Natural Methods of Blood Pressure Control!

About 1 in every 3 people in America suffer from high blood pressure.  Clearly, that's quite a large chunk of the population. Lifestyle choices, genetics, and environmental factors all play a role in whether or not a person will develop high blood pressure.  However, just because you may be genetically predisposed to having this condition, doesn't mean that there's nothing you can do to prevent it.  Quite the contrary actually! Lifestyle modifications are the number one thing you can do to maintain a healthy blood pressure.  If you are already suffering from hypertension, fear not! It is possible to reverse these symptoms if you put your mind to it! Now before we go any further, controlling your blood pressure is very important and uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to fatal complications.  Therefore, be sure to visit your primary care physician to have your blood pressure checked and monitored regularly.  

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Now, if your blood pressure is controlled or if you are looking to prevent it from getting high, there are quite a few things you can do! Again, be sure to do each of these under the supervision of your doctor.  

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1.  Make some changes to your diet.  Many of us already know that decreasing the amount of sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat in our diet can help to lower cholesterol.  However, there are many other things that can be done in your diet to help control or prevent the onset of this condition.  Try adding some blueberries to your diet.  Blueberries have a number of health benefits and studies have shown that eating a handful of blueberries a day can lower your blood pressure.  Cutting back on caffinated beverages such as sodas and coffee can also help lower your blood pressure.  

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2. Exercise.  It can be difficult to fit exercise into our busy schedules.  However, adding just a few minutes of exercise to your daily routine will add years to your life and life to your years! It has great benefits to your cardiovascular system and can improve the strength of your heart muscle, and also lower your blood pressure.  

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3.  Several different supplements are available that have been shown to lower blood pressure more naturally.  Some of them include Co-Q10, Red Yeast Rice and Omega-3 fatty acids.  These supplements aren't right for everyone but talk to your doctor to see if they may work for you as a way to manage mild or borderline low blood pressure.  

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4.  There is some research and several case studies that show that chiropractic care can be effective in helping to lower blood pressure.  How does that work? Because a chiropractic adjustment affects the nervous system, it can stimulate the parasympathetic nerves that feed your heart and decrease your blood pressure.  Therefore, you may want to consider regular chiropractic care as a method of managing your condition.  

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5. Finally, stress, especially chronic stress, can cause your blood pressure to spike significantly.  Visit the "stress management" tab by clicking the link below to see what you can do to manage your stress levels.  

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For more tips on natural healthcare and information on chiropractic, please be sure to check out the resources tab at the top of the page.  Have more specific questions? Please contact our Daytona Beach office and we will assist you in the best way we can.  

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Dr. Alesha Fleming

Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic, LLC

Daytona Beach, FL

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Dr. Fleming is a family chiropractor in Daytona Beach, Florida.  She is passionate about preventative health care and nutrition and enjoys empowering her patients to improve their health and fitness, one day at a time!

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Why Opting for a Higher SPF May Not be Such a Good Idea...

Many of us are guilty of going to the store and buying the sunscreen with the highest SPF on the label, without much consideration for anything else.  Well, the problem is that sunscreens with a higher SPF don't actually have much, if any, added sun protection than more moderately labeled SPF ratings.  Before we get too deep into this however, let's talk about what SPF actually means.

SPF stands for "sun protection factor" and basically represents the amount of time that can be spent in the sun without becoming sun burned.  On average, a person can be in the sun for about 30 minutes before becoming sun burned.  The SPF number on your sunscreen tells you how many times more than this you are able to stay in the sun.  For example, an SPF label of 10 means that you are able to stay in the sun for about 300 minutes, or 5 hours after one application without becoming burned.  Similarly, an SPF of 100 implies that you can stay in the sun for 50 hours without being burned.  Sounds like a ridiculously large figure right?  Well the problem (as you can imagine) is that for high SPFs like this, this formula doesn't really work out to be true.  In fact, once SPF reaches a point greater than 50, there is almost no difference in the level of protection that is offered by the sunscreen.  What's more is that random testing of sunscreens revealed that many sunscreens that claim to have SPF 100 protection actually only contain between 30 and 70 SPF.  So, why should you avoid using the higher SPF sunscreens? Well, other than the above, here's a list of some of the reasons:

1. Because the higher SPF products are focused on preventing sunburn (caused by UVB rays), they do not offer much protection against UVA rays.  Why does that matter? Well although UVB rays are associated with superficial skin damage (burns) and melanomas (a type of serious, often fatal skin cancer).  However, UVA rays penetrate deeper and actually are more likely to cause skin cancer.  Since SPF is focused on only preventing UVB rays from entering the skin, they often offer little to no protection against these UVA rays, often even less protection than some of the lower SPF sunscreens.  

