Blue Hills Chiropractic Health Blog

5 Ways Vitamin D Can Improve Your Kid's Health

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 18:54:00 +0000

All of these grey, snowy winter days can impact our natural Vitamin D production and overall health. Vitamin D is a safe vitamin to supplement with, and has major health perks for your little ones to college students.

Boost immune system
Grow strong and healthy bones
Healthier brains, lungs, and skin
Less growing pains
Improved mood and better energy

When your kids are not getting enough sunshine to make their own Vitamin D follow these dosing recommendations:

Infants (breast and formula fed): 400-1,000 IU/day
Children: 1,000 IU/day
Adult: 5,000 IU/day

Our favorite Vitamin D for your family: https://www.metagenics.com/d3-liquid

Grow Your Brain, Move Your Body

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 20:15:00 +0000

As kids are getting back into the groove of school, it is important to find ways to support their brain and body's development. One of the biggest things we see impact children's behavior and school work is sitting for long periods of time. On average students sit for 6.5 hours/day in school alone! All of which does not include extra time doing homework, playing on electronic devices, or watching TV. Studies have found that adding in movement and change of scenery every 20 minutes improves focus, memory, performance, as well as health outcomes.

The brain develops and learns through movement and play, whether it be through tummy time, playing on the playground, participating in a sport, or going on a walk. A common trend within the last generation is increased screen and sitting time. The average screen time has doubled from 3 hours/day in 1995 to 6.5 hours/day in 2015 for all age groups. This increase has major health impacts; including, development delays, increased risk of obesity, and decreased sleep time. With increased screen time, kids are spending less time playing, talking, engaging in social interaction, exploring, moving, and reading – all of which improve mental, physical, and social development.

Screen Time Tips:

No more than 1.5 hours of screen time/day
Avoid in kids younger than 18-24 months as they are unable to understand the 2D images
Use programming in a constructive way – interact and ask questions to promote learning
Avoid use during meals
Stop use 1 hour before bed

Another way we stifle learning is through “buckets” that limit movement and discovery. “Buckets” may include…

Car seats
Desks
Nursing pillows
Strollers
Bumbo seats
Bouncer and rocker seats

For an infant time spent in a “bucket” allows for little to no movement, which impacts reaching developmental milestones, integrating primitive reflexes, and establishing social interactions. It is important to limit “bucket” time to 20-30 minutes and avoid letting them sleep in a “bucket.” The same rules apply for toddlers and school age children. Incorporating physical activity into your child’s day will promote oxygen, blood flow, and neural connections. All are essential for healthy brain function and growth. Studies have also found that a combination of sensory (swinging, rolling, and jumping) and motor (crawling, rocking, tumbling, and spinning) based activities improve attention and reading. Therefore, getting your little one on their tummies for tummy time, engaging in games and play with your kids, or encouraging your teen to take a run before starting homework will help to stimulate healthy brain growth and function.

Learning and Movement Tips:

Move every 20-30 minutes of sitting- your brain “falls asleep” after sitting for 20 minutes
Tummy time for infant - 40-60 minutes/day split into 5-10 minute sessions
Promote your kids playing at home - whether it is playing hide and seek, doing a puzzle, or going on a family walk
Have your kids take advantage of gym and recess time
Incorporate quick games, i.e. toss a ball to practice vocabulary words or getting to know you activities, as well as stretching into daily learning

Elimination Diet - Detoxifying and Rebuilding the Gut

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 17:36:00 +0000

Many of you have properly have heard of gluten and dairy free diets. You may have tried cutting these foods out of your diet or wondered if it is just another fad. Gluten and dairy foods consist of proteins that maybe reactive in the digestive track. These reactions vary from person to person, but may include sluggishness, bloating, and cramping. We recommended patients, young and old, to eliminate these foods to improve their overall healing and ability to function better in their environments.

Dietary changes have the tendency to cause high levels of undo stress. It is my goal with this post to simplify and de-stress the process, so you and your family can make healthful lifestyle changes.

The best place to start is with a diet diary to evaluate how toxic and inflammatory the diet is. A diet diary consists of writing down everything that you eat, drink, medications or supplements taken, as well as reactions to meals for 7 days. Whether the diet diary consist of missed meals, minimal veggies and fruits, or full of sugar it provides a starting place for change. When working with sensory kids it is especially important to pay attention to their dietary reactions, whether they complain of belly aches or you notice behavioral changes.

Many people consume the Standard American Diet (SAD), which consists of a high intake of meat, dairy, fat, and refined sugar, as well as low intake of vegetables and fruits. As you may guess the SAD is not a very healthy diet, which correlates with the overall increase in inflammatory conditions and diseases – acne, behavioral issues, cancer, digestive issues, etc.

Gluten and dairy make up a large portion of the SAD, and are very reactive in our bodies. The proteins, gluten and casein, found in wheat and dairy products, respectively, are broken down by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) enzyme. However, many people have DPP4 insufficiency or deficiency. This causes the proteins to not be broken down fully, which creates peptides (smaller proteins): gluteo-morphine and caseo-morphine that mimic opiods. Opioids are substances that bind to receptors in the brain that produce morphine effects. Morphine has addictive properties. Therefore, people who lack DPP4 are more prone to having addictive responses to gluten and casein. Both gluteo-morphine and caseo-morphine peptides frequently cause feelings of spaciness, intoxication, high pain tolerance, repetitive behaviors, and contentment. This intoxication may result in craving and strong attachment to foods.

Sensory kids like to eat SAD foods, especially mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, pizza, and French fries. These foods share texture in common, as they break down in the mouth without chewing. Many sensory kids have low muscle tone in their mouth muscles and decreased sense of smell and taste, which makes the texture of these foods appealing.

When you have decided that going gluten and/or dairy free is right for you and your family – where should you start? I would recommend picking one, gluten or dairy, and do a transitional elimination diet. This form of an elimination diet focuses on transitioning from the current to gluten and/or dairy free diet, as the palate and brain evolve, and body detoxes.

Detox Timing:

Casein = 3 weeks
Gluten = 3 months

Due to the body’s ability to detox from dairy quicker, many parents prefer to restrict dairy first and then move on to gluten after their kids begin to feel better. Detoxes are difficult no matter the age. So, start small by picking and transiting with your child’s favorite food.

I.e. Mac and cheese

Buy Kraft Mac and cheese and organic, gluten free macaroni pasta (Bionaturae) w/ diary free cheese (Daiya)
Make both
Serve ¾ Kraft and ¼ gluten/dairy free
Work up from ½ Kraft and ½ gluten/dairy free, ¼ Kraft and ¾ gluten/dairy free, until your child tolerates full gluten/dairy free over a few weeks
If your child pays attention to you making them meals be sure to keep the Kraft box out on the counter-top while you are preparing the meal as long as it takes for the transition

After the transition phase, it is important to have an action plan to introduce nutritious foods.

Restrict all dairy (casein) foods for 3 weeks
Restrict all gluten foods for 3 months
Monitor your child for symptoms during the restriction (i.e. food diary)
Get nutritious foods into your child

Juicing and smoothies – a great way to introduce them to fruits and veggies

Carrot apple juice is where I would recommend starting. If you kiddo is resistant about drinking it, try making juice popsicles.
Sample Recipes:

http://www.marthastewart.com/334014/carrot-apple-juice
https://thehealthyfamilyandhome.com/carrot-apple-and-celery-juice/

Use substitutes for gluten and/or dairy food substitutes as needed. Most of these can be found at your local co-op or in the health food section of your grocery store.

Gluten Free Food List

Udi’s – bread, muffins, bagels
Lara and Clif – bars
Barbara’s, Glutino, Annie’s – crackers, cookies, cereal
Amy’s – pizza, mac and cheese, frozen entrees
Bionaturae - pastas

Dairy Free Food List

Silk – soy, almond, cashew based milk and yogurt
So Delicious Diary Free – coconut based milk, creamer, yogurt, ice cream
Daiya – plant based cheese
Rice Dream – ice cream
Earth Balance – butter and mayo

Some parents choose to reintroduce gluten and/or dairy after they have cleared from their child's system "just to see." It is important to wait until positive changes have been made before reintroducing (3+ months). Typically, parents notice a rapid increase in behavioral and digestive issues after gluten and/or dairy reintroduction. When ready to eliminate these foods again you can choose to follow the same steps as before or pick up where your left off, all of which depends on your child's needs.

These changes that you are making in your family’s life are more than just a diet, they are lifestyle changes that will allow them to think, function, and live at their fullest potential. Check out Blue Hills Chiropractic Pinterest board https://www.pinterest.com/bluehillschiropractic/ for kid’s healthy meal ideas.

Natural Seasonal Allergy Remedies

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 20:11:00 +0000

No matter the season there are a variety of allergens in our environment that cause our bodies to respond, sometimes more re-actively in the form of allergies. Typically, seasonal allergy symptoms include congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes. If you are curious if allergens are high, check out The Weather Channel's allergy tracker.
https://weather.com/forecast/allergy/l/USWI0588:1:US

Allergens fluctuate based on the season, below are Wisconsin's:

Spring – tree pollen
Summer – grass pollen
Fall – weed pollen, mold, and dust mites
Winter – mold and dust mites

To help support your immune system and relieve allergy symptoms there are a variety of natural remedies. However, be sure to check with your healthcare provider to determine what would work best for you.

Raw Local Honey

Consuming local honey is key because it contains pollen that bees have collected in your environment. Your body can respond and recognize the pollen as a non-threat to your immune system, which prevent the allergic response.
Dose: 1-2 TBSP/day

Apple Cider Vinegar

Will help to boost your immune system, break up mucus, and help lymphatic drainage. http://bragg.com/products/bragg-organic-apple-cider-vinegar.html
Dose: 1 TBSP 3x/day

Bromelain and Quercetin

These enzymes are found in colorful veggies and fruit, especially in pineapple. They act together to support the immune system and break up mucus. One of my favorite supplements for sinus health is Sinuplex. http://www.metagenics.com/mp/products/sinuplex
Dose:

Bromelain: 100-200 mg/day – Be sure to take an hour or two before or after meal
Quercetin: 400-500 mg 3x/day

Probiotics

Most of your immune system resides in your gut and it is important to keep your healthy gut flora happy. Taking a daily probiotic will improve your immune system, digestion, and mood.
Dose: 50 billion IU/day

Stinging Nettle

This herb helps to reduce inflammation and histamine production, which decreases the body’s response to allergens.
Dose: 300-500 mg/two per day
Tea: http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/products/nettle-leaf/

Perks of Pelvic Balance during Pregnancy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 May 2017 01:38:00 +0000

Pregnancy is a natural process that allows the female body to modify itself to create the proper environment for fetal growth and development. Our bodies are designed to carry and birth babies. However, pregnancy is commonly treated as an illness that requires a diagnosis or intervention for best outcomes. As natural health care providers, we strive to provide our mamas with information and care that allows their bodies to function at its fullest potential during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum recovery.

Let's start with a brief anatomy lesson. The female pelvis is evolutionary built for child birth. It is wider to allow for uterine expansion and exit of the baby. The pelvis consists of bones and ligaments that house and attach the uterus. These components need to work together for optimal birth outcomes.

