston University.

In the older-than-45 group, the researchers measured for stroke and in the older-than-60 group, they measured for dementia.

"The sample sizes are different because we studied people of different ages," Pase said. "Dementia is rare in people under the age of 60 and so we focused only on those aged over 60 years for dementia. Similarly, stroke is rare in people aged under 45 and so we focused on people older than age 45 for stroke."

The researchers analyzed how many sugary beverages and artificially sweetened soft drinks each person in the two different age groups drank, at different time points, between 1991 and 2001. Then, they compared that with how many people suffered stroke or dementia over the next 10 years.

Compared to never drinking artificially sweetened soft drinks, those who drank one a day were almost three times as likely to have an ischemic stroke, caused by blocked blood vessels, the researchers found.

They also found that those who drank one a day were nearly three times as likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

Those who drank one to six artificially sweetened beverages a week were 2.6 times as likely to experience an ischemic stroke but were no more likely to develop dementia, Pase said.

"So, it was not surprising to see that diet soda intake was associated with stroke and dementia. I was surprised that sugary beverage intake was not associated with either the risks of stroke or dementia because sugary beverages are known to be unhealthy," Pase said.

In response, Lauren Kane, a spokeswoman for the American Beverage Association, issued a statement from the group that said low-calorie sweeteners found in beverages have been proven safe by worldwide government safety authorities.

"The FDA, World Health Organization, European Food Safety Authority and others have extensively reviewed low-calorie sweeteners and have all reached the same conclusion -- they are safe for consumption," the statement said.

"While we respect the mission of these organizations to help prevent conditions like stroke and dementia, the authors of this study acknowledge that their conclusions do not -- and cannot -- prove cause and effect. And according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), many risk factors can increase an individual's likelihood of developing stroke and dementia including age, hypertension, diabetes and genetics. NIH does not mention zero calorie sweeteners as a risk factor," the statement said. "America's beverage companies support and encourage balanced lifestyles by providing people with a range of beverage choices — with and without calories and sugar — so they can choose the beverage that is right for them."

That sweet drink may age you

Separate previous studies have shown an association between the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and adverse health effects, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke, and possibly even heart failure.

"This article provides further evidence though on artificially sweetened beverages and their possible effects on vascular health, including stroke and dementia," said Dr. Ralph Sacco, professor and chair of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, about the new study.

Sacco was a co-author of an editorial published alongside the study in the journal Stroke on Thursday.

"We believe the pathways of which artificially sweetened beverages would affect the brain are probably through vascular mechanisms," Sacco said.

"When the authors controlled for hypertension and diabetes and obesity the effects diminish, which implies that some of the effects of artificially sweetened beverages could still be going through a vascular pathway," he said about the new study. "Many strokes are caused by hardening of arteries; and the risk of dementia is also increased by the hardening of arteries in large and small vessels. So, I believe the mechanisms may be through vascular disease, though we can't prove it."

Heather Snyder, senior director of medical and scientific operations at the Alzheimer's Association, called the new study "a piece of a larger puzzle" when it comes to better understanding how your diet and behaviors impact your brain.

"It's actually really more of your overall diet and overall lifestyle that is linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk, and we do know that heart disease and diabetes are linked to an increased risk of dementia," said Snyder, who was not involved in the new study.

"We know that sugary and artificially sweetened beverages are not great for us. This study adds strength to that, and also says they may not be great for your brain, specifically," she said. "There are alternatives -- things we can all do everyday to keep our brains and our bodies as healthy as we can as we age." Alternatives such as regular cardiovascular exercise that elevates heart rate and increases blood flow and doing puzzles and games to activate and challenge the mind. These are recommendations from the Alzheimer's Associations list of 10 lifestyle habits to reduce risk of cognitive decline.

Spring has sprung and for about 1 in five people, that means facing spring allergy season. For those with type 2 diabetes, spring allergies may require watching out for things that could affect your blood sugar. Discover how spring allergies could lead to raised blood sugar levels and how to prevent it.

