Category: To Your Health

Avoiding the Cravings

By Editorial Staff

We know exercise helps reduce weight by burning calories, increasing metabolism and building lean muscle mass. But here’s another reason exercise is so important in helping shed those unwanted pounds – and it’s a big one.

Food cravings can jump even the most dedicated person off the rails. In fact, it’s often the reason why weight-loss efforts fail. Things are going great … until you have to have that cheeseburger and fries. That’s where willpower comes in; but as we all know, willpower can be a tricky thing, especially when it comes to food.

New research sheds light on why exercise is so beneficial for weight loss: in addition to the other weight-loss benefits listed above, it actually reduces food cravings – particularly cravings for fatty foods. Published in the research journal Obesity, the study used a rodent (rat) model, splitting the rats into two groups for comparison. One group participated in high-intensity treadmill running; the second group performed no additional exercise beyond their usual activity.

Both groups had been pre-trained to recognize that when they pressed a lever, it activated a light and made a tone, then dispensed a high-fat pellet. Investigators found that when the lever was made accessible again (after 30 days of exercise vs. regular activity), rats that had exercised on the treadmill pressed the levers to receive the high-fat pellets significantly fewer times than the rats who did normal activity only.

The moral to the story: Exercise matters! Anyone who’s lost weight and kept it off will tell you two things: 1) Consistent exercise makes a huge difference. 2) The fitter they get, the more likely they are to adopt other healthy behaviors – including the ability to avoid compromising their diet (in other words, they don’t have as many cravings and/or don’t give it to them as often as they used to). Now that’s a win-win for weight loss and overall health!

The Anti-Cancer Combo

The Best Time for Protein

To Your Health June, 2022 (Vol. 16, Issue 06) By Editorial Staff Protein is all the craze these days, and for good reason: it helps build lean muscle, assists in muscle recovery, reduces hunger cravings and helps maintain a healthy weight. What’s more, including protein in your diet at adequate amounts means you’re not filling your plate with too many carbs – particularly the refined variety. While the body needs carbohydrates for energy and other functions, it certainly has no need for refined carbs, the kind so prevalent in grocery stores and elsewhere. Cookies, crackers, white bread, etc. – all refined carbs. So protein is good for you; but is there a “best” time to consume it? Yes, say researchers: with breakfast. That’s not opinion; there’s science behind it, according to a new study published in Cell Reports. The research shows that particularly if lean muscle growth is your goal, high-protein consumption between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. (i.e., breakfast) increases muscle hypertrophy (increase in size) and improves muscle function compared to high-protein consumption at night (i.e., dinner). The reason: Physiologic functions including nutritional metabolic processes differ between day and night, according to the study authors. In terms of this conversation, it means protein and amino acids (molecules that combine to form protein) are more bioavailable in the morning than later in the day and certainly at night. Bad news for people whose go-to breakfast is a coffee and bagel; and even worse news for people who skip breakfast altogether and consider lunch their first meal of the day. A final note: For people who may shy away from recommendations that increase muscle mass, keep a few things in mind: 1) Lean muscle mass doesn’t mean you’ll get “bulky”; the more muscle (instead of fat), the better. 2) Lean muscle increases metabolism, which means you’ll burn calories even at rest. 3) Muscle mass is increasingly important with age; it reduces fall risk and overall frailty, helping ensure you’re a “lean, mean fighting machine” into your golden years!

Double the Benefit

To Your Health
June, 2022 (Vol. 16, Issue 06)

By Editorial Staff

We know exercise is good for the heart – but new research suggests it’s even more beneficial for people suffering from anxiety or depression. How much better? How about double the benefit.

That’s significant because anxiety / depression isn’t going away; in fact, evidence suggests it’s increased dramatically since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Researchers analyzed health records of 50,000-plus patients, some of whom had suffered a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or blocked artery. Among patients who exercised at least 500 MET (metabolic equivalent) minutes per week – a measure of how much energy you expend during exercise, their risk of suffering an adverse cardiovascular event was significantly (17 percent) lower.

