Tuesday, February 22, 2011

How to reduce inflammation through diet and supplementation

By Dr. Terry Weyman

We all suffer in various degrees of inflammatory pain. However, in the world of high level athletics or business, the pain can interfere with our performance not only on the physical level but the mental as well. Each of us needs to focus on reducing our individual inflammation issues and diet is a great way to start. Every ounce of energy spent doing another physical task is lost and can’t be used for performance output. Let’s look at which foods can increase inflammation and which ones will help decrease inflammation.

When you’re on the road, training/competing or trying to recover from an injury there are foods you want to avoid no matter how deep the temptation. These foods will increase the biochemical response which in turn slows the healing time. You also risk the injury not healing properly and creating a chronic condition.

All Grains and Grain products- including white bread, pasta, wheat bread, pretzels, cereals, crackers and any product made with grains or flours from grains. This also includes most deserts and packaged foods.

Why grains? Most people think about “carbo loading” prior to training or competition, but consider that “modern grains” have only been consumed for a short time in the history of man kind and with chemical additives, seem to affect our body and its ability to heal. In history, grains were left for livestock and not consumed. Most grains now contain Gluten, Hydrogenated Fats, Vegetable Oil and Refined Sugar. Gluten and Lectins (sugar protein) both can cause digestive system inflammation as well as many other biochemical conditions that can lead to poor digestion, absorption and nutritional gain.

Trans Fats (partially hydrogenated oils)- these are found in margarine, deep fried foods and most packaged foods.
Seed and vegetable oils- anything with corn or seed oil, such as safflower oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil or soybean oil. Foods such as mayonnaise, tartar sauce, margarine and most salad dressings.

For the same reasons above with grains, these oils can impede the digestive system and cause numerous conditions ranging from Celiac disease to athletic induced headaches.

Soda and sugar- sugar will always increase inflammation and bacteria growth. Stay away from any drink in a can!
Dairy- all dairy products increase both inflammation and mucus which impedes the healing process
Meat, eggs and fish that are grain fed- Look for free range

Now that I have ruined your, day lets look at how to heal your body and get maximum performance out of your living system. My goal is to heal you faster and make you perform better than you have ever performed in your life.

All fruits and Vegetables- the more raw, the better
Red and Sweet potatoes- Eaten with protein is even better
Fresh, free-range fish- Avoid farm raised fish and catfish since they have elevated Omega 6 fatty acids. Free range fish and better yet, cold water fish have high levels of Omega 3 fatty acids which are the good Omegas and decrease inflammation.
Meat, Chicken, eggs from GRASS fed animals. Look for free range. Wild game are the best since we know they eat grass and have a leaner meat.
Omega 3 eggs • Raw Nuts- Great snake food, such as almonds, cashews, pistachios, macadamia, walnuts and brazil nuts for the enriched fiber and essential oils
Spices- such as ginger, garlic, oregano, fennel, red chili pepper, turmeric, basil, rosemary, etc
Oils and Fats- moderate amounts of organic butter, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil
Salad Dressing choices- extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard dressing along with spices.
Beverages- water, organic green tea. If you must drink alcohol go for red wine or a stout beer.

Basic plan for meals, look at protein as your basis and start the day with an Omega-3 egg omelets, steel cut oatmeal with ground up chia seeds, raisins, berries or brown sugar. Meal shakes with fresh fruit. Mid day have your chicken and fish and snack on fresh fruit, nuts, yogurt or fresh fruit shakes.

Limit your evening meals to fresh fish and keep it light since most of your digestion is done earlier in the day. Try and eat prior to 6:30pm as well, so the food does not sit in your digestion track all night. You will sleep better and not gain those unwanted pounds.

