Understanding Inflammation

Did you know that inflammation is the common link between such debilitating conditions as Alzheimers, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis?

Did you know inflammation is thought to be the culprit behind the visible signs of aging?

Inflammation is a wellness buzz-word these days, and for good reason. If you reduce inflammation in your body, you'll not only look and feel younger, but you'll significantly lower your risk for chronic disease!

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is your body's response to stress - whether from your diet, lifestyle, environment, and/or subluxation. Think of what happens when you catch a cold. You may experience inflammation in the form of a fever as your body heats up to eradicate the effects of the invading virus.

This kind of inflammation is great, but the modern epidemic of chronic, low-grade inflammation destroys the balance in your body. When your body's systems experience a constant inflammatory response, you become more susceptible to aging and disease.

What Causes Inflammation?

Body Ecology believes that one of the main causes of inflammation is low-grade bacterial, viral, and fungal infections in the bloodstream and organs like the stomach and gastro-intestinal tract.

For example, H pylori is a bacteria in the stomach that contributes to inflammation and the development of ulcers. H pylori is present in 50% of adults over 60 years old and in 20% of adults under the age of 40!

As you can see, inflammation is quite common and caused by more than just pathogenic organisms.
Other causes of inflammation include:

- Chronic low-grade food allergies or food sensitivities that may cause few symptoms.
- An imbalance of bacteria and fungi in your gastrointestinal tract, also known as dysbiosis. This causes your immune system to overreact to bacteria in your gut and can be without notable symptoms.
- Stress! Constant psychological, emotional, chemical, and/or physical stress raises the level of cortisol, creating inflammation.
- Environmental toxicity from our air, water, food pollutants and toxic metals like mercury and lead all contribute to inflammation and have been linked to diseases as varied as endometriosis and cancer.
- Dietstyle and lifestyle: too much fat and sugar in your diet, constant dehydration, consumption of too many sodas or caffeine, inactivity, and lack of sleep can all increase inflammation in your body

The Lasting Effects of Inflammation

Symptoms of inflammation include:

- Visible signs of aging like wrinkles.
- Susceptibility to bacterial, fungal, and viral infections.
- Acid reflux.
- Cancer.
- Skin conditions like psoriasis and acne.
- Arthritis (Due to lack of motion, i.e. subluxation)
- Bronchitis
- Chronic pain
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Osteoporosis
- Heart disease
- Candidiasis (Yeast Infections)
- Urinary tract infections

These are just a small list of the many health complications due to inflammation.

Understanding Midwifery

The term midwife reflects a philosophy of care - one that is directed toward women and their individual reproductive needs. A midwife usually offers a variety of options and seeks to eliminate or minimize unnecessary interventions. This philosophy is represented by the Midwives Model of Care.

The midwives model of care is based on the belief that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes. The midwives model of care includes:

- Monitoring the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle.
- Providing the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support.
- Minimizing technological interventions.
- Identifying and referring women (if absilutely needed) who require obstetrical attention.

What is a midwife?

A midwife is a health care professional who provides an array of health care services for women that can include medical histories and gynecological examinations, contraceptive counseling, prescriptions, and labor and delivery care. Providing expert care during labor, delivery, and after birth is a specialty of midwives that makes them unique.

What services do midwives provide?

The services of a midwife depend on the certification and licensing credentials obtained and the practice restrictions of each state. Because of the additional licensure in nursing, a nurse-midwife can offer the most comprehensive array of health care services to women.

These services include: annual gynecological exams, family planning and preconception care, prenatal care, labor and delivery support, newborn care, and menopausal management. Midwives generally provide reproductive education in fertility, nutrition and exercise, contraception, pregnancy health, breastfeeding, and quality infant care. Midwives often function as a quality economical option for birthing care.

What are the different types of midwives?