Pelvic Bones:

Hips (ilium. ischium, and pubis)
Tailbone (sacrum and coccyx)

Pelvic Ligaments:

Round ligaments – connect the uterus near the fallopian tubes to the labia majora
Uterosacral ligaments – connects cervix to the tailbone
Sacrotuberous ligaments – connects the tailbone to the sitz bones

During pregnancy, the expanding uterus and hormonal changes impact the pelvic bones and ligaments. Pelvic shape or physical traumas to the tailbone may result in tightening and twisting of the ligaments, which impacts prenatal comfort, fetal positioning, and birth outcomes. Chiropractic adjustments are a safe, gentle way to decrease pelvic tension and allow the body to adapt and function as it was designed to. Below are a few benefits of getting adjusted during pregnancy, as well as recommendations we give our mamas.

Benefits for Mom:

Balances pelvis for easier pregnancy and birth
Decreases tension and discomfort in ligaments and pelvis
Stimulates parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest)

Benefits for Baby:

Creates more space for baby in utero for development
Helps baby get into proper birthing position. This may decrease the chances of baby getting stuck (dystocia) and requiring interventions.

Recommendations:

Body Ball – sitting on a body ball helps to keep pelvis balanced and mobile. It is great to rock hips forward, do figure eights, or bounce on after a long day at work or during contractions.
Cat/Cow Pose – moving through this yoga position will help to gently move the tailbone, improve breathing and relaxation, and strengthen the pelvic floor.
“Hammock” for Baby – leaning against the wall or in child’s pose increases space in the uterus for baby.
Round Ligament Massage – gentle massage to the tight muscle fibers of the round ligament will release pressure and discomfort.

Welcome to the Fabulous Vagus Nerve

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 23:29:00 +0000

The last post discussed how our nervous system interprets and handles different types of stress (physical, emotional, and chemical). There is a fine balance between our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems ("Gas vs. Brake Pedal"), and how our body responds to stress. This week we are going to touch on the Vagus nerve, which acts as an internal brake pedal.

The Vagus nerve is a long, wandering nerve that sends branches to almost every organ and gland in our thorax and abdomen. It is the 10th cranial nerve starting in the brain stem, exiting out through the skull (jugular foreman), and traveling down to the throat, chest, diaphragm, and abdomen. Below is an image of where some of the Vagus nerve's branches go.

With so many branches the Vagus nerve has to relay information to and from the brain to control a variety of functions.

Vagus Nerve Communication Pathways:

Brain to Body - Our brain informs the body that everything is safe in the environment and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system ("rest and digest") to control our throat, esophagus, heart, lungs, diaphragm, stomach, and intestines. Allowing the body to absorb, digest, grow, heal, and build a healthy immune system.
Body to Brain - Our body interprets the world around us sending information about pain, temperature, and touch from the ear, throat, chest and abdominal organs up to the brain.

Vagus Nerve Functions:

Anti-stress hormone production (acetylcholine and oxytocin)
Swallowing and digesting food
Keeping our heart beating and lungs breathing
Decreasing inflammation
Supporting immune and stem cell function

Vagus nerve's ability to decrease inflammation is a critical component to pump the brakes, which allows the body to properly grow and develop. In a study comparing two rats in the same environment, one had its Vagus nerve stimulated and the other turned off. The rat with its Vagus nerve stimulated had drastically decreased gut inflammation and improved immune function compared to the other rat. How does Vagus nerve get turned off? Based on its geography as it exits the skull it is prone to physical stress from birth trauma. When it is turned off the body is stuck in a stressful "fight or flight" state. This imbalance will impact the child's ability to develop and interact with their environment.

Results of a Turned Off Vagus Nerve:

Decreased...

Social, emotional recognition and expression
Speech and communication
Sensory regulation
Calm and relaxation
Slowing down heart and breathing
Digestion motility and relaxation
Immune boosting and anti-inflammatory

When children present with a few or all of theses changes they are diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Therefore, having your child's nervous system checked for stress and subluxations will determine the health of their Vagus nerve. With care their nervous system will start to heal as it switches from gas pedal/"fight or flight" to a brake pedal/"rest and digest" state, which promotes healing and relaxation. Ultimately, allowing them to grow and flourish in their world!

For more information on the nervous system, kids health, and much more please check out our Perfect Storm Workshop. http://www.bluehillschiropractic.com/perfectstorm.html

Running on Empty: How Stress Impacts the Nervous System

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 18:10:00 +0000

One of our key focuses as a pediatric clinic is supporting the developing nervous system. As most parents, teachers, and health providers can attest there has been a drastic increase in the number of chronic pediatric conditions within in the past decade. Whether it be autism, ADHD, anxiety and depression, asthma, ear infections, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Most of our patients have been diagnosed with one of these conditions when they come to the clinic. As chiropractors, we focus less on the "labels" and more so on the neurological adaptations their bodies have undergone due to chronic stress.

Our first step is to determine the unique stressors that trigger neurological change. We typically encounter three main categories of stress:

Traumas/Physical

Birth
Trips and falls
Posture

Toxins/Chemical

Pollution (air, soil, and water)
Nutritional deficiencies and food choices
Vaccines

Thoughts/Emotional

Stressful pregnancy and birth
Anxiety about school, sports, work
Stress at home, school, friends

Each of these stressors may create an imbalance in the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The ANS controls the body's automatic responses in the organs, glands, and blood vessels. There are two branches of the ANS:

Sympathetic Nervous System: Fight or Flight/ Gas Pedal
Parasympathetic Nervous System: Rest and Digest/ Brake Pedal

Both systems are integral to our survival, but they cannot be active at the same time. We should spend the most time in a Brake Pedal state (80%) and less time in the Gas Pedal state (20%). However, the stressors (stressful birth and delivery, constant worrying, skipping meals, not getting enough sleep, rushing to activities, etc.) we encounter tend to send our systems into sympathetic overdrive/always stepping on the gas pedal. This sympathetic shift occurs anytime our body perceives a threat and needs to enter protection mode (fight or flight), which causes our an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, as well as a decrease in blood sent to our brain and digestive organs. In these "stressful" events our body is shunting blood away from areas that promote growth and development. It is especially important for our mamas-to-be and kids to be in the Brake Pedal state as much as possible to promote a healthy functioning nervous, immune, and digestive systems.

Ways to Step on the Brakes:

Getting adjusted - Resets the nervous system and promotes a Brake Pedal state.
Belly breathing - Placing one hand on your chest and the other on your tummy. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in. Focus on which hand raises first. It should be the tummy hand. If it isn't, try again. With every belly breath, you are increasing the amount of oxygen circulating throughout your body, which promotes relaxation.
Bach's Rescue Remedy - Gentle homeopathic remedy that helps reduce stress and anxiety (kid, adult, and pet friendly options) http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-information
Get outside - Play at the park, walk, or jog. Getting out into nature helps improve breathing and circulation. Spending time with family and friends is a bonus.
Hugs - Giving a loved one a 30 second hug releases oxytocin. This hormone is released when the body is a in safe, relaxed place. Simply hugging your child or partner will create a calming effect for both of you.

Prenatal Nutrition: Basic Building Blocks for Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 20:47:00 +0000

Whether you are trying to conceive or are currently pregnant, providing your body with the essential nutrients is important for proper fetal development. Most mamas only take a prenatal vitamin and assume it will be enough to create a new life. However, one of leading causes of infertility is maternal nutritional deficiency. Let's dive into the basic building blocks, both dietary and supplemental, that it takes to build a baby.

Macronutrients are the basic building blocks that allow our bodies to generate energy, in the form of calories. The 3 macronurtients are:

Fat
Protein
Carbohydrates

Diets throughout history have consisted of a balance between these nutrients. Fat made up 50-80%, protein between 10-30%, and carbohydrates between 5-35%. Both history and research suggest that the ideal ratio for fertility and pregnancy is a high fat, moderate protein, and low to moderate carbohydrate diet.

Our bodies require fat for healthy cellular structure and function. Breast milk is a perfect example of how nature gets it right, as it is made up of 55% fat, 38% carbohydrates, and 7% protein. Also, eating fats with vegetables (i.e. olive oil on a salad or steamed veggies) helps your body better absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. These vitamins will support a healthy cell function in mom and growth of baby. Protein is important for muscle creation. However, studies have found that pregnant hunter gather women are mildly adverse to protein intake. This is due to a decrease in the body's ability to make urea, a waste product of protein metabolism. Typically, a pregnant body will crave less protein. If the body require more protein, she will crave more. The prental body needs 10-15% protein, which equates to 50-75 grams (g): 1 egg has 6 g, 1 cup of chicken breast has 43 g, 1 cup of black beans has 39 g.

Major prenatal nutrition goals:

Eat real, whole foods
Maintain steady blood sugar levels
Maintain steady blood pressure levels
Incorporate essential nutrients to support developing baby and maintain mom's health
Reduce risk of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, over or under weight gains
Promote best post-partum recovery

Supplementation is important during pregnancy to provide mom with the essential nutrients to create a new life. Prenatal vitamins are essential, but quality matters. It is recommended to avoid options that are full of filler, artificial ingredients and colors, low doses or missing ingredients. I recommended taking whole food based prenatal vitamin with methylated B vitamins. Methylated B9 (L-5 methylterahydrofolate) and B12 (methylcobalamin) are the active forms of these vitamins and are easier for mom's body to use in developing her baby's nervous system.

Links to a few of my favorite prenatal vitamins:
http://www.metagenics.com/mp/products/wellness-essentials-pregnancy
https://www.gardenoflife.com/content/product/why-choose-mykind-organics/mykind-organics-prenatal-multi/#mykind-organics-prenatal-multi-supplement-facts
https://www.emersonecologics.com/Products/EmersonMain/PID-IN1569.aspx

Beyond a prenatal vitamin there are 3 other essential nutrients for building baby.

Vitamin D3 is a hormone that influences almost every cell in your body, and has been linked to boosting fertility rates in women and men.

Vitamin D benefits:

Improves reproductive health
Improves sperm quality and count
Higher fertilization and implantation rates
Lower risk of miscarriages
Reduces risk of pre-eclampsia, premature delivery, and pregnancy complications
Enhances immune system
Decreased risk of infection, asthma, and eczema in baby

It is recommended to have your vitamin D levels (serum 25(OH)D) checked prior to supplementing. Optimal vitamin D levels are between 50-100 ng/mL. A minimum of 50 ng/mL is recommended to be hormonally healthy. Maternal levels greater than 65 ng/dL are optimal for transferring vitamin D to infant while breast feeding. The general recommended dosage is 2,000-4,000 IU per day to meet your body's needs; however, higher dosage may be necessary depending on you level.

Fish Oil/Omega 3 Fatty Acids (EPA and DHA) are important in promoting fertility and development of your baby's brain, eyes, and heart during pregnancy.

Fish oil benefits:

Regulate hormones and increase blood flow to the uterus
Help normalize menstrual cycle
Promote ovulation
Increase white cervical mucus to help the sperm reach the egg
Produce healthier sperm
Higher rates of conception
Lower rates of miscarriage and premature birth
Decreases chances of developing postpartum depression
EPA is necessary to grow a healthy circulatory system (heart and blood vessels)
DHA is important to build a healthy central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)

Sources of fish oil:

Dietary: fish, eggs, meat, nuts, seeds, dark greens, and leafy vegetables
Supplements: 1,000 - 3,000 mg/day

Probiotics help to establish a healthy microbiome. Microbes (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) colonize our mouth, gut, genitourinary tract, skin, and breastmilk. Supplementing with probiotics (10-20 billion c.f.u/day) will support a healthy immune system and digestion during pregnancy. During vaginal delivery mom gives baby their first dose of microbes. She continues to share and help baby's colonization through skin on skin contact and nursing, which helps the developing immune system and digestion.

