Family Health

You sleep on a ramp made of pillows. You gag down chalky pink potions. You gulp purple pills or drinks that fizzle. Your meals taste blander than sand! Cold lips, knotted guts and searing pain are your constant companions. Suffering with heartburn, regurgitation and other symptoms associated with stomach irregularities has become the daily experience of thousands. Help may be just around the corner - and surprisingly, from the hands of a doctor of chiropractic!

Indoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a new University of Georgia study in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health hazard.The study, thought to be the first to assess levels of a nicotine byproduct known as cotinine in nonsmokers exposed to second-hand smoke outdoors, found levels up to 162 percent greater than in the control group.

Healthy eating habits are an important part of maintaining a strong immune system. As cold and flu season get underway, breaking poor eating habits can not only prevent sickness, but also give you more energy, make you feel better about yourself, and help you live a healthier life. Dr. DerMarderosian suggests the following healthy eating basics:

Fresh, ripe blueberries are bursting with flavor, loaded with nutrients and low in carbohydrates. They are high in vitamin C and potassium, are a source of vitamin E and important trace minerals, especially manganese and selenium.  Blueberries are a good source of dietary fiber. In addition to their nutritive value, scientists are discovering the tremendous anti-aging, and health protective benefits of blueberries.  These benefits are discovered in the very attribute that gives blueberries their sensory appeal – their color. 

What are the pros and cons of feeding babies formula versus breast milk? And if I purchase formula, should I spend the extra money on the organic variety?
It is generally acknowledged within the medical community that breast milk is the ideal first food for babies, though modern formula brands can get the job done, too. Human breast milk naturally contains the vitamins and minerals a newborn requires. According to the website KidsHealth.org, breastfed infants have less difficulty with digestion than their formula-fed counterparts. And since breast milk is easily digested, breastfed babies have fewer incidences of diarrhea or constipation.

Melissa, a 14  year old type 1 diabetic, is currently a freshman at a regional high School.  She enjoys playing with her puppy King Henry, playing tennis and having fun with friends. She is also involved in volunteering for JDRF and feels that her future calling is to be an endocrinologist. Even though she faces day to day challenges with her disease, Melissa lives a pretty normal life with the help and support of her friends and family.

 
As many as 3 million Americans may have Type 1 Diabetes.  Each year more than 15,000 children are diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. That’s 40 children per day.

Type 1 diabetes often develops in children, adolescents, and young adults, so it's sometimes called "juvenile diabetes."   Although there is currently no cure for diabetes, we are making progress through research.  In the meantime, people with diabetes do their best to control it with diet, exercise, and insulin.

About Blood Sugar Levels

A healthy pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that the body uses to change glucose in the blood into energy.  Glucose in the blood comes from the food and drink a person consumes.  A person with type 1 diabetes doesn't produce any insulin. 

NO FIRE!

 Before they discovered how to make fire, cavemen (or cave people to be politically correct) may have had trouble fending off sabertooth tigers or keeping the clan warm at night. But, could their uncooked foods have been healthier than those comprising the modern diet?

Certainly there are benefits to eating a cooked meal. Nonetheless, it is worth our time to get right down to the roots of the earthy advantages of eating raw foods. To bring the full flavor of the raw food experience to your palate, I decided to consult an expert in the field.

Spring has sprung and along with mild temperatures and longer days come our primordial desires to clean houses, yards, cars and pets. Getting rid of excess “stuff” accumulated during the winter brings a tremendous sense of relief and accomplishment.  Our bodies, according to Eastern and Western healing traditions, also accumulate excess “stuff” during the winter months.  Heavy protein and fat laden meals, combined with lack of exercise, leave the digestive tract and liver sluggish. Among the “spring cleaning” herbs in Traditional Chinese and Ayruvedic Medicine is turmeric.  Traditionally, people use turmeric for indigestion, bloating, intestinal parasites, and to support the liver and gall bladder. Herbal support for the digestive tract and liver, according to these healing methods, helps the body eliminate toxins and purifies the blood. 

“Based on limited amounts of research, the American Cancer Society says that the energy level of radio waves coming off cell towers is too low to cause cancer or any other noticeable human health impacts. Still, cell phones and their towers are a fairly new technology, and more research on the topic is sure to come.”

Is there any scientific evidence of links between exposure to cell phone tower radiation and cancer?
 No one doubts that cell phone towers give off low-level radio-frequency radiation (similar to the microwave oven in your home), but scientists are still debating the health effects of long-term exposure.

