Dr Beecher’s June 2012 Monthly Chiropractic Newsletter

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“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” ~ E. E. Cummings

 

THE SHOCKING SNACK FOOD!!!

Popcorn Has More Antioxidants Than

Fruits and Vegetables?

More great stuff:

• Don’t throw out those old fruits and vegetables! Find out why…
• What’s the best method to cook vegetables without lowering their antioxidant levels?
• Sitting and a higher risk of death… what you should know.

 

14 Days To Live – I Don’t Think So!  How Sean Swarner was diagnosed with 2 types of cancer, beat them and then climbed Mt. Everest. That’s just the beginning… 

 

Houston – Imagine someone told you the following: “Popcorn may be the perfect snack food. It’s the only snack that is 100 percent unprocessed whole grain. All other grains are processed and diluted with other ingredients, and although cereals are called ‘whole grain,’ this simply means that over 51 percent of the weight of the product is whole grain. One serving of popcorn will provide more than 70 percent of your daily intake of whole grain. The average person only gets about half a serving of whole grains a day, and popcorn could fill that gap in a very pleasant way.”

Well, according to ScienceDaily, that’s exactly what Joe Vinson, Ph.D., a pioneer in analyzing healthful components in chocolate, nuts and other common foods, had to say.

While speaking at the 243^rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Vinson also explained why he thinks this is the case. He said that “polyphenols” are more concentrated in popcorn.  He believes this is due to water content.  Popcorn averages about 4% water but polyphenols in fruits and vegetables are diluted in 90% water.

It is believed that antioxidants are substances that are capable of counteracting the damaging, but normal, effects of the physiological process of oxidation in animal tissue. Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins and minerals), as well as enzymes (proteins in your body that assist in chemical reactions). They are believed to play a role in preventing the development of such chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Rheumatoid arthritis and cataracts.

Many products are marketed for their antioxidant properties and possible anti-aging and/or possible positive health effects.

Back To Popcorn

Here’s something a little surprising about the popcorn research…

Researchers discovered that the hull of the popcorn had the highest concentration of polyphenols and fiber.

The hull is the hard seed-like thing on the inside of the popped popcorn — the part that gets stuck in your teeth or scratches your throat.  I bet you hated the hull… until now!

“Those hulls deserve more respect,” said Vinson, who is with the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. “They are nutritional gold nuggets.”

But, Vinson also gave a warning…

He said you can quickly ruin the positive effects of popcorn by cooking it in oil and putting butter or fake butter and salt all over it.

That’s the best way to turn a healthy snack into a health disaster.

This is true for all healthy food and it is where most people go wrong when trying to eat healthy.

Most people take great, healthy food and turn it into near junk food in an attempt to make it “taste good.”

The one word that will drop a lot of inches off your waistline and help make you healthier is PLAIN.

Sure, there are ways to prepare healthy foods to give them flavor that are also healthy.  But, when in doubt, go plain.

Here is some advice from ScienceDaily if you are going to eat popcorn…

“Air-popped popcorn has the lowest number of calories, of course,” Vinson said. “Microwave popcorn has twice as many calories as air-popped…  About 43 percent of microwave popcorn is fat, compared to 28 percent if you pop the corn in oil yourself.”

The article also suggests you don’t replace fruit and vegetable servings in your diet with popcorn.  There are many nutrients in fruits and vegetables that you are not going to get with popcorn. The best bet is to use properly cooked popcorn as a snack.

On the topic of cooking, what is the best method to cook vegetables so you lose the least amount of antioxidants? 

According to a recent study in the Journal of Food Science, cooking on a flat metal surface with no oil (griddling) maintained the highest antioxidant levels.  Pressure cooking and boiling led to the greatest loss of antioxidants.  Results also depended on the type of vegetable.

One interesting finding from the study was that artichokes were the only vegetable that kept its high antioxidant level during all cooking methods.  The cooking methods tested included boiling, pressure-cooking, baking, microwaving, griddling, and frying.

Wait!  Don’t Throw Out Those

Old Fruits And Vegetables…

Scientists have discovered that antioxidant levels of fruit and vegetables do not decrease as they age, even as they show signs of spoiling, such as “bruising.”  In fact, in some cases, the antioxidant levels actually increased.

In the study, researchers measured the antioxidant level of several kinds of fruits and vegetables.  The fruits and vegetables were stored at 39 degrees and antioxidant levels were routinely checked until visual signs of spoilage were observed.

According to ScienceDaily: “The results showed that, in the days following purchase, fruits and vegetables did not lose any phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid or flavonols — a trio of chemical classes associated with antioxidant content… In some cases, an increase on the antioxidant capacity was observed in the days following their purchase, accompanied by an increase in phenolic compounds.”

But, even if the antioxidant levels are still high, who wants to eat spoiled produce?

And don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in providing you natural pain relief.

Inspirational Story Of The Month

(Names And Details Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)

They Called Him “Cancer Boy”

Doctors gave him 14 days to live.  Seth Swarner’s response

was to beat cancer and climb Mt. Everest. It gets better… 

 

Some are born to move the world

To live their fantasies

But most of us just dream about the things we’d like to be

Sadder still to watch it die than never to have known it

For you, the blind who once could see the bell tolls for thee…

 

These are the words of songwriter Neil Peart. For most people, they ring true.  Most people live lives of quiet desperation, dreaming but never achieving or even trying in the first place.