Take Care of Your Ticker

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 22:33:00 +0000

February is heart health month, but it's important to keep this subject on our minds year-round. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Americans. You probably know someone who has suffered from heart disease. So let’s learn a bit more about your heart and learn five simple lifestyle tips to reduce your chance of heart disease.

The Basics:

- The Cardiovascular System: consists of the heart and blood vessels (arteries and veins), as well as the blood that circulates oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and immune factors throughout the body.

- The Pump: an adult heart pumps 5 quarts of blood per minute, which is 8,000 quarts of blood per day!

- Heart Disease: an overarching diagnosis of a variety of health concerns involving the heart and blood vessels including:

o high cholesterol

o high blood pressure

o heart attack

o stroke

- How it starts: typically, heart disease begins with cholesterol plaque build-up or increased pressure on the arteries causing them to narrow. Narrowed arteries limit the amount of blood and oxygen allowed to circulate throughout the body, which leads to chest pain, erectile dysfunction, heart attacks or strokes.

- Why it starts: genetics play a role in heart disease; however, lifestyle and environment factors are highly influential in your risk for heart disease.

How to slow, prevent, recover from heart disease:

Water: Take your weight in pounds, divide it by 2, drink that many ounces of water a day, repeat every day. Water helps your body do everything it needs to do, including reduce your blood pressure. Drinking coffee, tea, soda, or juices increase blood pressure in comparison to water, so cut back on the caffeine, drink more H2O.
Plant Based Diet: This diet offers a variety of health benefits including, high fiber, antioxidants, and unsaturated fats. Another benefit, is increasing the alkalinity/decreasing acidity of the blood that decreases the amount of cholesterol the body will lay down to protect the blood vessels. Consuming fats (olive, coconut, avocado, and macadamia nut oil) with vegetables and fruits improves the absorption of important vitamins, such as A, E, D, and K. These vitamins play an important role in heart health. Can’t imagine a world without meat? Start with replacing meat with a vegetarian option once a week, then increase from there. No meat Monday for example. Need good ideas for vegetarian meals? There are a ton on pinterest.
Not All Saturated Fats Are Bad: 1 tablespoon of coconut oil has equal amounts of saturated fats as an 8 ounce steak. What determines why one is healthier than the other? Coconut oil is rich in medium chain triglycerides or omega-3 fatty acids. Whereas, animal fats are rich in omega-6 and 9 fatty acids. Overall, omega-3 fatty acids are easier to metabolize, anti-inflammatory, and are cholesterol free.
Exercise: Get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise daily. Most people assume they need to go the gym in order to exercise; however, simply getting active and doing something you enjoy counts. Whether that be jogging, yoga, walking your dog, hiking, or swimming, etc. Exercising will release happy hormones (endorphins), improve blood flow, reduce blood pressure and stress. Sitting is considered to be the new smoking, based on how much time we spend in our cars commuting to and from work and sitting at our desks. Our sedentary lifestyles are increasing our risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
Human Pet Interactions: Petting and talking to your dog has been linked to overall heart health improvement: reduction in blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, and heart attacks. Also, time spent with your dog will help to lower anxiety and release of calming hormones (dopamine and serotonin). Don’t have a pet but need to find out where to get one? Start local with the Humane Society of Barron County.

Estrogen Equilibrium: Seed Cycling for Hormone Harmony

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 18:56:00 +0000

As a clinic that focuses on promoting and supporting women's health at all ages, we encounter a variety of hormonal related issues such as:

Regulating an irregular/painful period
PMS
Acne
Difficulty conceiving and/or miscarriages
Coping with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
Transitioning into menopause

What do all of these issues have in common? Hormone imbalance between estrogen and progesterone. Specifically, most women are dealing with estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance often develops from excessive amounts of estrogen in our environment, called xenoestrogens. Examples of xenoestrogens:

Pesticides
Cosmetics (parabens)
Plastic products (BPA, phthalates)
Hormonal birth control

In addition to the issues listed above, estrogen dominance due to xenoestrogens can lead to more serious issues like thyroid dysfunction or cancer of the breasts, ovaries, or uterus.

So how can you help your body find balance? In addition to avoiding xenoestrogens where you can, a gentle, natural method is seed cycling. Seed cycling incorporates different seeds and oils into your diet during different phases of your menstrual cycle, which will help promote estrogen detoxification and progesterone production. Overall, helping to restore natural hormone balance in your body.

How to seed cycle:

Follicular Phase (Day 1-14):

Flax seeds (ground) - 1 TBS
Pumpkin seeds (ground) - 1 TBS
Fish or Flax Oil - 2 capsules/2x day

Luteal Phase (Day 15-28):

Sunflower seeds (ground) - 1 TBS
Sesame seeds (ground) - 1 TBS
Evening Primrose Oil - 2 capsules/2x day

Getting started may feel overwhelming; however, you may be able to find all of this at your local grocer if they have a well stocked natural/organic section, but if not check your local co-op. Personally, I purchase Bob's Red Mill brand seeds and like Garden of Life or NOW brand as over the counter supplement options. I would recommend starting on Day 1 of your menstrual cycle. To simplify the process, grind your organic, raw seeds one to two days in advance and store them in the refrigerator to preserve the healthy properties. Then eat your mixed seeds (2 TBS) and take your oil supplements daily. I like to add my seeds to a smoothie, yogurt, or oatmeal. Avoid snacking on the whole seeds throughout the day, as it will decrease their efficacy. It takes time to balance your hormones and re-establish a healthy menstrual cycle; typically, three to four months. Therefore, it's important to be patient and gentle on yourself as you start making lifestyle changes that will impact your overall well-being.

Ooh Genes: MTHFR mutation

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 20:18:00 +0000

Our health is determined by two key factors, our genes and environment. Genes are the blue print for our body and its function. We inherit two copies of each gene from our parents. Although, we all have different backgrounds studies have found there to be little variation in the human genome, less than one percent. The small difference in our DNA contribute to our unique features, both physically and mentally, as well as how we respond and adapt to our environment. Epigenetics is the study of how our environment alters our gene expression. We are exposed to a variety of chemical toxins, fillers, pollution, and negative thoughts on a daily basis. Our bodies are built to seek and destroy potential enemies; however, if our immune system is weakened and an enemy slips by or constantly bombarded by enemies it causes our defense and repair system to go awry, which will cause changes in our DNA. Therefore, our overall health is influenced by the food we eat, nutrients we absorb, water we drink, air we breathe, and the thoughts we think. These environmental stressors have the ability to turn on and off genes, thus making some people more prone to heart disease, depression, and breast cancer.

A common gene to be turned off is MTHFR. A healthy MTHFR gene is responsible for making a surplus of the enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). The role of this enzyme is to convert folate (B9) active form L-methylfolate that is usable by the body. L-methylfolate is essential in creating neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine, and neural tube development. Also, MTHFR is responsible for converting the amino acid homocysteine to methionine and glutathione. This conversion process is important for protein production, as well as disease prevention.
The severity of MTHFR gene mutation is based on having one or two gene mutations.

Conditions Associated with MTHFR Mutations:

Infertility
Miscarriages
Spina bifida
Depression
Schizophrenia
Bipolar Disorder
Hypertension
Hyperlipidemia
Heart Disease
Cancer
Migraines
Fibromyalgia
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Alzheimer Disease

MTHFR Tips:

Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet - Eliminating gluten, dairy, and processed foods will help decrease inflammation and toxins that the build up in the body. Eating organic vegetables and fruits, as well as limited grass fed, free range, antibiotic free meat and eggs will provide your body essential methylated nutrients and less toxins.
Eat a Plant Based Diet - Dark, leafy greens (i.e. kale, collard greens, spinach) and vegetables (i.e. asparagus and broccoli) contain methylated forms of folate.
Support a Healthy Gut - One of the key functions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is to absorb nutrients. It is important to support this function by taking probiotics and eating prebiotics, fermented foods, and bone broth.
Supplement with Methylated B vitamins: Supplementing with methylated folate (B9) and cobalamin (B12) is important because you are providing your body with the active, usable form of the vitamin.
Avoid Environmental Toxins - MTHFR mutations decrease the body's ability to eliminate toxins; therefore, it is important to avoid environmental toxins (BPA, EDTA, phthalates, etc.), heavy metals, unfiltered water, cleaning products, and synthetic hormones.
Detoxing - With an impaired ability to eliminate toxins, it is important to support the body by drinking water, taking detox baths, exercising, and dry brushing.

Genetic testing is the only way to definitely determine if you have a MTHFR mutation. However, eating a healthier diet, promoting gut and immune health, and eliminating environmental toxins will improve overall health and wellbeing.

Teacher's Pet or Class Clown: Grade Your Immune System

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 03:59:00 +0000

With cold and flu season running rampant, many patients are curious as to why their immune systems are "lessened," "weak," "cannot get over," or "slow to respond to supplements or medications." Which brings up an important discussion on what the immune system is, its function, and how our lifestyle impacts our overall health. The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that are constantly on "high alert" acting to defend and protect the body from "foreign" invaders, i.e. viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The immune system begins to develop during pregnancy; although, the mother's immune system protects the baby until delivery. Upon entering the world, a baby is exposed to a variety of normal bacteria, as well as more harmful bacteria and viruses. However, there is no need to fear as our bodies are covered inside and out in normal bacteria, our microbiome, that will help protect the body along side the developing immune system. Throughout life we will encounter a variety of invaders through day-to-day interactions with others and our environment, as well as vaccines. Each time our immune system discovers an invader in our body they will mount an attack to 1) recognize the invader as "not self," 2) destroy the invader, and 3) remember the invader for any future attacks. This is how the immune system learns and develops overtime. However, there are many factors that will influence how well or poorly your body responds to invaders.

10 Steps to Grade Your Immunity:

1) How often do you get sick? How quick do you typically recover?

2) Do you suffer from sleep disturbances (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or insomnia)?

3) Do you struggle with gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances (reflux, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea or constipation)?

4) Do you have allergies?

5) Do you have any autoimmune diseases (Type 1 Diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Lupus, etc.)?

6) How well do you recover after exercise?

7) Do you have a history of cancer?

8) Do you have a neurodevelopment disorder (ADD/ADHD, Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders)?

9) Have you struggled with infertility?

10) Do you have anxiety or depression?

How would you grade your immune system? Whether you gave yourself an "A," "C," or "F" it is important to have a baseline to start making positive changes for you immune health and total wellbeing. All 10 components are primarily influenced by your nervous system and stress levels, as well as your microbiome. Most of us are under high levels of stress that cause our bodies to be in a "flight or fight" sympathetic dominant state the majority of the time, as opposed to a "rest and digest" parasympathetic state. Continuous high stress levels will cause there to be a decrease in immune function, which impact how often we are ill and how quickly we recover from an illness. Therefore, it is important to have a healthy nervous system balance. Our micorbiome consists of the bacteria that inhabit our gut, skin, and vagina. A variety of factors; including, our birth, genetics, diet and environment create our unique microbiome. These bacteria keep their habitats healthy and fight off invaders along side the immune system. Our immune system, nervous system, and microbiome are all interconnected. A good way to take care of all 3 systems and promote health are making simple lifestyle changes.