Spring allergies typically cause a runny nose, itching and sneezing. The first impulse is to seek the immediate relief of an OTC or prescription oral medication such as an antihistamine. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of American reports about 20 percent of people who use antihistamines become drowsy. If you nap and miss a meal, you could wake up with a low blood sugar. Opt for antihistamines with less of a sedative effect. Additionally, oral decongestants can constrict blood vessels in the body producing effects such as a rise in blood sugar, heightened blood pressure and increased urine retention. Talk to your doctor about side effects and better options that minimize the possibility of blood sugar fluctuations. Also, precaution is required when combining oral decongestants with certain types of antidepressants.

Those with a persistent stuffy nose may select an OTC or prescription nasal spray. Some of them contain steroids that stimulate the liver to produce more glucose and lead to elevated blood sugar levels. Alternatives include an OTC decongestant or antihistamine nasal spray. Discuss the options with your doctor to find the right one for your allergies that won’t cause blood sugar fluctuations. Use a blood glucose meter system to regularly check your blood sugar levels. Report any highs or lows to your doctor right away.

Nasal irrigation is an effective way to relieve congestion and the symptoms associated with spring allergies. Options include a saline nasal spray, Neti pots, nose bidets, bulb syringes, pulsatile irrigation systems and squirt bottles. These methods can help flush out mucus and irritants from the nasal passages to help you breathe more comfortably. Nasal strips are other drug-free alternatives that help open the nasal passages for better airflow.

Spring allergies often come with a cough and a dry, scratchy throat. Cough drops can relieve this uncomfortable feeling. Make sure to check the label and choose a sugar-free brand. Also watch for sugar content in medications, including cough syrups that could cause your blood sugar levels to soar.

For stuffy noses and watery eyes associated with spring allergies, talk to your doctor about eye drops or nasal sprays that contain Cromolyn Sodium. This ingredient is a mast cell stabilizer that helps prevent the release of histamines during allergic reactions. These sprays should be started before the spring allergy season begins and continued until it ends. Modest improvements are made over several days with full benefits in up to one to two weeks.

Consider simple ways to beat spring allergies, so you can avoid the triggers that cause them. Shower after you spend time outdoors to remove the pollen from your body and hair. Close your car and home windows to keep pollen out. Filter allergens with an air filter or air conditioner. Get exercise, such as walking and hiking, on damp or rainy days when the pollen is more washed into the ground. Wear diabetic socks and rain boots that fit properly to keep your feet dry and warm.

click to order

Spring allergies can be uncomfortable and usually topical products are the most effective; they help without causing your blood sugars to rise. When in doubt, talk to your doctor and pharmacist about the best ways to relieve spring allergy symptoms without causing blood sugar fluctuations. Relief is available and it doesn’t have to cause your blood sugar levels to go through the roof.

How to best swallow pills

Many people have problems swallowing pills. When it comes to nutritional therapy your ability and consistency in taking your supplements determine your rate of recovery. One issue that I have discovered that affects a person’s ability to comfortably swallow pills is a flap of tissue called the epiglottis. If this doesn’t work correctly pills that you swallow can try to go down the windpipe. This can set up anxiety when it comes to pill taking which can escalate to a real phobia about swallowing pills.

Before I discuss the technique you want to remember never to take capsules and tablets together. These both have different dynamics in fluid. The rule of thumb is when you take a tablet you lean your head back and then swallow; when you take a capsule you lean your head forward and then swallow.

Now to the issue of the epiglottis, most people will put capsules or tablets in their mouth and then add the water to swallow. It’s important when you’re adding the water that you’re constantly breathing in through your nose. At the end of respiration when you go to swallow it’s just natural for the epiglottis to close so there is no confusion between which pipe the pills are supposed to go. If you breathe in properly the chances of a pill trying to go down the wrong pipe is very slim.

Below are additional tricks to proper swallowing:

Fill a plastic water or soda bottle with water. Put the tablet on your tongue and close your lips tightly around the bottle opening. Take a drink, keeping contact between the bottle and your lips and using a sucking motion to swallow the water and pill.

Until you know what’s behind your swallowing issues, here are a few things you can do to make swallowing medicine a little easier:

• Put a pill in applesauce or pudding. The texture can make it easier to swallow pills whole.
• Grind a pill into a powder and add it to applesauce or pudding.
• Cut a pill with a pill splitter and swallow the smaller pieces one by one.