But, then there are those who dream BIG things and achieve even BIGGER things, even when the odds are severely stacked against them.  Or, perhaps BECAUSE the odds were stacked against them.

Sean Swarner is an example of someone who achieved great things after life threw him a serious curve ball.  In fact, Seth only started really living and doing great things AFTER his doctors gave him a death sentence.

Sean was diagnosed with two completely different types of cancer; one at the age of 13 and again at the age of 16, when he was given 14 days to live and read his last rights. He astounded the medical community when he survived both these brutal diseases and also a medical-induced coma.

This gave Sean a different outlook on life.  After college, he wanted to do something BIG.  So, he moved to Colorado and started training to climb mountains.  Eight months later, he was in Nepal at the base camp of Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the world, with a flag inscribed with the names of people touched by cancer tucked in a pocket near his heart (he later planted the flag at the summit).

“When I got to the top, I collapsed to my knees and cried like a baby. It was a culmination of everything I’d done,” Swarner said. “I was crying for everyone touched by cancer. When I got down, I wanted to reach around the world and share my story in hospitals. It’s a purpose, to spread hope. When I was sick, I had nobody to look up to. I had no future.”

Since then, Swarner has climbed to the top of Mount Elbrus in Russia, Mount Vinson in Antarctica and Mount McKinley in Alaska.  Swarner also travels across the country visiting cancer patients.

“Visiting the hospitals, everybody has a story to tell,” he said. “God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Everybody has a story and you can learn something from anybody. Just [sit] on a plane next to somebody and saying hello.”

The bell has yet to toll for Seth Swarner.

We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better!  We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger!  Don’t be a stranger.  You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move!

 

Did You Know?…

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

 

Laughter is one of the most powerful ways to ward off disease and illness known to man. Most of us probably don’t think about how often we laugh, but rest assured, our body is keeping count. Children seem to understand that laughter is the best medicine, as they laugh, on average, up to 400 times a day. Adults average only 17 times per day. Is it any wonder children seem to enjoy life more than their parents?

The benefits of laughter are far reaching. Laughter brings joy to your life and to those around you; makes your cheeks red and your face glow, making you more approachable and even more loveable; alleviates pain in the body and provides you with a sense of well-being by releasing endorphins and serotonin, which have been proven to help reduce pain and can even enhance treatments of many illnesses and diseases; reduces the negative stress hormones, such as cortisol and epinephrine; allows us to connect with others more readily and to share a common bond with them; and also helps supply your body with oxygen, helping you feel full of energy and life.

Your body treats laughter just like exercise, as it makes the blood vessels work more efficiently, increases blood flow to the heart, and helps to increase lung capacity.  A good belly laugh can boost your immune system’s ability to ward off disease for up to three days. Imagine the benefit of laughing multiple times daily!

Laughter is a great distraction from the stresses and rigors of life. Any time you can change your focus from the negative emotions of your day, even for just a few moments, the better off you are. Laughter also enhances your ability to have a good night’s sleep.

The bottom line is that laughing is one of the best natural health remedies. So, if your stress levels are mounting, if you are feeling unhealthy, if you are feeling rundown and depressed, or you just want some relief, then LAUGH! The more you laugh, the better you feel, and the better those around you will feel too.

 

Tip Of The Month

Are You Sitting Yourself To Death?

 

Do you sit all day or during a good portion of your day?  If you do, you are really going to want to read every word of this article.  It may be a matter of life and death.  Literally.  Here is why… According to cancer.org: “A new study from the American Cancer Society researchers [found] it’s not just how much physical activity you get, but how much time you spend sitting that can affect your risk of death. Researchers say time spent sitting was independently associated with total mortality, regardless of physical activity level. They conclude that public health messages should promote both being physically active and reducing time spent sitting.”

This is important because this study suggests it is not only about the physical activity you do, it is also about the time you spend sitting.  Going to the gym or for a run at night does not seem to make up for sitting all day at work. According to the study, the researchers “found that more leisure time spent sitting was associated with higher risks of mortality, particularly in women. Women who reported more than six hours per day of sitting were 37 percent more likely to die during the time period studied than those who sat fewer than 3 hours a day. Men who sat more than 6 hours a day were 18 percent more likely to die than those who sat fewer than 3 hours per day. The association remained virtually unchanged after adjusting for physical activity level. Associations were stronger for cardiovascular disease mortality than for cancer mortality.  When combined with a lack of physical activity, the association was even stronger. Women and men who both sat more and were less physically active were 94% and 48% more likely, respectively, to die compared with those who reported sitting the least and being most active.”

If the results of this study are accurate, people should not only get the proper amounts of exercise, but they should decrease the hours a day they spend sitting.

 

Remember, we’re always here to help your body heal

and maintain the pain free body you deserve.

 

This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice.  Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history. We cannot be held responsible for actions you may take without a thorough exam or appropriate referral. If you have any further concerns or questions, please let us know by calling 281-286-1300 or on the web at BeecherChiropractic.com.