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Help us help the Pittsford Food Cupboard
Throughout the month of November we'll be collecting non-perishable food items to donate to the Pittsford Food Cupboard. The PFC is a local community effort to meet the needs of any individual or family by providing food items in a caring and non-judgemental way. They serve the communities of East Rochester, Pittsford, Brighton and Rochester.
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EVENT!!!
Like Dark Chocolate...
A little dark chocolate is good for you... Too much enlarges your hips.
A little stress is good for you...
Too much disturbs your entire system.
Barbara Bruce will be on the landing of One Life Chiropractic on Wednesday, November 18th @ 7pm to talk about simple ways to de-stress yourself now that the holidays are upon us.
Barbara Bruce is a trainer and author of eight books including Mental Aerobics - 75 Ways to Keep Your Brain Fit and 100 Days to Successful Aging.
Barbara has a BS in Education, an MS in Creative Studies and a Certificate in Gerontology. Barbara is excited about her training sessions in maintaining brain fitness. She teaches locally and nationally on this topic. Locally, she teaches as a part of the Gerontology Certificate Program at Lifespan, at MVP, at Oasis and numerous groups in the area. Nationally she provides retreats on this subject as well as leading elder hostels and teaching at the Chautauqua Institute.
Barbara believes it is never too early or too late to learn the behavioral modifications that can maintain brain fitness.
Stress in large doses can damage health. Learn the components of STRESS and some strategies to help deal with it in your daily life.
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Please Note
In order to achieve maximum benefits from your appointments at One Life Chiropractic, we respectfully ask that you silence your cell phone during your appointment time. | |
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The holidays are just around the corner. In order to enjoy this wonderful time of the year, we have been busy putting together helpful tips to avoid and manage stress and how to control our sugar intake in the face of so many sweet treats. We chose sugar and stress as our focus this month because of thier link to so many preventable degenerative diseases that are increasingly common in both the adult and youth population. Read below for eye-opening statistics regarding sugar intake versus healthy daily recommendations. We are ingesting far more sugar today than our healthier ancestors.
Please note upcoming events. We will have a guest lecturer on stress prevention and multiple informational sessions will be held on the Isagenix cellular cleanse program. We will also be giving back this month, collecting donations for the Pittsford Food Cupboard so that less fortunate families can also enjoy this holiday season.
I hope that we all take time to give thanks for good health, love and support!
Dr. Kristy Allen
Dr. Patricia DeJoy |
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| How Our Body Uses Sugar
The mechanism for energy production is contained within a cell. Each cell in our body is responsible for generating its own energy. The total output from the body's millions of cells gives us the energy we need to live our lives.
Our cells need to burn fuel to maintain themselves. In a pinch, they can use protein and fat as fuel. Their fuel of choice though is the simple sugar glucose, as glucose is the most efficient and cleanest burning fuel in our body.
A chain of glucose molecules form the macronutrient we know of as carbohydrates. Not all carbohydrates are equal. Naturally occurring carbohydrates tend to be buffered and deliver glucose to our blood at a slow rate. When glucose is delivered to our system this way, the cells have time to 'fill their tanks' and process the glucose (turn it into energy). On the contrary, refined carbohydrates move quickly through the digestive process and flood our bloodstream with glucose. The more refined the carbohydrate, the greater this effect. Our cells cannot process this flood of glucose and the body must work harder to store the excess.
When this storage process is constantly overused, the normal sugar regulating processes in the body become stressed and gradually shut down over time. This is a simplified explanation of the progression into type II diabetes - the loss of the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels. |
 Shedding Light on Diabetes: Cold Laser Therapy & Chiropractic
Diabetes is the fifth deadliest disease in the United States and a growing epidemic worldwide. Between 1990 and 1999, the incidence of diabetes increased by more than 40%. Roughly one out of every three men and two out of every five women born in the year 2000 will suffer from diabetes in their lifetime. The life expectancy of men diagnosed with diabetes at age 40 is decreased by 11 to 13 years; for women life expectancy is cut by 12 to 17 years. Health concerns associated with diabetes account for roughly $132 billion of the $865 billion spent on health care in 2002. Given the financial stresses of health care costs, it becomes increasingly important to address blood sugar regulation more naturally to prevent the onset of diabetes.
Chiropractic care is linked to digestion as spinal misalignments affect communication between the central nervous system and your organs. This communication is known as a somatovisceral reflex. Patients who complain of increased stress during the holidays may typically find they suffer from digestive disturbances, and vice-versa. A common area of stress and muscle tension (between the shoulder blades) is the area associated with the liver, pancreas, stomach, gall bladder and intestines - organs that have a role in blood sugar balance.
In 2007, a study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research focused on the response to chiropractic care when used as part of an integrative plan for a patient with adult onset diabetes (type II). The chiropractic care consisted of SacroOccipital technique and visceral reflex work directed toward correcting spinal misalignments. After one month of treatment, this patient's blood and urine glucose had stabilized at normal levels. The medical recommendation was that this patient would not need insulin as long as the condition remained stable. This study indicates that chiropractic can be an important component of care for diabetic patients. Many studies point to the advantages in treating patients with increasing sugar disregulation before the diagnosis of diabetes.
In diabetes, alteration of cell receptors for insulin reduces the cell's ability to produce adequate ATP which is a unit of energy. When this damaged cell is reproduced millions of times, the result is Type II diabetes. Low level laser therapy is now becoming a part of integrative care to regulate blood sugar. According to scientist FA Popp, living cells emit low level infrared light called biophotons; these biophotons allow for intercellular communication. Popp suggests that "sick" cells are "light-starved" and when a low level laser is shone on them in the correct frequency range, they become "light-restored" and healthy. In a process similar to photosynthesis in plants, laser penetrates through soft tissue to upregulate cellular function. If that cell is an islet cell of the pancreas, the increased energy helps produce increased insulin to digest extra sugars that are floating around. This, in turn, prevents or reverses the onset of diabetes.