• You can also use pieces of a bagel, a cracker, or a cookie as well. The texture is similar enough to help the pill go down once the food is chewed.
• You can also take a drink of water afterward to help it go down easier.
• Some medications need to be taken on an empty stomach. Check the bottle of your medication to see if you need to take your medicine on an empty stomach.

Cut a gummy bear. To help you swallow a pill, you can stick it inside a gummy bear. Take the gummy bear and cut a small pocket in the stomach of the bear. Slip the pill inside. Eat the gummy bear, but don't chew it; chewing some medication will change the duration and timing onset of the medication. Just try to swallow it, then once it's in your throat quickly drink your water.^[2]

• This may be difficult if you can't swallow the gummy bear. It may take practice.
• This method is especially helpful for children. Helping mask the pill taking act with a gummy bear will help ease her into taking her medication.

Put the pill inside honey or peanut butter. Pills can be taken with honey or peanut butter because they ease the passage of the pill down your throat. Get a spoon full of either food. Place the pill in the middle of dollop of food you have on the spoon. Make sure to push it into the food. Next, swallow the spoonful of honey or peanut butter with the pill inside. Wash down with water.^[3]

• You should drink water before and after this method. The honey and peanut butter are relatively thick and can feel slow going down. Hydrating your throat beforehand and after will help get the food down quicker and without choking.

Try soft food. If you can't take your pill with bread, try taking it in a soft food such as applesauce, yogurt, ice cream, pudding, or gelatin. This is a common method used in hospitals for patients who have difficulty in swallowing. Make a small dish of the food. Drop the pill into the dish. Eat a little bit of the food before you take the bite with the pill in it. Then take the bite with the pill in it. It should go down easily with the food when you swallow.^[4]

• Make sure you don't chew in the pill.

Use a straw. For some people, using a straw to drink water or a beverage helps the pill to go down better. Place the pill on the back of your tongue. Drink something through a straw and swallow the liquid and the pill. Keep drinking for a few sips after you swallow it to help the pill go down.

• The suction used to pull the liquid through the straw makes it easier to swallow the pill.^[9][10]

Tired of Ants? Try These Natural Ways to Deal With Them

Have you ever left crumbs of food on the floor and accidentally alerted a hoard of ants? While they are mostly harmless, unlike other insects such as ticks and mosquitoes that can cause disease outbreaks, ants can pose a problem if they invade your home.

Here’s everything you need to know about ants, and how you can keep them from wreaking havoc around your house.

Basic Facts About Ants

Ants are usually present when there are sources of food near their colonies, and usually transport and navigate through places in a straight line. These straight lines are marked by pheromones to help each ant navigate to wherever they are going.

This is because ants have poor eyesight, and sometimes only depend on their sense of smell and touch.1 There are also studies that suggest that ants use their legs to sense vibrations in the ground.2

Ants are eusocial insects, which means that they thrive in large groups or populations and have specific divisions in their labor.3 Their colonies comprise of the harvesters, soldiers and the queen.

The majority of the harvesters are female but are sterile because only the queen has the ability to reproduce. Male ants in the colony are only needed for mating and are thus a minority in the ant colony.4 Some ant species are also asexual and depend on cloning to reproduce, which renders the existence of males futile.5

Common Types of Ants

There are various types of ants. Some bite you when they sense that they’re going to get crushed, while some just scurry away. It’s said that there are hundreds of ant breeds that have not yet been identified, however, the four most common types of ants are the odorous house ant, pavement ant, carpenter ant and fire ant.

• Odorous House Ants

The types of ants that are typically found in a home are the odorous house ants. These are called odorous house ants because they emit a rotten coconut smell when they are crushed.

Their nests are usually found in houses, and they often emerge through cracks or holes in the walls. Their diet mostly consists of dead insects and sweets.6

• Pavement Ants

Pavement ants usually live and breed under pavement and inside crack, hence their name. While it is said that the pavement ants’ diet is not precise, it means that these ants will eat anything. Their diet consists of insects, grease, seeds, meat, bread, nuts and other food items.

