Tag Archives: inflammation

The Perfect Time of Year For a Cleanse

Posted on January 3, 2014 | Leave a comment

A new year is upon us and with that comes resolutions involving more trips to the gym and less trips to the fridge.  Resolutions, both big and small, are always heavy on January 1st due to the chance at a new start or big change that the date represents.

While personal cultivation can and should be taking place constantly throughout each year, we can’t deny the symbolic, cultural opportunity the new year presents.  It is because of this that the idea of a cleanse and/or detox is ideal to clean the slate and start you out on the right foot.

No matter how healthy or cautious you may be, exposure to harmful chemicals and toxins is inevitable.  Some of these cause immediate damage, while others can accumulate in your body, leading to future damage, especially as the accumulation builds.  Other times these outside invaders (some invited, some not) can cause damage to various organs in the body like your brain, liver, or gut, leading to future issues due to sub-par function.  Think of a leaky gut here, coupled with food sensitivities, systemic inflammation, autoimmunity, and more.

There are many different types of cleanses that serve to assist in ridding your body of the various wastes and toxins that have accumulated in your tissues throughout the holidays, this past year, or your whole life.  Through various dietary restrictions and supplemental support, your body is allowed the opportunity to calm itself rather than being on heightened defense or attack. Toxins are mobilized and detoxified through the liver and thus prepared for removal by way of excretion.

Depending on the type of cleanse utilized, the intestinal tract is also relieved of the constant bombardment of processed foods, grains, and sugars.  This allows your major barrier system and site of 80% of your immune system to begin to heal.  Providing additional support can then help repair, rebuild, and refortify the wall between you and the chemicals, bacteria, and other pathogens that can and may have already been disrupting your internal systems causing inflammation, organ malfunction and an over or under active immune system.

Depending on your personal goals and individual health condition, it is important to select a cleanse/detox program that is not only going to relinquish the inflammatory external stimuli, but deliver support for the systems involved in the process (liver, intestines, kidneys, etc.).  For example, you want to provide the body with the proper support to mobilize any toxins from the fat cells throughout your body and then provide the necessary co-factors to convert them to a water soluble form so that they can be eliminated.

An added bonus to any adequate program is the opportunity to reap the benefits of a sustained restricted diet.  This involves sticking to a menu where the usual hyper-allergenic and problematic foods are avoided for 3-4 weeks.  This is the basic premise behind a standard elimination diet and allows your body to completely eliminate certain potentially problematic proteins from the body.

At the conclusion of the cleanse you now have the option to reintroduce any of the foods you avoided.  When you do this one by one it provides the opportunity to identify potential sensitivities by way of a rash, headache, fatigue, bloating, etc.  Or after refraining from ingesting a certain food you may decide to forego reintroduction altogether and eliminate it outright from your usual meal routine.

To reiterate, and at the risk of being too cliché, the new year provides the perfect time to clean out and restart, repair, rebuild, and recharge your life.  A cleanse/detox program can serve as an ideal way to not only take your health to the next level, but can be quite physically and mentally liberating as well.

If this sounds exciting to you then please, by all means give us a call (321-848-0987).  Together we can sit down (in person or over the phone), discuss your health history, identify your goals, and ultimately construct a plan to leave you refreshed and recharged for 2014 and beyond.

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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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Boost Your Health With…Chocolate???

Posted on December 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

In keeping with the positive, light-hearted spirit of the season, this week’s post serves as a gift.  So often it seems that most healthy recommendations involve cutting out the “good” stuff.  However, some of the traditional “good” stuff can actually be good for you, and that includes almost everyone’s favorite: chocolate.

Now hopefully you didn’t just cut your reading of this article off there and inhale the nearest chocolate bar.  The type of chocolate and accompanying ingredients dictate whether or not its consumption can empower or devour you.  Oh come on, you didn’t think it was going to be that easy.