5 Lifestyle Changes to Promote Immune, Nervous System and Microbial Health:

1) Take a probiotic (50 billion c.f.u./day)

2) Get 8 hrs of uninterrupted sleep/night

3) Consume a minimum of 5 servings of vegetables (green, leafy fibrous vegetables, i.e. kale, spinach, arugula chard) and fruits (high in vitamin C, i.e. pineapple, kiwis, mangos, and citrus fruits) in a 2:1 ratio daily

4) Exercise a minimum 30-45 minutes 5 days/week

5) Regular chiropractic adjustments will promote nervous system health (balance between "rest and digest" and "flight or fight"), as well as boost your immune system

10 Tips to Avoid Gaining 10 Holiday Pounds

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 16:58:00 +0000

Tis the time of year where people start saying “this year will be different!” “This is the year I stay healthy during the holidays!” “I’m not going to wait until New Years to lose weight!”

Thanksgiving begins a 5-6 week stretch of being constantly surrounded by festive cocktails, decorated cookies, and decadent sauces. So this year, instead of telling yourself you’ll diet through the holidays, try eating smarter instead of feeling deprived.

1. Drink Water. Drink a lot of it. Not only will water make your skin glow nicer in that holiday dress, it will flush excess water stored in the body (aka- bloating) and make you feel fuller and snack less. Drinking a full glass of water 20 minutes before a meal will help your body differentiate between thirst and hunger.

2. Watch alcohol calories. On the low end, a glass of wine or sparkling champagne will cost you 120-150 calories. But that spiked eggnog? That could be the equivalent of a small meal! Be conscious of your beverage choice and it could save you a few hundred calories.

3. Make smart swaps at dinner & parties. Here’s some examples of easy swaps that will leave you satisfied:
- 4 oz white meat w/o skin 195 calories vs. 4 oz dark meat with skin 400 calories

-Pumpkin pie w/ low fat whip cream 335 calories vs. Pecan pie 450 calories

-Substitute coconut or almond milk in recipes or coconut oil for butter

Think smart, not skinny. Eat your fill of meats and vegetables. Flavor sides with garlic, lemon and herbs, rather than cream, cheese, and butter.

4. Sloooooooow dooooowwwwnn. It takes 20 min for your stomach to tell your brain it’s full. Most people will finish an entire plate of food in less than 10. It’s no wonder we think we need seconds! Our body can’t keep up with our mouths. Try setting your fork down in between each bite. And even if you eat all your food a little too fast, don’t allow yourself to reach for more until that 20min is up. Then reassess.

5. Banish the bread bowl. Trust me- I know how much this sucks. I love bread. I know you love bread. Did you know there’s a chemical reason you love bread? Gluten- the main protein that composes wheat, attaches to a receptor in our brain that opiates attach to. It’s one of the only foods that does that, and that’s why we get that wonderful feeling in our hearts when we think of a warm basket of bread. So don’t even start the downward spiral! Eliminate it from the menu if you can. And if you can’t- consider it off limits.

6. Exercise that day. The closer to the party/meal that you can comfortably exercise, do it. Just enough to get your heart rate up and maybe even a little sweat. This will release feel good endorphins that will keep you from turning to food for comfort. It also makes you eat more consciously.

7. Don’t starve yourself up until the big event. Unless you are eating Thanksgiving at 11am, it’s a good idea to have a small, but substantial breakfast. Something like an egg sandwich or oatmeal with nuts and berries is a great meal that will start your metabolism for the day. It will also keep you from being so hungry by the time you sit down to eat- that you won’t scarf down your plate in 3 minutes. (Remember rule #4?)

8. Quality beats quantity. Whenever possible, keep in mind which vegetables are high on the pesticide list and therefore should be eaten organic. Some of the major pesticide ridden holiday favorites are: potatoes, carrots, celery, spinach/greens, and apples. Organic poultry can be incredibly pricey- but if you have a source of local meat that was able to live a normal poultry life- it will reflect in tastier meat. Same goes for eggs and dairy. Local and organic will produce tastier and healthier dishes.

9. Add root vegetables and parsley to the meal. My favorite is cubed up turnips, beets, and sweet potatoes roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs in an oven at 400 degrees for 45min. Beets and parsley are great because they stimulate the body to release necessary enzymes to digest food properly.

10. Fill you plate like a caveman. Have you heard of this whole “paleo thing”? It’s a trending diet that suggests eating like our ancestors did, limiting the amount of grains and legumes. So try to fill half your plate with vegetables, ¼ with meat, and then if you really need that stuffing or cornbread- put that in the last ¼ of the plate.

It may seem like a lot of rules, but most of it is common sense. And if you come across something that completely breaks all of the rules, then follow the advice that the wise Mariah Carey once gave me (not in person- on the Ellen show in case you were wondering). Only have 1 bite, and savor the heck out of it!

Want to know what I’m eating this Thanksgiving?

I’m a fan of a few classics like a well cooked turkey and a flavorful pumpkin pie. But I really enjoy playing with the sides! Some of these don’t follow “the rules” but don’t get all sassy with me… I’m human too ya know J

Classic Turkey: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html

Coconut Pumpkin soup: http://www.livingwithout.com/issues/4_16/gluten_free_thanksgiving_feast-2641-1.html

Brussel Sprouts w/ walnuts and cranberries: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/brussels-sprouts-with-walnuts-and-dried-cranberries/

Roasted root vegetables with balsamic glaze: http://vegenista.com/post/2852896148/roasted-beets-turnips-with-balsamic-glaze

Teething

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 16:14:00 +0000

So it’s been a while since the last post. The last one had to do with my locking my child down to get some piece of mind. Let’s just chalk up the year long hiatus to- the kid got smarter than that, and I’ve been running around like a crazy person ever since.

In my clinic, I see a large percentage of children under the age of 2. And on a day to day basis, I see parents chalking their child’s symptoms up to none other than- teething. Now prior to being a parent, I may have been confused as to why at 2 months old, a parent is saying that their baby probably was up every hour last night because, “she’s started teething.” But as a parent of a 19 month old, I can tell you I relate.

Since Charley was about 4 months old- I have attributed every drop of drool, low grade fever, rash, wake up in the middle of the night, and every unnecessary tirade to, “she must be teething.” I have used it as an excuse for my child’s misbehavior at parties, in the grocery store, and at church. And why not? It works like a charm!

Every parent completely relates to you and is instantly understanding. (Side note: if you feel you’ve overused the “teething” excuse too much, just try the “she hasn’t napped today” one. Also works beautifully).

Now on average, a child will break their first tooth around 6 months, and continue one every month after that. Some children get their first tooth much earlier, and some may be going into their first birthday cake gumming it like an 80 year old without their dentures. I was trained to use the following equasion:

Childs age in months – 6 = # of teeth

Symptoms of teething

These are the typical symptoms your doctor will attribute to teething:

-swelling of gums

-drooling

-rash on chin or face

-low grade fever

-irritability

-ear pulling

-biting

-pain

This is my personal list of symptoms I blame on teething:

-only eating cookies for dinner

-kicking you in the face to get Mickey Mouse

-biting their cousin because they want their toy

-gargling water and spitting it in your face

-pooping 8 times in one day

-waking up at 4am and wanting to play

-wrestling like an alligator during diaper changing

-and running around the grocery store throwing canned goods on the floor

-zoning out like an overworked, drooling zombie

Symptoms supposedly show up only 3-5 days before a tooth erupts, but I have been known to blame my child’s behavior on teething for 3-5 weeks prior.

Order of Appearance

As for order, that can vary greatly, but I’ve attached a lovely diagram for you:

Symptom Management

Now I am not some cruel, pain inflicting mother, but I do appreciate the numerous studies that correlate frequent usage of Tylenol and Motrin to increased likelihood of asthma symptoms. I try to weigh the pros and cons of using pain medications, and only use as a last resort.

Most people already know the medicinal options for pain relief. So here are a few non-medicinal ones I’ve tried:

1. Chewing on something cold- works great if your child wants to. Cold wash cloths and teething rings seem like they would work great. But Charley refuses to use them. She would much rather gnaw on a sharp edge of a toy or my arm. I have found she likes warm wash cloths better. You won’t get the numbing affect, but it does keep her happy temporarily.

2. Emu oil- We used this instead of your topical medication like orajel. This worked REALLY well. Within 10 minutes, she seemed back to normal. It is the anti-inflammatory effect on the gums that is supposed to offer pain relief.

3. Hyland’s Teething Tablets- There are probably many brands available, but this is our choice. Hyland’s is a homeopathic company that uses natural sources of pain relief in their tablets. The tablets are easily absorbable, and are our first line of defense whenever we think she’s teething.

4. Teething necklace- So the jury is out on this one. I will note that there is not a SINGLE case of a child choking on their own teething necklace. I also can’t find any empirical evidence that they do what they claim. The claim:

”teething necklaces are made of Baltic amber, which are naturally analgesic. The amber gets absorbed through the skin and alleviate pain for the child.”

People who use them swear by them. I will admit I swore by ours for the first few months Charley wore it. She was a tyrant for days, we put it on- and within 2 hours she was back to her normal self. Since then, I have not really put too much thought into whether or not since she looks so damn cute in her necklace!

I shouldn’t make Charley out to be a naughty baby. In fact, it is her general calm and happy demeanor that makes the transformation during teething so apparent. But I am glad I have something as concrete and non-threatening as teething to blame right now. As a parent, I don’t mind if my child is misbehaving or not sleeping through the night… as long as I know it’s temporary and well explained. I’m just sad my excuse will be short lived. When she’s 13, I’m going to have to come up with a different excuse for friends and family why she ran to her room screaming, “I hate you.” Probably can’t still blame teething.

Diagram courtesy of: http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/life-style/family-finances/deciding-not-to-return-to-work-postbaby-20131025-2w6de.html

TV or No TV? The guide to being a lazy parent... ;)

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 20:35:00 +0000

There were certain things I said I would “never” do once I had a child. This list includes many things, but 2 of them were brought to the forefront this past weekend. One of them was to give her the basic jarred baby food. Well since Charley is a little over 4 months old now and local produce is becoming ripe, my sister in-law and I decided we were going to make some baby food this past weekend. Here’s a picture of our successes! In a little over 2 hours, we made carrots, zucchini, apple, and beet cubes that we froze and will be ready for her in a couple months when she’s ready for food.

Now this blog isn’t and never has been about how awesome of an organic mother I am. So this post isn’t about how to be all “hippy-dippy” and make your own baby food. This is about the 2^nd thing I said I would “never” do- let my baby watch tv.

Somewhere in the back of my head I can hear a voice from my pediatric training saying that kids under the age of 2 shouldn’t be exposed to any television because of the constant flashing of images. It was explained as this… as adults, if we’re exposed to a strobe light- it’s very distracting and can have a neurological effect on us (people susceptible to seizures respond strongly to strobe lights). If you ever take the time to count how many seconds a television is focused on 1 shot, you’ll notice quickly that it isn’t very long at all- and commercials are the worst. So although we have been desensitized to this and it doesn’t appear to have a blatant neurological effect on us adults- it is similar to a strobe light to a child. As a practitioner that knows a lot about the neurological system, this theory makes perfect sense.

For the past 4 ½ months, I’ve been lecturing my husband, sister, mom, dad, baby sitter, etc. anytime Charley is pointed at a tv and she is clearly watching it. I’ll simply reposition her so she can’t turn her head to look at it and stare at the tv. So far so good. I may have been a little annoying to my family- but I felt as though I was sticking to my guns in the sense that I wasn’t taking the easy way out. Because let me tell you, Charley would stare at a tv for only God knows how long self-entertained.

