Tag Archives: exercise

Autoimmunity: Are You One of the 50 Million Plus?

Posted on July 8, 2014 | Leave a comment

In keeping with the theme of our last post, we will delve into the puzzling and agonizing world of autoimmunity and how it relates to functional medicine.  The first couple of  eye opening paragraphs below were scribed by Dr. Datis Kharrazian and could make a substantial difference in quality of life.

“Autoimmunity has become a growing epidemic and many individuals seeking care in the healthcare system are suffering from autoimmunity.  Autoimmunity is basically the loss of self tolerance, or the inability for the immune system to recognize self-tissue from foreign or pathogenic organisms, leading to an attack upon oneself.”

(I’d be remiss here if I didn’t briefly touch on one of the reasons why our trusty immune system may turn on us and it comes down to what we knowingly put in our bodies. When the food we eat leads to issues within our gut, lending to leaky gut or intestinal permeability, one of our main barrier systems of our bodies becomes compromised and foreign and undigested particles are allowed entry.
Our immune system sees this and does it’s job and attacks.  Problem solved.

The issue arises when the presence of unwanted invaders persists and the immune system must continually attack.  This puts the immune system on hyperactive defense mode and eventually, due to the similarity in structure between certain tissues and certain foods, the up regulated immune system begins to also attack our own tissues.

This can lead to the start of rheumatoid osteoarthritis as the immune system attacks the joints and breaks down cartilage, or diabetes 1 as the pancreas is attacked (studies now illustrating the similarity in structure of the beta cells of the pancreas and the casein proteins found in milk), MS as the protective covering of our central nervous system, myelin is broken down, or hypothyroidism (Hashimotto’s) as the thyroid is attacked (similar protein structure between thyroid tissue and gluten).

While diet is a major player in the development or facilitation of an autoimmune reaction, the list of catalysts goes well beyond that including many other environmental toxins.)

“The loss of self-tolerance and the development of autoimmunity is a major reason why many individuals notice a rapid decline in their health and seek consultation with a healthcare professional.  Unfortunately, autoimmunity leads to a destructive process to various tissues over several years, and early autoimmunity may be easily overlooked in the current healthcare model.

In the current system, autoimmune disease is not diagnosed until the tissue has already been destroyed.  In other words, an individual may have cartilage antibodies for several years and suffer significant pain, but they will probably not be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis until they have severe joint deformity.
Another person may have subtle autoimmunity to myelin and present with diverse neurological symptoms, but they will not be diagnosed because their MRI does not show enough destruction to be sensitive to MRI findings.  It is now clear that the antibodies to tissues appear years before total destruction is obvious, and during these years, individuals suffer from symptoms associated with the destructive process.”

In the all too common scenario like the one above, a person suffering from the early stages of autoimmunity seeks consultation and since they do not have total tissue destruction, they are not diagnosed with any conditions.  At this point many individuals end up seeking alternative medicine, as conventional models offer them very little support in the early stages.

Functional medicine looks at autoimmunity through a different lens, classifying it into three stages.

1) Silent Autoimmunity: antibodies present, but no symptoms.
2) Autoimmune Reaction: antibodies AND symptoms present, BUT not enough tissue destroyed to be diagnosed as an autoimmune disease.
3) Autoimmune Disease: antibodies present, symptoms may or may not be present, enough tissue destruction to diagnose.

So what can you do with all this empowering information? Well, speak with a healthcare professional who goes beyond the black and white and looks at things from a functional perspective.  A review of history and symptoms will be done along with an exam.  Appropriate  blood work can be ordered and analyzed and if need be tests looking for specific antibodies can also be obtained.

With this information the appropriate nutritional, dietary and lifestyle modifications can be made in order to potentially delay progression or keep symptoms quiet by lessening inflammation, controlling the immune system and addressing any other systems specific to the individual.

Curious?

Want to know more?

Have some specific questions?

Call us anytime (321-848-0987) to explore the liberating possibilities.

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Don’t Just Sit There (Part 2)

Posted on February 18, 2014 | Leave a comment

In case you missed it, last week’s post incriminated sitting and poor posture as major contributors to not only what is deemed as “normal” pain and systemic dysfunction, but actual shorter life spans.  Not only were these two culprits incriminated but a solid case was made against them with easily graspable explanations.  So now it’s on you.  You have the knowledge.  What are you going to do with it?