When we talk about “healthy” chocolate, we are referring to pure, organic dark chocolate.  This type of chocolate is actually quite bitter on its own, which is why if you buy a manufactured dark chocolate product it usually comes to the party with an entourage of sugars, unhealthy artificial sweeteners, soy, etc.

As with any product, you’re going to want to take the time to scan the ingredients and make your decision based upon your knowledge, what’s important to you and what research you believe.  To ensure you reap some of the benefits we are about to go over, you’re going to want to choose a product that lists cacao as the main ingredient.

The cacao tree (aka cocoa tree) is a small tree indigenous to the tropical regions of Central and South America.  Its seeds serve as the source for various forms of cacao such as powder, paste or butter.  All of which can be used to make what we know and love as chocolate.  As with all foods, the less processing before it enters your pie hole, the better.

One of chocolate’s main beneficial properties comes from the presence of a large quantity of antioxidants such as polyphenols and flavonoids.  We throw terms like antioxidants around so much that a brief review will help illustrate the benefits.

While we function throughout the day, millions of cells are constantly performing functions on a microscopic level that enable us to live.  A by-product of this cellular function or oxidation, is what are referred to as free radicals.  Free radicals are a highly reactive chemical species that cause damage to cells throughout the body contributing to everything from  cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, and cataracts (to name a few).   When functioning properly, our bodies are designed to discard harmful free radicals up to a certain point.  However, things such as stress, poor diet, sickness, strenuous exercise, and smoking can lead to a level of free radicals that exceeds our body’s natural capacity to break them down.

If you are alive, it is impossible to avoid the formation of free radicals.  The trick is to limit the formation AND provide your body with added free radical fighters, or anti-oxidants.  Many foods and supplements possess anti-oxidative properties (measured as ORAC), but pure cacao boosts three to ten times the anti-oxidative properties than foods like blueberries or cranberries.

Many of chocolate’s beneficial properties are mainly a consequence of what was just explained.  Reported benefits include:

Improved glucose metabolism/diabetic control

Controlling blood pressure

Improved heart health and overall cardiovascular system

Anti-inflammatory (ah inflammation, the common denominator in almost every pathology)

Relatively high levels of resveratrol which has been shown to be potently neuro-protective and possibly life extending

Recent research has even found that regular consumption of an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day led to a reduction in stress hormones and anxiety.

Remember, this is not an open invitation to go on a no holds barred, unsensored chocolate binge.  If you do choose to add a mostly pure form of chocolate to your regimen, it should be consumed in moderation (one study noted 6.7 grams of dark chocolate per day, which is about a half a bar a week to be optimal) and in addition to all of the other lifestyle changes we continuously harp on.

Many of these benefits are due to the anti-oxidative properties, which is highest in pure cacao powder and progressively drops off in unsweetened baking chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and milk chocolate (milk can actually prevent the absorption of some anti-oxidants); respectively.  Also, remember the more processed, the longer the list of ingredients and higher sugar content, the higher the collateral damage and diminishing effects on the benefits.

Natural, organic cacao powder, paste, butter can be purchased online or at most health food stores.  You can use this to add a tasty boost to your smoothie or as the main ingredient in your holiday hot chocolate.  With a little bit of preparation, research and experimentation, you can also create your own “healthy” chocolate.  If it’s too bitter, you can use a natural sweetener such as stevia or xylitol.

So go get yourself some cacao powder, a little bit of stevia, mix it with your heated reverse osmosis water and some coconut or almond milk to enjoy a holiday classic that tastes great while also providing a health boosting punch.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

REFERENCES

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19754118

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20442725

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/10/1939.abstract?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=Romina+di+Giuseppe&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

Sepehr Bahadorani, Arthur J Hilliker. Cocoa confers life span extension in Drosophila melanogaster. Nutr Res. 2008 Jun;28(6):377-82

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What’s With that Weird Tape?

