Wellness for Life:

Wellness is not defined solely by the absence of disease; it is all about achieving mental, emotional and physical wellbeing by promoting positive lifestyle choices that can lead to good health and balance. It is preventative medicine in action. Wellness encourages optimal health and promotes a healthy and happy mind, body and spirit. With a simple and practical Wellness program you can stay active for as long as possible, reduce your risk of chronic disease, and increase your vitality.

7 Easy Tips for ‘Eating Your Way to Wellness’:

Fad diets are out! Sustainable, healthy eating is truly the best way to achieve your goal of vitality and Wellness for the long- term. It is easy to eat well and be healthy following these key steps of the Wellness eating plan:

Include protein-rich foods in each meal or snack, including fish, poultry, lean meats, eggs, dairy, tofu, and tempeh. Remember fresh is best.

1. Enjoy a minimum of three cups of fresh vegetables per day to help increase long-term health and vitality. Aim to have a rainbow on your plate to ensure good antioxidant intake and seasonal variety.
2. Enjoy a minimum of two pieces or one cup of fruit per day.
3. Starchy carbohydrates should be kept at a minimum, with one to two small serves each day at most. These include cereals, pasta, bread and rice. Where possible choose low glycaemic index options such as wholegrain varieties.
4. Include nuts, seeds and healthy oils daily. Enjoy up to two tablespoons of healthy oils such as olive oil, macadamia oil or flaxseed oil, and 1?4 cup or a small handful of nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds can also provide protein and other nutrients, such as selenium from Brazil nuts.
5. Ensure you are well hydrated. Enjoy at least eight glasses or two litres of pure water per day. Use natural flavourings such as fresh lemon, lime, mint or watermelon instead of opting for soft drinks. Reduce caffeinated beverages to one to two per day, and minimise alcohol intake.

It can be a challenge to maintain a perfect diet 100% of the time. Allow yourself a freedom meal once a week. This will keep your life-long Wellness program achievable, realistic and enjoyable.

Plan to Play, Be Active, Relax and Enjoy:

Achieving Wellness can require a bit of juggling initially to maintain balance in all areas of your life; and consistently eating well is only one facet of your Wellness plan. It is important to exercise regularly to support your physical and mental wellbeing. Aim for 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise most days of the week. Find an activity that you enjoy doing and stick with it. Relaxation activities such as yoga, spending time in nature, playing with pets or meditation can also help increase the feel good chemicals in your brain and help you to de-stress. Fun social activities, such as sharing a meal or having a laugh with friends and family are also an important aspect of a happy, balanced life.

Maintain Your Wellness with Key Supplements:

Research shows key natural supplements can complement your Wellness diet and lifestyle program such as:

1. A high quality fish oil to provide daily omega-3 for a healthy heart, supple joints and healthy nervous system.
2. A high-strength probiotic can help to maintain the right balance in your digestive tract, as many lifestyle factors can throw this balance out. Probiotics can differ depending on strain and species so come in and talk to your Practitioner today to find the right probiotic to help you achieve Wellness.
3. A daily multivitamin and mineral formula to fill any nutritional gaps that your diet doesn’t fulfil.
4. A good quality antioxidant formula to support healthy aging and reduce the risk of developing chronic disease. Resveratrol is a flavonoid commonly found in red wine and is a powerful antioxidant that may assist in preventing age-related diseases. Resveratrol also supports cardiovascular health and has anti- inflammatory properties that are beneficial in any Wellness program.

You Too Can Achieve a Life of Wellness:

Would you like to improve your energy, vitality and mood whilst also supporting cardiovascular, immune and digestive health? Your goal of Wellness can be achieved by combining a Wellness eating plan with regular exercise, relaxation, fun and key nutritional supplementation. Come in and talk to us today so we can start you on the road to Wellness for life.

All of this throws into light the recent rhetoric from “Political Medicine” (that branch of medicine interested in maintaining the status quo and discrediting professions like chiropractic despite the evidence supporting these professions) about the “dangers” of chiropractic, especially in the care of children.  The fact is that serious side effects to chiropractic are incredibly rare (even the most conservative estimates only rate them at 1 in 120,000 patients).  Thank you for choosing safe and natural chiropractic.

References:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK54566/

http://www.allergy.org.au/content/view/162/295/

Broccoli is a good source of vitamin C. Norm Thomas / Science Photo Library

New research from the Journal of Neuroscience has found that there is a high concentration of vitamin C in the retina, which is the structure at the back of the eye responsible for transferring light images into nerve signals.*  The retina is very similar to the brain and hence they think vitamin C is likely to be just as important in the brain.  Interestingly they found that a particular type of receptor, the GABA receptor, stopped working properly when vitamin C was low.  GABA receptors are important in the eye and brain in that they are what are called inhibitory receptors – they calm down activity within the brain.  This is important for many functions.  Migraine sufferers for example experience lack of inhibition in their brain because of problems with the GABA receptors which predisposes them to migraine attacks.

Other research on vitamin C from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that low vitamin C during pregnancy also affects memory in the child.#  The research showed that even a slight drop in vitamin C affected development in a brain area called the hippocampus which is where memory is centred in the brain.  Vitamin C can found particularly in fresh fruit and vegetables.  Freshness is the key.  Vitamin C levels drop after picking.  Before supplementing with large doses of vitamin C be sure to check with your healthcare practitioner.

*http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110715135353.htm

#http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112115.htm

TrueFood Guide for Kids

As a healthcare practitioner and a parent I am concerned about the rise of GM products in our food.  While the products are touted as being safe, the safety studies are often very limited and do not investigate the full long term impacts that these foods can have or how they will interact with other foods and genetically modified ingredients.  I personally was very pleased to hear about a publication from Greenpeace called the TrueFood Kids Guide.  This gives a list of common food items and lists which manufacturers are GM free and which are not.  You can download the guide for free by clicking here or on the cover image.

If you are suffering from chronic pain or a movement disorder like dystonia, call our Centre on 03 9435 2887 to see if we can help you.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) has been found to as effective as a statin in cholesterol management. Photo: CORDELIA MOLLOY / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

This is great news for those looking for natural cholesterol solutions as an alternative to statins. We have concerns about statins because they reduce the production of an important enzyme in the body called Co-enzyme Q10. Co-enzyme Q10 is integral to energy production in the body, and low levels have been linked to heart disease and aging as well as brain issues. Anyone who takes statins should supplement with Co-enzyme Q10.

Unfortunately it looks like the study used the niacin form of B3 which is not readily available in Australia. Most B3 supplements come as niacinamide. However interested consumers may be able to obtain niacin from the USA. Please take care if ordering overseas.

As with all prescription medicines, please talk to your GP before changing medications.

*N Engl J Med. 2009 Nov 26;361(22):2113-22.

TEK IMAGE / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

For many years in Australia we have suffered under the erroneous idea that putting fluoride into our drinking water is a good idea.  This has been put forward on the grounds that tooth decay decreases as a consequence, but excess fluoride can actually damage tooth enamel and there is information from the USA that including fluoride in water supplies can cause excess fluoride intake on occasions.

In addition there is also evidence to suggest that excess fluoride intake is linked to bone cancer, bone fractures and thyroid gland dysfunction.  Evidence suggests that fluoride in toothpastes is beneficial in reducing tooth decay, however ingesting it in the body is surely not a good idea.

What can we do as consumers?  Unfortunately if you live in an area with fluoridated water (like Melbourne) your options are limited.  Most common water filters do not remove fluoride.  Bottled or distilled water or reverse osmosis filters are really the only options.  If anyone knows of other alternatives, post a comment and let us know.

For more information on the fluoride debate visit http://www.ewg.org/fluoride

'DAVID R. FRAZIER PHOTOLIBRARY, INC.' / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

This summer might not have seen much cause to break out the sunscreen, but the Environmental Working Group in the USA has given us reason to pause before using sunscreen.  Whilst it is well known that UV radiation exposure can cause skin cancer, we often don’t pause to think about the effect of the sunscreen.  Some sunscreens have been found to contain ingredients that cause skin cancer in their own right when exposure to UV radiation, one of which is retinyl palmitate.

Sunscreens can also contain chemicals that can disrupt the hormone systems in the body.  The skin is the largest organ of the body and it absorbs chemicals.  Oxybenzone or 4-MBC in particular are two ingredients to watch out for.  Generally sunscreens that contain minerals (zinc and titanium) as micronized- or nano-scale particles are less likely to be a problem.

Preferably use things such as staying out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, covering up with long sleeved shirts and wearing a wide brimmed hat to block sun exposure.

For more information on toxic sunscreens visit http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/9-surprising-facts-about-sunscreen/

At the Diamond Valley Brain Centre we often have people listen to certain types of music because of the brain benefits that it can produce.  This study reinforces this approach.  For more information about the study visit the BBC website or Nature Neuroscience where the study was published.