2. Because of the high number on the bottle, people tend not to re-apply sunscreens with higher SPFs often enough, resulting in more skin damage than they would have had using the lower SPF options.  Although some sunscreens with higher SPFs can theoretically be applied only once over the course of several hours, it is recommended that ALL sunscreens, no matter what the SPF value is, are applied every 2 hours to ensure the proper level of protection is maintained.  

3.  In addition to not applying sunscreen frequently enough, many people don't apply enough sunscreen during each application.  For example, using only 25% of the "recommended" amount of sunscreen in an application of SPF 30 will lead to a protection of only SPF 2.3! Again, if the SPF on the label is higher, people tend to use less of it, exposing themselves to more harmful radiation

So what do you do? Well, it's typically recommended that you get a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 to 50.  This will give you the protection you need without many of the potential side effects!  

References: 

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The Procter & Gamble Company. Comments on the Revised Effectiveness Determination; Sunscreen Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use (Docket No. FDA-1978-N-0018, RIN 0910-AF43). September 15, 2011.

Autier P, Dore JF, Negrier S, Lienard D, Panizzon R, Lejeune FJ, Guggisber D, Eggermont AMM. 1999. Sunscreen Use and Duration of Sun Exposure: a Double-Blind, Randomized Trial. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 91(15): 1304-1309.

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EWG. What's Wrong With High SPF? 

https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/whats-wrong-with-high-spf/

Dr. Alesha Fleming.  Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic, LLC.  Daytona Beach, FL.  www.nhwchiro.com/summer

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Summer Health Tip - Nutritious and Delicious!

Chiropractic Care for Children - By Dr. Jeanne Ohm

More and more parents are seeking chiropractic care for their children. Many spinal problems seen in adults began as early as birth. Even so called “natural” birthing methods can stress an infant’s spine and developing nerve system. The resulting irritation to the nerve system caused by spinal and cranial misalignment can be the cause of many newborn health complaints. Colic, breathing problems, nursing difficulties, sleep disturbances, allergic reactions and chronic infections can often be traced to nerve system stress.

Since significant spinal trauma can occur at birth, many parents have their newborns checked right away. As the infant grows, learning to hold up the head, sit, crawl and walk are all activities that affect spinal alignment and are important times to have a child checked by a Doctor of Chiropractic.

As the child begins to participate in regular childhood activities like skating or riding a bike, small yet significant spinal misalignments (subluxations) may occur. If neglected, the injuries during this period of rapid growth may lead to more serious problems later in life. Subtle trauma throughout childhood will affect the future development of the spine leading to impaired nervous system function. Any interference to the vital nerve system will adversely affect the body’s ability to function at its best.

One of the most common reasons parents seek care for their child is trauma from an injury of some sort. These misalignments may or may not result in immediate pain or symptoms. Regular chiropractic checkups can identify potential spinal injury from these traumas, make the correction early in life and help avoid many of the health complaints seen later in adults. Proper spinal hygiene is an important key to better health. Another sought out reason for care is the resolution of a particular symptom or condition. Parents seek care for conditions such as colic, ear infections, asthma, allergies and headaches (to name a few) because they have heard from other parents that chiropractic care can help.

It is important to understand that the Doctor of Chiropractic does not treat conditions or diseases. The expertise of the chiropractor is in checking the child’s spine for mis-alignments that impair nerve system function therefore affecting overall body function. The bones of the spine, the vertebrae, house and protect the spinal cord. The spinal cord is an extension of the brain and carries information from the brain to the body parts and back to the brain again. Subluxations interfere with the nerves’ ability to transmit this vital information.

The nerve system controls and coordinates the function of all the systems in the body: circulatory, respiratory, digestive, hormonal, eliminative and immune system. Any aspect of health may be impaired by nerve interference. The chiropractic adjustment restores nerve system function allowing the body the ability to express a greater state of health and well-being.

The Doctor of Chiropractic will take a case history and perform a chiropractic exam to determine if spinal subluxations exist. Chiropractic adjusting procedures are modified to fit a child’s size, weight, and unique spinal condition. They are both gentle and specific to the child’s developing spinal structures. Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and look forward to subsequent visits. They also report that their children experience a greater level of health while under regular chiropractic care.