Posted on November 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

If you’re a sports fan like myself, you can’t help notice the increasing presence of an oddly positioned, colored tape being donned by athletes of all sports.  The use of this tape generated much publicity when beach volley ball icons Kerri Walsh and Misty May sported it during their 2008 Olympic gold medal run in Beijing.  Top tennis stars Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic, and most recently, NBA superstar and huge proponent of chiropractic, Derrick Rose have been seen taking advantage of the tape’s therapeutic properties.   

Or maybe you’ve noticed someone in the gym or on the streets fashionably accessorizing with the colorful tape.  The point is, it’s out there and more and more people are utilizing it.

But what exactly is it and what does it do?

In most cases, what you are seeing is a form of athletic tape known as kinetic tape.  The tape had its origin as kinesiotape by Dr. Kenzo Kase in the 1970s.  Since then, other brands such as Rock Tape or Strength Tape have followed suit with slight modifications.

While various manufacturers boast their own techniques to the actual taping method, the main purposes of the tape is shared.  Kinetic tape is a form of tape that can provide support and stability without limiting range of motion.  This is a huge deal in that in order for all of us to function optimally, we need to have access to the full range of motion our joints were designed to provide.  This is key for all of us, but is imperative for an athlete.

Another benefit to kinetic taping is that it helps to reduce swelling and inflammation.  Permitting full range of motion allows this by encouraging venous return of blood and the lymphatic system (waste removal), but the tape actually does this in additional ingenuous ways.

The first way the tape does this is by lifting the skin off of the underlying tissue and allowing room for accumulated fluids to exit.  Another way inflammation and swelling is reduced can be facilitated by a distinct taping method in which the tape is cut into individual strips which resemble fingers. When the patient moves, these fingers then lightly squeeze the area of involvement, creating a massaging effect that encourages the removal of stagnant fluids in the area.  This method is quite useful for the acutely injured athlete who is trying to limit the initial swelling.

In addition, properly applied kinetic tape can provide an all natural analgesic or pain-killing effect.  One way this is done is by lessening inflammation in the ways described above.  The chemical mediators of inflammation excite the nerves that transmit pain signals, so anytime we can lessen inflammation, we can also lessen pain.

The second way the perception of pain is dampened by the tape is by closing what is known as the physiological pain gate.

You see, nerves vary in size and speed of transmission, with the bigger, faster nerves overriding the smaller, slower nerves.  Luckily for us, painful stimuli is mainly transmitted by the smaller nerves, while the sensation of touch takes a ride on the larger, faster nerves.  One way to intelligently and naturally lessen pain is to override the signal by stimulating nerves that pick up touch and enter the spinal cord at the same level.

It is this mechanism that serves as the explanation behind why we instinctively shake or rub the finger we just smashed with a hammer.  By doing this you are literally closing the gate on the transmission of the pain.  Unfortunately, as soon as the stimulation by way of rubbing or shaking ceases, the gate re-opens and the pain signals are once again permitted to reach the brain where the perception of pain occurs.

Kinetic tape conveniently comes into play here by providing constant stimulation to the painful area, thus closing the pain gate.  This serves as an extremely practical, temporary fix while we work to fix the underlying cause of the pain.

Neurologically, the tape serves a therapeutic purpose providing feedback from the taped area to our brain.  Aside from pain, when we are injured, feedback from the injured area tends to become inhibited or lessened.  This can lead to further issues as things like balance or proprioception (the sense of where our body or body parts are in space) is largely influenced by feedback from the actual body part.  Kinetic taping provides neurological stimulation to enhance the necessary communication between the central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral nervous systems.

At Clarke Chiropractic and Wellness we utilize kinetic taping quite frequently when treating athletes and other patients in order to take advantage of the therapeutic benefits described above.  It should be noted that ideally, the tape is used like any other type of therapy; as an adjunct to chiropractic care and temporarily while we correct the underlying issue.  However, many athletes with chronic issues and a schedule or lifestyle that doesn’t always allow adequate rest for healing absolutely love being routinely taped as well.