If you are unable to eat correctly or you’re in training and need a little extra help due to the strain on your system then supplement your diet with the following:
• A Good Pharmaceutical Multivitamin and Mineral without iron
• Vitamin D3
• EPA/DHA Omega 3 fish oils. Make sure they are pure from pesticides and are made from cold water fish that is free range
• Calcium/Magnesium combo


Prior to competition
:
• Take a probiotic supplement to help digestive enzymes process to get the food to your muscles
• Take a joint supplement a week before to bring extra nutrients to your joints (Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulfate)

Post Competition
• Take a proteolytic Enzyme to help degrade the proteins that can be produced in excess after an acute injury
• Calcium/Magnesium to reduce muscle spasms
• Fish Oils to reduce inflammation

The statement, “you are what you eat” is a true statement. You would never put junk gas in your race car yet you would be surprised what some athletes put in their body. How much better would they heal or perform if they followed the simple rules laid out above? Eat well, compete hard and recover fully.


Dr.Terry Weyman is the owner of Chiropractic Sports Institute. You can reach him or purchase any of the above supplements on his website www.gotcsi.com and he can be followed on twitter at DrTerryW.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Financial stress, can affect your health!

With the news flashing every day "economic crisis" or "The economy is in meltdown" its no wonder our bodies are in retreat and stressed out. SO, you can either hide and hope things return back to "normal" or get educated, adjusted and eat healthy to keep your brain and body in top working order. My goal is to educate you all and keep giving your mind things to think about. One of my patients, Sean Burr, has some great ideas and insight on the job and housing market I wanted to share with you. In keeping you educated different issues that may affect your health, keeping you thinking on positive solutions instead of negative reactions my goal is to help you stay on track. My job is to take the stress out of your body and keep your nervous system working at its optimum so you can lead a productive and healthy life!

According to Mr. Burr, "What will it take for the housing market and employment to really improve? It really boils down to the two greatest economic factors of all: supply and demand."

"What needs to happen in the labor market? Ideally, a swift rise in consumer demand for goods and services in 2011 spurs businesses to hire, with no need for another costly federal stimulus. About 125,000 people enter the U.S. labor force every month, so job creation needs to hit that level just to tread water in terms of employment–to-population ratio. Data from the Brookings Institution shows that 280,000 new positions emerged monthly at the peak of job creation in the 2000s. Back in 1994, the economy was creating an average of 321,000 new jobs a month.1

As 2010 drew to a close, our economy wasn’t anywhere near that. According to the Labor Department, 71,000 new non-farm jobs were created in November and 103,000 new non-farm jobs in December. Last month, the government said that private payrolls grew by 113,000 (297,000 according to payroll services provider ADP). Yet the December report also indicated a 1.3 million month-over-month rise in the population of discouraged workers who had simply stopped seeking jobs.2

On December 7, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke told the Senate Budget Committee that while we were seeing a “self-sustaining” economic recovery, the jobless rate would likely remain elevated through 2015 or 2016.3

Perhaps 2011 could be better than we expect. A Manpower Inc. survey of employers in December found that 73% foresaw no change in the pace of hiring at their firms for the first quarter of 2011. However, the survey did find that seasonally adjusted (read: net) hiring was projected to rise from 5% in the past quarter to 9% in 1Q 2011.4 That represents a significant jump in net hiring and suggests either the perception or reality of rising demand in some industries.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis recently reported a 3.4% year-over-year rise in disposable personal incomes for 3Q 2010, which would seem to promote a consumer spending increase. Federal Reserve data showed consumer credit card debt ticking back up by 0.6% in September and 1.7% in October after months of decreases; this is another potential sign of a rebound in consumer spending and consumer confidence.5

What needs to happen in real estate? Well, two key factors do seem to be in place to encourage a rebound. Interest rates on 30-year conventional home loans are still below 5%; compare that with 9.4% as recently as the early part of 1989. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price Index tells us that existing home prices dropped 29.6% between July 2006 and October 2010, and some analysts see them falling further.6,7 But two cold, hard facts remain in the way of a recovery.

· You can’t buy a home if you don’t have a job. Unemployment and its cousin underemployment represent the biggest drag on the real estate market - thwarting purchases, reducing demand, and hastening delinquencies and foreclosures.