Midwives are qualified health care providers who go through comprehensive training and examinations for certification. Certification is offered by the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) and the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). The practice and credentials related to midwifery differ throughout the United States. Below is a brief description of each of type of midwife:

- Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM): an individual trained and licensed in both nursing and midwifery. Nurse-midwives possess at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education and are certified by the American College of Nurse Midwives.
- Certified Professional Midwife (CPM): an individual trained in midwifery who meets practice standards of the North American Registry of Midwives.
- Direct-Entry Midwife (DEM): an independent individual trained in midwifery through a variety of sources that can include: self-study, apprenticeship, a midwifery school, or a college/university program.
- Certified Midwife (CM): an individual trained and certified in midwifery. Certified midwives possess at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education and are certified by the American College of Nurse Midwives.
- Lay Midwife: an individual who is not certified or licensed as a midwife but has been trained informally through self-study or apprenticeship.

Where do midwives practice?

Midwives believe in facilitating a natural childbirth as much as possible. Accordingly, it is common to receive care from a midwife in a private and comfortable birthing center or in your own home. Because of their professionalism and expertise, midwives are often part of a labor and delivery team associated with the local hospital. You can choose to use the services of a midwife whether you elect to give birth at home, a birthing center, or at a hospital.

What are the benefits of using a midwife?

One of the main reasons that women elect to use a midwife is to experience childbirth as naturally as possible.

Available options is another benefit associated with having a midwife. Midwives often offer payment plans, sliding fees, and are willing to accept most insurance plans including Medicaid.

According to the doctoral research conducted by Peter Schlenzka, the choice of using a midwife and natural delivery can result in the following benefits:

- Lower maternity care costs.
- Reduced mortality and morbidity related to cesarean and other interventions.
- Lower intervention rates.
- Fewer recovery complications.

Electing to use a midwife is appropriate for low risk pregnancies which constitute 60 to 80% of all pregnancies. In Schlenzka’s review of over 800,000 births, he reports there are no advantages of a standard obstetric hospital approach over a midwife setting inside or outside of the hospital.

What are the concerns related to using a midwife?

Low risk pregnancies make up 60 to 80% of all pregnancies. This means that between 20 to 40% of pregnancies could have potential complications. There are times when either the mother or the baby will require medical interventions that are outside the scope of services offered by a midwife. Midwives routinely consult with obstetricians, perinatologists, and other healthcare professionals and will refer women to appropriate medical professionals if complications arise.

For more resources on midwifery care in Jacksonville/St. Augustine visit www.growingfamiliesbirthcenter.com.

Resource: American Pregnancy Association

7 Keys to Moving Better

1. Invest more energy. 

Movement is a vital nutrient to your body, just as much as food, water, nerve supply or oxygen. Your genes and every cell in your body expect energy expenditure because our ancestors were extremely active. If they didn’t stay active and functional, then they did not survive - plain and simple. Your ancestors would have laughed hysterically at the concept of running on a treadmill to burn calories. Unfortunately, times are very different and most people are relatively motionless for the majority of the day. In order to adapt you need to spend more energy to maintain health.

• Action: Add activity everywhere in your life, everyday. It’s now Summer, and the excuse of “it’s too hot outside” doesn’t work anymore. Park your car farther away. Take the stairs. Walk every chance you get. Pick up the dog poop or rotting leaves in your yard, clean the gutters, rake the grass, etc.

2. Time for summer training.

This is not a choice! There is no pill, shot, or magic bullet that can replace a little sweat equity. If you don’t like it, then you can blame your ancestors who were forced to perform daily physical activities just to ensure their survival. Exercise is a supplement to your already active life, and it is not used as a treatment for being out of shape or sick. You can either be in the pain of investing in some exercise or you can be in the pain of getting weak, sick, and broken down. The choice is yours.

• Action: Exercise daily for 30+ minutes. Make the time to walk, run, bike, join a softball league, check out Crossfit, do some zumba at the YMCA, etc. Do whatever moves you. This is also a great way to meet new people and revisit something that you used to love doing.

3. Ramp-up your intensity. 

Intensity is the key to gaining maximal health benefits and energy expenditure. Here’s one case where efficiency is not a good thing. More steps and more movements are what you’re after. If you don’t have a sweat on when you’re cleaning the bathroom, you’re slacking! Whether you’re cleaning your bathroom or simply walking the dog, if you are not breaking a sweat, then you are not getting the maximized benefits you can achieve from your efforts. If you can carry on a conversation comfortably while running or working out, your heart is probably not working any harder than it did when you watched one of the Yankees (;-)) hit a homerun from the comfort of your couch. Obviously, if you are putting the effort in, why not get the most out of it by going outside and picking up a bat and ball yourself? When you ramp up the intensity of your activity, you boost the set-point of your thermostat (AKA your metabolism), and your body torches calories even hours after you cool off.

