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This is a very common question that we get asked on the phone by new patients. To best address this question, we film a patient's visit. Take a look to see what you can expect from your chiropractic care at Corbett Chiropractic.
Nobody looks forward to it, but it does happen. At some point it seems like everyone will be involved with some sort of car accident. We want to make sure you're prepared, so we made a short video explaining some of the healthcare considerations.
What supplementation is needed?When we talk about nutrition we must consider the following: The cause of many, if not all, chronic disease (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.) is because of two things; Deficiency and/or Toxicity. When our bodies are either toxic or deficient, disease or lack of balance will eventually occur. Consequently, in order to be healthy, we must do everything we can to make sure we are sufficient and pure. Our body is like a fine-tuned engine that needs specific nutrients everyday in order to function properly. In today's environment, it's impossible (it's been proven) to be nutritionally sufficient without taking nutritional supplements on a daily basis. Even if you think you are eating all organic foods, you are most likely deficient in many nutrients. So the question then is; "What do I need to take every day to become sufficient?" I recommend the following to all of my patients.
Fish OilOmega Sufficiency™ is the purest, most natural Fish Oil available with natural EPA:DHA ratios andno artificial chemical concentration. Because of this Omega Sufficiency™ is aligned with the human genetic requirements for Omega 3 consumption and thus provides the maximal health and prevention benefits. (CLICK HERE FOR OMEGA SUFFICIENCY/FISH OIL VIDEO) Omega Sufficiency™ is the world's premier EPA/DHA Omega 3 Fish Oil. Each teaspoon or four capsules provides 720-825 mg of EPA and 480-550 mg of DHAOmega 3 essential fatty acids which have been scientifically shown to be acrucial requirement for health and important in the prevention of illnesses such as heart disease, arthritis, ADD, depression, stroke, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, eczema, learning and cognitive development problems, and Alzheimer's. Omega Sufficiency™ is extracted in a licensed pharmaceutical grade facility fromcold water anchovies, herring and sardines that are the purest source of omega 3 Fish Oil. The oil is purified in a non-chemical molecular distillation process that removes all trace amounts of heavy metals, PCBs, organochlorides and organophosphate pesticides resulting in the safest, purest source of EPA/DHA Fish Oil possible. As the oil is purified, it's immediately infused with our natural, proprietary, antioxidant blend consisting of rosemary extract, ascorbyl palmitate and natural mixed tocopherols. This process ensures the greatest oxidation protection possible. There simply is not a better, purer source of EPA/DHA Omega 3 fatty acids in the world. Our extraction process keeps the Fish Oil in its most natural form possible, this is crucial becausehuman beings are genetically designed to ingest, digest and absorb EPA and DHA essential fatty acids in the form they are found in nature, not in any concentrated form produced by chemical processing. If science and experience have taught us anything. it's that we cannot improve upon nature. ProbioticsProbiotic bacteria are ESSENTIAL for wellness and prevention. The human body contains 90 percent microorganisms and only 10 percent human cells. Dietary sufficiency of healthy microorganisms (probiotics) is necessary for the proper function of the digestive and immune systems and for overall wellness and prevention. (CLICK HERE FOR PROBIOTICS VIDEO) The Western diet is dangerously deficient in Probiotics bacteria. Research shows that we now consume one millionth of the healthy probiotics bacteria that we did before pesticides, herbicides, and industrial farming. We also kill many of our probiotic bacteria with poor nutrition, prescription drugs, and stress. This deficiency of healthy probiotics bacteria is implicated as a casual factor in lack of health and vitality and an alarming number of preventable illnesses from infancy to old age. The only way to obtain sufficient