So last night my husband and I put some real effort into making a nice dinner and it became quite apparent as we started plating, that Charley was not in a mood to let us enjoy ourselves. So I did what I feel every exhausted and overly committed mother would do. I put on the tv, positioned her swing so she could stare right at it, strapped her in and turned the swing on. (Now in my defense- I put it on baseball because I feel the cut shots are much less in the slow moving sport). The girl laughed and stared at the tv, self-entertained for the entire time we ate peacefully. The whole 6 minutes I was eating, though, I was torturing myself, convinced I was ruining our child’s rapidly growing developmental system.

This guilt sent me deep into some research to find out if I’m actually ruining our child by letting her look at tv. Although the concept of the “strobe light effect” makes sense to me, I can’t say I’ve seen it backed up by any research anywhere. Maybe I made up this theory in my own head.

I started doing some research and found over and over, repeatedly that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends absolutely no tv until 2 years old. The WHY is the important part, though. They claim it increases their chance of obesity and can decrease their cognitive development and language scores by 1/3 compared to 14 month old babies who had never been exposed to tv.

So at this point, I was ready to go back to my original statement of never letting her watch tv, but I looked a little deeper. Everything I read said that the reason is to do with time is better spent engaging your child and they will become smarter little people if you don’t just stick them in front of a tv to educate them- well duh.

One study is quoted, “Pediatricians widely believe the first two years of a child's life are a critical time because the brain isn't fully developed at birth. A majority of brain development is completed in response to the child's environment during the first 18 or 24 months of life. Time spent watching television takes away from activities such as playing, talking with caregivers and exploring the world around them, all of which have been proven to help development, says Dr. Donald Shifrin, past chair of the committee on communications at the American Academy of Pediatrics, which represents 63,000 pediatricians nationwide.”

Another one states, “Babies who watched 60 minutes of TV daily had developmental scores one-third lower at 14 months than babies who weren't watching that much TV. Though their developmental scores were still in the normal range, the discrepancy may be due to the fact that when kids and parents are watching TV, they're missing out on talking, playing, and interactions that are essential to learning and development.”

When it comes to older kids, that’s a whole other can of worms that has negative side effects like brain washing from commercials, exposure to violence, decreased physical activity, etc…. but my baby is watching baseball, and only for a couple minutes.

I couldn’t find anywhere, any proof that the flashing of images is why television is bad. Study after study supports that it’s more an issue of the “type” of parent who would allow their child to watch tv at such a young age, is also the “type” of parent who won’t engage them and will let them be lazy and eat junk food. Since I know I’m not that “type” of parent, I feel that if I can get 5-10minutes of a peaceful dinner, or loading the dishwasher while my child giggles at the baseball game on the glowing box 10 feet away… I think I’m in the clear.

a few of my references...

http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=384030

http://blog.cleveland.com/health/2008/12/television_is_harmful_to_babie.html

http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html

Birth Plan- What is it, and do you need it?

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:41:00 +0000

When my patients are around 35 weeks of pregnancy, I ask them how their birth plan is going. With first time moms, the most common response includes a look of confusion, followed by, “my plan is to have the baby.” A lot of people don’t know what a birth plan is, or more importantly- why they need one.

Why you need a birth plan is to control as much of your surroundings as possible during a very vulnerable time in your life. It is not uncommon for you to feel scared or helpless during labor, and having control over small details can help. Having a birth plan is not only about small details such as mood lighting and sounds. It is also about big details like how you feel about pain medications, episiotomies, and what is done to the baby after birth.

When starting from square one, I first suggest a woman and her partner get their hands on as many birth stories and videos as possible. Whether this includes watching “A Baby Story”, reading Ina Gaskin’s “Guide to Childbirth”, or renting some educational videos, you may not know how broad the spectrum is for typical births now a day… and how are you supposed to know your options or what you prefer without witnessing/reading about it? Perhaps you prefer being able to walk around freely during contractions, or dim lights, or a waterbirth. Even if you envision giving birth to the 90s hit sensation group “Boys II Men” blasting in the background, it’s your damn birth plan and you can want whatever you want.

That being said, if you’ve decided to give birth in a hospital, you may want to discuss your ideas with your obstetrician before falling in love with any one thing, as many hospitals have rules on what is and isn’t allowed during labor. For instance, a very common “demand” by laboring women is to be able to eat and drink freely during labor to keep up their strength. This may be a black and white, “no” from the hospital as it is their policy to have you prepped for surgery at any given point during labor. But every hospital is different, so just find out the rules of yours.

Once you and your partner have established what you like and dislike about some births and then cleared what is and isn’t allowed with where you’re birthing, then you begin forming your own birth plan. The invention of the internet has made this one of the easiest steps. There are many very helpful websites when it comes to building a birth plan that allow you to just check off boxes from a variety of options and press print. Here is a couple that I send my patients to:

http://www.justmommies.com/quizzes/birthplan.php

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/birthplan.htm

http://www.pregnancyandbaby.com/calendars/articles/937331/birth-plan-creator

When reading through some of the options provided, you may get the sense that you’re being bossy and telling the doctor or midwife what to do. Although I fully support people taking charge of their birth experience, it is important to be respectful when talking to your doctor. Some of these statements are like telling your accountant “I would like to get a big tax return this year.” Some things are just out of their control and when reality strikes- it doesn’t matter what your plan was. To be honest, I see more birth plans hit the fan once labor starts rocking and rolling- but that still doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one.

Here are a few of my favorite items to have on a birth plan:

· -Laboring at home as long as comfortable/safe

· - Avoiding inductions at all means possible

· - Eating and drinking freely to keep up strength

· -Moving around freely

· - Controlling surroundings like temperature, lighting, smells, and sound (perhaps you dig aromatherapy and want to diffuse lavender oil)

· -Not being offered pain medications unless the couple seeks it out

· -The ability to try alternative labor augmentation like nipple stimulation before Pitocin or membrane rupture is suggested

· - keeping the hospital “interventions” to a minimum. Every time you need to stop your flow and get your blood pressure checked, checked for dilation, or asked a question- it interrupts what your body is trying to focus on. The more a woman can go inside her own head and tune out everything around her, the faster the body will progress.

· - No episiotomy unless the baby appears to be in danger

· - No forceps, vacuum, or greedy little OB hands pull the baby out. The force from pushes and uterine contractions is usually more than enough to push the baby out. An OB or midwife should simply be there to guide the baby out

· -Baby should go directly to mom’s chest- skin to skin contact is proven to be best for the baby

· - Give the baby a chance to take his or her first breaths on their own without sticking a suction bulb down their throat

There are so many more options and details available to a mother, and these are just the tip of the iceberg.

The last suggestion is even if you don’t think it’s necessary, write your birth plan down and bring copies to your birth. Some people feel that just because they discussed their wishes with the doctor ahead of time, that their birth plan is communicated to everyone on their birth team. Unfortunately this is not usually true in a larger birth setting like a hospital. Over the course of a labor, you may go through numerous nurses that never sat down personally with you or your doctor to discuss your needs and wants. If you find yourself butting heads with a particular nagging nurse- feel free to hand her a birth plan and tell her where to shove it.

Ultimately, remember that a birth plan is just that- a plan. Birth is exciting and unpredictable, and never feel guilty or embarrassed if your birth doesn’t go as anticipated.

Planning for the Organic & Natural Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:31:00 +0000

If you haven’t realized yet that along with a baby comes a boat load of STUFF, then you need to check your pulse because you may not be alive and functioning. It’s not just the big stuff that fills your house with clutter, it’s all the small stuff too. And then there’s the completely non-sensible stuff that you don’t need (and never wanted) that people give you because it’s marketed as a baby product and is “cute”. What you decide is necessary or not isn’t what this blog post is about. It is about keeping all of that “stuff” safest for your baby.

For most people, this post will send you into a fear induced tirade through your baby’s nursery, looking to throw out everything considered harmful. Until you realize that EVERYTHING is considered harmful and then you’ll just find yourself overwhelmed, frustrated and angry, and not knowing what to do, or where to start. As parents, protecting your child is the number one priority in life, but realizing you can’t protect them from everything is a lesson in itself. They say knowledge is power, but I think it can cause insanity and obsession. Yet here we go, on another attempt at creating the safest, most natural and organic world for my little baby to live in.

Here is a general guideline of the toxic chemicals that are most prevalent in all of our baby’s “stuff” and why you want to avoid it whenever possible:

Flame Retardants- Many flame retardants have gone through a “trial by error” period in time. In the past we’ve coated everything from mattresses to pajamas in flame retardants in attempts to keep a baby safe when surrounded by fire- to later find out they caused serious health effects and make them illegal to be used. Chlorinated Tris (aka TDCPP) is the most popular one used today and is known to be carcinogenic, cause nervous system harm, damage brain cells and hormone disruption.

VOCs (volatile organic compounds)- found in many paints and finishes. Benzene, styrene, toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde. Some of these are known to be carcinogenic or neurotoxins, causing symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, difficulty breathing, and eye, skin, and airway irritation.

Phthalates- class of chemicals used as softeners in plastics like PVC or vinyl products. Can disrupt hormone activity, reduce sperm count, and cause liver or breast cancer.

BPA (bisphenol-A)- used in many hard plastics and is a known endocrine disrupter. This can damage male reproductive organs, causing enlarged prostates, shrunken epididymides (sperm carrying ducts), and decreased sperm counts. This can also cause early puberty, miscarriages, and birth defects with long term exposure.

Parabens- synthetic preservatives found in cosmetics and personal care products. Can cause skin irritation, rashes, or dermatitis. It has also been found in breast tumors, and is a suspected endocrine disrupter.

Things to consider when registering/buying for your nursery

1. Padded Products

This includes things like changing pads, car seats, bassinet pads, co-sleepers, nursing pillows, and mattresses. The most common flame retardant used in many of these (about 80% of products) is chlorinated Tris. This chemical escapes easily from the padding it is located in and can contaminate and toxify the air around it.

-Choose products that use more organic ways of being fire safe, such as wool, or look for manufacturers that use safer, less toxic chemicals. Baby bjorn, Orbit Baby, and Boppy all report producing baby products without chemical flame retardants.

-Also because of the increased “off gassing” that occurs closest to time of manufacturing, looking for gently used products that may be a couple years old will decrease your off gassing. Or you can let your newly purchased padded products sit outside or in your garage for a few days or weeks so it doesn’t off gas in your nursery.

-Avoid products that contain polyurethane with the label TB117 that indicates it has been made with toxic flame retardants

2. Paints & Finishes

Look for paints that claim to be “VOC free”, natural or organic, or natural milk paints. These all have little to no fumes. If you are going to be polyurethaning or staining any items in your nursery, look for more organic stains and finishes that use things like tree resin or citrus oils. There are many products like this available for purchase online. If you’re in a pinch and going to your local Menards is all you have time for, choose water based stains or finishes. Water based stains dry faster and release less chemicals into the air. Spray paint also contains chemicals such as dicholormethane, trichloromethane, 1,4-dioxane, xylenes, toluenes and other toxins that can have both short and long term health effects like asthma.

Although you don’t have to worry about buying lead paint anymore- keep in mind that only a few decades ago, using lead paint on furniture and toys was not known to be hazardous. There are cheap test kits at hardware stores that you can use to test old pieces of furniture to determine if it has lead paint.