Diabetes and other blood sugar related illnesses are becoming more prevalent in our society due to increased toxins and stress. Incorporating chiropractic and laser therapies in addition to dietary changes, exercise regimens, and nutritional supplements will encourage the body to naturally resume digestive health. |
 Why Should I Avoid Sugar?
We've posted statistics all around the office this month informing you of the negative affects that sugar has on your body and giving you a clear link between sugar intake and chronic disease. It is useful to look at the amount of sugar you take in and see where you can make better choices to improve your quality of health. We know that the average American consumes about 130 pounds of sugar per year! That's over 2 pounds each week! The American Heart Association recommends that the average woman eat no more than six teaspoons, or 100 calories, of added sugar a day. Men should stay below 9 teaspoons, or 150 calories, a day. That is significantly lower than what you might be consuming.
**if you are having trouble visualizing these amounts, stop into the office and check out our display**
By now, it is common knowledge that excessive sugar intake can lead to weight gain which can lead to heart disease. But did you know that sugar feeds diseased cells, cancer cells in particular, and it increases your insulin levels and can lead to diabetes? Now is the time to look at your family health history and consider your own lifestyle to determine just what your risk might be.
So how is sugar related to stress?
Sugar is addictive, it feeds on stress, and there are many stress triggers in our day to day lives: emotional, physical and mental. The more stressed out you get, the more your body will crave a crutch like sugar, be it candy in the afternoon, a special coffee drink in the morning or the worst culprit, sodas and sports drinks. A 12 ounce soda has about 40 grams or 10 teaspoons of sugar. Most sports drinks average in around 33 grams of sugar. Diet sodas, even though sweetened artificially, have been proven to increase appetite. If you are doing that math al ready, you've got it right! One soda contains the total amount of sugar you should consume in a single day and a sports drink will triple what you are supposed to have in that same day. |
| Get off the Blood Sugar Roller Coaster Naturally
Blood sugar regulation can be managed by paying a little more attention to your daily activities and following the simple steps outlined here.
Exercise. Regular exercise is important for maintenence of consistant blood sugar control. Only 30 minutes per day of moderate exercise can have lasting improvement on blood sugar levels.
Eat Balanced Meals. Combine carbohydrates with proteins, fats, and fiber. This facilitates a gradual, manageable rise in blood sugar.
Low-Glycemic Index Carbohydrates. Glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a particular carbohydrate raises blood sugar. The lower the GI, the less extreme the rise in blood sugar. Low GI foods include whole grains and high-fiber vegetables. High GI foods include white bread and mashed potatoes.
Choose Soluble Fiber. Soluble fiber lowers the glycemic response of food. The fiber becomes gelatinous when mixed with water, slowing the digestive process.
Eat Low Amounts of Carbs per Meal. We need to eat carbohydrates, as they are the body's main fuel source. But, limiting carbs to 30-40g per meal can further reduce the glycemic index of a meal. Don't cut them out completely!
Replace High-Sugar Drinks with Low-Sugar Alternatives. You can significantly reduce your daily intake of refined carbs by monitoring what you drink througout the day. Choose low-sugar alternatives such as water and green tea when you are thirsty. |
 Stress....Not Just for the Holidays
by Peggy Logue, Nutritional Consultant
Stress is becoming an increasing problem as we try to juggle the demands of living in a society where the pace of life seems to be ever increasing. And for many of us the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are the most demanding and stress-producing times of the year.
During the holidays we need to handle the challenges of our usual daily lives, plus we're bombarded with 101 new tasks, many of which stretch our time and patience to the limit. With the extra demands we face its no wonder that many of us feel anxious, depressed, overwhelmed and have trouble sleeping.
The good news is YOU can control how stress affects your health. Proper diet, supplements and stress suppressors will help ward off the harmful effects of stress, not only during the holiday season, but all year long.
PROPER DIET
Eliminate caffeine (including chocolate). Reduce animal products such as milk, cheese, ice cream and red meat. Eliminate sugar and white flour. These foods deplete the body's supply of vitamin B and other essential nutrients. Increase the good foods such as vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fresh fruit. These choices increase your supply of essential nutrients. And don't forget to drink plenty of water too!
ANTI-STRESS SUPPLEMENTS
The list is quite lengthy, but here are the main supplements that we all want to pay attention to over the holidays:
* A whole food based B-Complex - the need for vitamin B almost doubles during stressful times.
* Vitamin C with lots of bioflavonoids - these help to strengthen the adrenal glands, which are depleted in times of stress. They also helps improve immune system function.
* Calcium is crucial in helping the body relax and enhance your ability to sleep soundly.
* Magnesium is needed for the nervous system to function properly. Lack of magnesium can lead to muscle spasms, tremors, depression, confusion, and high blood pressure.
Studies have shown that taking calcium with magnesium at bedtime helps with Restless Leg Syndrome.
STRESS SUPPRESSORS
* Practice relaxation breathing. When you are stressed, breathing becomes fast and shallow, so you need to make a conscious effort to take slow deep breaths.
* Move...take a walk, swim, ride a bike. All of these help burn off the effects of stress on the body.
* Slow down, set priorities, decide what really needs to be done. Learn to say NO.
* Write or talk about your problems. Putting thoughts into words helps your mind organize overwhelming events. Researchers say writing about emotional experiences seem to bolster the immune system.
As you fortify your body with anti-stress minerals, vitamins, herbal supplements and proper diet, and relaxation activities the better equipped you'll be whenever stress strikes. You can't always eliminate all of the stress of living, but you can increase your ability to handle it with positive lifestyle changes and nutritional support.
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