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One study found that adults who report fewer than four hours of sleep a night are a whopping 73 percent more likely to be obese, compared to adults who maintain adequate sleep. And it isn't just adults whose lack of sleep affects their waistline. Skimping on sleep appears to be adding to the growing trend of obesity in children and adolescent. For instance, one survey shows that teenage boys who slept seven hours or less on weekdays had an average body mass index that was 3.8 percent higher than those who slept more than seven hours. Likewise, teenage girls who slept seven hours or less had a body mass index that was 4.7 percent higher than girls who got more than seven hours of sleep per weekday. What accounts for the connection between sleep, hunger and metabolism?

Sleep deprivation alters the way the body digests food-especially how it processes carbohydrates. Disrupting this delicate process hastens weight gain. Dr Mainieri explains to patients that missed sleep triggers hormonal changes-and consequential alterations to the brain and nervous system. Two keyt hormones called ghrelin and leptin are involved in appetite. Ghrelin causes hunger, while leptin signals the brain to stop eating when full. Lack of sleep throws these crucial hormones out of balance, causing increased hunger and the lack of a sensation of fullness. This imbalance also causes a craving for calorie-dense, high-carbohydrate foods. The hormone orexin also plays a role in the sleep-hunger connection. It seems that orexin, which is important for healthy sleep patterns, activates a protein called HIF-1. This protein, which has long been known to stimulate cancerous tumor growth, also plays a role in metabolizing carbohydrates.

Fatigue is perhaps the most common excuse for skipping a workout. People who skimp on sleep are more likely to simply feel too tired to exercise, or not exercise as vigorously or for as long as their more rested peers. While exercise is vital to optimal health, don't skip sleep to exercise. Rather, re-evaluate your schedule to allow time for both. Some research indicates that, for the purpose of weight loss, sufficient sleep may be as-or perhaps even more-important than exercise. Make both a priority, even if it means cutting back on work or other activities. The ideal amount of sleep typically ranges from seven to nine hours a night for most adults. Who new that sleep could have such an effect on more things than just fatigue and drowsiness?

Commit to Chiropractic Care

The chiropractic lifestyle protects and builds the immune system, which is fundamental to ward off colds. The foundation of this lifestyle centers on making choices that focus on preventative health- from the adequate nutrition and sleep to regular chiropractic visits.Why is chiropractic care vital to the immune system? The spinal cord contains a multitude of nerves that emerge between spinal bones or vertebrae. Vertebrae often become misaligned, restricting spinal movement and affecting adjacent nerves- a condition called vertebral subluxation. Preliminary research shows that vertebral subluxations weaken the immune system and lower white blood cell levels.

Savor Sleep

Sleep is essential to rejuvenate the body and mind. Lack of sleep effects health, concentration, memory, decision-making abilities, energy, enthusiasm, and mood. If that isn't enough, inadequate sleep severely inhibits the body's natural ability to fight off colds. Whenever you begin to feel rundown, make a point of getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night.

 Have Some Hot Peppers

For most cold sufferers, sinus congestion is their most detested symptom. Many medications that temporally thin lung and nasal secretions are loaded with unhealthy ingredients, such as high-fructose corn syrup, coloring and flavors. Certain ingredients can also have side effects, such as intestinal pain and excitability. Loosening lung and sinus congestion with spicy food- notably hot peppers- is an all natural way to thin and expectorate bronchial secretions. And, unlike drug expectorants, hot peppers have immune-boosting vitamins, such as A, C and E. They are also rich in potassium and folic acid.

Get Some Green Tea

Research shows that sipping green tea has spectacular health benefits from reducing allergies to killing cancer cells to speeding weight loss. In addition, green tea also amplifies antioxidant activity, decreases inflammation and helps fight the common cold!!! Try adding natural honey to this emerald libation. Scientific studies show that honey boasts it's own cold-fighting properties as well.

The Carotenoid Connection

Carotenoids are a class of plant compound, which the body converts in vitamin A. Since they give the flesh it's distinct variety of hues, the intensity of the flesh color indicates how rich the squash is in these compounds. Also being a powerful antioxidant, Carotenoids are believed to protect the body against a range of health problems. An extract of winter squash has proven ability to inhibit cell growth of cancers as well as ward off dysfunctional areas of the spine call vertebral subluxations. This common condition, which may be corrected and prevented with regular chiropractic care, is linked with a myriad of health problems.

Superstar Starches

 As a starchy vegetable getting 90 percent of it's calories from cartbohydrates, winter squash might be mistakenly categorized with less nutritious starches liked refined grains, so we must remember not all carbs are created equal. Many of the ones found in squash are polysaccharides, a kind of complex carbohydrate that adds valuble soluble fiber to the diet. These polysaccharides not only aid in digestion but also prevent the small intestine from absorbing dietary cholesterol. This in turn, lowers blood cholesterol levels and protects the body against diabetes.