Usually, pavement ants don’t entirely pose a health threat, but if left alone, they may spread bacteria because of the dirt they leave behind in the food they’ve crawled on.7

• Fire Ants

Fire ants are known for their distinct red color and extremely painful sting. These ants nest in big mounds of dirt, so destroying these nests is the most effective way to stop them from breeding and getting into your home.

They usually enter homes through cracks and holes and are usually seen to feed on leaves and other vegetation.8

Unlike other ants, fire ants are able to adapt to the weather and the environment. The presence of water in their surroundings does not necessarily kill these ants because they can form rafts with their bodies in order to float.9

• Carpenter Ants

These ants build their homes in damp or moldy wood. The presence of carpenter ants usually hints on damage to your homes because they usually build their nests in house supports and beams.

But just because they seemingly destroy wood doesn’t mean that their diet consists solely of this material – they can thrive on other foods, too. These ants make holes in the wood and deposit the powder they’ve produced outside of the wall or the tree.10

Natural Ways to Get Rid of Ants

If you’re trying to get rid of ants in your living space, please note that pesticides are NOT the most ideal solution. These can put your health at risk because of the countless contaminants or toxic substances that you could accidentally ingest or inhale while applying. Instead, try these natural ways to get rid of pesky ants:

• Sprinkle Pepper.Cayenne pepperwill allow you to get rid of ants because they can’t stand the scent. Sprinkle it in places where you think the ants enter or where the ants live, and they’ll leave because of the scent.11
• Spray Them With Lemon Water.Mix lemon juice with water and spray where the ants are found. Spray a few times a day and this will typically solve the ant infestation problem in your home.12
• Use Mint Tea/Leaves.Ants can’t standmint because they loathe strong smells. The next time you drink mint tea, keep the tea bags and put them in areas where there is an ant infestation.

If you don’t drink mint tea, on the other hand, you can also use mint leaves. Dry the leaves, crush them and sprinkle them where the ants are.13

• Try Cinnamon.Ants not only hate the strong smell ofcinnamon, but this spice also meddles with their senses and stops them from following the pheromone trails.

When using cinnamon powder, simply sprinkle it in openings where you suspect the ants are entering your home. You can also use the powder to draw barriers on walls.14

• Leave Cucumber Pieces in Affected Areas.Ants don’t like cucumber’s taste, so they will typically go out of their way to avoid this vegetable. Cut up acucumber and put small pieces in holes or openings where you suspect the ants are entering your home.15

How Do You Prevent an Ant Infestation?

As many of you know, ants love sugary sweets. They are attracted to sugar because it’s a high source of energy. Ants are also attracted to food that is left unattended, crumbs that fell when you are eating or any other food source that is accessible to them.

If you want to avoid the presence of ants in your homes, here are some tips to keep them out.

• Remove Moisture or Water Sources.Like any living thing, ants need water to live. Eliminating stray water sources or moisture from your homes will prevent these insects from establishing a colony in or near your house.16
• Keep Your House Clean.Ants’ food source primarily depends on dead insects or unattended pieces of food. Keeping your house clean and free of leftover food will prevent ants from gravitating towards your home.17
• Remove Materials Where Ants Can Establish Their Nests.Ants establish their colonies in materials that are near a source of food. They also choose debris that will allow them to build their nests. Remove tree stumps, wood, branches and other debris from near your homes.18
• Seal Points of Entry for Ants.This is applicable to houses where ants are just entering the house and have not yet established a colony inside the house itself. Ants find cracks or holes in your homes where they may crawl through. Patching these will help you stop these ants from even getting into your homes.19

Ant invasions aren’t rare in households, but the good news is that there are countless ways to deal with these infestations. These simple yet effective natural tips will help you deal with the problem without compromising your health and your family’s safety.

Chiropractic as the Solution for Mechanical Spine Failure and Failed Back Surgery.

By: William J. Owens DC, DAAMLP

Mark Studin DC, FASBE(C), DAAPM, DAAMLP

A report on the scientific literature. 

The latest CDC statistics show that in 2012, 54 out of 100 people had self-reported musculoskeletal conditions.  By way of comparison, that is six times more than self-reported cases of cancer, double that of respiratory disease and one-third more than circulatory disorders.  If we extrapolate that to a more current population in the United States of 321 million, that equates to 173 million people reporting musculoskeletal problems in 2012.  Many of these are spine patients who suffer long-term without any type of biomechanical assessment or functional case management.

