https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3342

In Love With Chiropractic

Have you ever experienced back and/or neck pain? The answer is probably yes if we consider national statistics. According to the National Spine Health Foundation, nearly 100 million people experience one or both conditions annually. This staggering statistic makes treatment options – ones that don't rely on potentially risky over-the-counter and prescription pain medications – essential.

Chiropractic to the rescue. A recent Harris Poll suggests that although most adults who experience back / neck pain continue to turn to medication, those who choose chiropractic instead (approximately 30% according to the poll) overwhelming say chiropractic was effective in addressing their pain: four of every five back/neck pain patients who utilized chiropractic.

Patients who tried standard medical care instead (39% of adults experiencing back or neck pain) "visited a medical doctor or physicians' assistant for treatment," according to the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, which commissioned the poll. "Among those who did, many were recommended prescription medication (52%) or OTC medication. … More than three in five (42%) were referred for imaging and 16% for surgery, adding additional and potentially unnecessary costs for patients."

Are you in love with chiropractic? If you're suffering back and/or neck pain, visit your chiropractor and see what it can do for you

 

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https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3344

Curcumin for Eye Health

It's perfectly normal for your vision to change as you get older, but certain eye conditions can go far beyond mere vision changes, potentially impacting your ability to see. One example: age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss in people over age 60.

While numerous lifestyle behaviors can reduce your risk of AMD, such as a healthy diet and consistent physical activity, a specific compound called curcumin (an extract of turmeric) also may reduce AMD risk. Researchers have discovered that curcumin-based nutritional supplements reduce the risk of AMD and reduce its progression.

The study involved nearly 67,000 older adults (average age: 65 years) taking curcumin-based supplements and more than 1.9 million adults not taking any such supplements. Findings appear in JAMA Ophthalmology, a research journal of the American Medical Association.

So, what are the best ways to keep your eyes healthy? In addition to the advice mentioned above, not smoking, wearing protective sunglasses when outside, and reducing computer screen time can all help maintain your vision for a lifetime.

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https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3341

 

The Power of a Smile

 

OK, stop what you're doing and ask yourself this question: How many times a day do I smile? If you're surprised at how infrequently it happens, this article is for you. It's time to get more smiles into your life and reap the health and wellness benefits of a smile's power.

Here are a few of the most important reasons why you deserve to smile:

 

1. Less Stress: Believe it or not, when you smile, your brain releases dopamine and other "feel good" neurotransmitters. And how stressed can you feel when you're happy – and smiling?

2. Less Pain: Smiling also triggers the release of endorphins, chemicals that serve as the body's natural painkillers. You've heard the phrase, "smiling through the pain"? Try it and see what happens

3. Lower Blood Pressure: The act of smiling involves facial contractions, increasing blood flow to the brain and reducing blood pressure after the muscles relax.

4. Higher Immunity: Antibody production increases when we smile. What's more, a happy, low-stress, pain-free state is optimal for a healthy immune system.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the power of a smile. Simply put, the more you smile, the healthier you'll feel, body, mind and spirit.

 

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https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3339

 

How Healthy Is Your Diet?

Take a bow if your diet is considered low in pro-inflammatory foods – not only because it's a testament to your dedication to health, but also because you're succeeding when so many others are struggling. Recent research underscores the scope of the problem.

Almost six in 10 Americans have pro-inflammatory diets, whereas only about three in 10 have anti-inflammatory diets. One in 10 have diets considered neutral in terms of their inflammatory capability. The problem with pro-inflammatory diets is that they drive inflammation, which increases the risk of health issues such as heart disease and cancer.

In general, pro-inflammatory foods are processed and low in nutrients, while anti-inflammatory foods are just the opposite: unprocessed, nutrient-rich foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fatty fish and beans / nuts / seeds (although there are some exceptions – tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc.).

Take stock of your diet and make changes if it's too pro-inflammatory. Click here for a complete list of anti-inflammatory foods, courtesy of John's Hopkins Medicine, and talk to your doctor to learn more.

