Vitamin D: What's All the Fuss About?

 

What is all this fuss about Vitamin D lately? Alternative medicines have been preaching the beneficial effects of Vitamin D for nearly 20 years, and recently western medicine has finally decided to jump on the band wagon, hence, all the fuss. It is amazing, and somewhat astonishing, that in order to get an emotional response on something as simple as Vitamin D we need our pill pushers to endorse it! This reminds me of the old saying: "If they jumped off a bridge, would you?" Keep in mind that Vitamin D is not a new technology from our pharmaceutical companies; rather it has been around since the very day of human existence.

We are not talking about a chemically engineered product packaged neatly in a plastic bottle and marketed correctly to the consumer. What we are talking about is a vitamin that is received via natural means and converted in the body, primarily the liver and kidney, to its active form which plays a major role in our body's ability to function. So before taking the plunge and "jumping off the bridge" please educate yourself on the benefits of Vitamin D so that you can make this a lifelong decision and not just another medical fad.

There are only 30,000 genes in our body, and Vitamin D has been shown to affect and influence over 2000 of them, this is approximately 7.5%. This is the main reason why so many diseases from cancer to autism can be stimulated by the lack of this vitamin alone. It plays an important role in regulating genes that directly influence our immune system which enable it to seek and destroy bacteria and viruses, as well as, prevent proliferation of cells and gene expression. In other words, Vitamin D should be on your "A" list for fighting those unwanted colds and flu's, and preventing those so-called "incurable" diseases.

To elaborate more, researchers have pointed out that increasing levels of Vitamin D could prevent illnesses that kill nearly 1 million lives throughout the world every year. An internationally recognized research scientist, Dr. William Grant Ph.D, found that nearly 30% of cancer deaths could be prevented each year with higher levels of Vitamin D alone.

Other studies have shown that you can decrease your cancer risk by at least half simply by optimizing Vitamin D levels to enhance overall immunity. Vitamin D has been shown to play vital role in the normal function of your nervous system by maintaining a narrow range of blood calcium levels which also promote and maintain bone growth and bone density. This means that not only does it function to improve your nervous system output, but it also acts as a powerful defence against osteoporosis. It has also been linked with the role of insulin secretion under conditions of increased insulin demands. More research needs to be done in order to make this statement conclusive, but insufficient vitamin D levels may have an adverse effect on insulin secretion and glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetes. The prevention of other diseases such as: Alzheimer's disease, Hypertension, Multiple Sclerosis, and Rheumatoid Arthritis have also been linked with this amazing vitamin. So the question remains: Is there truly disease's that are incurable. I may not be able to give an unbiased answer to this question, but I would definitely argue the point that they are all preventable given the right circumstances.

Even though our bodies are capable or converting natural means of Vitamin D, some of us live in a climate that doesn't necessarily allow us to be exposed to these natural means on a daily basis. Ideally, exposing your skin to natural sunlight is the best form of Vitamin D, but unfortunately, there simply isn't enough sun exposure for half the year in Northern parts of the world. A general guideline for sun exposure is about 15 minutes a day, with at least 40% of our skin exposed (without sunscreen), however, dark skinned people will have to stay out much longer. On the other hand, if you are one of many Canadians that live in a deficient climate, supplementation with a high quality source will be your best alternative. The most important thing to be on the lookout for is that you supplement with vitamin D3, cholecalciferol, which is the human form of Vitamin D. DO NOT use the synthetic and highly inferior D2. For those of us in winter with limited to no sum exposure 4000 to 5000 units per day is appropriate for most adults. If you are overweight you may need to double that dose and children should be sufficient with half the dose recommended for adults.

Dr. Ryan Pope is a Kanata chiropractor at The Wellness Group, a multidisciplinary health facility in Ontario, Canada. He currently practices chiropractic in Kanata full time with a focus on educating and empowering his practice members to harness the innate intelligence of the body to heal itself through the chiropractic lifestyle.