1.  Ohm, Jeanne.  Chiropractic Care for Children.  Childhood Wellness Articles. Issue #05.

2.  Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic, LLC.  www.nhwchiro.com

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Natural and Effective Method to Ease Labor and Delivery

Pregnancy is a very precious and unique time in a woman’s life.  It is a time in which the body chemistry and needs are unlike any other time in our lives.  After all, during pregnancy, one body is functioning to support and provide for the needs of two!  With this fact in mind, it’s easy to understand why nutrition and support of healthy function are so important.  Keeping the line of communication between brain and body functioning properly.  If you’re not familiar with how chiropractic works, here’s a short explanation:

As many of us know, the brain, spinal cord and nerves are the line of communication in your body, controlling pretty much all of the functions you can think of – movement, touch, pain, sight, hearing, smell, digestion, breathing and much, much more! The nervous system is largely protected by the spine and the skull, also allowing nerves to exit through openings in the spine.  These nerves then connect with organs and muscles to make the connection between them and the brain. Irritations in the spine due to injuries, poor posture, or in our case, extra stress like pregnancy, can cause joints in the spine to become fixated or “stuck”.  This can cause irritation to the nerves, causing not just pain, but often also a decrease in signal transmission between brain and body. This can cause pain, headaches, dizziness, poor coordination, and so much more.  Chiropractic physicians are part of a unique profession that involves applying specific “adjustments” to the joints in the spine to remove these areas of fixation and allow the body to function normally once more.  (visit: http://www.nhwchiro.com/what-is-chiropractic for more information on chiropractic, as well as answers to frequently asked questions). 

Many women seek out chiropractic care during pregnancy because it can act as a fantastic source of pain relief for the muscular and joint pains that often arise. In actuality, chiropractic in pregnancy is about so much more than pain relief.  As a matter of fact, pain relief is really just a side effect of restoring the body’s ability to function and communicate properly.  As we mentioned above, a number of body systems are affected by a chiropractic adjustment.  Let’s start by talking about the mother.  During pregnancy, the mother’s pelvis goes through a few different changes to accommodate the presence and delivery of the new baby.  The ligaments in the pelvis become more lax to give the baby more space, which frequently can lead to joint dysfunction and low back and hip discomfort².  This is probably the most common reason that pregnant women seek out a chiropractor.  However, abnormalities in pelvic alignment and joint motion can lead to difficulties during labor³.  Ensuring that the joints in the pelvis are moving properly also helps to ensure that the baby has optimal room to move and grow.  Additionally, as you can imagine, it is very important to keep the nervous system healthy to ensure proper functioning of your organs to support your growing baby¹.   Many chiropractors have special techniques that they use to accommodate the mother and her growing baby.  In our office, we have a special pillow that gently cradles the belly and allows the mother to lay   Please come back next week to find out what other benefits chiropractic care has on pregnancy. 
face down comfortably to receive her treatment.

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1.  Ohm, Jeanne.  Chiropractic care in pregnancy for safer, easier birth

2.  http://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/bodily-changes-during#HormonalChanges1

3.  Cunningham FG et al, "Dystocia Due to Pelvic Contraction", Williams Obstetrics, Nineteenth Ed 1989.

4.  Fleming, A. Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic, LLC.  www.nhwchiro.com

The Pro-inflammatory Diet - Most of us Choose Sickness over Health

Last week we talked about chronic inflammation and why it can be so detrimental to your health.  This week we will discuss how you can avoid exposing your body to a state of chronic inflammation and evade the associated adverse effects on your health, allowing you to live a longer, happier, carefree life.    Several factors are involved in creating a state of inflammation in your body and one major contributor is consuming a “pro-inflammatory diet”. 

Your body works very hard every single day to maintain all of your chemical and physical processes in a steady state – your breathing, your temperature, your heart rate, and of interest today, your pH.   pH is a measure of acidity and in a healthy individual, your blood pH is maintained between 7.35 and 7.45 (pH is measured on a scale from 1 to 14, 1 being the most acidic, 7 being neutral – like water - and 14 being the most basic). As we can see, our blood is normally slightly basic.  Consuming foods that are acid-producing can cause your blood pH to lower (become more acidic).  If this happens, your body must work to raise it back to the normal range, as a significant fluctuation from these normal values can be fatal.  One of the responses your body will have is to begin breaking down bone and muscle to release ions into the blood stream that will bring the pH back to normal.  Over time, this can lead to decreased bone density.  Additionally, the excess acid can lead to kidney stone formation, liver disease and increase your risk for other illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes^2,3.  Because acid is very reactive, it can cause a lot of tissue damage, especially in your digestive system.  “Leaky gut” is a condition in which your intestinal lining becomes porous due to chronic irritation from diet-induced inflammation¹.  In other words, eating a diet that produces acid on a regular basis can irritate your intestinal walls to a point where gaps start forming between the cells, allowing chemicals and fluid from your intestines to seep out into your body and cause more damage¹.  Autoimmune diseases have been linked to Leaky Gut Syndrome because the body is at a constant state of defense, attempting to fix the problem and protect the body from the leaking chemicals¹. 

