Weekly Health Roundup

healthWelcome to True Health Family Chiropractic’s Weekly Health Roundup, where we’ll take a look at what’s making news in the world of health.

Research of the Week

A new study finds that over-diagnosis of reflux in infants leads to needless medication, which is generally ineffective and could have long term implications. As I’ve written about before, research shows that parents of infants using chiropractic care for colic reported fewer hours of crying per day and difference was statistically significant. We also know that the addition of probiotics has been shown to help with symptoms of colic.

Interesting Articles

I talk a lot about taking control of your health. The reason being is that today we have infinite possibilities, and and our health can suffer as well as benefit a great deal for it. For example, we have the option of sitting on the couch all weekend watching a netflix marathon, or we can be outside. Here’s a great article that offers 8 tips on how to take control of your health. The article focuses on a excellent concept; health integrity -an honesty to one’s self, a commitment that begins and ends with one’s self, an inner compass that has nothing to do with the outside world.

Food for Thought

Eating fruits and vegetables in season makes sense – they are at their peak freshness and have to travel the least distance to your plate (and they taste better). But how do you know what is in season when? The solution is a food calendar, and Eat Seasonably has created a great interactive one -the pinwheel shows what’s in season by month; the outermost ring shows what’s particularly delicious at that time:

Blog Posts Worth Reading

Blenders and juicers are great tools to help any kid eat more nutrient dense foods. However, lots of parents are unsure as to which is better. This is a great blog post on blenders versus juicers, and which will work best in your house for your kids.

Time Capsule

A year ago on the True Health blog we looked at a natural approach to ear infections. This is one of the most common reasons I see children in my practice –  there is a strong correlation between chiropractic adjustments and the resolution of ear infections. Research has shown that close to 80% of children treated with a series of chiropractic adjustments did not experience another ear infection within the six-month period following their initial visits.

Can Chiropractic Help with Breastfeeding?

chiropractic helps breastfeeding

We all know it is important for babies to get good nutrition so that they can be healthy and strong. However, some mothers find it really difficult to breastfeed for various reasons. It is so important that mothers understand that there are ways to improve the breastfeeding experience, and that chiropractic can offer a helping hand with many of these issues.

“It’s painful to breastfeed”

One of the reasons why it may be painful to breastfeed is that baby has a problem with TMJ function and/or the muscles around the jaw, including the tongue, which is causing baby to suck in a strange way that may cause pain for mom. An injury to the jaw can take place during the birthing process, especially with breech presentation, or a shoulder dystocia. Sometimes even a normal, incident-free birth can cause problems with the way the jaw moves and can create a lot of tension in the muscles in the area.

La Leche League identifies chiropractic as an effective option for babies damaged by vacuum or forceps, and for those whose muscles and bones are not working well together causing the baby to be in pain, or become a poor feeder. A poorly feeding baby does not drain the breast sufficiently, therefore the mom suffers the secondary impact of reduced milk production. Continue reading “Can Chiropractic Help with Breastfeeding?”

Weekly Health Roundup

weekly health roundup

Welcome to True Health Family Chiropractic’s Weekly Health Roundup, where we’ll take a look at what’s making news in the world of health.

Research of the Week

Stanford University researcher and geneticist, Dr. Gerald Crabtree, believes that our human intelligence is slowly declining – mainly due to adverse genetic mutations. But human intelligence is suffering for other reasons as well. This piece points to studies showing the effects of growing up with toxins, GMOs/pesticides, and processed “food” on our children.

Interesting Articles

Ever wonder what other countries do during flu season? Well, they certainly don’t get the flu shot: Only the U.S. and Canada actually encourage everyone older than 6 months to get the flu vaccine. CNN also points out that this year, a year in which the vaccine is supposed to be a good match to the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the vaccine is only 62% effective.

Time has a great Q&A With neuroscientist Bruce McEwen. He explains the effects of toxic stress – where bad things happen, perhaps because you don’t have the inner or external resources needed to cope, which makes us more vulnerable to adverse outcomes. So what can we do? Be physically active, get a good diet, adequate sleep, create a social support, have a good hobby, meditate. {This is also where chiropractic care comes into the equation: Spinal alignment coupled with a healthy lifestyle means the body is at its best and has the best chance to adapt to stress we may encounter.}

Blog Posts Worth Reading

Lifehacker has a very cool post on how we can actually rewire our brains to think positively and break out of that negative feedback loop that so many of us experience.

Time Capsule

One year ago this week we held our Ribbon Cutting at True Health Family Chiropractic! Thank you to all of our patients who have trusted us with their health and everyone who has supported us in this past year.

Healthy Holiday Tips

The holidays are a great time to celebrate with friends and family. Even though many people go into the holidays with the best of intentions to stay healthy- the immune system can be pounded down from the stress of excessive shopping and over-eating, leaving illness an easy entry. Here are a few solutions to keep your family healthy and happy this holiday season:

Stay Away from (Refined) Sugar

Refined sugar is not a treat – it is artificial; a non-food. It cannot be well digested, actually inhibits digestion, is addicting, and causes a great number of biochemical errors. Remember, natural fructose is contained in most raw fruits and vegetables. It is a natural food. Moderate amounts of natural fructose can be easily digested by the body with no stress or depleting of mineral stores. Natural fructose does not cause rollercoaster blood sugar, unless the person overdoes it. Natural fructose is not addicting. There are many other great options to enjoy a sweet “treat”, that don’t involve refined white sugar and HFCS. Continue reading “Healthy Holiday Tips”

Pediatric Chiropractic Explained

It often comes as a big surprise to people when they find out that I adjust children, and not only children – but BABIES!!?? The question that always follows is, “Why would a child need a chiropractic adjustment?”

Health is about balance, so the first question we’ll answer is: How does a child come out of balance? Physical traumas – they are a common part of growing up and there are a number of especially common times that they may occur. Trauma from birth and childhood experiences can cause subtle misalignment of the spinal bones that can interfere with the nervous system and contribute to a myriad of health issues. As a chiropractor, I assess how your child’s spine and nervous system is adapting to the lifestyle stressors placed upon it – and if needed – perform chiropractic adjustments that gently and effectively correct these misalignments so the body can function properly. Continue reading “Pediatric Chiropractic Explained”