As promised, we will now take it one step further and provide some easily implementable strategies for breaking up the sitting and combating the collateral damage that comes with it.

1) Get Up. Stand Up.

This will be the easiest and most intuitive of all the suggestions we bring to the table.  Break up the long periods of uninterrupted sitting by simply standing up.  Obviously the more movement, the better but I realize in many situations, getting up from your chair and busting out some squats isn’t always conducive to your surroundings. Although, it is a good idea… the new “normal,” if you will.

Set an alarm on your phone for every 15-20 minutes that reminds you to stand up for at least 60 seconds.  Take it a step further and incorporate a simple movement like the Bruegger exercise (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxXqVcDam7Y ) in order to reverse some of that anterior muscle tightening and posterior weakening.

2) Breathe Right

Standing up and executing a movement such as the Bruegger exercise will also open your chest up and provide more room for the lungs to expand, drawing more oxygen in.  This brings us to our next suggestion, and that is to be cognizant of your breathing mechanics.  This can be done in the seated or standing position.  The key is to concentrate on breathing with your abdomen or belly breathing.

This is done by utilizing the main muscle designed for breathing, the diaphragm.  This muscle separates your chest cavity from your abdomen and descends on inhalation (creating negative pressure in the chest cavity and drawing oxygen in) and ascends on exhalation (forcing the carbon dioxide out).

When you breathe properly, you allow the muscles of the chest and neck to relax and not be forced to work all day in order to aid in your respiration.  Unlike the diaphragm, these muscles were not designed to work with every breath. When they are forced to do so because of faulty breathing mechanics, it can lead to neck pain, muscle tightness and more of the hunched forward posture we are trying to avoid.

Being that the abdomen is heavily innervated by the parasympathetic nervous system, belly breathing will also enable us to relax and de-stress.  We explained this mechanism thoroughly in a previous post so feel free to brush up if need be.  https://clarkechiropracticwellness.com/2013/07/10/breathe-right/

3) Ergonomics

As you can see, other than physically getting up and breaking up the sitting, we want to make sure we are doing all we can to sit right.  In keeping with the theme, this also was a topic of a past post: https://clarkechiropracticwellness.com/2013/08/21/pain-discomfort-fatigue-your-workspace-could-be-a-culprit/ .  Making sure your workspace is favorably arranged so that it is the least physically stressful should not be overlooked.

Most large businesses will provide an ergonomic evaluation upon request.  I urge you to take advantage of this.  If yours does not or you work from home, I invite you to review the link above, as it provides basic tips to getting you started.  You can also feel free to contact our office (321-848-0987) as we offer full ergonomic evaluations.

4) Deskercise

A buzz word we are seeing thrown around more and more is “deskercise.”  These are exercises to do at your desk for all of you who are moving a little slow this morning.  Patients of Clarke Chiropractic and Wellness are provided with an ongoing, progressive regimen of postural and lifestyle exercises, which includes movements to keep yourself in check while at the desk.

The starter point provided in this post will be to first make sure your ears are lined up directly over the shoulders.  This will begin to reverse that attractive chin jutting.  Once you have this down (and you are naturally breathing correctly) you can begin to implement reverse shoulder rolls.

One at a time, roll your shoulder up, back and down, each time starting the next roll at the point you ended the last one.  Do this three times for each shoulder, constantly being aware that your ears remain over your shoulders.  This will again, open up your chest and engage the mid to lower back muscles as you pinch your shoulder blades together.

5) Mas Agua

Remaining properly hydrated is key to help you sustain optimal health.  This will assist in keeping your joints lubricated and keep your discs (which absorb so much of your seated weight) hydrated.  In addition to providing you an excuse to break up the sitting to refill your water, natural physiology will also kick in and force you to break up the sitting in order to revisit the restroom.  (Unless of course, corporations begin to implement a toilet-chair, which wouldn’t surprise me.)