• Action: Pick up the pace. We atrophy without stress, so make the half-hour that you dedicate to moving your body a sweaty one. Do some of your spring cleaning chores for time (as fast as you can).  It’s in the stretch zone where the good stuff in life comes from - including exercise. 3-2-1-go!

4. Move like your ancestors did. 

There are movements that mimic motor recruitment patterns that are found in everyday life. Others are somewhat unique to the gym. Squatting is standing from a seated position; deadlifting is picking any object off the ground. These are both functional movements. The bulk of isolation movements are non-functional (like calf-raises or pec-flies). Natural movement typically involves the movement of multiple joints for every activity. Leg extensions and bicep curls, for example, do not have equivalents in nature. The importance of functional movements is two-fold. First, the functional movements are mechanically sound and therefore safe, and second, they are the movements that elicit a high neuroendocrine response for building strength and improved fitness. Consider the loss of strength and functional movement is what puts people in nursing homes. Everyone is an athlete, so nobody is exempt.

• Action: Use functional movements in your daily exercise routine. Set up a consult time with one of the doctors to learn how to squat, do a pushup, or deadlift properly. Chop wood, fetch water, get on the floor and scrub, or go flip a tire down the street. Your neighbors will think you’re nuts, but after seeing your new beach muscles and energy, they’ll soon join you.

5. Get your spine and nervous system checked regularly. 

Once you add more activity to your life, exercise daily with more intensity, and include functional movements, your spine and nervous system will rejoice. You will experience a whole myriad of spinal and neurological health benefits, but some of the most important are the activation of your neuroendocrine response, stimulation of proprioception, and keeping your spinal discs healthy with micro-movements of the spine called imbibition. Here’s why each are important to you: i) When you activate the neuroendocrine response through physical stress, there is a release of natural hormones in the body. Some side effects are increased muscle mass, bone density, better vascular health, improved immune function, as well as hundreds of others. ii) The stimulation of tiny movement receptors in the spinal joints, called mechanoreceptors, sends positive body signals called proprioception to your brain and charges it like a battery. As a result you have improved memory, mood, energy, balance, sex drive, and all kinds of other health bonuses. Have you ever noticed that you feel great after exercising? This is part of the reason. iii) Your spinal discs have no blood supply of their own, so the only way that they stay healthy is by receiving oxygen and discarding toxins. This happens through the pumping action of the discs from movement and exercise called imbibition. But guess what? None of these health benefits are possible without proper joint mechanics and nerve function. Subluxations, or vertebrae jarred out of their healthy position, must be removed regularly to attain overall body health and optimal function.

• Action: Get adjusted regularly, and get your friends and family checked so they can experience 100% health and function, too!

6. Watch your posture. 

Stand up straight, pull your shoulders back, stand on both feet, suck your gut in, and don’t slouch! Yeah, yeah, you’ve heard this a hundred times from your mom and your chiropractor. But do you listen? Maybe it’s time to own the consequences of what happens if you sit there with forward head posture sniffing the computer screen all day, or sit in your car with a toxic posture for two hours straight without a break. Your spine deteriorates, your nervous system becomes stressed, your body breaks down, and you get sick suffering.

• Action: Audit your work station: Keep your computer screen at eye level, sit with your butt to the back of your chair, and use a firm chair or a body ball to sit on. Check out www.postureminder.com – It’s a computer program that uses your webcam to monitor your posture and reminds you when you’ve been sitting with bad posture for a while.

• Action: Sit with perfect posture in your car and adjust the mirrors accordingly that way you’ll need perfect posture to navigate the road.

• Action: If you don’t know the life extension exercises yet, ask your doctor about them and use them hourly!!

7. Rest and repair. 

One thing piles on the next, the stress mounts, you’re on over-drive and lack of sleep for too long, and BAM – you’re down for the count for a few days. This is your body’s way of telling you that you’ve pushed past your limits, and it forces you to shut down for a while. You should never wait for your body to force you to take a break. Rest and repair is NOT a luxury – it is a NECESSITY.