How To Survive Holiday Parties

1. Eat something healthy before you go- Have a small snack before going to the party so you aren’t ravenous when you arrive. This way you can make better choices at the buffet.
2. Bring something healthy- If you are going to a potluck, bring a healthy dish with you, preferably one that can act as a meal (example: mixed bean salad) so you know you will be able to eat something healthy.
3. Scan the buffet table before you grab a plate- Doing so will allow you to see all of the options and decide which ones are the best for you. Otherwise, you may end up with a huge plate by the time you get to the end.
4. Fill up on veggies- Most buffets or appetizers will include a vegetable tray. Snacking on fruits and veggies will leave less room for less nutritious items.
5. Eat a meal- Avoid grazing the entire evening and instead grab a plate and fill it at least ½ with veggies, and make sure you have a serving of lean protein (turkey!). Then go sit down and eat it at a table and enjoy it. This way you will end up eating a healthier meal AND feeling more satisfied with it, compared to grazing on appetizers all night.
6. Wait before getting seconds- It takes 20 minutes for your mind to realize that your stomach’s full. Don’t get up to get seconds right away, chances are you won’t need them.
7. Don’t hang around the food table- Once you’re done eating stay far away from the buffet table or kitchen (unless you’re helping clean up) to prevent grazing.
8. Watch your beverages- Most alcoholic beverages are loaded with calories and sugar. Not to mention the fact that your judgement will be impaired after a few.
9. Eat dessert!- Yes, you read that right. Eat a dessert, but not ten. You don’t have to try every cookie, square, and piece of cake. Instead choose the one dessert that you want the most (like your grandma’s homemade pie) enjoy it, and don’t go back for seconds. Keep the portion size reasonable; don’t be shy about asking to have half a piece.

Rachel Hewitt is a Kanata nutritionist at The Wellness Group, a multidisciplinary health facility, offering residents of Kanata chiropractic, massage and nutrition. She specializes in creating individual eating plans based on an individual's specific needs and goals.  To learn more about Rachel visit:http://www.rachelhewitt.com.

Kanata Chiropractor: How You Can Sleep Better

 

As someone who really struggles when I don’t sleep enough or very well, I am always on the lookout for ways to improve the quality of my sleep.

In my experience as a Kanata Chiropractor, when people think about improving their health and creating Lifetime Wellness, they always consider diet and exercise first; quality and quantity of sleep is rarely considered.

Six to eight hours of sleep per night seems to be optimum for most adults, and both too much and too little can have significant adverse effects on your health.  Sleep deprivation is such a chronic condition these days that most people don’t even realize that they suffer from it. 

Inadequate sleep results in excess secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone, which leads to insulin resistance, fat accumulation, and systemic inflammation. Interrupted or impaired sleep can also dramatically weaken your immune system, accelerate tumour growth, cause a pre-diabetic state, and impair your memory and performance on physical or mental tasks decreasing your problem solving ability.  Studies have also shown that people who sleep poorly receive fewer promotions, earn less, miss more days of work, and have decreased productivity.

Whether you have difficulty falling asleep, you wake up too often, or you don’t feel rested when you wake up in the morning you are bound to find some of the following tips and tricks helpful.

