Here Comes the Sun and Vitamin D

Here Comes the Sun

Regular Chiropractic Care Helps Build Healthy Bones

Your daily dose of Vitamin D participates in a complex biochemical sequence of events leading to the construction of strong bones and teeth. In order to help achieve these important goals, the vitamin D molecule must be processed by the kidney and liver to yield a metabolically active form. Such processing depends on timely and accurate instructions received from the nerve system and feedback signals transmitted to the nerve system by the target organs. Biomechanical integrity of the spine supports this series of events. As nerve interference will disrupt vitamin D metabolism and function, proper alignment of the spinal column is necessary to ensure appropriate functioning of the nerve system. Regular chiropractic care detects, analyzes, and corrects sources of nerve interference and thus is an essential part of effective utilization of vitamin D. Overall, regular chiropractic care is an important component of a complete program of health and wellness.

Summer is here and, although you may not be actually "dancin' in the streets" as famously proclaimed by the beloved Motown group Martha and the Vandellas, you will likely be spending much more time outside. One of the great benefits of our increased time outdoors is the biochemical activation of vitamin D synthesis triggered by exposure to ultraviolet rays in sunlight. Of course, in today's world, it's important to make sure we're not exposed to too much ultraviolet radiation. We need to balance the beneficial effects of vitamin D verses the harms of overexposure.

Vitamin D, also known as cholecalciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin that is primarily obtained when our skin comes in contact with sunlight. The molecule thus synthesized is inert metabolically and is processed in the liver and kidney to yield the active form, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, otherwise known as active vitamin D3. Problematically, we are exposed to substantially less sunlight than were our evolutionary ancestors. Also, we now understand that overexposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause skin cancer, cataracts and other eye disorders, premature aging, and even suppression of the immune system. Therefore, we must obtain vitamin D supplementation from food sources such as eggs, tuna, salmon, cheese, and vitamin D-fortified foods including milk, yogurt, and orange juice.

As many school-age children are taught, we need vitamin D to build strong bones.1 Vitamin D helps absorb calcium from the gastrointestinal tract and helps osteoblasts (bone tissue) utilize the available calcium in the process of building robust Haversian systems (osteons), the fundamental building blocks of compact bone. Vitamin D may also have a role in immune system function and muscle activity. Vitamin D deficiency leads to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, both conditions involving the presence of soft, brittle bones, bone pain, and weakness. Vitamin D deficiency may also lead to osteoporosis, that is, overall reduced bone mass, resulting in an increased risk of hip fractures and fractures of other weight-bearing structures.2,3

Thus, obtaining our daily recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin D is necessary for ongoing good health. At present, evidence-based guidelines recommend 600 IU (international units) of vitamin D per day for children, teenagers, and adults up to age 70. Beyond age 70, guidelines recommend 800 IU per day.  In addition to obtaining our daily RDA of vitamin D, regular vigorous exercise is needed to ensure there is a reason for your body to build strong bones. Our bodies operate on the principle of limited resources. Resources not required in one area will be used elsewhere, stored, or excreted. Regular vigorous exercise creates a demand for ever-stronger bones, and will cause your body to put your daily dose of vitamin D to good use.

Finally, regular chiropractic care helps you obtain the greatest benefit from all your time and care involved in obtaining proper nutrition and sufficient exercise. By helping ensure healthy functioning of the nerve system, your body's master system, regular chiropractic care helps you maximize the benefits of all your lifestyle enhancements.

1. Weaver CM: Nutrition and Bone Health. Oral Dis 2016 Jun 2. doi: 10.1111/odi.12515. [Epub ahead of print]
2. Mousa A, et al: Vitamin D in Reproductive Health and Pregnancy. Semin Reprod Med 2016 May 26. [Epub ahead of print]
3. Ivanova S, et al: Osteoporosis: Therapeutic Options. Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2016 Jul-Sep;57(3):181-90. doi: 10.1515/folmed-2015-0037.

Thanks for your time. Your health and long life is important to us.
Dr Greg Millar, DC CCEP
And the Doctors of Millar Chiropractic Clinics

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Mini Workouts While You Work

This is a repost from Millar Chiropractic Clinic

Mini Workouts While You Work

What Do You Eat at Work?

