Trends of the Cleanse

There is a lot of curiosity around the topic of cleansing these days. The range of voices are from the avid cleansers, and devoted habituates. Cleansing is not for everybody. If done incorrectly, it can be dangerous to your health due to excessive or improper methods. When done correctly, however, the body is able to eliminate toxins that have built up over years of exposure to harmful substances. The body is able to neutralize and excrete the toxins that have collected in the tissues and protect the organs from further damage. The major detoxification systems of the body are the lungs, kidneys, skin and liver, and are also the most vulnerable to free radicals. 

Unfortunately, we are exposed to toxic substances all of the time due to either the environment we live or the food we consume. The major environmental toxins come from disinfectants, gasses, and deodorizers, while the dietary toxins come from pesticides, mercury, and microbes. Toxins can actually cause subluxations in the spine. Subluxation, simply put, is when one or more vertebrae irritate spinal nerves by moving out of position. This pressure can cause the nerves to malfunction and interfere the signals to the body's organs, causing a wide range of dis-ease. On an emotional level, cleansing can help reexamine your relationships with food and eating. It can allow you to let go of unhealthy habits and relentless cravings. The list of reasons to cleanse is endless, and very individual. Here a couple more reasons why many people are inspired to break their cycle: aid digestion, lose weight, beautify the skin, enhance elimination, support the liver, and clear the mind. 

There is a full spectrum of intensities of cleanses, some gentle and some extreme. As mentioned before, it is up to each individual how far they are willing to take it, and how long they intend on partaking. Below are a number of the most popular types of cleanses.

1) 12 Hours of uninhibited Digestion. Simply give your body 12 hours to digest at night. According to Arevedic theory, you should always give your body 12 hours to digest at night before consuming again the next day. This allows your body to deal with yesterday before combating tomorrow. This a very simple and powerful approach to a gentle cleanse.
2) “Eat” only Liquid Meals. This cleanse is a way to give your digestive system a break by avoidable solid foods that are tough to digest. Soups and smoothies will become your best friend for this cleanse. The soups should be vegetable based without grains or dairy. The smoothies can include a protein or meal powder, but should avoid dairy as well. You can participate in this cleanse for as few as 3 days.
3) Vegan and Gluten Free. The general rule of thumb as far as vegan goes: avoid anything with eyes or a mother. As you can see this disqualifies any animal products. Gluten is known to be a major contributor to many diseases (from bloating, gas, depression, to malnutrition) and often times people don’t even realize their intolerance. You can stick to this diet from a week to… forever! Once you introduce the foods back into your diet, be mindful of how they affect you. Does red meat slow your digestion? Does wheat bread make you gassy? Does dairy make you sleepy?
4) The Raw Detox. Eat only fresh fruits and vegetables, which means that they haven’t been heated above 118 degrees fahrenheit. Try to consume organic produce if you can. It is somewhat counterproductive to be expelling toxins and consuming them simultaneously! Be prepared, going raw may produce cold like symptoms due to a change in internal body temperature. Get your Kleenex ready! At the end of it, you should expect to see increased energy levels and sounder sleep.
5) The Master Cleanse. This is one of the biggest, baddest, meanest, and harshest cleanses out there. Whether you want to save money, lose, weight, or simply flush the toxins out, this cleanse is for the dedicated individual. Essentially, you limit yourself to a lemonade concoction for 4-14 days. The recipe looks like this:
• 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
• 2 tablespoons grade-B organic maple syrup.
• 1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
• 10 ounces filtered water.

Final Thoughts: Regardless of what cleanse you decide to partake in, it is recommended to repeat cleanses 2-4 times a year for maximum and consistent benefits. As for any of the cleanses listed above, it is important to try and avoid alcohol, drugs, and caffeine. This is often the most difficult part, because of the dependencies that have been long engrained. Also, if this is your first cleanse, try to find a partner in crims. It is always easier and more fun to have someone accountable and to share your experience with. Lastly, make sure to ease off of the cleanse and slowly introduce the foods you avoided. If you have any concern or a serious health problem, please contact your medical professional of choice before embarking on this unknown territory. 

