Tag: Benefits of Probiotics

“Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what’s right.” ~ Isaac Asimov

If you suffer from fatigue, persistent gas or bloating, recurrent yeast infections, constipation or diarrhea, migraines, weight gain, depression, or skin issues, then this might help you…

Probiotics!

What are probiotics?  What do they do? 

Do they make you healthier?  Should you take expensive probiotic supplements or is there a much cheaper and superior way to get all the probiotics your body needs?

Also this month:

• STUDY: Even a Small Amount of Stress is Harmful to Your Health, Unless You Do This…
• What’s Better For Depression, Working or Taking Time Off? The Answer May Surprise You.
• Why You Should Not Use Your Smartphone in Bed…
• How a Man with Dwarfism Turned People’s Daily Ignorance and Cruelty Into an Incredible Message of Inspiration – All Summed Up in One Sentence…

            You may have also noticed trends in the area of personal health.  Sometimes they may be caused by a breakthrough diagnostic procedure or a new treatment.  Other times, they can be motivated by less-than-pure intentions.

For example, you have probably seen a recent influx of advertisements (especially on the internet) for probiotics.  One video on the internet in particular goes into depth about a government conspiracy to get people hooked on sugar and all the health problems eating too much sugar causes, namely Candida (or yeast) overgrowth.  Then, the video offers the solution: their probiotic supplements, auto-shipped and billed monthly.

The purpose of this is not to get into the validity of the “sugar conspiracy” but to lay out a few facts regarding processed sugar consumption, candida or yeast, and probiotics.

Without going into great detail, it is no secret that excess sugar and processed food are not good for you and that it can be a large contributing factor to yeast overgrowth. (Stress, antibiotics, and prolonged birth control pill use are a few other possible contributors.)

What is Yeast Overgrowth

and How Does it Affect You?

The gut is your body’s gatekeeper, letting in helpful compounds and evicting harmful ones.  It is home to 70 to 80% of your immune cells.  When the gut is in good shape, your systems run efficiently, but when it’s not, you may experience upset stomach, be at risk for weight gain or digestive problems (like heartburn and constipation), or just feel vaguely out of sorts.

The gut is swarming with about 100 trillion bacteria, or flora, which outnumber human cells in the body 10 to 1.  These bacteria are often referred to as either “good” or “bad” because they can have either a positive or negative effect on your health.  The key is to eat things that promote the growth of “good” bacteria and inhibit the growth of “bad” bacteria.

What are the symptoms of

bad bacteria overgrowth?

1. Painful and persistent gas and bloating
2. Recurrent yeast infections in women
3. Constipation or diarrhea
4. Migraines
5. Weight gain
6. Depression and brain fog
7. Skin issues like eczema and acne
8. Food sensitivities
9. Fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome

Here is some pretty incredible information from a CNN article posted on June 14, 2014:

“Incredibly, some bacteria might even make you fat: A recent study of twins published in “Nature,” found that when bacteria from an obese human twin were introduced into the digestive systems of lean mice, the mice turned fat; when bacteria from the thin sibling were introduced into lean mice, the mice stayed lean.  Studies also suggest that diabetic and obese patients tend to lack a diversity of bacteria, and the Cleveland Clinic found that some bacteria metabolize components of egg and meat to produce a compound that aids in the clogging of arteries.

            “This might explain why some unhealthy eaters get heart disease while others don’t.”

As you can see, keeping your “gut” flora in the right balance so the correct bacteria grow is vitally important for your health and the way you feel.

How do you do that?

The first thing you want to do if you have an overgrowth of yeast is to STARVE IT.  Because yeast thrives on sugar and processed foods, stop eating them.  There is no “magic bullet” like some probiotic supplement marketers will tell you.  You cannot simply take their probiotic supplements and continue eating whatever you want.

Does that mean you should not take probiotic supplements?  No.  Probiotics are the “good” kind of bacteria that you want in your gut.

There are many supplements being sold, but probably the best way to get probiotics is to eat naturally fermented vegetables, like sauerkraut. In fact, an analysis has shown that the amount of probiotics in naturally fermented sauerkraut is as much as 10 times greater than the commonly used supplements the investigators compared them with.