The vast majority of us sit throughout the day at work. Exercising regularly - even if it's just a few minutes at a time throughout the day - helps to keep a person's metabolic rate, at an optimal level and therefore the muscles continue to burn calories even while sitting. Conversely, when we sit for hours at a time without getting up to move around, our metabolic rates drop.  That is why taking short exercise breaks often throughout the day may be even more beneficial than performing a longer workout once a day - if it means you barely move for hours at a time during the rest of the day. You can help keep your metabolism revved up and your blood sugar and energy levels balanced by making an effort to bring your own healthy lunch and snacks to work. It takes some effort to prepare your own food in advance, but the benefits are well worth it. If you prepare a healthy dinner, try making a bit extra and bring the leftovers with you to work for an easy lunch.  A salad can be a simple solution, adding some grilled chicken or turkey for protein. Whole milk organic yogurt is a good choice for a snack that will satisfy your hunger longer than anything out of the vending machine. Bring zippered plastic bags containing organic cheddar or other cheese, and an organic apple, banana, or other fresh fruit - preferably something in season. Energy bars can also be a good choice for a snack at work, but make sure to read the ingredients and avoid anything with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame or sucralose (Splenda).  Ideally they should have at least 30% protein to keep your blood sugar level.

Are you like most typical office workers who sit for hours on end in front of a computer screen?  If so, probably one of the most important things you can do for your health is get up and move around every 30-60 minutes, even if your exercise break is very brief.  Fitting in exercise doesn't have to be a big interruption during your day.  Just walk around your home or office for a few minutes, or even just march in place or do a quick stretching routine.

This is also a good time to give your eyes a break.  Your eyes become fatigued when you look at something at a static distance for too long.  Make a point to look out a window if you can and focus on the details you see.  Look around your house or office and focus on items at varying distances to exercise the lens in your eyes.  Looking at trees outside and other natural surroundings are not only pleasant and relaxing, but can also help your mind be refreshed and energized.

Stand up straight, making sure your knees and shoulders are relaxed, and tighten your abdominal muscles for a strong core while you do the following stretches:

• Inhale while you sweep your arms out to your sides and then up over your head, and exhale while you bring them back down to your sides.
• Inhale while you reach one arm over your head and gently lean to the opposite side to stretch, and exhale while you return to center bringing your arm back to your side.  Repeat on the other side.
• Inhale while you sweep your arms in front of you, and exhale while you bring them back, stretching the chest muscles. 
• Keeping your arms straight out at your sides and your breathing relaxed, gently rotate your torso to one side and then to the other.
• Continue taking nice deep breaths while you roll your shoulders forward and then backward.  Then place your hands on your shoulders and circle your elbows around very slowly - as if you are drawing the biggest circles possible with your elbows - stretching out the muscles of your upper back and shoulders.
• Stretch your neck by gently tilting your head forward and back, then gently tilt your ear toward each shoulder, and finally gently turn your head from side to side.  Make your movements slow and relaxed and be careful not to push too far.  Just stretch to the point where it feels comfortable.
• Warm up your legs a bit by bending your knees into a partial squat, and then come back to standing, then up on your toes.  You can add in the arm lifts we started with, lifting your arms above your head while you raise up on your toes, and lowering your arms as you lower your body.

You don't have to do all of these during each break, unless you would like to.  Pay attention to which exercises feel good to you and which areas of your body have the most tension.  Usually just a few repetitions will be sufficient, and taking regular mini-breaks throughout the day can make a big difference. It only takes a few minutes to get your circulation going and your joints and muscles loosened up. 

Mini-exercise breaks also give your mind a rest, and you will probably find that you have renewed mental vigor and greater clarity when you get back to work.  Exercise breaks are especially helpful when you are struggling with a problem.  You may notice that giving your mind a break while you perform a short bout of exercise is just what you need to come up with a solution.

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Gluten Intolerance?

This is a repost from Millar Chiropractic Clinic website

Gluten Intolerance

Starting a Gluten-Free Diet

A strict gluten-free diet is the first one step in treatment of gluten intolerance and celiac disease.  It is critically necessary to treat the disease, as symptoms of these disorders will only resolve when gluten is removed from the diet. Even minuscule amounts of gluten can reactivate the disease-causing immune reaction mechanism. As little as 20 parts per million (ppm; a standard measure of concentration) can cause symptoms in a person who is gluten intolerant. The very good news is that gluten intolerance and celiac disease are receiving a much higher media profile. The Media are now focusing on these disorders, with featured content appearing frequently in the national press. The result is that gluten-free foods and household products are becoming much more widely available.  It has never been easier to avoid gluten.  Most health food stores and quality grocery stores have created a gluten-free section and continue to expand their offerings.  Many gluten-free foods can also be ordered online. Tinkyada is a brand that offers gluten-free pastas, made from rice, that are a great substitute for wheat pasta. You can even enjoy fresh made pizza at local restaurants, such as Pane e Vino and Mellow Mushroom, which provide the option of choosing gluten-free crusts.