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-lemonade-diet-master-cleanse-diet
http://lizziefenton.com/id23.html
http://www.oprah.com/health/Dr-Oz-on-Cleansing-Do-You-Need-a-Cleanse/1#ixzz24lEuypqJ
http://EzineArticles.com/1589974
http://www.livestrong.com/article/171381-types-of-body-cleanses/#ixzz24lI2R5Dt

To-Do's of Sustaining an Adjustment

Alas, you feel relief after leaving that much anticipated Chiropractic adjustment. Most likely it was long overdue, and you probably have been suffering from neck pain for weeks. You leave there feeling realigned, repaired and renewed. The pain is free and your mind is at ease. The next day you go to work, and by the end of the day your neck is in pain again. What’s the deal?! The chiropractor sets you straight, and the next thing you know it wore off. Spoiler alert: the adjustment didn’t wear off... you did something in your posture that misaligned your neatly stacked vertebrae. The adjustment will definitely provide temporary relief, but withstanding relief will come from improving your habits. Below is a list of “to-do’s” of how to sustain your adjustment.

1) Make it a habit to partake in the exercises prescribed by your chiropractor. They aren’t necessarily designed to be the most fun activity in the world, but you gotta do what you gotta do. They are intended to reinforce the adjustments and re-train your muscle groups. Supplement these exercises with a practice that supports core and back strengthening: such Yoga, Pilates, or Swimming. These exercises also help to engage the muscles and joints through their full range of motion. Remember, correct exercise is just as important as refraining from harmful exercise.

2) The previous “to-do” was to create a habit, and this one encourages you to break habits. Break the habit of slouching, both when sitting and standing. Try sitting on the edge of your desk chair. This will create a natural tendency to straighten your spine into the ideal S-curve instead of the undesired C-curve that occurs with poor posture. Sitting is quite hard on the lower back, so try to take time away from the seated position every 20-30 minutes. Also, don’t let your head creep forward from the rest of your spine. This will cause your neck muscles to carry the weight of your noggin instead of allowing it to rest above the spine. Oh yeah, and your shoulders have no benefit being up by your ears.

3) In the minutes and hours after your adjustment, be extra cautious. Let your bones settle into the adjustment and keep them from undue strenuous behavior. Minor stretching is permitted, but avoid any quick movements or unnecessary pressure. As always, move with caution and awareness.

4) Let it go. Let what go? Tension! Stress adds a significant amount of tension to the body, which causes the muscles to tighten and pull the skeletal structure out of alignment. As long as you are not operating heavy machinery, you should allow yourself to relax. Bring awareness to the tight muscles and try ease up on the tension. You can do this by breathing in to the tightness and letting go of the tension... or by offering a massage trade with your partner.

5) Make appropriate decisions about what you wear and what you use. Wear comfortable shoes that allow balance, flexibility, and comfort. Ask yourself whether or not those flip-flops are actually comfortable. Next ask yourself whether your pillow is as comfortable as it could be. We spend almost a third of our life sleeping so you can imagine how crucial our posture in bed is. The right pillow can improve the quality of sleep and prevent or reduce neck pain. If you are a side-sleeper, find a pillow that fills the space between your ears and mattress without tilting your head. If you are a back-sleeping, find a pillow that keeps your head from tilting forward or backward. Essentially, your pillow should keep your neck in a neutral position, with the neck vertebrae at an equal level with the rest of your spine. (Cervical pillows are a good option and range $20-$80).