But for people with a diagnosis of anxiety or depression, the story gets even better. Patients with anxiety or depression who achieved 500 MET minutes per week had more than double the reduced cardiovascular risk compared to people without anxiety or depression who also achieved 500 MET minutes weekly. Study findings were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71^st Annual Scientific Session in April 2022.

So, let’s put MET minutes in perspective for everyone out there who wants to reduce their cardiovascular risk, but doesn’t “get” MET minutes or know how to calculate them. For reference, the amount of energy you expend while at rest (inactive) has a MET score of approximately one. Higher energy activities have higher MET scores; for example, walking briskly is about five METs (defined as expending five times the energy you do when you’re resting), while running (approximately 10-minute mile pace) is nearly 10 METs.

Thus, to determine how to achieve 500 MET minutes per week, multiply the MET scores of the physical activity you perform by the number of minutes you perform each activity. Using our examples above, that means 500 MET minutes per week consists of 100 minutes of brisk walking (100 minutes x MET score of five for walking = 500) or 50 minutes of running (50 minutes x MET score of 10 for running = 500). Talk to your doctor for more information about the benefits of physical activity for cardiovascular health, anxiety or depression symptoms and more.

Pain Pills Don’t Go Away After Back Surgery

To Your Health
April, 2018 (Vol. 12, Issue 04)

By Editorial Staff

Among nearly 2,500 adult patients who underwent fusion surgery, almost half used opioids long term (at least four prescriptions filled in seven months) prior to surgery. Among those pre-surgical users, a whopping 77 percent continued use long term following surgery, while 14 percent continued use on a periodic basis. Only 9 percent discontinued opioid use or used them post-surgically for only a short period of time. Of the 77 percent who continued long-term use, 45 percent actually had their dosage increased following surgery. And to top it all off, 13 percent of patients who did not use opioids before surgery became long-term users after the procedure.

So, is spine surgery failing to take away the pain, or is opioid use a hard habit to break? Both probably deserve equal blame. That’s why non-drug, nonsurgical options – such as chiropractic care – for back pain are landing front and center in the health care conversation. If you’re experiencing back pain, schedule a visit with a doctor of chiropractic as your first provider choice. Why? Because research suggests back pain patients who see a chiropractor first are far less likely to undergo spine surgery compared to patients whose first contact is with a spine surgeon. Less chance of surgery, less chance of addictive pain medication; now that’s a win-win for your health.

Natural Pain Relief

To Your Health
May, 2022 (Vol. 16, Issue 05)

By Editorial Staff

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain all too common for pain relief of any kind; think aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) and more. New research provides more evidence suggesting it’s time to ditch the NSAIDS – and try this instead for natural pain relief; in this case, for pain caused by knee osteoarthritis.

Exercise therapy appears to be just as effective as NSAIDS and opioids – an even more powerful, more dangerous class of pain relievers that’s been in the news lately for contributing to a virtual epidemic of misuse, abuse, addiction and death – for relieving knee OA pain. Findings appear in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy and are based on a review of 13 previously conducted studies.

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder in the U.S., and symptomatic knee OA occurs in 10 percent of men and 13 percent of women age 60 or older. As you can imagine, having osteoarthritis or knee pain alone is bad enough; having them in combination, particularly as you age and preserving mobility becomes ever more important, is a real problem.

So, if a natural pain reliever works as well as a pain medication, which should you choose? It’s no content, considering that all drugs (yes, all) come with a long list of potential side effects, from mild to moderate to severe – to even deadly. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Chiropractic: The Big Winner

May, 2022 (Vol. 16, Issue 05)
By Ronald Feise, DC

Over the past decade, independent health care researchers have investigated the treatment effects of physical therapists vs. doctors of chiropractic when it comes to spine care. Let’s examine a couple of those research papers to see why it’s no contest.

Example #1
The first study was a cost-effective analysis of patients with low back pain that compared head-to-head the costs of physical therapists vs. the costs of chiropractors.1 This study assessed the medical records of 14,787 patients and was published in the Journal of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The research team consisted of four PhDs, two PharmDs and one MD.