Moms and health experts agree: milk does a body good. It delivers the calcium you need for strong bones and teeth, muscle contraction and a beating heart. And now, studies are showing that people who drink milk every day lower their risk of colorectal cancer as much as 12 percent, and double that if they drink two glasses a day!

Q:  As I was cleaning my deck last week with bleach and pine sol, last week I thought I was having a stroke.  My right ear began to hurt and my face went numb with some symptoms into my right arm.  After being rushed to the emergency room and admitted to the hospital for 2 days, I was sent home with a clean bill of health. My face is still numb and drooping, my ear still hurts and when I drink liquid falls from my mouth.  I am supposed to see a neurologist in two weeks, what is wrong with me? 

A: A lot of ingredients in our cleaning products, dish detergent, shampoo and body soaps contain left over ingredients that were once created for biological warfare.  These products were just shifted to be used against bacteria ete.  For example, fluoride was not created to make our teeth white, nor was chlorine created to clean pools.  

While many of us wish for a life that is free of stress, harm and bad feelings, the reality is that over the course of our lives we will all encounter difficulties.  It is how we cope with life’s challenges that determine our overall mental health and sense of well-being.  As a psychologist, I continually witness the resilience of the human spirit, as clients I work with overcome tragedy, trauma, and adversity.  They learn skills that allow them to create lives that are valuable, joyful and enriching.   In life there is suffering.  How we approach suffering will affect our overall happiness, mental health and experience in the world. 

     Approximately 15 percent of people in the United States experience pain associated with tempromandibular dysfunction (TMD), however only 1 percent have pain severe enough to seek treatment.  In many cases TMD can be alleviated with nonsurgical treatment or self managed care. Nonaggressive therapy can be both helpful and economical Some common signs and symptoms of TMD may include tenderness or pain of the jaw, aching pain in and around the ear without infection, aching facial pain, frequent headaches, tooth pain or sensitivity, inability to open jaw smoothly or evenly, clicking or popping jaw joints, and an uneven or uncomfortable bite.

In the U.S., diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of vision loss among adults often during their most productive years.  It causes up to 24,000 new cases of vision loss each year.

What does diabetes have to do with my eyes and what is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetes can harm your vision, or even cause blindness.  With diabetes, your body does not use and store sugar properly.  High blood sugar levels damage capillaries, small blood vessels connecting arteries and veins.  The damage to the vessels in your eyes is called diabetic retinopathy. 

Many seniors think that new glasses and a stronger prescription is all they need to get back the vision of their youth. The fact is that cataracts may be the cause for the decline in vision. The condition is the leading cause of vision loss among adults 55 and older. In fact, more than half the people over age 65 have some degree of cataract development. 

RECIPE #1:  Puree massive quantities of low-fiber, highly saturated fats and trans fats with highly processed, sugary foods.  Mix in gallons of nutrient-leeching carbonated beverages.  Add very LIMITED fruits and vegetables!  Shake, stir and WAIT!  The transformation WILL take place.  The process involves complicated and intricate biochemical reactions and rapid cellular change.  WHAT is the secret result of this nature-bending, mad-food-scientist experiment?   The answer is: The Average American!

It looks like something you would see at a NASCAR event.  It's made to lock and tether.  The contoured seat sports a harness with two pink terry cloth strap pads.  Without the presence of stale, crushed Cheerios, one may even mistake the infant seat as a throne fit for NASA’s next shuttle mission.

 It’s the 1800’s.  You are sick.  The local town doc gives you an exam.  After rummaging through his black bag, tossing aside a small, corked brown bottle and positioning his spectacles, your treatment begins.  Wielding a metal device sporting a shiny blade, he cuts open a vein on your arm.  A few pints of blood are removed in hopes of curing what ailed you.  This is not a new, high copay-like deterrent designed by your HMO to limit your doctor visits, but part of the available health care of the time.  Credited for contributing to George Washington’s death in 1799, the practice of bloodletting was one of many medical practices that signified the need for advancement in health care. 

Could it be the hot dogs, cold beer and the pungent smell of burnt rubber?  Perhaps it’s the many steps and other obstacles that exercise the thighs and legs like pistons while on the way to your seat.  Or, is it simply the deafening roar of the passing cars and cheering crowds?  How can NASCAR keep you fit?  To help in the creation of one’s optimum weight, it is better to look at a NASCAR pit crew for the answers than to the crowded concession stands or circling drivers.  Why is that?  The pit crew knows fuel, parts and tires.