IS RUNNING BAREFOOT MORE HEALTHY?

For centuries our ancestors ran and walked barefoot or with minimal shoes. And then in the 1970's, the sport shoe was invented. Today, it has become the norm to wear these type of shoes when participating in almost any type of sport. But are these shoes actually causing more harm? A study published this month in Nature found that these specialized shoes change the way our feet strike the ground, increasing the impact by two to three times our body weight. This of course has a detrimental effect on the feet, joints, and very likely the spine as well. While shoes may be more stylish and seem more comfortable, it is important to be barefoot as much as possible. Try to wear shoes that compliment the shape of your feet, which fortunately seems to be the trend these days. Even the athletic shoes now seem to have changed to allow the foot to assume a more natural function.

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STAY FIRMLY PLANTED IN THE PRESENT

Yet another study has shown how intimately connected your mind is with the rest of your body. Researchers found that when people think about the past they sway back, while when they think about the future, they sway forward. This shows the effect that your thoughts have on your posture, especially when you're not focused on the present. Poor posture leads to spinal subluxations and eventually will hinder your health. This is just another reason to leave the past behind, not worry about the future, and make the most of the present.

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REGULAR SEX IMPROVES HEART HEALTH

Married men tend to be healthier than their single counterparts, and also generally have a better sex life. A new study has now specifically found that regular sex is actually good for men's hearts. Published in the American Journal of Cardiology, this study of over 1,000 men found that those that had sex only once a month or less had a 45% greater risk of cardiovascular disease, compared to the men who were intimate 2-3 times per week. This study shows yet another health benefit of being in a faithful, monogamous relationship. From a chiropractic perspective, it's important to make sure that your nervous system is free of interference, because nerve irritation can lead to sexual dysfunction.

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IS MODERN LIVING BAD FOR OUR HEALTH?

If a recent study that compared the health of the Amish community to the rest of America is anything to go by, it turns out that living a modern lifestyle is quite likely bad for us. The Amish have maintained a simple lifestyle since the 1700's, rejecting the modern conveniences of electricity, cars, telephones, TVs, supermarkets, and even modern medicine. The researchers found that the Amish had a much lower rate of cancer, osteoporosis, and diabetes, which they believe was due mostly to living a more physically active lifestyle and growing all their own organic food. While the modern lifestyle is here to stay for most of us, we are ultimately in control of how we live our lives.

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JUNK FOOD IS ACTUALLY FEEL BAD FOOD

Sweetened desserts and junk food are often referred to as "feel good" food. It might make you feel good right after eating it, but turns out it is more likely to cause depression later on down the road. A study published in The British Journal of Psychiatry found that people who ate more junk food than those that ate healthy food, were much more likely to be depressed. The researcher said that "our finding shows a strong association between diet and depressive symptoms." So remember to eat more fresh fruits, vegetable, nuts, etc. and less refined foods. You will be much happier for it later on.

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STUDY SHOWS ILLNESS FUELS FINANCIAL WOES

According to a recent Harvard study, "60% of all bankruptcies in the United States were driven by sickness and related medical bills." Most health problems are the result of poor lifestyle choices, such as not eating properly, not exercising regularly, sitting too much, not getting good rest, and compromised nerve flow. These things keep you from functioning optimally, and eventually leads to illness, which leads to decreased work production and eventually missing work. The choice is ultimately yours.

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WATCH LESS TV & LIVE LONGER

A survey done in 2008 found that the average American watches more than 5 hours of TV every day. It turns out that this unfortunate lifestyle habit is contributing to poor health and leading to life-threatening disease, even for people who exercise regularly. In a new study from Australia, researchers found that watching more than 4 hours of TV per day significantly increased your risk of dying from any cause, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. What's more interesting is that the people in this study were exercising an average of 30-45 minutes a day. So live a more active and productive life, watch as little TV as possible (less than 2 hours a day), and you will be healthier and happier.

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SOUND FAMILIAR?

STUDY SHOWS POSTURE AFFECTS THOUGHTS

Our posture plays a strong role in our overall health and how we are perceived by others. Now, a study from Ohio State University showed that your posture also affects how you feel about yourself. Apparently, the students in this study were more confident about their own thoughts when they were sitting with good posture. From a chiropractic perspective, this makes a lot of sense, because your nervous system functions better when you have good posture. One benefit you may have noticed as a chiropractic patient, is that when you are well-adjusted, you tend to feel more comfortable when you are sitting up straight, as opposed to when you're slouching. You are literally more aware of your posture, since the information from your body to your brain is able to flow better. And this study now shows that you will also feel more confident about yourself and your decisions, making life much more productive and enjoyable.

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"Little Known Chiropractic Treatment Saves Man's Life"

Here is an interesting story about a man who suffered with severe facial nerve pain (Trigeminal Neuralgia) for about a decade, at times leading him to consider suicide. He was finally able to get relief after receiving specific chiropractic adjustments to his upper cervical spine.