• Action: Get to bed before midnight and get the sleep you need. You should never have to wake up to an alarm clock. If you need an alarm to wake up, chances are that your body isn’t getting enough sleep.

• Action: Take 15 minute naps during the day. Shut down for a few minutes during the day. You might be surprised how energized you feel from a mini-nap.

• Action: Schedule a vacation. Vacations are healthy… take one before your body forces you to.

Questions Parents Ask Frequently About...

Why?

Children are as susceptible to trauma in their spines from various activities and events. These microtraumas can subluxate the vertebrae of the spine, placing pressure on their spinal nerves and therefore decreasing their bodies’ ability to function normally. Although symptoms, such as pain and malfunction may not show up for years, injury to their vital nervous system can have a lifetime of damaging effects.

When?

Children should be checked right after birth because of the potential damaging effects of the birth process. Even the most natural births are somewhat traumatic to the infant and may have “hidden damage.” Studies show that many children who experience symptoms of colic, ear infections and asthma have spinal subluxations impairing their nervous system function. Early detection and correction can prevent layers of damage from occurring in the child's vital nervous system. Accumulated damage will have lifelong consequences.

Does it Hurt?

Chiropractors specializing in children use very specific, gentle techniques to care for children. On the very young, the adjustment is as light as a finger touch. Doctors of Chiropractic who are members of or have received extensive training from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association have taken postgraduate classes on specific techniques for pregnant mothers, infants and children to enhance their skills in this field.

How?

Most of the members of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association offer complimentary consultations, giving parents the opportunity to meet them, find out about chiropractic for their families and discuss their individual needs.

Call professionally qualified and trained Dr. Nicole Orozco to see if chiropractic can offer a better way for you and your family. Visit us online at www.livewellforlife.com.

6 Tips For Healthier Skin

We all want to look young and beautiful, no matter what our age, and keeping your skin in good condition goes a long way toward that goal. There are a number of things you can do to keep your skin looking supple and glowing that don’t involve expensive treatments or surgery!

1) Drink more water – This may be the number one tip in achieving healthy-looking skin. Controlled climates such as homes and offices with heat and air conditioning tend to be very drying to the skin. Most people are actually chronically dehydrated, and this leads to an increased in lines and wrinkles, much as a grape becomes a raisin! Optimally, you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day, which will make your tissues more plump and resilient, reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

2) Cleanse and exfoliate – At the end of the day, after being subjected to the elements, including sun, wind, climate, etc. (not to mention makeup), you need to give your skin a good cleanse. Dead cells can accumulate on the skin’s surface, making it look dull and lifeless. Start by removing all makeup with a gentle cleanser, such as a little plain yogurt on a cotton ball, which removes makeup without the use of harsh chemicals. Then treat it to a light apricot kernel scrub, which can remove those dead cells and expose the fresh ones underneath.

3) Eat healthy – A dietstyle high in fruits and vegetables, particularly the ones with high amounts of antioxidants such as Vitamin C, and low in sugar, unhealthy fats and processed foods, has been shown to promote younger looking skin. Red peppers, strawberries and avocados are among the foods highest in antioxidants and healthy fats.

4) Wear protective clothing – We all know that too much sun exposure is bad, exposing our skin to damage from free radicals. Chemicals in some commercial sunscreens can be almost as bad for you as too much sun and keep you from getting an adequate amount of vitamin D to boot! The best option is to wear protective clothing as much as possible. This includes long-sleeved shirts and hats with wide brims.

5) Moisturize – One way to keep your skin from drying out is to apply a good moisturizer once in the morning and again before bed, after your cleansing routine. Look for a moisturizer that does not contain any SLS (sodium lauryl/lauryth sulfate) or parabens, neither of which are good for you. The best are those containing olive oil, aloe or vitamin E.

6) Quit Smoking – The increased number of wrinkles that appear on the faces of smokers is yet another reason to quit. Smoking constricts the tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen and important nutrients that nourish the skin. It also damages the collagen and elastin that keep skin strong and elastic.

Understanding DDD

Degenerative disc disease is misnomer, because it’s not really a disease. It is a term that refers to the changes in the spine that are the consequence of uncorrected subluxation. In particular, it refers to the deterioration of our spinal discs, which are the soft, cushiony discs between our bony vertebrae.