3. Mattresses & Furniture

The safest mattresses are those made with wool, cotton, or natural latex without vinyl cover or stain resistant coatings. You should avoid polyurethane foam mattresses treated with flame retardants. Some highly rated, safer choices include the “Naturepedic no compromise” mattress or “natural home simply affordable organic baby crib mattress”. Many of the symptoms associated with the chemicals used inside crib mattresses are scarily similar to those of SIDS. Cardiac or respiratory failure being the key health hazards.

Most of the baby furniture found in stores like Target, Babies R’ Us, etc use pressed wood. What this means is that many small bits of cheap wood were glued together into one larger piece of wood. Many of the glues and chemicals they use to do this are very toxic- one of the most popular being formaldehyde. Try finding furniture that is made from “real woods” like oak or maple. Since often these are more expensive and less available, keep an eye out at garage sales or antique shops. A special report done by Good Morning America found that a new rocker in a nursery was off gassing 5 times the legal limit of formaldehyde. So keep in mind that although sometimes more expensive, and less available, they will last much longer.

4. Personal Care Products

From morning til night, we coat our skin in many different products that can contribute to toxic inhalation and direct absorption through the skin. Items like shampoos, lotions, bath soaps, butt balms, diaper wipes, sunscreens, insect repellants, laundry soaps, and perfumes contain a long list of chemicals in the ingredient list to preserve them and make them effective at “cleaning” or “deodorizing”.

-Look for certified organic products and those with the fewest ingredients.

-Avoid care products that contain parabens, phthalates, DMDM hydantoin, fragrance, triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, DEA, TEA, formaldehyde, PEGs, or anything with glycol or methyl.

-If price or availability leaves you few options, try making your own. There are many helpful resources online that use everyday household products like olive oil, baking soda, and essential oils. Here’s a quick link for making your own diaper wipes: http://theehingers.blogspot.com/2010/10/homemade-baby-wipes.html

5. Plastics, plastics, plastics

By now most people know that BPA (bisphenol A) is a bad thing and they choose products that claim to be “BPA free”. BPA is often found in baby bottles, plastic kitchenware, and canned food. This becomes a larger health hazard when heated. Look for plastic #7 to indicate that BPA is in a product.

In addition to looking for BPA free products, also avoid plastic #3. #3 indicates that the product contains PVCs. PVCs contain phthalates and are found in food packaging, cling wraps, and children’s toys including teethers and “soft squeeze toys” like beach balls, and bath toys.

Plastics may be unavoidable in your nursery, but look for products with #2 and #5, as they are accepted as the safest and most recyclable.

If by now you’re not freaking out about all the potential health hazards surrounding your baby, here’s a video to push you over the edge: http://awakeupstory.healthychild.org/share.html

More Helpful Tips

1. Allowing things time to off gas before putting them in your nursery is essential. It may take days or weeks for some products to fully air out before it would be safe to put them into the nursery. If done too quickly, it will greatly affect the air quality.

2. Open a window. Air quality is what is largely affected by many of these products. Simply airing the nursery out whenever possible is going to help eliminate exposure. If the time of year doesn’t allow you to open a window, take things you’re most concerned about out of the nursery and let them off gas in your garage or outside.

3. Get rid of dust. Get an air purifier with a HEPA filter- this will help eliminate dust that has been found to be loaded with chemicals. Also be sure to wash drapes, rugs, and bedding often.

4. Cut clutter. Although this seems impossible with all of the stuff “necessary” to care for a baby, the less you have- the less the risk of items containing many of the aforementioned toxic chemicals. Go through your nursery and get rid of any stuffed animals or toys your baby never uses and donate them.

5. Don’t add more fuel to the fire with cleaning products. Remember that over doing it with harsh cleaning products will only add more chemicals and problems to what you’re trying to eliminate. The Pinesol smell? Not actually from pine needles believe it or not. There is so much information on the internet now for more natural solutions to cleaning. Here’s a start http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html

6. Start learning more. It’s never too late to have an impact on future purchases, no matter how old your child is. Many of the chemicals listed are dangerous because of their long term exposure. One of my favorite resources is book “Healthy Child Healthy World” by Christopher Gavigan.

My Nursery Story

In my idealistic state prior to creating the nursery, I envisioned a beautifully organic nursery full of organic fabrics, simplicity, and handmade products surrounding my baby. My end result was something far from it.

Sometimes being “crafty” or “thrifty” backfires. For instance… my mom had this beautiful antique dresser she found in an ally a few years ago. It had great architectural lines with great chipped paint, giving it that shabby chic feel I wanted. It was going to be the perfect changing table- and FREE. When my mom brought it up from La Crosse to my house, the possibility of it being lead paint was brought up. So we tested it and of course- my beautiful dresser was completely covered in lead paint.

Now I don’t know if it was just the lead paint, or the culmination of my organic idealistic collapse so far, but this pushed me over the edge and I started crying... crying really really hard. I had such high hopes for this damn nursery, and by now I had spray painted picture frames, bleached non-organic fabric everywhere, and had a cheap cushiony rocker- almost guaranteed to be filled with flame retardants and chemical filled stuffing. How can you possibly start with such good intentions and end up here? But I wasn’t about to start over, so after I stopped crying, I slapped 4 coats of polyurethane (water based of course!) on that dresser, painted the knobs pink and threw it in the nursery.

That wasn’t even the end of it. While doing research for this blog, I discovered that one of the most toxic car seats with chlorinated Tris in it was the Graco Snugride…. Which happens to be the car seat so beautifully waiting in my back seat right now for me to put my little angel in- awesome.

Now we did do some things right. My parents made a beautiful oak crib, and we found a gently used organic mattress for it. I’ve been able to have the windows open for the past 3 weeks, and have an air purifier running around the clock. Many of our clothes are second hand, meaning that all of the original dyes and bleaches have been sent through the washer an extra few times before my baby will wear it. We also purposely didn't get a rug because of all the glues used to keep them together. The nursery still has that “new plastic” smell, but maybe I’m just being overly sensitive.

Putting together a natural and organic nursery has been hard, and some might say impossible. When you add in that you only have control over what you buy, and not what is bought for you- it only gets worse. Although lovingly gifted to me, I’ve had to return many diapers, bath soaps, clothes and toys. Of course you feel like a complete a** doing this, but that’s just a part of what makes all of this difficult. You have to figure out what you want, strive for it, and then be ok with falling very short. If you’re anything like me, no matter how hard you try, you’ll still only compare yourself to that idealistic organic nursery and find everything you’ve done not good enough.

Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

Prenatal Nutrition and Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:24:00 +0000

So I already admitted in the intro to this series that I didn’t get a chance to do a pre pregnancy cleanse like I had always hoped and planned. Pregnancy snuck up on me and I all of a sudden one Sunday afternoon had to start treating my body like a “temple” rather than a collective pit for margaritas, hot dogs, cheese curds, and beer that I had been treating it like.

I feel it’s important to preface any information I give out on nutrition, that I had these grandiose ideas of how I would eat and exercise when pregnant. I imagined eating healthier than I ever had, giving up caffeine completely, buying many more organic products than I already did, and eating a lot of protein and nutrient packed smoothies. I would finally figure out how to consume those “hippy” things like wheat grass, chia seeds, spirulina, and coconut oil. The following section is a compilation of the ideal and my reality during the last 9 months of my life.

Nutrition

The most basic of prenatal nutrition is the importance of taking a prenatal vitamin. The biggest difference between your average “one a day” and prenatal vitamin is going to be folic acid (B6) content, calcium content, and iron. Folic acid is the big deal that everyone talks about because of its proven effectiveness at preventing neural tube defects with the baby.

Through my research and training, I feel that the mother’s diet or supplement should incorporate more protein, calcium, omega 3s, choline, and vitamin D as well. Consumption of all of this seem to be the number one issue with pregnancy, as many women don’t exactly feel like eating as nutritious as they had hoped.

If you are one of those lucky women who has no problem blending up some spinach in your morning smoothie, getting 9-11 servings of organic produce, 80gms of protein daily, or chomping down on a huge organic greens salad for dinner- good for you! More than likely the typical “one a day” prenatal is good enough for you because of the quality of nutrients you are getting from your food.

Or you may be one of those women who can’t stand to even look at a vegetable in the first trimester and has to rely on getting nutrients from your vitamins. This was my category. Luckily for me, I didn’t have much nausea associated with my produce revulsion and was able to swallow a hefty amount of vitamins to make up for what I ate, or more importantly what I didn’t eat. Below is a picture of the pile of pills I took daily… well almost daily.

I realize that this may look very different than many of your “one a day” vitamin, but here’s what’s in that pile o’nutrients: 2 multivitamins, 2 calcium, 1 choline, 2 fish oil, and 2 vitamin D. Choline and fish oil are very beneficial in the growth and development of the baby’s nervous system, and vitamin D is a very strong immune system support. This is more important for women living in areas with moderate to severe winters and are more likely to have decreased levels of vitamin D. What your “pile o’nutrients” looks like is going to vary from pregnancy to pregnancy depending on what additional issues have arisen for you- whether it is heart burn, high blood pressure, sleeping problems, low energy, nausea… etc.

So we’ve covered category 1-the woman who actually eats as healthy as you’re supposed to and doesn’t crave doritos and ice cream; category 2- the woman who gets sick thinking of eating nutritious food, but is able to swallow a hand full of pills; and now we’ve got category 3- the stage 5 mess of nausea, puking, and a nasty gag reflex. A couple of my most nutritious conscious friends fell into this category during pregnancy and resorted a taking a one a day gummy or Flintstone vitamin. I am not going to lie to you, this is barely better than nothing at all. But you have to work with what you can while pregnant, and at least you’re going to be getting more folic acid. But please realize that this is not enough if you are able to take more. Get yourself on the most nutritious diet you can and take the highest quality of supplements that you can.

As far as ideal nutrition goes, there are plenty of books and online resources that will give you chapters and chapters of information on what to eat. There’s no way to cover everything in this short blog, so here were a few of my general guidelines.

-When it comes to produce, I am a big fan of following the “dirty dozen”. These are the 12 fruits and vegetables if bought organically, will reduce your pesticide intake by 95%! They include: apples, celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines, grapes, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries, lettuce, and kale/collard greens.

-I also tried to start choosing products that had the fewest of ingredients possible. We picked dairy products with less preservatives like butter that only had 2 ingredients: cream and salt.

-We bought grass fed beef because of its lack of antibiotics, hormones, and increase in omega 3s.

-We bought organic grass fed milk for me only, and my husband still had to drink the normal stuff because organic milk is so expensive where I live! We’re talking $5 for half a gallon.

-Drink half your body weight in ounces of water a day

-We also found local eggs because of the higher nutrient quality, and much lower risk of salmonella.

-I also tried to increase my protein content to at least 80g a day. I got a lot of it through milk, chicken, beef, bacon, nuts, eggs, greek yogurt, and lots of cheese.

-We started getting the creamer for my coffee that only had 3 ingredients: milk, sugar, and natural flavoring.

Oops…. The cat’s out of the bag. I drink coffee…. Every day. According to research, a pregnant woman can have 300mg of caffeine a day. If you are able to give up caffeine while pregnant, that is the healthiest thing for your baby. But just in case you can’t- here are some very loose numbers to give you an idea of what 300mg looks like:

8oz medium roast coffee- 130mg

1 shot of espresso- 70-80mg

Coke- 50-60mg

Tea- 50-100mg

Hershey’s Chocolate bar (1.5 oz)- 9mg

(more available at http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm)

So I’d love to tell you that I also avoided fast food and heavily processed white flour and sugar, but that just wouldn’t be the truth. Although I knew I shouldn’t, I’ve eaten more McDonalds and dairy queen in the past 9 months than I have in the last few years. Don’t judge me… look at the picture of my vitamins again!