About 40% of Americans are genetically predisposed to become intolerant to gluten. At least 1% of Americans (about 315,000 Americans) have the very severe form of gluten sensitivity, called celiac disease.  It is possible that the percentage of Americans suffering from celiac disease may actually be much higher reports the NCHS the National Conference on Health Statistics, because most physicians simply do not recognize the signs and symptoms of celiac disease when presented. Celiac disease has been nicknamed the "great masquerader" as the disease often presents with a variety of signs and symptoms.  A person who is gluten intolerant may develop celiac disease after repeated exposure to gluten.

So what exactly is gluten?  It's a complex of proteins that are found in wheat, rye, and barley. When eaten, the human digestive tract is unable break down the gluten proteins into its component amino acids, so the gluten proteins remain  undigested in the gastrointestinal tract until they are excreted. 

The body tags proteins as "self: or "Foreign." In those persons who develop celiac disease, the gluten proteins are identified as "foreign" and their immune systems launch a reaction against these proteins trying to kill them. Infants, children, teenagers, and adults, may have this reaction, and continued exposure to gluten may cause development of celiac disease.^1-2

The Western Diet is made up of significant amounts of Wheat, rye, and barley. Think about the last time you went to a restaurant. They served bread. Almost all breads are made from one or more of these three grains. Then think of our daily consumption of Cerials, cookies, cakes, pizza, bagels, muffins, and don't forget all pasta are just a few of the foods that contain gluten. Additionally, gluten is found in nearly everything we consume from vitamins,  to shampoo, to toothpaste, household cleansers, and even prescription drugs. Wheat-based binders are often used in the manufacturing process of many food and non food items. 

A susceptible person's initial immune reaction to gluten will often worsen with continued exposure. Eventually the immune reaction may damage the lining of the person's small intestine, leading to the classic symptoms of Irritable Bowel - abdominal pain, constipation and/or diarrhea, and abdominal bloating.  Intestinal damage causes these very unpleasant and debilitating symptoms to get worse and leads to Celiac Disease and other serious diseases. One of the major consequences of celiac disease can be malnutrition because the damaged intestinal lining is unable to properly absorb needed nutrients.

Gluten intolerance may be related to a variety of serious disorders. Perhaps surprisingly, research has pointed to neuropsychiatric conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and schizophrenia may be associated with underlying gluten intolerance and celiac disease. Evidence suggests that arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), and psoriatic arthritis may also be related to gluten intolerance. Endocrine conditions, which are so prevalent today, including diabetes, hyper- and hypothryroidism, and Addison's disease are often related to gluten intolerance and celiac disease. Infertility and frequent miscarriages may also be related to an underlying condition of gluten intolerance. What did the Greeks say, "So goes the gut so goes the body."

It is important to realize that gluten intolerance and celiac disease may be an underlying cause of many of these serious medical conditions that have not been treated successfully. It may be critical to consider gluten intolerance as an underlying cause of these various disorders and to take appropriate action. Patient knowledge and increased physician knowledge and awareness are crucial to correctly identifying a hidden problem.³

Your Millar Chiropractor is an expert in nutrition and is trained to identify underlying causes of health problems. Additionally, chiropractic treatment may help restore more normal and more effective immune system functioning. In cases requiring a holistic, multidisciplinary approach, chiropractic treatment is a crucial component.

¹Selimolu MA, Karabiber H: Celiac disease. Prevention and treatment. J Clin Gastroenterol 44(1):4-8, 2010
²Setty M, et al: Celiac disease: risk assessment, diagnosis, and monitoring. Mol Diagn Ther 12(5):289-298, 2008
³Schuppan D, et al: Celiac disease: from pathogenesis to novel therapies. Gastroenterology 137(6):1912-1933, 2009

                               

TSA Rolling PreCheck-Pilot Program in 28 Busiest Airports

We are pleased that the TSA is creating new pre-check in rules at 28 of the nation's busiest airport.

  We commented on their blog to show our support of the new program that will decrease x-ray exposure for frequent flyers.  As Huntsville, AL Chiropractors, we have great concern for the health and well-being of not only our patients, but the public in general.






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