In 2013, Itz, Geurts, van Kleef, and Nelemans reported, “Non-specific low back pain [LBP] is a relatively common and recurrent condition with major medical and economic implications for which today there is no effective cure” (p. 5).  The idea that spinal pain has a “natural history” resulting in a true resolution of symptoms is a myth and the concept that spine pain should only be treated in the acute phase for a few visits has no support in the literature.  We don’t address cardiovascular disease in this manner, i.e. wait until you have a heart attack to treat, we don’t follow this procedure with dentistry, i.e. wait until you need a root canal to treat, and we certainly don’t handle metabolic disorders such as diabetes in this way, i.e. wait until you have diabetic ulcers or advanced vascular disease to treat.  Why does healthcare fall short with spinal conditions in spite of the compelling literature that states the opposite in treatment outcomes?

The front lines of medical care for spine-related pain is typically the prescription of pain medication, particularly at the emergency care level, and then if that doesn’t work, a referral is made to physical therapy. If physical therapy is unsuccessful, the final referral is to a surgeon.  If the surgeon does not intervene with surgery, then the diagnosis becomes “non-specific back pain” and the patient is given stronger medication since there is nothing the surgeon can do.  In those surgical interventions that result in persistent pain, a commonly reported problem, there is an ICD-10 diagnosis for failed spine surgery, M96.1

A recent article Ordia and Vaisman (2011) described this syndrome a bit further stating the following, “We propose that these terms [post laminectomy syndrome or failed back syndrome] should be replaced with Post-surgical Spine Syndrome (PSSS)” (p. 132).  They continued by reporting, “The incidence of PSSS may be reduced by a meticulous neurological examination and careful patient selection.  The facet and sacroiliac joints should always be examined, particularly when the pain is predominantly in the lower back, or when it radiates only to the thigh or groin and not below the knee” (Orida & Vaisman, 2011, p. 132). The authors finally stated, “Adherence to these simple guidelines can result in a significant reduction in the pain and suffering, as also the enormous financial cost of PSSS” (Orida & Vaisman, 2011, p. 132).  What they are referring to is a careful distinction between an “anatomical” versus a “biomechanical” cause of the spine pain.

According to Mulholland (2008), “[Surgery] Spinal fusion became what has been termed the “gold standard” for the treatment of mechanical low back pain, yet there was no scientific basis for this” (p. 619). He continued, “However whilst that fusion [surgery] may be very effective in stopping movement, it was deficient in relation to load transfer” (Mulholland, 2008, p. 623). He concluded, “The concept of instability as a cause of back pain is a myth. The clinical results of any procedure that allows abnormal disc loading to continue are unpredictable” (Mulholland, 2008, p. 624).  Simply put, surgery does not correct the underlying biomechanical failure or the cause of the pain.

When a biomechanical assessment is lacking, the patient’s pain persists and allopathic medicine is focused on “managing the pain” vs. correcting the underlying biomechanical lesion/pathology/imbalance, the medication of choice at this point in care has been opioid analgesics.  Back in 2011, the CDC reported, “Sales of OPR quadrupled between 1999 and 2010. Enough OPR were prescribed last year [2010] to medicate every American adult with a standard pain treatment dose of 5 mg of hydrocodone (Vicodin and others) taken every 4 hours for a month” (p. 1489).  That was 6 years ago, which was when people began to feel that treating musculoskeletal pain with narcotics was trending in the wrong direction.  Now, in 2016, we can see there is a problem of epidemic proportions to the point that MDs are changing how they refer spine patients for diagnosis and treatment.

Dowell, Haegerich, and Chou (2016), along with the CDC, published updated guidelines relating to the prescription of opioid medication:

Opioid pain medication use presents serious risks, including overdose and opioid use disorder. From 1999 to 2014, more than 165,000 persons died from overdose related to opioid pain medication in the United States. In the past decade, while the death rates for the top leading causes of death such as heart disease and cancer have decreased substantially, the death rate associated with opioid pain medication has increased markedly.

