Courtesy of:

John H. Keefe III, D.C.

(918) 663-1111

IN THE NEWS: The Cancer-Soy Connection Is Getting Less Confusing

Most doctors who practice natural healthcare roll their eyes every time there’s an article where a medical doctor is criticizing nutrition or nutritional therapy. Because we know they had absolutely no training in that at med school. One of the areas that I’ve been combating is the bad press on soy; a recent article published in “Health Times” discusses the latest research. For instance, “In the report published in the journal Cancer, Zhang and her colleagues found that women diagnosed with breast cancer who consumed more soy did not have a higher risk of dying over nine years than women who ate less. And among women with a certain type of breast cancer, soy actually lowered their risk of dying from any cause during that time.” Phytoestrogen was the term that started all the bad press about soy. Because medical doctors were not familiar with that word and all they saw was “estrogen”. Of course you would not want to give estrogen to kids or women with breast cancer etc. and so the bad press started to spread throughout different articles in different publications. Today we would call this “fake news” and that’s exactly what happened to soy. Here are the facts: soy helps modulate hormones in both male and female. Thus soy can help prevent breast cancer, menopausal symptoms and other hormonal signs and symptoms in both men and women. Soy could help modulate the effect of testosterone on prostate cancer. So a handful of edamame as a side dish can help prevent different hormonal related problems.

WELLNESS: Essential Oils for Arthritis CLOVE (EUGENIA CAROPHYLLATA) This highly effective natural analgesic oil works on most types of pain, including both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, as well as gout—a type of arthritis of the big toe. Because it is extremely potent, use only one drop to one hundred drops, or about one teaspoon of carrier oil after first conducting a skin patch test. Avoid using if you have extremely sensitive skin. GINGER (ZINGIBER OFFICINALIS) Ginger essential oil brings a soothing warmth when applied to arthritic joint, but it is also great for easing the muscular pain and stiffness of fibromyalgia. Use no two to three drops in a teaspoon of carrier oil and apply topically to affected joints. LAVENDER (LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA) Both a pain reliever and nervous system relaxant, lavender is good for easing joint and muscle aches, as well as easing stiffness. If pain is keeping you awake at night, lavender essential oil is also great for sleep, particularly if a drop or two of the essential oil is rubbed on the soles of the feet or palms of the hands before bed. While most essential oils need to be diluted, lavender can often be tolerated neat (undiluted) by most people. However, if you have extremely sensitive skin, dilute two drops of lavender in about 4 drops of a carrier oil like fractionated coconut or apricot kernel oil. LEMONGRASS (CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS) Lemongrass oil is useful for toning the connective tissues and can be helpful when the tendons no longer hold the joints with precision. Dilute in few drops in a teaspoon of carrier oil. MARJORAM (ORIGANUM MAJORANA) Marjoram oil can be used for easing muscle aches and stiffness along with helping to heal bruises and joint sprains. It is a good choice for topical use for those with fibromyalgia, which is a form of arthritis. It helps with pain but also alleviates muscle tightness. Avoid marjoram essential oil if you have epilepsy. PEPPERMINT (MENTHA PIPERITA) Peppermint contains analgesic compounds that reduce pain and inflammation. Like lavender, it can usually be tolerated on the skin in its neat form (undiluted) to help reduce pain. A little goes a long way as this oil leaves an intense cooling sensation on the skin. Use one drop and massage into painful or inflamed joints. Wash hands immediately and avoid eye contact. Make sure you select high quality, pure, undiluted essential oils. While you may end up diluting the oils yourself, most of the oils on the market are diluted in less-than-desirable oils. High quality oils cost more than the cheap varieties on the market but are worth the increased price. Many cheap varieties can also contain synthetic versions of the oils, which offer no therapeutic value and may actually be harmful. But, worse than that, many cheap oils are adulterated with solvents used during the extraction process or toxic pesticides used in the growing process of the herbs from which the oils are extracted. After diluting the oil in carrier oil, always conduct a 48-hour patch test on a small inconspicuous part of your skin to determine whether you have any sensitivity to the essential oils.

CHIROPRACTIC: Here are some of the Benefits of routine chiropractic care may include any of the following: Improved Nerve Communication in the Body,  Improved Joint Motion and Coordination,Improved Physical Function and Performance, Improved Posture, Relief from Back and Neck Pain, Relief from Leg, Knee, Foot and Ankle Pain, Relief from Arm, Wrist, Shoulders or Elbow Pain , Relief from Stress and Tension Disorders, Relief from Joint Discomfort, Relief from Bursitis, Relief from Arthritis common and Relief from Chronic Injuries. Who do you know who would benefit from chiropractic? Tell a friend.

FUNNY BONE:  A patient says, "Doctor, last night I made a Freudian slip. I was having dinner with my mother-in-law and wanted to say: 'Could you please pass the butter?' But instead I said: 'You silly cow, you have completely ruined my life." @@ When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300 degrees Celsius. The Russians used a pencil.