If you are curious and would like to explore the world of all natural treatments like kinetic taping feel free to call us at anytime.

I’m ready when you are.

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Have You Tried Active Release Therapy?

Posted on November 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

One of the most desired and effective soft tissue treatments we utilize at Clarke Chiropractic and Wellness is that of active release therapy or ART.  My Crossfitters swear by this form of therapy and we normally implement it to some degree or another on every patient.

So what is it?

What we are talking about here is a soft tissue technique whereby the practitioner applies pressure in a specific direction to a specific area of an involved muscle or ligament while the patient then moves through a specific range of motion.  You may note by my use of the 3 “specifics” that proper application of this technique requires a thorough knowledge and understanding of human anatomy and the mechanics of all individual muscles.

It goes way beyond simply massaging a painful area, and includes identifying and addressing all other structures involved with the problematic area.

For example, one of the most common problem areas most athletes come in for is the shoulder, and it’s usually due to anterior or front side shoulder pain.  Rather than directing all treatment at the spot of pain manifestation, the entire shoulder complex is addressed, sometimes including up to 10 separate muscles.  The shoulder complex, like many joint complexes in the body is just that, complex; and addressing all of the muscles that contribute to its function is key to not only alleviate discomfort, but to ensure the issue doesn’t resurface.

How does it work?

By taking a specific contact on a muscle or ligament, the practitioner anchors that tissue in place.  Then, by having the patient move through a precise motion (usually taking the tissue from a shortened or contracted position to an elongated or extended position) tension is created at the site of the practitioners contact.

Benefits to this include breaking up adhesions or scar tissue build up that may be causing discomfort or limiting full range of motion.  Having pain is one thing and is usually the reason people come visit us in the first place, so addressing it is always a priority.

But restricted range of motion due to chronically shortened or tight muscles can be the underlying issue behind a multitude of issues, including pain.

Muscles that are constantly tight, contracted or constantly working means they tend to build up lactic acid which causes the perception of pain.  This can also lead to compensatory postural changes and movement patterns in order to continue to function despite the limited mobility.  This can also lead to accelerated degeneration or early arthritis due to suboptimal posture and movements.

Reduced range of motion also leads to a reduction of blood and waste removal from the area.  You see, the heart pumps blood to our structures but the body relies on gravity; more so, movement to return that deoxygenated blood to the heart.  Without proper movement you now open the door for more swelling which can than place pressure on surrounding tissues, causing more problems.

You also need full range of motion to rid yourself of inflammation.  Just as the veins rely on movement to bring blood back to the heart, the lymphatic system (your waste removal system) relies on movement to pump all the nasty, pain- provoking, inflammatory mediators out of dodge.

Another variation of ART we implement is that which incorporates something referred to as “nerve flossing.”  That’s right.  It’s not just for your teeth.  Many times, nerves and other soft tissue can become “stuck” or irritated by adhesions or simply by a tight muscle.

The term “flossing” comes into play because we essentially pin the area where the nerve is presumed “stuck” and then have the patient move in a way that allows the nerve to slide back and forth as the fluoride-free floss does between your teeth.  This method can be quite advantageous for people experiencing a variety of symptoms including carpal tunnel symptoms, sciatic complaints, neck, shoulder, and elbow pain.

These are just some of the benefits of properly applied ART.  We could fill pages and pages with a broader explanation and other benefits.  Feel free to research on your own or give us a call if you have any questions.

As with all treatments, this particular technique serves as a worthy adjunct to the total package of neurologically based chiropractic care and nutrition.  As described in the previous paragraphs, ART can be part of a perfect marriage of healthcare delivery in finding a way to breakthrough to those stubborn aches and pain.

If you or someone you know has been unnecessarily dealing with pain and have tried other methods with limited success, I invite you to call us and try a fresh approach to natural and holistic healthcare.

When you’re ready, I’m here to help.

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