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ABSORBING THE EARTH'S VIBES

I've recently been wondering why most people feel the need to be out in nature, including myself. Whether it's gardening, hiking, boating, fishing, or just picnicing under the shade of a tree. There is something undeniably calming and energizing about being in the natural world. Last week, I came across what's called Schumann's Resonance. Apparently, the earth resonates the same frequency as the our brain waves and we need this in order to stay healthy. In fact, NASA has been using this phenomenon to keep their astronaut's healthier while in space with what they call a "Schumann Simulator." So if you are insulated from earth, spending your days and nights indoors, walking on concrete and paving, and driving on tarred roads, make sure you get back in touch with the Earth on a regular basis. As one of my patient's said the other day, she has to have her "bush injection." Your body, mind, and soul will be grateful.

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SCIENTIFIC STUDY ON YOGA

A very interesting study was published this month in Spine, one of the leading medical journals dealing with spinal problems. They found that yoga was more effective than conventional medical treatment for chronic low back pain. In fact, other than less pain, this study also showed that the group doing yoga had less depression and less functional disability. Stretching of some sort on a regular basis (at least 3 times per week) is essential for your overall health. And with your spine more balanced and more in sync with your nervous system, practices such as yoga and Pilate's can be even more effective for you.

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IS AN ASPIRIN A DAY BENEFICIAL?

For the last decade or so, an aspirin a day has been considered safe and healthy. But apparently there were no good, scientific studies to support this notion. Only recently, a randomized, clinical trial was done in the UK, and they found that healthy people taking aspirin daily were more likely to develop internal bleeding in the blood vessels, compared to those taking a placebo drug. So the researchers concluded that for healthy people, taking an aspirin a day actually seems to do more harm than good. Turns out we don't have an aspirin deficiency after all.

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WAKE UP CALL?

A recent study published in Australia concluded that regular cell phone use for 10 years or more can double your risk of brain tumours. And the danger is even more pronounced for children and teenagers. An interesting report from "60 Minutes" in Australia tells more.

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4 WAYS TO ENHANCE YOUR BRAIN FUNCTION

Here are 4 simple steps you can take to improve your memory and the function of your body's master controller:

1. Stimulate your brain: As the old saying goes, you either use it or lose it. This is very much the case when it comes to your body, including your brain. There are many things you can do to exercise your brain, such as reading, card games,board games, puzzles, etc. Also, resist using a calculator whenever possible and give your brain some work.

2. Exercise your body: Researchers have found that regular, prolonged, but not necessarily intense exercise can reduce memory decline by 30%. Get your blood flowing at a faster rate at least 3 times per week for at least 30 minutes.

3. Stay social: Keeping up with friends and family and maintaining a positive attitude is a great way to keep your mind active and healthy. It's also healthy for your soul to let go and share your experiences with people who care about you.

4. Align your spine with your mind: Your nervous system functions as one, so irritation of nerves along the spinal cord will affect the function of the brain. This was illustrated a few years ago in a study which showed that people with chronic back pain had a reduction of the brain's gray matter, which is responsible for memory and information processing.

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PARENTAL STRESS & ASTHMA IN CHILDREN

The effects of stress on a person's health have been quite well-documented, but now a study has shown the effects of stressed parents on their children. This study showed that children living in polluted areas had a higher incidence of asthma if their parents were under more stress. Stress is a normal part of life that in many ways makes you stronger, as long as you and your body deal with it effectively. This is one of the benefits of chiropractic care. As one patient recently told me, she seems to handle her work stress much better, even though the level of stress is still the same. Another patient mentioned that he feels much more optimistic and positive when his spine is well-adjusted. When your nervous system is fuctioning better, you tend to be more calm and adapt much easier to the ups and downs of life. (Reference)

MORE SLEEP, LESS COLDS

In a study published earlier this year, researchers found that your sleeping habits affect the function of your immune system. They discovered that people who slept for less than 7 hours a day were three times more likely to catch a cold, compared to people that slept 8 or more hours. Makes sense, as your body does most of its healing when you are asleep. This further emphasizes the need to sleep more, especially in Winter, as I described in my earlier article entitled "Make Winter Work For You."

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HEALTHY HUMOR: COUCH POTATO SYNDROME?

TRAINING YOUR BRAIN

In a very interesting study done more than 20 years ago, they found that when only one arm is trained to increase bulk and strength, there was also an improvement in strength in the opposite arm that wasn’t being trained. It’s quite strange to think about, but makes us realize the power of our central nervous system. It also shows that exercise not only trains your body, but your brain as well.

SYMPTOMS: THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG

People usually only decide to go to a chiropractor once they have some sort of symptom, such as pain. But did you know dysfunctional spinal nerves are present for a very long time before you feel anything? That is why most people that come here usually don't recall a specific injury that could have caused their problem. Also, did you know that only about 20% of the nerve cells that come from the spine are pain sensitive? So you can have irritation of up to 80% of the nerve fibres in your spinal nerves and not feel anything. Yet the malfunction at those those respective regions of your body are already experiencing the effects, which you may not be aware of. Once the subluxations start to affect that 20% of pain-oriented nerve fibres, then you start to feel it. So while the symptoms may be more apparent, what's beneath the surface is even more significant.