Spinal discs are not shock absorbers but spacers, in that they separate the vertebral bones and allow the very delicate nerves to exit the spine. They also serve to allow the spine to bend, twist, and flex. Degenerative disc disease can occur anywhere in the spine and usually results in:

1. The breakdown of cartilage, also known as osteoarthritis
2. The bulging of discs, also known as disc herniation, and
3. The narrowing of the spinal canal, also known as spinal stenosis.

These conditions can lead to pain and nerve problems, due to pressure on the nerves and spinal cord.

Degenerative disc disease does not affect everyone the same way and at the same rate. It is usually worse among smokers and those who do heavy physical labor that taxes the spine. People who are overweight and obese tend to have worse symptoms as well. A sudden injury can also initiate the process of deterioration.

When the discs between the vertebrae get thinner, there is less cushion for the spine and it loses stability. In response, the body generates bone spurs, also known as osteophytes, which can cause pain due to pressure on the spinal nerves. The pain may be felt in the back or the neck, depending on the person and the location of the degeneration. Discs that are affected in the neck region can lead to pain in the arms or neck, while affected discs in the lumbar or lower region can lead to leg, back, or buttock pain.

For more information or to find out if subluxations have caused deterioration in your spine call the experienced doctors at Live Well for Life Chiropractic at (904) 425-8070.

Chiropractic and Pregnancy: Revisited

Women have special needs during pregnancy. 

During pregnancy many physiological and endocrinological changes take place, all for the purpose of creating an optimal environment for the developing baby. This complex process involves every system of the pregnant woman's body. The musculoskeletal systems are affected by the protruding abdomen, duck-like walk, and increased lower back curve. The pelvis changes early in pregnancy due to the release of estrogen and/or relaxin. These hormones cause the ligaments to relax and soften, which together with increased synovial fluid widens the pelvic joint.

This increased mobility is not restricted to the pelvis only, but may be noticed in other joints and muscles as well.

As the uterus enlarges and expands forward, the center of gravity is displaced. Subluxations of the spine may occur, and this results in associated muscle cramps and nerve pain. This change in posture puts more strain on the lower back and pelvis, which may result in lower back pain. Fifty percent of all women complain of low back pain during pregnancy.

Subluxations of the neck may be caused as it compensates for the changes in the lower spine by moving forward. This results in various symptoms, including headaches, nausea, or insomnia.

When should you be checked for subluxations?

The best time to be checked for subluxations is before you would like to become pregnant. This will ensure proper pelvic and spinal alignment. If you are already pregnant, chiropractic adjustments can be given throughout your pregnancy and directly after your labor and delivery.

For  more information on prenatal chiropractic care:

Call Dr. Orozco at (904) 425-8070 or visit us online at www.livewellforlife.com

Resources: Koren Publications

Refining Process of Wheat

We often get asked 'If wheat is so bad for us then why do they say it's one of the healthiest things to eat?"

The following should shed some light on the topic taken from Standard Process:

The Refining Process of Wheat

1. Nutrient-rich bran and germ are removed, resulting in primarily empty, processed starch (flour).

2. Processed flour is often bleached to improve the appearance and texture of consumer goods.

3. Bleached flour is enriched by adding in a few isolated B vitamins and iron in an attempt to replace what has been removed.

4. Nutrient-deficient consumer goods with long shelf lives are the final result.

This is a simplification of the process but should give you an idea of the how the quality of the food in our country is not as good as it is said to be.

For more information on proper supplementation call us at (904) 425-8070.

Lower Back Pain

The five vertebrae in the lumbar region of the lower back are the largest and strongest in the spinal column. However, because the weight of the whole upper body rests upon the lower back, lumbar pain and stiffness is the single most common problem of the muscular and skeletal system, accounting for more sick days than nearly any other medical condition. During their life, 80% of people will experience lumbar pain at some point, and many will be plagued by it for a large portion of their adulthood.

Due to the frequent occurrence of lower back pain and its effect on the quality of life, chiropractors have developed considerable skill and experience in dealing with it. Since lumbar pain can be caused by several conditions, having a knowledgeable chiropractor is particularly important in order to choose the correct form of care and help to prevent recurrence.