Other Nutritional Highlights

Winter squash is unique among vegetables in it's significant omega-3 fatty acid content. One cup contains about 15 percent of the recommended daily quota of omega-3s in the form of alpha-linolenic(ALA). ALA, primarily found in nuts and seeds, is one of the essential fatty acids that the body cannot produce and therefore must obtain through diet. Clinical trials show that these protect against heart disease and cut the risk of clinical depression in women. In addition, winter squash is also high in vitamin C, potassium, and moderate amounts of folic acid(a vitamin B).

Pumpkin Seed Power

Pumpkin seeds have a unique nutritional profile that makes them one of the healthiest snacks around. For starters, they are a mineral powerhouse providing over half of the daily recommended amount of magnesium in only a quarter cup of seeds and also provide impressive levels of phosphorus, iron, copper, and zinc.

Nutrition and Optimal Health

A balanced diet of nutrient-dense foods, like winter squash, is a key part of the chiropractic lifestyle championed by our chiropractic office. Nutrition counseling plus chiropractic adjustments, stress management advice, ergonomic training and exercise recommendations are some of the main services we offer patients. These elements work together to maintain peak wellness and protect the body against illness and injury.

Managing COPD Naturally

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be debilitating and even deadly.  It is currently the sixth leading cause of death worldwide.  And, the World Health Organization projects it to be the number four cause of death by 2030.  Actually two co-occurring diseases – chronic bronchitis and emphysema – COPD narrows airways, causing shortness of breath.  Unlike other respiratory conditions like asthma, it is irreversible, progressively making it more and more difficult to breath.

Fortunately, there are several ways to manages the symptoms of COPD and improve patients’ quality of life, including chiropractic care.  Dr. Mainieri explores the pitfalls of pharmaceuticals for COPD and describes safer ways to cope with the disorder.

The Challenges of COPD

Smoking is the leading cause of COPD.  Since the risk of the disease increases drastically with cumulative tobacco use, COPD is most common in older adults.  People with COPD often develop cardiovascular disease, muscle wasting, or osteoporosis, possibly because of the body’s systematic inflammatory response.

Patients with COPD also commonly experience depression, anxiety and malnutrition as they suffer the symptoms of COPD.  These problems are more likely in older adults whose aging bodies have less vigorous lung function.

The conditions that often come along with COPD make it difficult to manage safely with medication.  Medical doctors often prescribe bronchodilators, anticholinergics and corticosteroids to relax muscles around the airways and reduce inflammation.  But several adverse effects are associated with these medications.  Those administered with an inhaler require precise usage to be effective.

Breathe Easier With Chiropractic

Dr. Mainieri explains that mechanical problems in the chest and spine are not uncommon, and can increase difficulty in breathing for COPD patients.  Research suggest that chiropractic care improves breathing mechanics by improving joint mobility and relaxing the chest wall.  This in turn makes exercise easier, further strengthening the lungs.

Regular chiropractic care combined with lifestyle modifications may  help individuals at risk for COPD to delay or even prevent onset of the disease.

Researchers recently described a case series of six elderly COPD patients (with an average of 79).  Each received 12 sessions of chiropractic care over a period of four weeks.  Their lung function was measured before care began, after two weeks and again after four weeks.  Four of the six patients showed clinically significant improvement in breathing ability. 

What exactly does chiropractic care involve?  Doctors of chiropractic like Dr. Mainieri examine the spine for areas of dysfunction called vertebral subluxations.  These are quite common and often contribute to musculoskeletal pain as well as a wide range of maladies from allergies and asthma to digestive problems.  Chiropractors correct vertebral subluxations by applying gentle, effective maneuvers called chiropractic adjustments, which realign the spine and relieve stress on joints, muscles and the nervous system.

Chiropractors also advise patients on nutrition, exercise and other areas of wellness, which allow the body to heal itself and protect against future injury or disease.  The emphasis on preventative care and wellness is a crucial part of the chiropractic lifestyle.  Prevention is particularly relevant to COPD patients, who benefit greatly from health education.  Research shows that patient education for COPD suffers support their overall wellness and reduces hospital admissions.

Stop Smoking

The most crucial advice for anyone diagnosed with COPD is to stop smoking.  As the most common cause of the disease, continued smoking speeds its progression, and yet many COPY suffers continue to smoke.  Just about every life-long smoker will eventually develop COPD if his or her health is not crushed earlier by lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, or other smoking-related health problems.