…a recent study of patients aged 15–64 years receiving opioids for chronic noncancer pain and followed for up to 13 years revealed that one in 550 patients died from opioid-related overdose at a median of 2.6 years from their first opioid prescription, and one in 32 patients who escalated to opioid dosages >200 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) died from opioid-related overdose. (p. 2)

Clearly, there needs to be a nationwide standard for the process by which patients with spine pain are handled, including academic and clinical leadership on spinal biomechanics.  The only profession that is poised to accomplish such a task is chiropractic.

In a recent study by Houweling et al. (2015), the authors reported, “The purpose of this study was to identify differences in outcomes, patient satisfaction, and related health care costs in spinal, hip, and shoulder pain patients who initiated care with medical doctors (MDs) vs those who initiated care with doctors of chiropractic (DCs) in Switzerland” (p. 477). This is an important study which continually demonstrates maintaining access to chiropractic care, for both acute and chronic pain is critical.  We can also see from current utilization statistics that chiropractic care is underutilized on a major scale.  The authors also state, “Although patients may be comanaged with other medical colleagues or paramedical providers (eg, physiotherapists), treatment for the same complaint may vary according to the type of first-contact provider. For instance, MDs tend to use medication, including analgesics, muscle relaxants, and anti-inflammatory agents, for the treatment of acute nonspecific spinal pain, whereas DCs favor spinal manipulative therapy as the primary treatment for this condition” (Houweling et al., 2015, p. 478).  The continue by stating “This study showed that spinal, hip, and shoulder pain patients had modestly higher pain relief and satisfaction with care at lower overall cost if they initiated care with DCs, when compared with those who initiated care with MDs” (Houweling et al., 2015, p. 480).  Overall, when taking cost into consideration, “Mean total spinal, hip, and shoulder pain-related health care costs per patient during the 4-month study period were approximately 40% lower in patients initially consulting DCs compared with those initially consulting MDs” (Houweling et al., 2015, p. 481).  The authors concluded, “The findings of this study support first-contact care provided by DCs as an alternative to first-contact care provided by MDs for a select number of musculoskeletal conditions” (Houweling et al., 2015, p. 481).

Bases on the literature and outcome studies, backed up with 121 years of doctors of chiropractic and their patients’ testimonies, the time has never been better for the chiropractic profession to move into treating the 93% of the population that is not under care. Chiropractic must be moved from the accepted standard of biomechanical processes in the laboratory to the standard of care for spine beyond fracture, tumor or infection across all professions, inclusive of physical therapy. The outcomes overwhelmingly support that anything less perpetuates the epidemic of failed back treatments.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). National hospital discharge survey. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhds.htm

2. United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Quick facts, United States. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/

3. Itz, C. J., Geurts, J. W., van Kleef, M., & Nelemans, P. (2013). Clinical course of non‐specific low back pain: A systematic review of prospective cohort studies set in primary care. European Journal of Pain, 17(1), 5-15.

4. Ordia, J., & Julien Vaisman. (2011). Post-surgical spine syndrome. Surgical Neurology International, 2, 132.

5. Mulholland, R. C. (2008). The myth of lumbar instability: The importance of abnormal loading as a cause of low back pain. European Spine Journal, 17(5), 619-625.

6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Vital signs: Overdoses of prescription opioid pain relievers - United States, 1999--2008. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 60(43), 1487-1492.

7. Dowell, D., Haegerich, T. M., & Chou, R. (2016). CDC guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain - United States, 2016. JAMA, 315(15), 1624-1645.

8. Houweling, T. A., Braga, A. V., Hausheer, T., Vogelsang, M., Peterson, C., & Humphreys, B. K. (2015). First-contact care with a medical vs chiropractic provider after consultation with a swiss telemedicine provider: Comparison of outcomes, patient satisfaction, and health care costs in spinal, hip, and shoulder pain patients. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 38(7), 477-483.

Stopping blood clots before they happen

Blood clotting, or coagulation, is an important process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured. Platelets (a type of blood cell) and proteins in your plasma (the liquid part of blood) work together to stop the bleeding by forming a clot over the injury.