Even better, making sauerkraut is easy and cheaper than buying many supplements.

A simple YouTube or Google search will walk you through exactly how to do it.  It is nothing more than cutting up some green cabbage, mixing and squeezing it in a large bowl with the proper amount of salt (1.8 teaspoons per pound of cabbage) to create a “brine” and then letting it ferment for approximately three weeks.

And here is something very important most people miss:  Sugar and processed foods are a major cause of bad bacteria (yeast) overgrowth because processed foods and sugar are food for the yeast.  That’s why we said to stop eating those foods to starve the yeast.

Now that you put good bacteria into your gut by either eating naturally fermented foods or taking a supplement, wouldn’t it make sense to “feed” the good bacteria so they flourish?

That’s where prebiotics come in.  Prebiotics are basically probiotic food.  A prebiotic is a specialized plant fiber that beneficially nourishes the good bacteria already present in the large bowel or colon.  The body itself does not digest these plant fibers; instead, the fibers act as a fertilizer to promote the growth of many of the good bacteria in the gut.

Like probiotics, you can get prebiotics from supplements or by eating a natural source.  Here are some natural sources of prebiotics…

In parentheses is the prebiotic fiber content by weight, followed by the amount of food required to obtain 6 grams of prebiotic fiber:

• Raw chicory root (64.6%) – 1/3 oz.
• Raw Jerusalem artichoke (31.5%) – 3/4 oz.
• Raw dandelion greens (24.3%) – 1 oz.
• Raw garlic (17.5%) – 1.2 oz.
• Raw leek (11.7%) – 1.8 oz.
• Raw onion (8.6%) – 2.5 oz.
• Cooked onion (5%) – 1/4 lb. or 4 oz.
• Raw banana (1%) – 1.3 lb.

One last thing:  This was just an introduction to a vast topic.  It is best to consult a healthcare professional who is an expert in this issue and it is NOT recommended to simply experiment by yourself.  A trained healthcare professional can give you expert advice that is best for your individual case.

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 May Have Been Changed To Protect Privacy)

How a Man with Dwarfism Turned People’s

Daily Ignorance and Cruelty Into an Incredible Message

of Inspiration – All Summed Up in One Sentence…

“I don’t think there is a certain point in anyone’s life where they grow up.  I think that we’re growing up all the time and we always will be.”  These are the words of Jonathan Novick.  Pretty wise words for someone who is just 22 years old, don’t you think?

Jonathan has achondroplasia, a form of short-limbed dwarfism.  Even though the term “achondroplasia” literally means “without cartilage formation,” his problem is not in forming cartilage but in converting it to bone (a process called ossification), particularly in the long bones of the arms and legs.

All people with achondroplasia are short – the average male is 4’4” (~1.3 meters) and the average female is 4’1” (~1.2 meters).  Achondroplasia is the most common type of short-limbed dwarfism.  The condition occurs in 1 in 15,000 to 40,000 newborns.  Jonathan grew up in a small town and said even though he had a few negative experiences, for the most part, he was surrounded by family and friends who supported him.  Things changed drastically when he moved to New York City and started experiencing some appalling behavior.  People yelled terrible things at him.  Others harassed him.  Some even took pictures.  Jonathan said this stuff happened to him on a daily basis and he was sick and tired of it.  He was also tired of telling his family and friends about what was happening. So, he decided to show them and the rest of the world what a day in his life was like.

Jonathan started wearing a tiny button camera to shoot video of his daily experiences.  What he captured on video was shocking.  One child yelled, “What is he?”  People walked by and held out their cell phone to take a picture, acting as if they were being clever and he would not notice.  One man asked if he had been on TV.  When he said no, the man told him he looked like the reality-TV star Zach Roloff.  (The two look nothing alike, except that they are both dwarfs.)

Other people randomly yelled stuff as they walked by like “Hey short stuff!” or “Are you from one of those shows with the little people?”

One has to wonder what these people are doing with the pictures and videos they try so hard to take.  Do they post them on social media so all of their friends can have a good laugh?  Maybe they’ll get a few likes out of it.