amounts of healthy probiotics bacteria is through daily supplementation. The dietary sources of probiotics bacteria are virtually unavailable in industrialized society. Our fruits and vegetables are sprayed with pesticides, much of our food is pasteurized or irradiated and we don't consume sufficient amounts of fresh, raw, local foods. It's essential to supplement with the correct type of probiotics bacteria. The type and source of probiotics that we are designed to benefit from comes from soil, fruit, and vegetables -- not dairy, soy, corn or wheat. The type of probiotics bacteria we require was established thousands of years before humans developed agriculture or consumed dairy, soy, wheat or grains. Probiotic Sufficiency™ contains the correct type of probiotic bacteria. Vitamin DThe issue of Vitamin D deficiency as a major causal factor in immune system related illnesses ranging from seasonal cold and flu, to heart disease, to cancer, to atopic and autoimmune disorders has received a lot of attention in the last few years. Clinical journals as well as the mainstream media have been reporting evidence that modern industrialized humans are severely deficient in Vitamin D and that this deficiency is a major contributing factor to illness and lack of health and vitality. (CLICK HERE FOR VITAMIN D VIDEO) What does Vitamin D do and why is it so important for wellness and prevention?Before we discuss the evidence regarding Vitamin D sufficiency and health and Vitamin D deficiency and illness, let's first look at the basic science regarding the importance of Vitamin D for human immune function and health. A basic understanding of why Vitamin D is a genetic human requirement for wellness and prevention will allow greater understanding of why Vitamin D supplementation is required. The innate immune system is the component of our immune system that is genetically programmed to respond to antigens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and any other threatening non-self invaders). The innate immune system uses what are termed effectors that are genetically coded to respond to antigens or invaders. The most studied of these effectors are named antimicrobial peptides or AMPs. AMPs not only attack the invaders they also trigger tissue repair and activate the adaptive or acquired immune system (the branch of the immune system that creates antibodies to specific antigens after exposure). Recent research has shown that Vitamin D up-regulates the genetic expression of AMPs in immune cells. Vitamin D also plays an important role in controlling the inflammatory response initiated by specialized immune cells called macrophages. A deficiency of Vitamin D means deficient control of inflammation. In the skin, Vitamin D also activates the immune system against antigens. Research indicates that: Vitamin D is essential for wellness and prevention. Sufficient levels of Vitamin D are necessary for the proper function of the immune system, for cardiovascular health, for bone growth and repair and for overall wellness and prevention. Those who're deficient in Vitamin D live shorter, more illness plagued lives than those who are sufficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential genetic requirement for human wellness and prevention. Industrial humans are dangerously deficient in Vitamin D. Humans are genetically designed to get their Vitamin D from daily sunlight. Modern humans living in Northern climates simply cannot get enough sun exposure to produce sufficient levels of Vitamin D. Even those who live in sunny climates rarely, if ever, get enough sun exposure due to clothing and use of sunscreens. The only way to assure sufficient amounts of Vitamin D is through daily supplementation. Dietary sources of Vitamin D are simply not sufficient. Genetically humans are not designed to get vitamin D from food; we are designed to get it from sun exposure. The only way to get sufficient amounts of Vitamin D is to supplement with Vitamin D3, the same form of vitamin D that is produced by sun exposure.
 Do you ever think about why we eat? The easy answers are because we are hungry, tired and our stomach is rumbling. Sometimes you might also eat because you are bored, sad or happy, just because it's lunchtime, or because that chocolate-covered donut looks so good.