Study participants were employees of a heavy equipment manufacturer who were mostly male, in their late 40s, and with an above-average middle-class income. Subjects were divided into two main categories, depending upon their presenting symptoms: low back pain with neurological symptoms and low back pain without neurological symptoms.

Total costs, as defined for this study, included imaging, health care professional visits, medications, injections, surgery and disability payments.

Total costs for low back pain patients with neurological findings were $6,983 for chiropractors vs. $17,194 for physical therapists. Total costs for low back pain patients without neurological findings were $6,768 for chiropractors vs. $13,449 for physical therapists. That is an enormous difference!

This study also examined why chiropractors are more cost-effective. It determined that chiropractors are less likely than physical therapists to recommend incongruent health care services for patients with low back pain, such as imaging, medications, injections and surgery.

Example #2

The second study examined the recurrence rate of back pain after a back injury among three types of health care providers: medical doctors (who served as the reference group), chiropractors and physiotherapists.2 The study was conducted by four PhDs and one Doctor of Science, and was published in the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. This research team analyzed data from a cohort of 5,511 workers with an initial episode of back injury.

The type of health care provider first visited for back pain was a determinant of recurrence. Chiropractic patients experienced the fewest recurrences (-19 percent compared to MDs), while physiotherapy patients experienced the most (49 percent). These differences raise concerns regarding the use of physiotherapists as gatekeepers for spinal injuries.

The Bottom Line

These two studies represent the tip of the research iceberg. There are more than two dozen studies that point in one direction: Chiropractic services are more economical than physiotherapist services, and chiropractors are more effective in the treatment of spinal conditions than physiotherapists.

References

1. Allen H, Wright M, Craig T, et al. Tracking low back problems in a major self-insured workforce: toward improvement in the patient’s journey. J Occup Environ Med, 2014;5:604-20.
2. Blanchette MA, Rivard M, Dionne CE, et al. Association between the type of first healthcare provider and the duration of financial compensation for occupational back pain. J Occup Rehabil, 2017;27:382-392.

Time for Spring Cleaning?

To Your Health
March, 2022 (Vol. 16, Issue 03)

By Editorial Staff

Not your house or garage; let’s develop a spring-cleaning plan for your body and mind that improves your physical and mental health as winter comes to a close. Here are three things to dust off, throw out or modify to help you take the next steps in your health and wellness journey.

1. Assess your sleep situation: Not just your actual sleeping environment, but also your sleep habits. Let’s start with your habits: Do you turn in at around the same time every night? Do you prepare for sleep by shutting down electronics at least an hour before bed? Do you get at least 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night? If your response to one or more of the above is a wholehearted “No,” then you’ve got work to do.

What about your mattress and pillow? Are you giving yourself a fighting chance to enjoy restful, restorative sleep – or do you find yourself tossing and turning all night, struggling to find a comfortable sleeping position – and then waking up in the morning with back and/or neck pain? You can’t reap the benefits of sleep if you’re not enjoy good sleep in the first place. Do something about it.

2. Cough up that stress ball: You can feel it swirling in your stomach all day, pounding in your head, turning your daily existence into a nightmare. It’s called stress, and whether short-term or long-term, it can have dire consequences that impact your health and wellness from head to toe.

What can you do about it? Start by determining the source. To many Post-It notes at work that need to be condensed into short, achievable daily lists? Procrastinating on things you can easily cross off your To-Do List? Keeping things inside that deserve to be shared with a colleague, friend or loved one? Cough up that stress ball and feel a deep, profound sense of relief that will last all year round.

3. Take a self-wellness survey: At least quarterly, if not every month, check in with yourself. Ask yourself this simple question: How are things going? If you can honestly answer, “Great!” then keep doing what you’ve been doing. But if the question exposes your unhappiness with any aspect of your life, it’s time for spring cleaning – no matter the season. Potential areas to evaluate: eating habits, workout program, stress management, relationships (at work, home and everywhere in between) and more.

