It is a shame that modern medicine has largely ignored one of the best weapons against disease- nutrition. At True Health Family Chiropractic, we hope to guide patients to regain control of their health outside of our office by eating well and by eating clean, health promoting foods.

The first step is to actively remove all of the unhealthy food choices in your house so you have room to fit all of the good things you are going to buy. To successfully improve the quality of what you eat, remember we often eat what’s convenient, and if you buy it and keep it in the house, you’ll eat it – so don’t buy it in the first place. The following are some basic ground rules to follow when eating clean.

Eating Clean Checklist:

• Eat more organic and/or local fruits and vegetables, and remember the fresher the food, the more potent the nutrients
• Drink more pure filtered water (Divide your weight by 2, aim to drink that number in ounces)
• Eat hormone and antibiotic free meats and dairy (Choose products where animals live as close to their natural state as possible -free-range, cage-free, grass-fed, raw milk etc.)
• Eat foods that have not been genetically modified (Click here for a non-GMO shopping guide)
• Eat more alkaline foods (lots of vegetables)
• Lower your intake of inflammatory/mucus producing foods (dairy, sugar, wheat)
• Eat more raw foods that contain powerful enzymes and phytonutrients (try juicing)
• Eat more fresh whole foods and less processed man made foods
• Eat or supplement anti-inflammatory foods (Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, flax seed)
• Increase the amount of good bacteria in your GI tract by eating foods high in fiber and supplementing with probiotics
• Eliminate soft drinks, sugary drinks, and artificially sweetened drinks loaded with neurotoxins
• Eat a handful of raw nuts/seeds everyday
• Limit caffeine intake to one cup of coffee/day, instead aim to drink up to 3 cups of green tea

AND For a detailed grocery list of nutrient dense, fresh, whole (or in some cases minimally processed) foods which promote optimal health, click here.

Lightheaded/dizziness, Headaches, Vomiting, Anxiety, Fluctuation in weight, Skin rashes, Fatigue, Constipation, Diarrhea, Chest pain, Flu symptoms…

Medications that lower blood pressure can come with an array of side effects, but there are other ways to lower blood pressure that don’t require a prescription.

Considerable research has shown that garlic can lower elevated blood pressure and has many other useful properties. It thins the blood slightly, improves blood flow through arteries, prevents and even reverses atherosclerosis, stops arrhythmias, and protects brain cells. Also, as a powerful antioxidant it significantly lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke. It even has strong anti-cancer effects.

Many of us are seduced by the promise of better health and wellness offered by vitamin supplements. Every year, Americans spend millions of dollars on them – most of which end up half used in our cabinets. This is an explanation of the “Core Four” Supplements that everyone (men, women, & children) should be taking. These are supplements that will actually improve your health and well-being if taken on a regular basis.

OMEGA-3 FISH OIL

Why do we need fish oil? Fish oil contains essential omega-3 fats such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA are called essential because to be healthy the body must have them and the body cannot make them; we must get them from our food. Fish and sea life (krill) are the only meaningful sources of EPA and DHA on the planet.

Omega-3 fish oil has been shown to promote healthier cell and hormone function throughout the body, in addition to reducing inflammation and cellular oxidation (think aging or “rusting” of your cells). It also promotes healthier pregnancies, breast feeding, pediatric development, neurological growth and development, joint health, weight management, heart function, immune, optical, brain and nerve system health. As you can see, almost everyone can benefit from taking fish oil as a daily supplement.

While eating wild caught fish is a great way to get omega-3 essential fats, the truth is most people do not eat enough fish every week to obtain a healthy amount of omega-3. In addition, some fish can contain dangerous amounts of toxins like mercury and PCBs. Therefore it is important to take a high quality fish oil that is molecularly purified to remove toxins.

Recommended Serving:

Adults – 1000-2000mg, depending on size and activity

Children(4+) – should be taking roughly 300-600 milligrams for every 40 lbs. of body weight

PROBIOTICS

The human body is made up of an estimated 100 trillion bacterial cells from at least 500 species, not including viruses and fungi. These bacteria (probiotics) are referred to as “friendly” bacteria and are responsible for several important biological functions. Some of these functions include assisting with digestion, keeping other harmful bacteria at bay and stimulating the immune system.

Beneficial bacteria in your gut can help to boost the immune system, prevent allergic inflammation and food allergy, clear up eczema in children and heal the intestines from a variety of ailments. Research shows that 80% of your immune system actually lives right in your digestive tract, so if your GI tract is not in optimal health, then your overall health will be compromised. We recommend all new patients take probiotics, although we don’t believe that they need to stay on it the rest of their lives, but one to three months are usually beneficial until they are able to get their diet improved.

Adults – 1 capsule(5 billion active cells/capsule) daily

Children – ½ to 1 teaspoon (depending on age) of Children’s Probiotic powder