Signs and Symptoms of Blood Clots: Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

and Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

Deep Vein Thrombosis:

Signs and Symptoms

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the deep veins of your body, usually in your legs, but sometimes in your arm.  The signs and symptoms of a DVT include:

• Swelling, usually in one leg (or arm)
• Leg pain or tenderness often described as a cramp or Charley horse
• Reddish or bluish skin discoloration
• Leg (or arm) warm to touch

These symptoms of a blood clot may feel similar to a pulled muscle or a “Charlie horse,” but may differ in that the leg (or arm) may be swollen, slightly discolored, and warm.

Pulmonary Embolism:

Signs and Symptoms

Clots can break off from a DVT and travel to the lung, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE), which can be fatal.  The signs and symptoms of a PE include:

• Sudden shortness of breath
• Chest pain-sharp, stabbing; may get worse with deep breath
• Rapid heart rate
• Unexplained cough, sometimes with bloody mucus

Call an ambulance or 911 immediately for treatment in the ER if you experience these Pulmonary Embolism symptoms.

Blood clots form when platelets (blood components) and plasma proteins thicken, forming a semisolid mass. This process may be triggered by an injury or it can sometimes occur inside blood vessels that don't have an obvious injury.

Once these clots form, they can travel to other parts of your body, causing harm. Factors and conditions that can cause troublesome blood clots, as well as serious conditions that are associated with blood clots, include:

• Antiphospholipid syndrome
• Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis
• Certain medications, such as oral contraceptives, hormone therapy drugs and some breast cancer medications
• Deep vein thrombosis(DVT)
• Factor V Leiden
• Family history of blood clots
• Heart arrhythmias
• Hiatal hernia
• Heart failure
• Obesity
• Peripheral artery disease
• Polycythemia vera
• Pregnancy
• Prolonged sitting or bed rest
• Pulmonary embolism(blood clot in an artery in the lung)
• Smoking
• Stroke
• Surgery

Video: How cots form

https://youtu.be/ac_om5HCjvg

Here Are Recommendations To Help Reduce The Risk Of Blood Clots:

• Increase physical activity:Maintain a healthy weight
  • Exercise your legs frequently while you’re sitting
  • Exercise regularly (goal: at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, 5-days per week)
  • Get up and walk around every 2 to 3 hours
• Stop smoking! (and avoid second-hand exposure)
• Reduce stress (read how stress increases inflammation on our prior blog post)
• Limit alcohol consumption to 1 serving per day (preferably red wine)
• Consume an anti-cancer/anti-inflammatory diet
• The active ingredient in aspirin is a plant-derived compound called a “salicylate.” Instead of taking a baby aspirin, you could simply consume foods that have high salicylate content (as well as many anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients):

• Fruits:
  • apricots
  • oranges
  • blackberries
  • pineapple
  • blackcurrant
  • plums
  • blueberries
  • prunes
  • raspberries
  • strawberries
  • grapes
  • cranberries
  • tangerines
  • tomatoes
• Spices, herbs and others:
  • curry
  • cayenne
  • paprika
  • thyme
  • turmeric
  • ginger
  • dandelion
  • gingko
  • licorice
  • peppermint
• Wine
• Vinegar
• Honey
• Cider

• 
• Consume foods that are rich in vitamin E or omega-3 fatty acids (both of which have blood thinning properties and may reduce the risk of blood clots):
  • Sources of omega-3 fatty acids include:
    • Fatty fish (i.e.  anchovies, salmon, lake trout, herring, mackerel) and fish oil
    • Plant sources (i.e. flaxseed, sunflower seeds, canola oil, corn oil, safflower oil, soy)
  • Vitamin E rich foods include:
    • Nuts (i.e. walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts)
    • Vegetable oils (i.e. canola oil, sunflower oil, palm oil)
    • Lentils (i.e. chickpeas)
    • Oats and wheat
  • Other foods and supplements that reduce blood clotting:
    • Curcumin
    • Polyphenol-rich foods
    • Vitamin C
    • Nattokinase(a compound produced during soy fermentation; found only in natto, which smells like very dirt socks, so unless you can stomach that scent I suggest taking nattokinase supplements)
    • Garlic
    • Gingko biloba

LINK: FOOD THAT REDUCE INFLAMMATION