 

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https://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=3112

 

Avoid Surgery With Chiropractic

 

Low back pain is common, but how it's treated varies considerably. Unfortunately, too many people skip chiropractic when they could be enjoying the proven benefits – and avoiding the risks associated with pain medication; or even worse, back surgery.

The authors of a new study hypothesized that adult patients with newly diagnosed lumbar disc herniation or lumbosacral radiculopathy (both of which are common causes of low back pain) who received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy would be less likely to ultimately undergo lumbar discectomy (a surgical procedure) compared to similarly diagnosed adults receiving non-chiropractic care.

The study population, drawn from a 101-million-patient U.S. health records network, included adults ages 18-49 with lumbar disc herniation or lumbosacral radiculopathy. Exclusionary diagnoses – reasons for not including a patient in the study – included prior lumbar surgery, absolute indications for surgery, trauma, spondylolisthesis and scoliosis.

Ultimately, more than 11,000 patient records were analyzed, yielding two equivalently sized study cohorts (5,785 apiece) based on whether patients had received chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy vs. other types of care.

Patients receiving CSMT were significantly less likely to undergo discectomy at both one- and two-year follow-up compared with patients receiving other care. Potential confounding variables associated with an increased likelihood of lumbar surgery, such as older age, gender (male), obesity, history of lumbar injections, prior treatment with opioids or prescription pain medication, etc., were accounted for by the study authors.

Commenting on their findings in BMJ Open, the study authors made the significance of the results clear: "Considering the current study excluded absolute indications for surgery and serious pathology, we suggest our findings may be explained by pain relief afforded by CSMT. Previous studies have shown that LDH/LSR have good prognosis with at least half of patients experiencing significant relief in the first 3-1

 

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Eating to Fight the Climate Crisis

 

Written By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM • November 28, 2024

 

The EAT-Lancet Commission lays out the best diet for human and planetary health.

 

“Scientists have a moral obligation to clearly warn humanity of any catastrophic threat and to ‘tell it like it is.’” In November 2019, more than 11,000 scientists from 150 countries declared “clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency.” CO2 levels are rising and the glaciers are melting, as is Antarctica. The oceans are getting hotter, and more acidic. Sea levels are rising, and extreme weather events are escalating. Yes, the use of fossil fuels is going up, for air travel, for example, but so is per capita meat consumption. In fact, one of the solutions offered by scientists to help the climate crisis is “eating mostly plant-based foods while reducing the global consumption of animal products….”

 

What makes “designing a sustainable diet” so easy is that “the dietary advice is the same: eat less meat.” It’s good for our personal health (by reducing the risk of our number one killer, for instance), as well as planetary health. The least healthy foods also cause the worst environmental impact. Indeed, the foods with the most nutrition just so happen to be the foods that cause the lowest greenhouse gas emissions,

 

Let’s put it all together. If we are to “redesign the global food system for human and planetary health,” which is to say human health, planetary health, and future human health, what would it look like? Enter the EAT-Lancet Commission. What was the “result of more than 2 years of collaboration between 37 experts from 16 countries”? Suggesting a cut in total meat consumption down to no more than an ounce a day (28 g), which is around the weight of a single chicken nugget, and, concurrently, a dramatic increase in our intakes of legumes (beans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils), vegetables, nuts, and fruits. We aren’t only in a climate crisis, but a health crisis, too. “Unhealthy diets pose a greater risk to morbidity and mortality than does unsafe sex, and alcohol, drug, and tobacco use combined.” But we can address both crises at the same time by “increasing consumption of plant-based foods and substantially reducing our consumption of animal source foods.”

 

Eating such a diet could save the lives of more than 10 million people a year. It may also help save the world. The Paris Agreement had set out a boundary condition, an aspirational goal for a carbon budget to help prevent catastrophic impacts. “Staying within the boundary for climate change can be achieved by consuming plant-based diets.”

 

To read the rest of this article go to: https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/eating-to-fight-the-climate-crisis/