Those are some of the emotional and physical reasons why we eat, but do we ever put much thought into why our body needs food? Not just any food, by the way, but healthy, good-for-you food? Why is good nutrition important? Good Nutrition Provides Energy The foods we eat provide the energy our body needsto function. Just like weneed to put fuel in our car or recharge your cell phone battery, your body needs to be fed energy-providing foods every day. The main form of energy for your body is carbohydrates. Our body has the easiest time digesting carbohydrates like sugar and starch. Carbohydrates are broken down into individual glucose, fructose or galactose units. Glucose is your body's favorite form of energy. If we don't get enough carbohydrates, you body can make glucose from protein or fat -- and if we get too many carbohydrates, our body is very good at storing them as fat. Good Nutrition Provides Raw Materials Protein in the foods we eat is broken down into individual amino acids. Our body uses the amino acids to build and repair the various parts of your body. Our muscles contain lots of protein, and you need to replenish that protein through your diet. Our body also needs protein for components of our immune system, hormones, nervous system, and organs. Another raw material our body needs is calcium. Calcium has several functions in your body, but it's best known as the mineral that is stored in our bones and teeth. We need calcium from our diet to keep your bones and teeth strong. Our body also needs fats to be healthy. Membranes that contain fats surround all the cells of our body. Our brain has fatty acids, and fats are also needed to signal hormones. The "Little Helpers" Vitamins and minerals we get from our diet are just as important as carbohydrates, protein and fats; however, you only need them in small amounts. Vitamins and minerals usually function as co-enzymes, which means they help chemical reactions in the body happen a lot faster. For example, many of the B complex vitamins help our body burn carbohydrates for energy. Vitamin A is needed for vision, zinc is involved in many metabolic processes, and vitamin C helps keep connective tissue strong and our immune system functioning. Your diet needs to provide adequate amounts of all of these "little helpers." A healthy, balanced diet will provide you with lots of vitamin and minerals. An unhealthy diet may make your body deficient in one or more of these helpers. Above and Beyond the Basics Good nutrition provides more than energy, structural components, vitamins and minerals. There are other substances in the foods that we eat that have become better known over the last few years. Phytochemicals are found in the colorful parts of fruits and vegetables. Although they aren't required for body functioning, they may have a very powerful impact on our health. For example, quercetin (found in red apples) functions like an antihistamine and as an anti-inflammatory effect. Resveratrol, found in grape skins and seeds, is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants help protect our body from damage that comes from the sun, pollution, smoke, and poor dietary choices. They are found in the phytochemicals of fruits and vegetables, as well as some vitamins and amino acids. When we eat a food, we don't eat just a carbohydrate, fat or protein. Wwe eat a piece of apple pie, a steak, or a lump of mashed potatoes. Most of the foods we eat consists of varying amounts of all three of these nutrition components. Good nutrition means getting the right balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, plus the required vitamins and minerals. Great nutrition means getting a lot of the phytochemicals and antioxidants, too. Take carbohydrates for example: What are good carbs, what are bad carbs, and what difference does it make? Since our body breaks them all down into individual units, the carbohydrates themselves aren't necessarily good or bad. The problems occur when we eat too many, or if the other ingredients in the food containing the carbohydrates aren't so good. For example, that chocolate covered donut mentioned in the first paragraph contains lots of sugar and white flour; if we eat too many of them, we'll take in extra calories that will be stored in our body as fat. The donut also contains lots of fats, probably trans-fats, that can raise our risk of heart disease. The donut doesn't provide you with much in the way of vitamins, minerals or other substances, such as natural anti-oxidants or healthy fatty acids. When we think of it this way, that donut may not sound so good any more. An example of a good source of carbohydrates would be almost any fruit or vegetable. These options allow you to get the carbohydrates you need for energy, plus fiber for a healthy digestive system, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. About half of our daily calories should come from carbohydrates. Those carbs should come from fruits, vegetables and 100% whole grain breads and cereals -- not from candy, sodas and pastries. This concept works with proteins and fats, too. A healthy protein source is one that does not add extra unhealthy fats and hopefully offers some fats that are good for us, like navy beans. These beans provide protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. An example of an unhealthy protein is bacon. Bacon, and other processed meats like it, contain lots of fats and calories which can impact our heart health, expand your waistline, and even increase our risk of cancer. Healthy fats come from foods that contain polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats, like olive oil, fish, walnuts, soy, flax seeds and canola oil. While these fats and oils contain a lot of calories, we do need the fatty acids they provide. Unfortunately, there are a lot of unhealthy fats to be aware of. Saturated fats, found in some stick margarines, baked goods and processed foods, are very bad for our health. Good Nutrition Means Good Health A healthy diet will give our body the right amount of energy, enough raw materials and all of the "little helpers" we need to stay healthy. Good nutrition will also provide phytochemicals and antioxidants that will help keep us feeling young, looking great, and perhaps even disease-free. A bad diet will give us too many or too few calories, not enough vitamins and minerals, and will actually make us need more of the antioxidants that we aren't getting. Now that you have a better idea of why your body needs food, the next step is to learn more about nutrition and how to eat a balanced diet. |
Dr. Dan CorbettOwner / Founder of Corbett Chiropractic & Health Enhancement. Archives
February 2016
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