The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen

Would you like the good news or the bad news? The bad news is that there are 12 types of produce that contain a nasty amount of pesticides and should be avoided in a non-organic form. The good news, however, is that there are 15 types of produce that contain little to no types of pesticides in their non-organic state. The two different labels are referred to as the "Dirty Dozen," and the "Clean Fifteen." I'll leave it up to you to decipher which is which! Why might one fruit contain more pesticides than another? It is the same reason that one person might be offended easily, while another person may be difficult to insult. It has to do with being thick skinned! Take for example, an avocado: the goodness on the inside is protected by a tough and substantial skin—while in the other hand, an apple has a thin and penetrable skin that is easily infiltrated by pesticides in the soil.

No one wants to be told what to do. I am not here to scare you with the risks of eating non-organically. Although, I must provide the abbreviated list of substances that are likely being consumed: toxins, antibiotics, irradiation, hormones, etc. Many of these chemicals are carcinogenic and are linked to causing other diseases. Now, its not like you are eating the pesticides strait from the bucket, but there are still trace amounts found in the produce. The risk does not arise by eating one genetically modified tomato. The accumulation of toxins over years of eating, without detoxing, is where the danger lies. Quite simply, organic produce just tastes better. I first experienced this with a big red crunchy organic apple.

It is easy to obsess over the debate: to do or not to do organic. The immediate effect on your checkbook often times does not outway the potential impending effect of disease. You can look at it like this: if you spend less on processed junk food, then you can spend more on vibrant, thriving, wholesome produce. The provided list is to help you save money and save your health.  

Stress is Contagious

Just like disease, health can be transmitted. What one individual does to improve or diminish their health has consequences to all other individuals. From atoms to persons, connection is a requirement for life to happen. Atoms in our physical body need constant interaction and exchange with atoms in the outside world in order to maintain life. Likewise, we cannot be our healthiest unless we relate positively interpersonally. The way we perceive stress in the external environment has a direct influence on the way we react to it. People who are exposed to stress by association with social groups that are highly stressful are more susceptible to mirroring the feeling. Likewise, having assistance while dealing with a new challenge or situation effectively can have significant influence in an individual’s health and well-being. John H. Knowles stated, “each person has an individual moral obligation to preserve one’s own health—a public duty if you will.”

The effects of stress can be emotionally and physically drastic. The following afflictions have become characteristic of our fast paced society: high blood pressure, ulcers, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, lung disease, and depression. Some of the physical effects of chronic stress can cause harmful pressure on the structure on the structure of the body, including muscle tension, contraction, and nerve irritation. This strain can lead to misalignment of the spinal column, leading to what are known as subluxations. This is a situation where your vertebrae are out of position and create pressure on the spinal nerves, which causes the nerves to interfere with the signals traveling over those nerves. This often manifests in severe neck and back pain proving a direct correlation between stress and the physical ailments one might feel.

Your chiropractor cannot change stressors from life that stimulates the pain, but they provide treatment that can help you develop healthy bodily responses to stress. The theory is that adjustments help encourage the body to heal itself. Unfortunately most people don’t seek change until the damage is already done. As a patient, your responsibility to upkeep the healthy adjustments received from your chiropractor, and incorporate more sensibility into your everyday life. Acknowledge the influences and stressors of your environment. Self-care is indispensible for staying healthy, and ironically has an effect on the people around you too. Simply by being aware of the stress around you can allow you to acknowledge its presence before you get sucked into its consequences. Bottom line: help spread the healing power of wellbeing, not the toxic infection of stress!

The Dairy Dilemma

Contrary to popular belief, aka what the Dairy Industry has engrained, cow milk is actually presumed to be a contributor of osteoporosis, not a cure.


This is a painful realization to come to grips with. Since we were children, we have been programmed to believe that we won’t achieve strong bones unless we drink our daily glass of milk. Recent studies prove the opposite. While milk may temporarily increase bone density, it erodes bone making cells in the long run, leading to osteoporosis (along with smoking, genetics, and menopause). It actually increases calcium loss from bones because of its acidifying properties.  Calcium is taken from your bones to neutralize the acid in digesting milk!