It seems as though if you are unlucky enough to do something embarrassing, like trip and fall in public, then someone is likely to catch it on video and post it on social media.  Imagine how it would feel if that happened to you?  You may have thick skin and you may be okay with that.  Well, now imagine if EVERY SINGLE DAY was an opportunity for people to snap pictures and videos of you because of the way you looked.

The last thing Jonathan said on his video summed it up nicely…

“I don’t want to tell anyone what to do or what to think or how to feel.  But instead, what I’ll do is I’ll ask.  I’ll ask that the next time you see someone who is different than you, think about what their day might be like.  Think about all of the events of their life leading up to that point.  Then think about their day.  And think about what part of their day you want to be.”

We never know the true impact and how far reaching our actions are.  A simple act of cruelty or kindness can change someone’s life. One simple act of cruelty or kindness performed each day can change countless lives over your lifetime.  It’s all making a choice as to what part of someone’s day or life you want to be…

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?…

Sitting All Day is Risky!

Prolonged sitting significantly impacts your cardiovascular and metabolic function and can leave you at greater risk for heart failure and other heart-related problems.  One study claims that exercise may not even be able to counter the cardiovascular risk caused by sitting. In fact, the authors of the study write that the positive health benefits of one hour of exercise can be counteracted by six hours of uninterrupted sitting.  The good news is that you have virtually unlimited options when it comes to breaking up your sitting.  From standing desks and office-friendly intermittent exercise to short walks, all of it counts.  Standing up or bending down increases the force of gravity on your body, and this is the key to counteracting the cellular degeneration that occurs when you’re sitting down. A recent study has been found that taking a five-minute walk for every hour you spend in your chair can reduce the heart disease risks associated with chronic sitting.

Tip Of The Month

STUDY: Even a Small Amount of Stress is Harmful to Your Health, Unless You Do This…

There are two facts we know about stress.  Fact #1:  Stress is bad.  Fact #2:  Stress cannot always be avoided.  Many “experts” give advice on how to “lower your stress levels,” but for the vast majority of people, that is simply not an option.  Stress is simply a built-in part of modern life.  That’s the bad news.  But there is GOOD news and here it is…

According to a study published in Experimental Gerontology, it is not the amount of stress you are under that is important but how you perceive and react to the stress that determines its effect on your life expectancy.  For example, Dr. Carolyn Aldwin, Director of the Center for Healthy Aging Research in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University states, “It’s not the number of hassles that does you in, it’s the perception of them being a big deal that causes problems.  Taking things in stride may protect you.”  Dr. Aldwin went on to say, “Don’t make mountains out of molehills.  Coping skills are very important.”  Stress will always be part of your life.  If you want to live longer (and happier), take action and change what you can and do not worry about the things you cannot.

What’s Better for Depression, Working or Taking Time Off?

A new study conducted by scientists at the University of Melbourne is the first to estimate the long-term health care costs and health outcomes of taking time off work versus continuing to work during an episode of depression.  According to the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Fiona Cocker, “We found that continuing to work while experiencing a depressive illness may offer employees certain health benefits, while depression-related absence from work offers no significant improvement in employee health outcomes or quality of life… This is important information for employers, health care professionals (e.g. GPs) and employees faced with the decision whether to continue working or take a leave of absence.  It suggests that future workplace mental health promotion strategies should include mental health policies that focus on promoting continued work attendance via offering flexible work-time and modification of tasks or working environment.” 

Why You Should Not Use Your Smartphone in Bed…

The American Macular Degeneration Foundation now warns that retinal damage caused by blue light may eventually lead to macular degeneration and the loss of central vision.  Blue light is emitted by smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other LED screens.  It seems as though the most danger occurs when holding a screen close to the eyes, which can occur while lying in bed.  Nighttime exposure to this blue light can also suppress production of the hormone melatonin and can interfere with your natural sleep cycles.

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

and maintain the pain free body you deserve.

This information 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 health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.

Houston – Trends are a big part of Western culture and cultures around most of the world.  Most entertainment and fashion trends are blatantly obvious.  A celebrity wears big headphones, glasses, or gets a certain haircut and in no time, countless people all over the world will do or wear the same thing.