Exercise

Again, high hopes here that fell drastically short. I had planned on becoming a runner prior to pregnancy. This I had actually planned as part of my “pre pregnancy cleanse” or work out. I never have considered myself a runner but always wanted to be. Oh… to be one of those people who goes for a 10 mile jog because it’s such a gorgeous day. I did occasionally go for a couple mile run (usually 2, but at brief moments in my life was at good enough condition to do 4 or 5). But I knew that in order to run during pregnancy, the obstetricians always say, “if you were already a runner prior to pregnancy, then you’re fine to continue running.” Well what was I? I sure as hell wasn’t a runner.

I did my best to keep working out at least as much as I was prior to finding out I was pregnant, but that didn’t really happen. I was so tired, that sleeping seemed like way more important than going to the gym. When we got a treadmill, it did help eliminate one hurdle in getting exercise and I resumed at least walking 2 or 3 times a week for 20-30min. I firmly believe that the time of year you’re pregnant makes a big difference here. The majority of my pregnancy was over the winter, when going for after work walks wasn’t really an option. It was dark by 5pm, I was tired from work, and all I wanted to do was eat a bacon cheeseburger, watch tv on my couch, and pass out by 8:30.

And although I recommend to all of my pregnant patients the importance of yoga, lifting weights, doing squats, strengthening the core and pelvic floor- I barely did any of it myself. THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULDN’T- it just means I’m lazier than I expect you to be :o)

For those of you with more motivation and will power than me, here are some helpful links:

Yoga- http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/879

Jogging/Running- http://www.womens-running.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-275--1139-0,00.html

Strengthening- http://www.befitmom.com/strength_training.html

Exercise in general- http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/exerciseguidelines.html

Just in case any of you were wondering, I remain an optimist and plan on eating healthier than ever and working out more than ever after the baby is out in order to lose the 45 pounds that McDonalds and not exercising has built up on my body. Haha… another reality check post for another day.

Next blog will be on the nursery and collecting all the baby essentials.

Home Birth, Birthing Center, or Hospital?

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:36:00 +0000

This was one decision we had already talked about and planned on. Living in Rice Lake, WI, there are limited birthing options- but more than one would expect. Although I work with many of the obstetricians in the area on a professional level and I respect them greatly, my husband and I knew from research that your chances of an unmedicated and natural birth are much higher at home or in a birthing center. (I was not a fan of having my first child at home for purely opinion reasons and no evidence against it. For now I like the idea of going somewhere to have the baby and coming home with her. We’ll see how I feel about baby #2).

Both the mother and father must be very comfortable with where they’ve decided to give birth. It is very well known amongst midwives and obstetricians that fear can stall or create problems with a labor. If a mother decides to homebirth but is scared that she’s going to need medical interventions- it could very well be what causes a transfer to happen. But likewise, if a mother decides on a hospital birth, but is very scared of getting a c-section, she is increasing her chances just through that fear. A mother and father must be truly comfortable with their decision and be confident that they are at the location that will best reflect their birth plan.

Home Birth

Home birth is going to be a great option for the right candidates. If you are not considered a high risk pregnancy and know of a midwife who can attend your birth at home, then it is likely that home birth is an incredibly safe and rewarding option for you. In 1900, nearly half of births were done at home. By the mid 1900’s it was down to less than 25%, and currently is less than 1%. It is important to know that this shift has been largely due to a fear mentality that has arisen with birth, and not attributed to any studies that show it is unsafe. It is actually the contrary. Your chances of having a c-section go from about 30% in the hospital to less than 5% at home. Studies even show less chance of injury, death, or infection when birthing at home. Now that one shocked me and I had to re-read it when I learned that. How is it possible that birthing at home has less chance of infection and a lower rate of infant death? Yet after looking around at multiple sources, it appears to be true. The infant mortality rate at home is approximately between 1.1-2.2/1000 births. At a hospital the infant mortality rate is 5.7/ 1000 births. You are also not exposed to as many dangerous strains of bacteria at home that exist in hospitals despite their best attempts at being sterile. Respiratory resuscitation is 17 times more likely in the hospital than at home as well.

As the wife of an unofficial statistician, I should point out a very large “flaw” in most stats supporting home births. Much of the time, only women who do not have a high risk pregnancy are recommended to birth at home. If you are a “high risk pregnancy” or become one during the labor process- you are transferred to the hospital and are now included in the hospital’s stats. It could be concluded from that that the hospital has an “unfair” pool of women since they have many more high risk candidates than home births…. Just sayin.

If your wish is to have as natural and unmedicated birth as possible, and you are a healthy candidate, you should seriously consider looking into a home birth. It goes without saying that you are free to wear what you are comfortable in, eat or drink whatever you want, and do as you please at home. There are very few distractions that will occur at home that are likely to stall labor as well. One last note on home births… this can be a great option if you have no insurance as it is usually thousands of dollars less than a hospital birth.

Birthing Center

Birthing centers are wonderful for people who may be a little weary of the home birth idea, yet know they don’t want the “typical hospital birth”. This option may feel a lot safer to some than home birth because although many of the statistics of better mortality rate, less infection, and less interventions still apply, there are some medical interventions available at a birth center that wouldn’t be at home. Each birth center is going to be different on what they offer for medical advancements, but it is probably safe to say that none of them do major surgeries such as c-sections. If something unpredicted or more serious arises during birth, then you would transfer to a hospital at that time. Again with birth centers, you need to “qualify” to be a candidate for an out of hospital birth. Many of the benefits of a homebirth and birthing center birth are that you can cater your birth plan to your wants and needs. It is much easier to assure an environment that limits interventions like constant fetal monitoring, allows the mother to eat and drink during labor, walk around, and get into whatever position is most comfortable for her.

What should also be noted about midwife care versus many ob appointments is the amount of time they spend with you. Personally, I have an obstetrician who “signed off” on me being a safe out of hospital candidate, and she was amazing and wonderful- yet still my appointments were at best 15 minutes long. All of my prenatal appointments with the midwife have been between 40min to an hour and a half. During these appointments we discuss everything from nutrition, to the pros and cons of certain tests/interventions, to my emotional status.

Having a midwife so far in my pregnancy has been wonderful as she has also suggested many more natural approaches to “conditions” that have arisen during my pregnancy. Initially, I had higher blood pressure than ideal at my first few prenatal appointments. My midwife had 5-10 various suggestions for diet and lifestyle that were natural and noninvasive to me and my baby. Over the course of the next two months, my blood pressure dropped to a safe level. (Please note that many hospitals in the country have midwives available- there are none in my area, though.)

Hospital

Well this is obviously the much more common choice in America. This is a wonderful option for those that feel uncomfortable with the idea of birthing at home or in a center, or for some reason are considered a “high risk pregnancy”. If you are wondering if you are a high risk pregnancy, see this link by the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/high_risk_pregnancy.cfm

This is a good option for those that do not plan on “opting out” of any/many of the typical procedures and tests done around pregnancy, labor, and birth. Some of the procedures that may be standard at your hospital are: multiple ultrasounds, pelvic examination, STD testing, blood and urine testing, gestational diabetes test, use of the Doppler, triple screening, and group B strep test. There are also many things that are considered “standard” during labor, delivery, and neonatal care that will be discussed in the future birth plan blog.

In general, most people don’t need to be “talked into” a hospital birth, they just assume that is the safest and best place for them. If part of your birth plan is an epidural, then being at a hospital is kinda your only option. This blog is not to shame anyone for choices they make about their birth- so no one be offended if you raised your hand and said, “yes please!” to an epidural. This is not the “whether to get an epidural” blog… again that is in the future birth plan blog.

BUT, if you want a natural birth at a hospital, I will forewarn you of the “slippery slope of interventions”. This usually goes as follows… the use of Pitocin, which causes stronger contractions, which may require fetal monitoring. Stronger contractions usually mean more pain with less rest time, which requires the pain relief from an epidural. Epidurals have side effects of longer labor and maternal fever. That usually requires antibiotics for the mother and baby. Some hospitals give what they call “walking epidurals” which allows the woman to be standing for birth. If your hospital does this- great! If yours doesn’t then you are on your back for labor which is the WORST position for labor. At this point it is common for either forceps, vacuum, or episiotomy for the baby to come out vaginally, or a c-section. That is the “slippery slope of interventions” in a nutshell. There are multiple studies out there to support that the slippery slope of interventions is true and common. If studies aren’t your gig… start asking around and you will hear it over and over again from your friends and family.

This blog will not answer all of your questions on where to birth, as there are many books that are completely dedicated to this subject. There are some links at the bottom of this blog, otherwise I suggest “Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth” as a great book to get you started. Good luck in your decision process, as this is the first “hard decision” of many.

Part 3 of this blog series will be on prenatal nutrition and exercise.

http://www.gentlebirth.org/format/myths.html

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/21-reasons-to-have-your-baby-at-a-birthcenter/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1481670/

http://www.birthresourcenetwork.org/resources/54-pitocin-the-whole-story-

http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/

Having a Natural & Organic Birth, Labor, and Baby: The Ideal, the Plan, & the Reality (part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:35:00 +0000

As a chiropractor with a clinic that focuses on pediatrics and prenatal care, I was already aware of the “to dos” and “not to dos” of pregnancy and labor. When I actually got pregnant, I found out that making many of those decisions is much harder and requires more work than I sometimes cared to do. In preparing for the birth of my child, I realized that there’s the ideal, the plan, and the reality.

Currently, I am 36 weeks pregnant and you can call it nesting, or call it whatever you want, I’ve decided that sharing this crazy journey of attempting a natural, organic pregnancy, childbirth, and eventually child rearing with my readers is a good idea. Side note - did you know that the author of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”, Heidi Murkoff, wrote the entire first edition of her book during her first pregnancy based on frustrations with what pregnancy books were available at the time? (Now is not the time for my soap box on that book, and how I don’t recommend any of my patients read it… that will be a future post on its own).

So, although I don’t anticipate this blog series turning into a movie someday, I do hope that it can be a tongue in cheek, yet informative series for many of my patients and readers on the planning process of having the more natural -and non-assembly line pregnancy and birth.

Prior to getting pregnant, I thought I knew exactly how everything would play out once it happened. I had had a lot of advanced training on avoiding unnecessary medical interventions, what to not eat, what to be sure to eat, what special supplements to take, what products to avoid in the nursery… and on and on and on. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but knew it was important for our future child to be protected from many of the unnecessary (and potentially harmful) hospital procedures and from many of the toxic products that surround pregnancy and infancy.

First bump in the road of “the ideal organic pregnancy and baby”… no pre-pregnancy cleanse. We found out we were already pregnant when we were already 5 weeks along. I admit that my husband and I were very fortunate and did not have any trouble getting pregnant, and I actually got pregnant 1 month earlier than we “planned on trying”. So, my original plan to begin a more natural and less toxic diet to “prepare” my body for pregnancy changed from plan to reality. Had I been able to do the pre-pregnancy cleanse, it would have involved eliminating alcohol, tobacco (I don’t use tobacco- but for those of you who do, now is a good time to start quitting), caffeine, and all the obvious junk food offenders. I would have continued buying a lot of organic produce, and begin taking my prenatal package of vitamins, and even started to exercise/run more. Of course, much of this pre-pregnancy cleanse would have included my husband since he contributes half of the genetic makeup of this future child.