Don’t we need our calcium? Americans consume exclusively large amounts of calcium, and in turn have one of the highest rates of osteoporosis in the world. On the bright side, there are many other avenues to acquiring the proper intake of calcium that are beneficial to your bones. Green leafy vegetables, sea vegetables, nuts, legumes, and seeds allow for calcium “gain.”  Gram for gram, milk is beat out by 50 plant based calcium rich foods. 

There are also some tasty alternatives to the creamy milk that we all have grown to love. Behold nut milks! Stroll along the milk aisle of any health food store and you’ll see countless alternatives to cows milk: Almond Milk, Rice Milk, Hemp Milk, and the infamous Soy Milk. A milk alternative can also appeal to those who are concerned about weight because of the comparatively low level of fat and calories.  And for those of you who are not ready to forfeit animal milk, and are feeling adventurous, don’t hesitate to try goat’s milk, which is a staple in much of the world. It is easier to digest because of its smaller protein molecules, and has as much calcium as whole cow’s milk. Just beware, its extremely rich, and undeniably “goaty.”

So what happens if we have already developed osteoporosis? Unfortunately there is no way to cure it, but there are treatments to help you deal with the pain. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with your Chiropractor, who can use gentle techniques to alleviate the associated pain.

From Carelessness to Awareness

Many of our structural issues can be improved by simply bringing awareness to negative habits. Below are 5 of the most common misalignments that are leading to improper posture, and inevitably neck and back pains. The more you start paying attention to these adjustments, the more you will realize how often you are doing them... and in turn the more opportunities to improve them!


          Shoulders

It is common to unconsciously hold tension in the shoulders. If your shoulders are up by your ears, you aren't alone. Whether you are eating, driving, or sitting at your desk, make sure that let go of the rigidity that is keeping them up. Our posture is often a reflection of how we feel, so you may first notice the tightness you are holding physically, and then see how that translates to your mental state-are you stressed, anxious, nervous? This mental state may be affecting your upper back, which can add stress to your neck, elbow, and wrists. Allow your arms to hang from your shoulder joint, shoulders back and and down. *Imagine your shoulder blades as wax melting down a candle.

Head

Even if your shoulders are relaxed down and back, there is still a common tendency to place your head forward, similarly to a turkey gobbling in the headlong position. This is putting stress on your neck, knocking it out of alignment with the rest of your spine, which inevitably will lead to a negative curvature of the spine and upper back. Computer screen and cellphones have become a magnet for our eyes, and our head follows. Simply pay attention to this tendency, put your head back, and tuck that chin. *Imagine a helium balloon is attached to the tip of your head.

Pelvis

The increasingly sedentary lifestyle of sitting for long periods of time is a culprit for what is known as Anterior Pelvic tilt. This has a tendency to shorten your hip flexors, which are attacthed to the top of the pelvis, and pulls them forward. A common complaint starts with lower back pain. Upon repositioning, the relief will come from taking a load off of overloaded muscles and compression of the spine. Take a moment and notice the position of your pelvis. Make sure that the pelvis is not tilted forward or backwards, rather remains in a neutral position. If you tuck your stomach in, your lumbar will follow and help to align the pelvis. *Imagine your hips as the headlights of a car distributing light directly forward, not up or down.

Feet

What do flowers and your feet have in common? They both benefit from being planted. Whether sitting or standing, ensure that you feel a connectivity with the ground. Gravity is on your side on this one, helping you relax and sink into the ground like a tree reaching to the sky and keeping its roots sunk. The strongest trees have the deepest roots. Simply allow the weight in your body to sink to your feet, as oppose to holding it in your lower back or legs. This will encourage your upper body to remain upright, stable and balanced.  *Imagine your feet as being a heavy bag of sand, weighted down to the ground. 

Palms

Palms? Placing your palms up is one of the most simple and effective ways to instantly improve posture. Whether you are sitting or standing, this seemingly minor adjustment will unhunch a back, and open the chest. *Imagine a tiny stream of energy connecting your open palms from the pinkies to your heart.