In addition to these simple and practical suggestions, beginning to execute movements that support proper posture and movement are a must as well.  Virtually all patients we see are prescribed a progressive exercise regimen that concentrates on the core and relearning the harmful faulty movements obtained due to prolonged sitting.

If sitting, standing or any position for that matter causes you pain or discomfort, it is definitely time to listen to your body and address it.  That is where we can intervene to assist you in getting out of pain and on the course to preventing it in the future.

Hopefully this and all posts will at least plant a seed in your mind so you begin to think about these things.  Once the awareness is there, you can begin to take rectifying action.  It’s alright if it’s uncomfortable or feels unnatural at first.  The key is repetition and consistency in creating a new normal.

You have the knowledge and some strategies.  The rest is up to you.

Keep It Moving.

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What Causes That Post Meal Crash?

Posted on December 24, 2013 | 2 comments

It seems as though nodding off after a holiday meal is just as much of a tradition as eating a Christmas tree or decorating a Thanksgiving turkey.  (Did you catch that or did I catch you drowsy from your last meal?) But why does this happen?  And worse, are you someone who is routinely tired after meals, regardless of the time of year?

The reason behind this varies depending on your specific situation, but mainly involves too many carbohydrates and poor blood sugar control.  Ideally, when we consume carbs/sugars the pancreas releases a proportionate amount of insulin which then delivers the glucose (end result of crab breakdown) to our cells for energy.

On one level we have someone who usually eats relatively healthy, but just consumed a carb load as if they were preparing to hibernate.  The flooding of glucose into the blood alarms the pancreas who, being the diligent little organ he is, dumps insulin to handle the carb load. (Elevated insulin levels due to too many carbs or outright insulin resistance is also not a good thing and has been linked to everything from inflammation to autoimmunity and cancer).

The pancreas wants to make sure all the glucose can catch a ride to a cell so it overcompensates with the amount of insulin secreted.  This also happens with people who have poor blood sugar control (aka dysglycemic).  The end result here is the glucose being cleared from the blood so rapidly that you have now gone from one extreme to the other; from blood sugar spike to crash.  This can lead to symptoms of hypoglycemia; which include light headedness, headaches and feeling tired.

Another reason for the post meal siesta occurs when our tissues become resistant to the insulin that is attempting to clear the blood of and deliver glucose.  This can also happen from over doing it on carbs and is the mechanism behind diabetes type II.  Anyone concerned with intelligently controlling your weight should perk up for this explanation.

When your tissues become insulin resistant due to poor diet, lack of exercise or binge eating, the glucose remains in the circulating blood causing damage to your brain and blood vessels. (We then have our body’s natural bandaid called in (cholesterol), to patch up the damage from the dysglycemia and insulin resistance.)

Your body wants to keep your blood glucose levels under control, so when plan A doesn’t work (glucose cleared from blood by insulin), plan B kicks in.  The glucose is then converted to triglycerides and stored around your midsection as, you guessed it, fat.  In many cases it’s excess carbs, not fat in your diet that leads towards poor blood sugar control, possible diabetes, insulin resistance, aaaaand additional weight gain in the form of glucose being converted to and stored as body fat.

This conversion of glucose to triglycerides en route to your fanny is a process that requires a lot of your body’s energy/fuel.  So much so that it actually leaves you tired and crashing, and thus we have the post meal coma.

Add to this the fact that this process can also raise serotonin levels.  As we’ve discussed in past posts, serotonin is actually the precursor to the sleep hormone melotonin, and because of that can induce drowsiness.  This is also the reason turkey knocks you out as it contains the precursor to serotonin, tryptophan.

Hopefully this sheds some light on the subject for those curious about why we hit the hay after scarfing down a delicious feast.  Enjoy the holiday.  Indulge if you like as you now know what’s going on within and the possible dangers routinely doing so can pose.

However, if you are someone who struggles with cravings, crashes, and weight as we discussed, make it a point to address these signs of internal dysfunction before they get worse.  We’re coming up on a new year which serves as an ideal time to get serious and make your health a priority.

Again, enjoy the holidays and come see us when you’re ready to step it up in the new year.