What happens at your house if you don’t clean periodically? Things pile up, get filthy and cause problems. It’s the same way with your health and wellness. Take care of your personal home – your body and mind – and you’ll be able to enjoy 365 days celebrating your journey, rather than agonizing over when you’ll get around to cleaning yourself up.

Keeping the Weight Off

By Editorial Staff

Losing weight – and keeping it off – proves challenging time and time again for the millions of Americans whose physical and mental health would benefit from dropping a few (or in some cases, many) pounds.

Losing the weight seems distinctly easier than keeping it off, with the “yo-yo” diet plaguing many who lose weight, only to find it returns … with a few extra pounds to boot.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Despite all the failed diet stories out there, let’s get some tips for success from people who’ve lost weight – and been able to keep it off long term, courtesy of a new study published in Obesity: The Journal of the Obesity Society. Researchers interviewed more than 6,000 men and women who’d lost more than 50 pounds, on average, and managed to keep the weight off more than three years (“weight-loss maintainers”). Here are some of the most important tips if you’re struggling to lose weight (or keep it off) based on study findings:

You Can Persevere: See setbacks as part of your successful journey, not failures. Get back on track the next day or next meal. Measure success based on long-term goals.

Your Health Matters: Focus on the health issues that can be minimized or altogether avoided by losing the weight and keeping it off: diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even day-to-day issues such as mobility, energy and ability to perform activities of daily living.

Always Track It: Consistently tracking food intake is recommended to ensure you are eating the right foods – in the right amounts – to maintain a healthy weight. Appreciate how food can impact your health and your weight – for better or worse.

Embrace the Past: While you’re forging ahead toward a healthier, lighter future, don’t forget why you’re facing this challenge. If you’ve ever struggled to buy clothes that fit, were criticized by someone for your weight, felt uncomfortable being in public because of your weight, etc., use these experiences as motivation to not repeat them.

While everyone’s weight-loss journey is unique, it’s nice to know success stories are out there; and even more importantly, that certain strategies seem to make a universal difference when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off. Don’t just listen to the people who’ve made it work; become one of them. Talk to your doctor for more information on how to keep the weight off – and love doing it.

How Your Chiropractor Can Help Prevent ADHD

By Editorial Staff

As you may have noticed, research over the past few years has begun to reveal that acetaminophen (the primary ingredient in Tylenol) is not as safe as once thought. A new study (published in the Journal of the AMA – Pediatrics) has shown an association between the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and the “risk for developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)–like behavioral problems or hyperkinetic disorders (HKDs) in children.”

Researchers found that “children whose mothers used acetaminophen during pregnancy were at higher risk for receiving a hospital diagnosis of HKD, use of ADHD medications, or having ADHD-like behaviors at age 7 years. Stronger associations were observed with use in more than 1 trimester during pregnancy.” They ultimately conclude: “Maternal acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk for HKDs and ADHD-like behaviors in children.”

What makes this study so profound is that acetaminophen is probably one of the most commonly used / prescribed drugs for pain and fever during pregnancy. According to the FDA, “in 2005, consumers purchased more than 28 billion doses of products containing acetaminophen.” A “hydrocodone-acetaminophen combination product has been the most frequently prescribed drug since 1997.”

All drugs have side effects. In this case, acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) has been heavily marketed to the American public since the early 1950s. Children’s Tylenol was first marketed in 1955. Now, more than 60 years later, we are still learning about new adverse reactions, ones that our children’s children will be stricken with for decades.

Unlike a decade ago, there is currently a continuous stream of studies that demonstrate the association between the use of various drugs and numerous harmful adverse reactions. Television ads by law firms confirm the frequency of these findings.

The frightening reality is it will not be long before you know the mother of an ADHD child who took Tylenol while pregnant, or hear of a woman who overdosed on prescribed pain drugs. Sadly, serious drug-related adversity is already happening in your community. Don’t be a victim. Talk to your doctor of chiropractic for more information on drug-free solutions.