It was semi disappointing to know that I had started this process off not as planned as I will admit to being somewhat of a perfectionist and idealist in nature. But, once we learned the exciting news of our pregnancy, we immediately scheduled an appointment with our midwife, I started taking a load of prenatal vitamins, and I poured out my 7&7. (Ok… I wasn’t actually drinking a 7&7 at the time of finding out I was pregnant… but I figuratively poured it out :o).

Over the next few weeks and months, I plan on writing many blog posts on this entire process including subjects like:

-Home birth, birth center, or hospital

-Prenatal nutrition and exercise

-Prepping an “organic” nursery

-The natural birth plan

-Hard medical decisions once the baby has arrived (vaccines, circumcision, breast feeding, Vitamin K shot, gonorrhea drops, etc…)

-Natural/Organic decisions once the baby is home (cloth diapering, co sleeping, baby wearing, etc…)

This blog series is meant purely to give my journey of decision making, and although it will include many statistics, numbers, and facts, this is not meant to be a mother’s (or father’s) end all be all resource for natural and organic decisions. I will include books, dvds, and websites on the subjects for that purpose, though.

Please excuse my sarcasm and potentially offensive opinions… and try to enjoy with a grain of salt.

Part 2 will be on home birth, birth center or hospital.

Strep Throat Season

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:29:00 +0000

Rumor on the streets is that strep throat is making its way through our schools and inevitably coming home to spread throughout the family. Strep throat is caused by a highly contagious bacteria called group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus bacteria. Its symptoms include swollen and tender lymph nodes, fever, sore throat, headache, fatigue, diarrhea, and nausea. In the event that you think you or any of your family has strep, I do feel it important to go into your medical doctor to get a culture and potential antibiotics.

There are a few things you can do to help prevent getting strep throat and speed recovery if you've been diagnosed with it. First thing that's important to remember is that allowing your body to be sick and heal as naturally as possible is better in the long term. Your immune system is like a muscle in the sense that you've got to use it and work it to get stronger. In fact, symptoms like coughing, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, excess mucus, etc are actually signs that our body is kicking some metaphorical butt in the disease department. Think about symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and coughing. They are our body's way of getting things out of our system quickly however possible. It is our body's natural rejection system for infectious invaders. Same goes for a fever. When our internal temperature rises, it is our body's way of turning up the heat to a level that infectious invaders cannot survive at. By suppressing a fever or cough, you are only getting in the way of your body actively fighting for your health.

Now that you understand that your body is intensely fighting for your health while you're expressing symptoms of illness, you know why you need to rest, hydrate, and decrease stimulation while sick. Your body is already focused on something important, so adding more stimulation and stress will only pull attention away from fighting the illness. In addition to getting lots of sleep and drinking plenty of water and warm fluids, make sure to keep foods simple. You don't want to burden your digestive track with complex foods to digest, as it only draws attention away from fighting infection. This is why the old wives tale of soup while sick actually has some merit. Warm, easily digestible foods like brothy soup are very helpful to the immune system.

Also be sure to give your immune system proper support it needs by getting echinacea, vitamin C, zinc, licorice root, or ginger root.

Brew your own tea: Add 1/4 tsp of each item below to boiled water, let steep, and strain:

sage
oregano
thyme
marjoram
rosemary
lemon
honey.

Essential oils of tea tree, lemon, or ravensara are very helpful to rub on the neck. And a salt water gargle a few times a day may also help to speed recovery and fight bacteria in the oral cavity.

Lastly, be sure to get you or your child adjusted while sick. I can't tell you how many people feel they need to cancel their appointments when they're sick, but it's actually the opposite! Your body needs to be adjusted more when its sick than ever. Adjustments to the neck and mid back actually strengthen your immune system and allow your body's natural healing ability to fight harder.

While letting your body naturally heal, be on the lookout for symptoms of lethargy, dehydration, acting out of character, or unresponsiveness. These are serious symptoms that may indicate a visit to your medical doctor. Many of these suggestions are applicable to other infections, but be sure to discuss with your medical doctor or chiropractor first. Have a safe and healthy winter season!

Keeping Your Kids Cool, Even When the Temperatures are Not

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:41:00 +0000

It’s no question that kids are more active outdoors during the summer months, but keeping them safe and healthy when temperatures soar is essential. This week, temperatures are supposed to get near 100 degrees, and with humidity- it will feel closer to 110-115. It goes without saying that if keeping the kids busy indoors is an option, this week is the week to do it. But if summer sports or activities is unavoidable, here are some tips for keeping them safe and healthy.

1. Make sure they’re hydrating with all the right stuff. Avoid sugary drinks and soda on hot days, and really push for your kids to drink water. On average, kids should drink half their body weight in ounces of water daily, regardless of temperature. If your child is burning calories and energy, then replenishing their electrolytes from sweating is also very important. Gatorade has a lot of extra sugar and artificial colors, so I recommend a more natural alternative like Endura from Metagenics. Endura is a powder form of electrolyte replenisher that has much less sugar and artificial additives in it. Blue Hills Chiropractic carries it in orange and lemon-lime flavors. If your child refuses to drink the amount of fluids recommended, then feeding them foods with high amounts of water in them is the next best thing. Watermelon and cucumbers are examples of foods that can contribute to their water intake.

2. Wear light colored, breathable fabrics. These fabrics will allow them to cool their bodies naturally by sweating, and will absorb less sunlight.

3. Apply sunscreen every 1-2 hours. Serious burns earlier in life are much more damaging. Keep them safe by applying sunscreen regularly, even if it says “water proof” or that it lasts for hours. Check out important safety information on sunscreen at the following website:

http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/best-sunscreens/best-beach-sport-sunscreens/

Blue Hills Chiropractic carries Loving Naturals sunscreen, which is an organic sunscreen that is highly rated in the link above.

4. Watch for signs of dehydration or heat exhaustion. Fatigue and irritability are some of the earliest signs of dehydration. More serious and advanced signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion are increased body temperature (101 and higher), increased thirst and sweating, nausea and vomiting, and cold, clammy skin. Signs of heat stroke are body temperatures of 105 or higher, the child has stopped producing sweat, rapid heartbeat and breathing, and flushed, hot, dry skin.

At the first sign of dehydration or heat exhaustion, remove the child from outdoors and take them to a cool and shaded area. Give cool fluids, and put ice or cool moist cloth on front of neck. If the child does not start recovering within 5-10 min, it may be serious enough to call the hospital.

Following the above tips will help keep you and your family safe during the heat wave. Remember, that although this week may not be the best time to teach the kids how to ride a bike or catch a baseball, it's a great time to play in the sprinkler and eat ice cream with them!

Day 10- The last day!

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:34:00 +0000

Today isn't really about following a particular menu plan, but more slowly reintroducing yourself back to real foods. Make yourself one last morning smoothie if you have powder left over. Keep incorporating a lot of fruits and vegetables into your diet at every meal. Start by adding the "naughty good things" back into your diet in small amounts, such as: chicken, whole wheat, dark chocolate, low fat dairy, and red wine. Keep in mind your stomach may revolt if you go hog wild right away. Use your own discretion for how quickly to incorporate food back in.

If you're happy with the weight loss you're seeing, you can continue the diet at a less severe pace going forward. Keep making smoothies for breakfast, and only incorporate organic, lean chicken, eggs, tuna, and fish back into your diet. Try and keep 2/3 of your meals vegetarian still. Keep soda, alcohol, and gluten out as long as you can.

For those wanting to be done as soon as possible, keep your lunch vegetarian on day 10, and composed mostly of vegetables and simple grains. Be cautious the first time you eat gluten (bread or pasta especially) and eat only a small amount. Large amounts of gluten may make you sick the first time after detoxing. I'd also avoid anything from a box or can still. Your body is so clean right now... don't go and add garbage right away by eating processed food.

For dinner, allow yourself a high quality, low fat protein such as salmon or antibiotic free chicken. Keep heavy sauces at a minimum until you get used to eating "normal" foods again. Go ahead and have a glass of red wine tonight... you've earned it!

Day 9

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Tue, 10 May 2011 19:36:00 +0000

Be prepared to feel like you're spoiling yourself! Today you get back much more into your diet. Feel free to incorporate lentils, beans, and nuts.

Breakfast

Smoothie: banana, vanilla almond milk, frozen berries, 2 scoops of powder, water, 1 tsp agave nectar
gluten free toast with almond butter

Lunch

Greek Salad (recipe below)
any leftover rice you may have in your fridge with a drizzle of olive oil

Snacks

handful of raw almonds
hummus with carrots and celery

Dinner

Quinoa with roasted vegetables (recipe below)

Dessert

Strawberry "milk shake"- frozen strawberries, 1 tsp agave nectar, almond milk, ice, 1/4 c greek plain yogurt, 1 tbsp almond butter

Greek Salad

Top a bed of lettuce with chopped tomato, red onion, cucumber, olives, and chick peas
Mix in a small container 4 tbsp olive oil, 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, dash of salt and pepper, and 1/2 tsp of thyme and rosemary- shake vigorously and pour on salad

Quinoa & Roasted Vegetables

Make quinoa according to box instructions (quinoa is a grain and located near rice usually)
Heat 2-3 tbsp safflower oil in saute pan on medium heat
Add chopped vegetables- I used halved brussel sprouts, sliced portobellas, and sliced green pepper
Cook mixed vegetables for about 10 minutes, or until soft
add on top of quinoa and sprinkle with parsley and chopped tomatoes

Day 8

noreply@blogger.com (Blue Hills Chiropractic LLC) — Mon, 09 May 2011 18:46:00 +0000

We are officially over the hump and every day gets easier and easier! Remember to really analyze how you feel now that you're adding foods back into your diet. This is likely the cleanest you've ever eaten before, and if concerned about any food allergies, now is the time to analyze your symptoms after re-introducing a food back into your diet. For example- maybe those chronic headaches have gone away since starting the detox. And let's say you get a headache soon after eating gluten...... I think you have your answer.

Remember that if you've fallen off the wagon at all on days 5-7, that there is still PLENTY of benefit to be had from completing the detox. Just get back on board for the remaining days.

You are now back to eating all fruits and vegetables and rice.

Breakfast

Smoothie: banana, frozen fruit, 2 scoops of powder, 1 tsp agave nectar, water, ice
2 kiwis

Lunch

Mexican rice and beans (see Day 3 for recipe)

Snacks

strawberries with stevia sprinkled on top
tomatoes with fresh basil and balsamic vinegar drizzled on top

Dinner

Vegetarian spaghetti with rice noodles (recipe below)

Dessert

smoothie with 2 scoops of powder

Vegetarian Spaghetti

Chop 1 onion, 3 ribs of celery, 3 carrots, 1 green bell pepper, 3 cloves of garlic and add to medium heat saute pan with olive oil
cook for 3-4 min and then add 1 tbsp fresh parsley, 1/2 tbsp rosemary, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tbsp oregano, 1/2 tsp stevia
let cook another 3-4 minutes and add 1 16 oz can tomatoes ( or 4 fresh tomatoes chopped) and 1 16oz can tomato sauce
Turn heat down to low, and simmer for 45 minutes
Cook rice spaghetti noodles according to directions on box
Once sauce has simmered for 45 min, add to top of spaghetti, and sprinkle with more fresh parsley