The majority of lower back pain is due to the cumulative effects of our daily bad habits, usually through a combination of overuse, overloading (carrying or lifting heavy objects), poor posture and lack of exercise. Non-specific back pain is benign in that it is not caused by a structural problem in the spine, but can still be immensely painful and disabling for the time it takes the spine to heal.

Other causes of lower back pain may be more serious and longer-lasting. These include:

Scoliosis – improper curvature of the spine.

Facet syndrome – inflammation of the spinal facet joints. Facet joints protect the spine from excessive movement and can be damaged by sudden movement, leading to pain and stiffness. Spinal osteoarthritis (spondylosis) is an extreme case of facet syndrome caused by subluxation degeneration.

Herniated (slipped) discs – trauma or overloading may cause damage to the discs of cartilage between adjacent spinal vertebrae. As a result, the soft inner part of the disc may bulge through the fibrous outer covering, usually leading to much pain and inflammation.

Sacroiliac syndrome – inflammation in either the sacrum or iliac bones of the pelvis, causing acute lower back pain. Inflammation may be caused by either too little movement (hypomobility) or too much movement (hypermobility) in the sacroiliac joint. Hypomobility is usually the result of joint degeneration due to subluxation, whereas hypermobility occurs when the ligaments become overstretched and loose.

Pregnancy – lower back pain is common in pregnancy due the extra load placed on the spine.

More serious lumbar conditions are also known to respond well to chiropractic adjustments, and provide a good alternative to either long-term use of pain-killers or invasive surgery. In addition to adjusting the spine, chiropractors can offer a great deal of advice regarding exercise and lifestyle choices in order to keep your spine and nervous system as healthy as possible and prevent the distress of ongoing and recurrent injury.

For More Information

We would be happy to answer any questions you have about this article, general spinal health or your specific situation. To discuss your concerns call us at (904) 425-8070.

Upper Back Pain

While lower back pain seems to get all the attention, upper back pain is increasingly a problem, especially with more people spending time working at a computer, which often leads to bad posture if the computer is not ergonomically adjusted. Seeing someone hunched over a laptop is a common sight these days. It can also be caused by an acute trauma to the neck, such as whiplash from an auto accident. Chiropractic care can be a useful tool for this type of pain.

Also called thoracic back pain, upper back pain can either develop slowly over a few days or weeks, or may appear quickly as the result of an injury. You may first notice stiffness and aching between the shoulder blades or dull pain extending across your shoulders, which can become gradually more painful as time goes on. As the muscles and vertebrae of the upper back and neck are so closely connected, you may also feel neck pain and stiffness. This condition can make it difficult to move normally while doing daily tasks, and even make it difficult to sleep or roll over in bed.

Upper back pain may be caused by stress, tension and bad posture, or possibly may be related to arthritis, a disc injury or rib joint dysfunction. Both emotional stress, such as problems with job, finances or family, and physical stress due to a bad diet, lack of exercise or environmental pollutants, can contribute to this type of pain. As the thoracic part of the spine is designed primarily to create stability in the trunk, upper back pain is less commonly caused by degenerative disc diseases such as scoliosis, and is more usually due to muscle strain and tension causing pain and a slight dislocation of the vertebrae.

While anti-inflammatory medications or other pain relievers may be used to help relieve pain in the upper back, they do not address the underlying cause of the pain, which could lead to it becoming chronic. A chiropractor can find the cause and correct it in a safe, comfortable way.

Your pain may be caused by a chiropractic subluxation, which is when one of your vertebrae gets jarred out of a healthy alignment due to muscle tension or stress, causing inflammation and nerve irritation. A chiropractic adjustment can realign your vertebrae, alleviating the pain. A certified chiropractor can correct the muscle strain and/or joint dysfunction that leads to upper back pain, and will work with you to develop an effective program of care targeted to your specific needs, which may involve chiropractic adjustments and suggestions for changes in lifestyle.

Find out if chiropractic is for you by scheduling a complimentary consultation with Dr. Orozco. Call our office at (904) 425-8070.