As a general rule of thumb, foods that are light or white in color are going to be the most acid-producing.  These foods should be limited in the diet as much as possible.  Here is a list of common acid-producing foods:

1. Whole milk

2. White bread

3. Butter

4. Pasta

5. Meat: chicken, pork and beef

6. Oats

7. White and brown rice

8. Tuna

9. Salmon

10. Cheese

Many of the foods on this list are quite delicious, making it difficult to avoid consuming them.  However, you don't have to eliminate them from your diet entirely.  As a matter of fact, many of the foods mentioned can offer important health benefits.  The key is eating a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, which will help to ensure that your body maintains a normal blood pH and reduces the amount of inflammation present in your body.  If you know that you’re consuming a very pro-inflammatory diet, you may also want to consider supplementing with some antioxidants such as Vitamin E and Vitamin C.  These will help  to soak up “free radicals”, very reactive ions that result from chemical reactions in the body, cause tissue damage, and have been linked to cancer development, due to their high capacity to cause damage to tissues.  However, be sure to talk to your doctor before starting any new supplements, dietary changes, or other lifestyle changes to ensure that it is safe for you to do so. 

Sources: 

1. Arrieta, M.C., Bistritz, L., and Meddings, J.B.  Alterations in Intestinal Permeability. Gut. 2006; 55(10): 1512-1520. 

2.  Barau E, Dupont C. Modifications of intestinal permeability during food provocation procedures in pediatric irritable bowel syndrome. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 19901172–77.77

3.  Esposito, K., Giugliano, D.  Diet and Inflammation: a link to metaboliv and cardiovascular diseases.  European Heart Journal.  October 11, 2005. 

4.  Fleming, A.E. Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic, LLC.  2016. www.nhwchiro.com

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Chronic Inflammation - A Culprit in Many Diseases

Many of us have heard the term “chronic inflammation” used a time or two.  However, what does it mean and how is it affecting us?  In the most basic sense, the word “chronic” means “persisting or taking place for an extended period of time”.  Illnesses that are said to be chronic (like chronic back pain for example) are often seen as being permanent, ongoing, or in many cases having no cure.  In other words, chronic illnesses are often life long ailments.  The word inflammation on the other hand, describes a process that your body uses to respond to tissue damage or illness like bacterial infections and viruses.  The process is characterized by swelling, increased blood flow, redness and heat (think about what happens to your skin when you have a mosquito bite).  Inflammation happens all the time in our bodies to keep us healthy.  As a general rule, inflammation has huge benefits in fighting off illness, keeping us healthy and keeping us alive.  However, sometimes our bodies are exposed to certain factors that cause the inflammatory process to go into overdrive.  When your body is constantly in an inflammatory state, this is called “chronic inflammation” and can lead to several detrimental health problems.  

It’s no secret that most Americans consume a diet high in sugars (simple carbohydrates) and saturated fats.  This type of diet is said to be “pro-inflammatory”.  As the name suggests, pro-inflammatory diets cause the body to become inflamed (Learn more about pro-inflammatory diets in next week’s post!)³.  Eating a pro-inflammatory diet for an extended period of time (several years) can cause the body to enter into a state of chronic inflammation³.  (It is now also suspected that chronic inflammation may be related to a viral infection that your body is unable to fully fight off – but that’s a-whole-nother story for another time!).  As was mentioned above, this can lead to a number of health problems.  Digestive disorders, heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune diseases like Multiple Sclerosis have all been associated with chronic inflammation¹.  

As we can see, putting our bodies in a state of chronic inflammation can have some pretty serious long-term effects on our health and life expectancy.  This is just another reason why proper diet is so vital to leading a healthy lifestyle.  Making more informed food choices and choosing a diet that does not promote inflammation – which we will discuss in detail next week! – will allow you to live a happier, healthier and longer life!

1. Khansari, N., Shakiba, Y., and Mahmoudi, M.  Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress as a major cause of age-related diseases and cancer.  Recent Pat. Inflamm. Allergy Drug Discov. 2009; 3(1): 73-80. 

2. Karin, M., Lawrence, T., and Nizet, V.  Innate immunity gone awry:  Linking microbial infections to chronic inflammation and cancer.  Cell.  2006; 124(4): 823-835. 

3.  Galland, L.  Diet and Inflammation. Nutrition in Clinical Practice. December 2010; 25(6): 634-640.

4.  Photo Credit: http://www.peertrainer.com/gfx/Inflammation.gif

5.  Fleming, Alesha.  Natural Health and Wellness Chiropractic, LLC.  2016.  www.nhwchiro.com