· You can’t readily sell your home if it is “underwater”. The latest CoreLogic Inc. data shows that 22.5% of U.S. homeowners owe more than their residences are worth.7

During 2009-2010, any sense of momentum or recovery seemed a product of government intervention. The homebuyer tax credit led to a spike in sales, then a reversal. Turning from the month-to-month “weather” of the real estate market to year-over-year numbers, you would think things couldn’t get any worse: according to the latest figures (November), existing home sales were down 27.9% year-over-year and new home sales down 21.2% from 12 months before.8

However, some of the “weather” bears studying; things did get sunnier during 2010 in some respects. Mortgage rates didn’t rocket north when the Fed ended its campaign to buy mortgage-backed securities last March. (The European debt crisis had an effect.) Existing home sales rose by 5.6% in November, and the rate of new home purchases also improved by 5.5%. Pending home sales, as tracked by the National Association of Realtors, were up a record 10.4% in October and up another 3.5% for November.8,9

Ideally, 2011 brings some kind of sweet spot for the residential real estate sector where job creation ramps up while mortgage rates remain historically low for a few months. That could contribute nicely toward a recovery in the sector in 2012."

I welcome any contributions to our blog that will keep people educated in the things that affect our health. We are not a financial institution but a wellness institution. But if you were able to get some information that helps you relax and stay educated then our goal is complete. Don't think of What we do at CSI as a luxury, but a necessity. Without your body working you can't function.

For more info on Mr. Sean Burr he can be contacted at www.burrfinancial.com

For more information on Dr. Terry Weyman or CSI go to our website at www.gotcsi.com

Eat for the Seasons for Maximum OUTPUT

By. Dr. Shari Phillips, LAc

The most basic foundation of good health and longevity is nutrition. Nutrition is the one thing that the majority of us have full control over and thus can make a conscious decision of what we eat on a meal to meal basis. However, the simplicity of nutrition is often overlooked, as many of us lead a busy lifestyle, which often results in grabbing food on the run. Although many “fast food” institutions now have an improved selection of healthy snacks and offerings than ever before, we still miss the simplicity of what to eat and when.

Eating within the seasons, is a 3000 year old philosophy founded in Chinese Medicine and is a basic rule of thumb to provide proper nutrition. This philosophy is based on eating foods that are nourishing to the body within each particular season, keeping the body’s immune system sharp and able to fight any flu or cold that tries to invade. Additionally, the Chinese have also discovered that each food has an “energetic” temperature as well, which make certain foods more appropriate to eat in a variety of ways to provide optimum health.

For example, when you have a flu or cold and you are lacking in energy, the body needs foods that are easy to digest and supportive to the immune system while the body continues to fight the illness. Do you recall when your Mom or Grandmother suggested a good bowl of chicken soup when you were feeling low? Chicken soup is exactly what the body needs to fight a flu or cold. Chicken itself has a “warm” energetic nature that also helps keep the body warm while trying to fighting the pathogen. Additionally, the broth in the soup supports easy digestion, while the noodles and light vegetables nourish the brain and body with the correct amount of nutrients. Eating in this manner, combined with good rest and adequate fluids, speeds the body’s recover and helps strengthen your immunity.

The concept of eating within the seasons not only ensures that the body gets the nourishment it needs during a particular season, but also provides a “preventative” measure to keep one healthy from season to season.

In Chinese Medicine, each season has an associated organ:(how can a belief that has lasted 10,000+ years be too far off?)

Fall = Lung Winter = Kidneys

Spring = Liver Summer = spleen and stomach

Although the seasons are sometimes “blurred” here in Southern California, and we often enjoy a warm, sunny day, it is very important to continue to eat foods that are warm and nourishing, as February is still a “winter” month. Foods like soups and stews, root vegetables (carrots, yams, onions, potatoes, beets and parsnips, etc) are still the best choice during this season versus choosing foods that have a “cold” energetic nature, such as salads and some fruits. Yogurts, ice cream, cold smoothies, salads and certain fruits, are best reserved for summer, when the days are hot and our bodies naturally desire foods with an energetic cooling nature.

Food is medicine, so choose wisely to ensure optimum health!

Shari Phillips is a highly decorated Acupuncturist who originally practiced in Toronto, Canada. She has post graduate degrees in Cardiology, Nutrition, Orthopedics and Womens health. She practices next to CSI in Westlake, Ca. For more info@shariphillipsacupuncture.com