If you are struggling with quitting smoking, ask the doctor about support groups and other smoking cessation resources in the community.

The Importance of Exercise

Besides kicking the tobacco habit, the next most challenging change for many COPD patients to make it committing to regular exercise.  The difficulty comes from the fact that, while exercise improves lung function, poor lung makes it hard to maintain breathing during physical activity.  However, it’s a worthwhile challenge to tackle.  Inactivity ups the risk for COPD co-morbidities (the conditions listed earlier that often come hang in hang with COPD).

One eight-year study looked at the physical activity and survival rates of 226 individuals in Denmark with COPD.  Those who reported regular outdoor activity had higher performance status and higher body mass index, plus less need for oxygen therapy.  These patients had significantly better survival rates than those without outdoor activity.

Eating Right for Lung Health

Investigators are uncovering a strong tie between nutrition and lung health.  Antioxidants – including vitamins A, C and E – have emerged as particularly important.  Antioxidants prevent the formation of disease-causing free radicals in the body, in turn protecting the lungs from chronic disease.

A study last year compared 34 COPD patients with 43 healthy control subjects, all aged 50 years or older.  Their nutrient profiles were deciphered via blood testing and a dietary questionnaire.  Compared with the control group, COPD patients had lower levels of antioxidant nutrients in their blood, consumed significantly fewer fruits and vegetables, and had more white blood cell DNA damage.

A review of other recent investigations confirms that increased antioxidant intake improves COPD symptoms.  Finally, an overall healthy diet is critical for living well with COPD.  Malnutrition is not uncommon in elderly COPD patients as they struggle with physical limitations and the depression and other mental problems triggered by COPD.  Low body mass index or BMI increases risk of hospitalization as well as death.

Make an Appointment Today

If you or a loved one is at risk of COPD, or already suffers from it, don’t delay.  The longer you wait to address the problem, the more severe the disease will manifest.  Our chiropractic office is committed to helping patients prevent and ease the symptoms of COPD with all-natural solutions.  Call our office today to schedule an appointment. 

How to Avoid Foods Made with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Presented by Dr. Jonathon Mainieri

Chiropractor in Lone Tree, CO

Genetic Engineering (GE) or Genetic Modification (GM) of food involves the laboratory process of artificially inserting genes into the DNA of food crops or animals. The result is called a genetically modified organism or GMO. GMOs can be engineered with genes from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals, or even humans. Most American say they would not eat GMOs if labeled, but unlike most other industrialized countries, the U.S. does not require labeling. This Non-GMO Shopping Guide is designed to help require labeling. This Non-GMO shopping Guide is designed to help reclaim your right to know about the foods you are buying, and help you find and avoid GMO foods and ingredients. It does not cover other potentially harmful ingredients, allergens, colors or additives.

Tips for avoiding GM crops

Tip #1: Buy Organic

Certified organic products are not allowed to contain any GMOs. Therefore, when you purchase products labeled “100% organic,” “organic,” or “made with organic ingredients,” all ingredients in these products are not allowed to be produced from GMOs. For example, products labeled as “made with organic ingredients” only require 70% of the ingredients to be organic, but 100% must be non-GMO.

Tip #2: Look for “Non-GMO” Labels

Companies may voluntarily label products as “non-GMO.” Some labels state “non-GMO” while others spell out “Made Without Genetically Modified Ingredients.” Products that carry the Non-GMO Project Seal have third party verification as being in compliance with Non-GMO Project standards for GMO avoidance. Some products limit their claim to only one particular “At-Risk” ingredient such as soy lecithin, listing in as “non-GMO.” Look for dairy products labeled ‘No rBGH or rBST,” or “artificial hormone-free.”

Tip #3: Avoid At-Risk Ingredients

Avoid products made with any of the crops that are GM. Most EM ingredients are products made from the “Big Four.” Corn, soybeans, canola, and cottonseed, used in processed foods. Some of the most common genetically engineered Big Four ingredients in processed foods are:

Corn

• Corn flour, meal, oil, starch, gluten, and syrup

• Sweeteners such a fructose, dextrose, and glucose

• Modified food starch

Soy

• Soy flour, lecithin, protein, isolate, and isoflavone

• Vegetable oil and vegetable protein

Canola Canola Oil (also called rapeseed oil)

Cotton Cottonseed oil

In addition, GM sugar beet sugar recently entered the food supply. Look for organic and non-GMO sweeteners, candy and chocolate products made with 100% cane sugar, evaporated cane juice or organic sugar, to avoid GM beet sugar. Sugar Anything not listed as 100% cane sugar.

Click here to download the free shopping guide! (Adobe file)