Benefits of Antioxidants

Everyone has heard about the importance of a balanced diet for maintaining good health. Similarly, everyone knows that they should be getting exercise – or at the very least adding more activity into their days. Getting a good night’s sleep is essential – without it, you’ll find that your immune system starts to slack off a bit and you put yourself at a greater risk for catching a cold or coming down with the flu.

We all know what we should be doing, but let’s be honest: very few of us eat a balanced diet all of the time. Many of us make the choice to take the elevator rather than the stairs and we try to find a parking place that’s as close as possible to our destination rather than taking the opportunity to walk a little further. We also tend to let stress, work, social gatherings and more interfere with the amount of sleep that we’re able to get each night.

When we don’t go the extra mile to take care of ourselves, and when our immune systems start to falter because of it, we may not feel it right away. Soon, sluggishness starts creeping in. This sluggishness not only slows us down, it also ages us prematurely.

Fortunately, there’s something that we can do to counteract some of these effects. We can maintain our vigor and reduce the risk of disease simply by adding antioxidants to our diet.

What are antioxidants? The simplest answer is that antioxidants are plant-derived compounds that help prevent and repair cellular damage. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, selenium, lycopene and resveratrol are all examples of antioxidants that are found in organic fruits and vegetables. By making an effort to add antioxidants to our diet, we can slow the cellular damage that leads to disease.

Antioxidants are, in effect, sponges that soak up the free radicals in our systems. Excess free radicals are generated by the less healthy foods that we eat, alcohol that we drink, smoke that we’re exposed, and stress that we endure.

Free radicals damage our DNA and other cellular structures at the molecular level. Antioxidants roam around the body inactivating the free radicals and also assisting in damage repair. Damage that isn’t repaired can cause a cell to die, malfunction or replicate uncontrollably (such as in a tumor).

You can fight back against free radicals by adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet.

Note that free radicals are a natural by-product of metabolism and cannot be eliminated completely. The key is to keep them in check with an adequate supply of dietary antioxidants. Look for brightly colored organic fruits and vegetables. Without getting too scientific about it, the different colors (blue, purple, red, orange) in fruits are vegetables often come from the different antioxidants they contain. To get a broad range of antioxidants, eat a rainbow of different plants.

For more information on how to incorporate a different dietstyle or what supplements are best to add much needed nutrition in your diet, contact Drs. Nicole & Hugo Orozco at (904) 425-8070 for a free consultation.

Childhood Ear Infection Prevention (7 Key Steps)

Do you know a child who suffers from recurrent ear infections? By age two, 66% of children experience at least one episode of middle ear infection, or acute otitis media (AOM).

AOM is usually a complication of an upper respiratory infection. During a cold or flu, bacteria may infiltrate the ear and cause swelling, in turn blocking openings within the ear and inhibiting drainage. As a result, painful inflammation sets in. The lack of drainage is exacerbated by the horizontal orientation of infants' ear canals, which gradually assume a 45-degree angle as children mature.

As a chiropractic prenatal & pediatric expert, Dr. Nicole Orozco is concerned about the alarmingly high incidence of AOM among the community's youngsters. The good news is that parents may spare their children the agony of ear infections by following the seven simple steps outlined below.

1. Consider Chiropractic Care:
Cutting-edge research reveals that chiropractic care may promote ear health. One study enrolled 46 children under the age of five with ear infections. An astonishing 93% of patients recovered within ten days of receiving chiropractic care. And, 43% improved with only one or two visits. (Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1996;19:169-77)

Another study looked at five children with chronic, recurrent middle ear infections. The children had been under medical care for at least six months, but had failed to recover. All the children improved within five chiropractic visits. (Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics 1996;1:66)

How does chiropractic care quell the risk of AOM? Doctors of chiropractic, like Dr. Orozco, provide expert advice on all-natural, holistic prevention strategies. In addition, chiropractors are experts at detecting and correcting dysfunctional areas in the spine where movement is restricted, or bones (vertebrae) are out of alignment — a condition termed vertebral subluxation. Dr. Orozco uses specialized techniques called pediatric chiropractic adjustments to correct vertebral subluxations in young patients. These maneuvers are modified for growing spines, and are extremely gentle and safe.