1. Get adjusted regularly.  Normal sleep requires your nervous system to deactivate certain centers in your brain to initiate deep sleep. Subluxations can prevent this shut down process from occurring.  Sensory input from painful joints and muscles may also keep your nervous system from properly shutting down at night.
2. Sleep in complete darkness. I’ve always known that sleeping with even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin and ultimately affect the quality of sleep.  However, in a recent study researchers also found that the sleeping in anything other than complete darkness may lead to depression.
3. Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 21 degrees Celsius. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool between 16 to 20 degrees. 
4. Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMF’s).   These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative effects as well. 
5. Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed. If you have to use an alarm clock, keep it as far away from your bed as possible.  Make sure that the clock is out of view.
6. Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake.  
7. Reserve your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep.
8. Consider separate bedrooms. Recent studies suggest, for many people, sharing a bed with a partner or pets can significantly impair sleep, especially if the partner is a restless sleeper or snores. 
9. Get to bed as early as possible. Your body does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
10. Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.
11. Establish a bedtime routine.  The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed (i.e. meditation, deep breathing, listen to relaxation CD’s), then repeat it each night to help you release the tensions of the day.
12. Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you'll wake up to go in the middle of the night.
13. Stay away from grains and refined sugars before bed. They will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep. 
14. Put your work away at least one hour before bed.  This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about what’s to come tomorrow.
15. No TV right before bed. It’s too stimulating to the brain, preventing you from falling asleep quickly. 
16. Start journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful to keep a journal or a grateful log and write down your thoughts before bed. 
17. Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible.  Many drugs including both prescription and over the counter can affect the quality of your sleep.  
18. Avoid caffeine. At least one study has shown that, in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently, leaving you feeling its effects long after consumption. Even an afternoon cup of coffee or tea may keep some people from falling asleep at night. 
19. Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make you feel drowsy initially, the effect is short lived and you will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from entering the deeper stages of sleep, where your body does most of its healing.
20. Exercise regularly. Our bodies require 1 hour of exercise every day. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can manage it.
21. Lose excess weight. Being overweight can increase your risk of sleep apnea, which can seriously impair your sleep. 
22. Avoid foods you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for sugar, grains, and pasteurized dairy. Sensitivity reactions can cause excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, bloating and gas, and other problems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sweet Dreams!

Dr. Michael Gibson is a Kanata chiropractor and the clinic director of The Wellness Group, a multidisciplinary health facility. He currently practices chiropractic in Kanata full time with a focus on educating and empowering his practice members to achieve abundant health and maximum quality of life. 

The Leaky Roof

 

Most people are so focused on their symptoms that they often neglect to address the cause of their discomfort. When the cause is obvious, people often make the right decision. For example, if you had a pebble in your shoe and it was bothering you, you wouldn’t take a pain killer or an anti-inflammatory to cover up the discomfort. You would recognize it was the pebble and you would take a moment to remove it from your shoe.

But, are headaches or back pain the result of an inadequate supply of aspirin in the bloodstream? Of course not. Yet, we chiropractors are often called in to “clean up the mess” associated with many chronic health problems.

Consider the leaky roof. It only leaks after it rains…it doesn’t leak all the time. If you called us in to clean the carpet after a bad rain, wouldn’t you want us to point out that the mess is not the real problem and direct your attention to the cause (the leaky roof)? Sure. But why?

Because you know that if we just “clean up the mess” we will have to do it again after the next rain. But, why wouldn’t someone want to fix the roof? Usually, the answer is that it is much cheaper to just clean up the mess than to fix the roof.  This is a misconception.

Over a 10 year period of time, the same money will be spent whether we fix the roof now or just clean up the mess every time it rains. The difference is that if we just clean up the mess, 10 years from now the roof will be in far worse condition than it is today and will require much more time, money, energy and effort to fix…if it is even fixable at that point. If we invest the time, effort and money to fix the cause of the mess now, then 10 years from now we are likely to have not had to continuously fix problems but will also have a “healthy” roof.

The decision is yours.

Dr. Michael Gibson is a Kanata chiropractor and the clinic director of The Wellness Group, a multidisciplinary health facility. He currently practices chiropractic in Kanata full time with a focus on educating and empowering his practice members to achieve abundant health and maximum quality of life. 

Chiropractor Kanata - Pain Relief Allergy Relief

http://www.mykanatachiropractor.com 

 

At The Wellness Group our mission is to help the Kanata community to achieve maximum health and quality of life through chiropractic, massage, and nutrition.

 

A Wellness Group Practice Member shares how she experienced pain relief, allergy relief and was able to walk better with chiropractic care.

 

(613) 271-8555

 

9-420 Hazeldean Road

Kanata, ON

K2L 4B2

 

Move Well!  Feel Well!  Be Well!

 

ryan pope, michael gibson, kanata chiropractor, chiropractic kanata, nutrition, massage, back pain relief, neck pain, headaches, ottawa, stittsville, health, lifestyle, wellness, massage therapy