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Do It Yourself Brain Protection

Posted on October 29, 2013 | Leave a comment

As we know, the brain serves as the master control center for virtually all bodily functions.  However, when most think of the brain, the immediate association pertains to things like thinking, learning, “intelligence,” memory, etc.  Naturally, when we speak of the increasingly prevalent Alzheimer’s and various forms of dementia, we refer to a loss of memory and a decline in function that all stems in the brain.

Well, what if I told you that there is mounting research backing a “do it yourself” method for potentially preventing and even reversing various aspects of cognitive decline?

What if I told you there is a simple way to actually promote growth in your brain and potentially attenuate the degree of inevitable dementia that is a consequence of our body’s mandatory, lifelong breakdown?

What if this remedy cost you nothing but a little bit of time and effort? (I fear I may have lost some right there.)

Would you be interested?

Would you take it a step further and actually do it?

Well my friends, I’m prepared to disclose this ground breaking technique to you all right here, right now, out of the kindness of my heart.  This is a technique that is also one of the top all natural methods to combat other potentially debilitating and life altering conditions such as depression and diabetes.

I’m speaking of a crazy little thing called EXERCISE.  That’s right, I said it.  My apologies if you were expecting more, but why make it more complicated than it is?

As highlighted in a recent article by Dr. Mercola, the powerfully positive affects of physical activity continue to encompass more and more aspects of our health, and now the brain can be included in that impressive list.

“Recent research reveals that exercise promotes a process now known as neurogenesis, i.e., your brain’s ability to adapt and grow new brain cells, regardless of your age.

The hippocampus, a brain area closely linked to learning and memory, is especially receptive to new neuron growth in response to endurance exercise.

In essence, physical activity produces biochemical changes that strengthen and renew not only your body but also your brain—particularly areas associated with memory and learning.

Non-exercise activity and movement is also critical for optimal health, as explained by Dr. Joan Vernikos. Sitting for extended periods of time is actually an independent risk factor for poor health and premature death. Even if you exercise regularly and are fit, uninterrupted sitting for a great percentage of the time increases your risk of dying prematurely.

Simply standing up, a minimum of 30 times a day is a powerful antidote to long periods of sitting.  The good news is that there are virtually unlimited opportunities for movement throughout the day, from doing housework or gardening, to cooking and even just standing up every 10 minutes.

Ideally, you’d want to make exercise a regular part of your life from as early on as possible. But it’s never too late to start. Even seniors who take up a fitness regimen can improve their cognitive function.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START…

For example, a team at the University of Edinburgh followed more than 600 people, starting at age 70, who kept detailed logs of their daily physical, mental and social habits. Three years later, their brains were imaged for age-related changes, such as brain shrinkage and damage to the white matter, which is considered the “wiring” of your brain’s communication system. Not surprisingly, seniors who engaged in the most physical exercise showed the least amount of brain shrinkage.

Similarly, Kirk Erickson, PhD of the University of Pittsburgh, found that adults aged 60 to 80 walking moderately (just 30 to 45 minutes, three days per week for one year) increased the volume of their hippocampus by two percent. The hippocampus is a region of your brain important for memory.

Ideally, you’ll want to strive for a varied and well-rounded fitness program that incorporates a wide variety of exercises. As a general rule, as soon as an exercise becomes easy to complete, you need to increase the intensity and/or try another exercise to keep challenging your body.

Additionally, as mentioned earlier, more recent research has really turned the spotlight on the importance of non-exercise movement. Truly, the key to health is to remain as active as you can, all day long, but that doesn’t mean you train like an athlete for hours a day. It simply means, whenever you have a chance to move and stretch your body in the course of going about your day—do it!”

As always, this is truly empowering information.  However, the potential power can only be unlocked if you take action and apply the information, SO GET MOVING!!!

Exercise is one of the most important pieces to the holistic puzzle that is your health, and one that is universally applicable to some degree or another.  Piece it together with proper nutrition and neuro-musculoskeletal health and you are well on your way.

If you have any questions about getting started with any of this, please take me up on my offer to help.

I’m here when you’re ready.

REFERENCES:

http://www.neurology.org/content/79/17/1802

http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20120716/exercise-may-reduce-risk-alzheimers

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/10/25/exercise-for-brain-health.aspx

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