Studies show that chiropractic adjustments may boost the immune system, in turn warding off ailments such as AOM. (Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1992;15:83-9) Doctors of chiropractic also speculate that ear canal blockage occurs when a tiny muscle in the ear (the tensor velipalatini) becomes dysfunctional. This muscle is innervated by nerves that can be traced back to the spinal cord in the upper neck. Chiropractors theorize that vertebral subluxations interfere with nerve flow to this muscle, and that this interference is removed by chiropractic adjustments.

2. Avoid Unnecessary Antibiotics:
What's wrong with antibiotics for ear infection? Although serious cases of AOM may require antibiotics, the indiscriminate use of these drugs is generating serious health problems in children worldwide. Most childhood ear infections are caused by pneumococcus or haemophilus bacteria. Scientific studies reveal that an excessive use of antibiotics has led to "super" strains of these bacteria, which are resistant to even the most aggressive drugs. What's more, research indicates that antibiotics are usually not necessary in cases of ear infection. Scientists in the Netherlands looked at 240 children with AOM. The children were prescribed either placebo or the antibiotic amoxicillin. There was no significant difference between the two groups in ear exam findings, pain duration, or crying.

The study's authors concluded that the "modest effect [of antibiotic drugs] does not justify prescription of antibiotics at the first visit, provided close surveillance can be guaranteed." (British Medical Journal 2000;320:350-4)

3. Breast-Feed Your Youngster:
Studies show that breastfeeding greatly enhances an infant's immune system, in turn preventing ear infection. One analysis followed 306 babies. Six-month old infants who were fed exclusively by breastfeeding were half as likely to experience a first episode of ear infection, compared with formula-fed babies. (Pediatrics 1997;100:E7)

4. Limit Dairy Intake:
Studies suggest that a diet rich in dairy products — such as cow's milk, cheese and ice cream — boosts a child's odds of ear infection. (Otolaryngology Clinics of North America 1992;25:197-211) That's why many doctors of chiropractic advise parents of ear infection-prone youngsters to substitute dairy items with milk-alternatives such as almond and rice milks.

5. Stay Smoke-Free:
Children who are exposed to cigarette smoke develop more ear infections than children who grow up in smoke-free environments. (Pediatric Dentistry 1998;20:327-30) So, if you smoke, quit — or, at the very least, make sure to smoke outside and far away from your child. In addition, avoid bringing your little one into smoke-filled homes or restaurants.

6. Stock Up On Antioxidants:
Organic fruits and vegetables are chock-full of disease-fighting antioxidant chemicals. These phytonutrients have been proven to boost the immune system by destroying molecules called free radicals, which incite disease. On the other hand, "junk foods," including fried foods, high fructose corn syrup-laden snacks and high-fat items, promote free radical production.

7. Restrict Pacifier Use:
Popping a pacifier into an infant's mouth may quell cries, but it may also up the child's likelihood of developing AOM, according to a paper in a recent issue of the journal Pediatrics.

The study enrolled 490 children, under 18 months of age, who were cared for at 14 well-baby clinics. Half of the clinics distributed pamphlets on the hazards of pacifiers and instructed parents to limit their use. The remaining "control" clinics did not provide instruction on pacifier use.

Children cared for by clinics who taught parents about the hazards of pacifiers showed a 21% drop in continuous pacifier use. What's more, infants treated at these clinics exhibited a 29% reduced risk of ear infection, compared with children cared for at control clinics. Youngsters treated at both types of clinics who did not use pacifiers on a continuous basis enjoyed 33% fewer AOM episodes than did children who used pacifiers continuously.

"Our results strongly suggest that even the restriction of pacifier use to the moments when the infant is falling asleep will reduce the occurrence of AOM," explain the study's authors, who also stress that ear infection "is such a common disease during childhood, even small changes in children's everyday habits may have major effects on its occurrence." (Pediatrics 2000;106:483-8)

Make Your Child's Health a Priority Today
Your doctor of chiropractic can help your entire family learn to focus on prevention by embracing nutritional and lifestyle modifications and emphasizing spinal health. This revolutionary approach can effectively ward off AOM and other common childhood disorders.

Make your child's health a priority today — schedule your little one for a pediatric chiropractic checkup by calling Dr. Nicole Orozco at (904) 425-8070 or visiting us at www.livewellforlife.com.