Healthy Life Newsletter, July 2024
A Note from Dr. Mha Atma
Hello and Happy Summer!
Our world is crazy and difficult but also full of beauty and kindness. We can find many things to worry about. Worry usually takes me away from my “circle of influence” and gets me stuck in my “circle of concern.” Here is a comment on worry from Burmese Buddhist teacher Sayadaw U Tejaniya that I found quite helpful and put up on my wall:
Worry only thinks about what is not possible, and it only gives you one possibility, which you do not want. It’s a self-defeating state of mind, so don’t encourage it, and don’t believe thoughts that come from worry. There is no such thing as “no way.” There are always many ways.
Patient of the Month: Ellen D.
I had awful migraines and my upper back was constantly in pain. My migraines lasted 30 minutes and I was unable to see. After it would pass, my neck and shoulder would be in pain for the next 24 hours. The migraines were making me more anxious because I never knew when they were going to hit.
I got migraine medicine to reduce the duration of the migraine. I then decided to go to Khalsa Chiropractic and also started to take vitamins C, D and B2 every day. I had been to a chiropractor a couple of years ago. I felt I had a 50/50 chance it would help and I thought why not exhaust all my options. I’m so glad I did!
My first impression of the office was that everyone was so kind, Zen, and extremely helpful. I also loved the interior of the office which has a small town feel that was immediately comfortable to me. Dr. Mha Atma recommended exercises, lots of vitamin D, and regular chiropractic adjustments.
After a month of coming here, I had not had a migraine and my upper back pain had improved. Now after four months I continue with less frequent care because I feel so much better: Less pain and no more migraines! I tell anyone who will listen about my chiropractic experience. I tell them that if you commit to your treatment plan and do the exercises, your pain will improve.
I definitely support chiropractic care. Dr. Mha Atma and the overly people at the office are wonderful and really care about your wellbeing.
Chiropractic: The Golfer’s Advantage
Millions of people enjoy recreational golfing; and millions more watch the pros compete in tournaments year round. Do you know how much chiropractic can help your golf game? A chiropractic consumer-education organization called the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) is doing its best to let you and everyone else know.
The F4CP’s 30-second, consumer-focused golf commercial aired 17 times during the Masters Tournament last month on The Golf Channel, reaching 1.5 million+ households. The commercial showcases the impact of a golf swing on the human body and how chiropractic helps golfers, and people of all ages, maintain their health.
Olive Oil for Dementia
According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, every three seconds someone in the world develops dementia, and more than 55 million people live with dementia as of 2020. Even more dire, dementia sufferers are expected to nearly double every 20 years.
Olive oil to the rescue! A new study has found that among more than 90,000 adults (average age at the start of the study: 54 years) tracked over a 28-year period, consuming more than 7 grams per day of olive oil (1 teaspoon, the standard serving size, is 4.6 grams) was associated with a significantly reduced risk of dementia-related death compared to never or rarely consuming olive oil. Even more significant, participants’ overall diet quality did not affect these findings, highlighting the independent value of olive oil consumption.
Olive oil, like all oils, contains fat, but it’s rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. That means if you’re trying to lose weight, it might not be ideal to consume too much of it, but for improving your health and reducing disease risks, it’s great in moderation. Olive oil is also a staple of the Mediterranean diet, which is increasingly heralded for its value in heart health. Talk to your doctor to learn more.
Brain Stress and the Heart
We know exercise lowers heart disease risk – but how does it do it? We may have an answer, courtesy of new research findings. Interestingly, the brain appears to be involved.
Researchers have found that physical activity may affect areas of the brain related to stress. Among more than 50,000 adults who completed an exercise survey, some of whom also underwent brain imaging, participants who exercised more were not only less likely to suffer cardiovascular events; they also had lower activity in stress-related areas of the brain.
As a result, people with depression had larger heart disease risk reductions from physical activity than people without depression – particularly if they exercised for more than 150 weekly minutes, as recommended by experts to maximize overall health. Findings appear in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Can’t seem to find time or motivation to exercise? Ask your doctor for help outlining a sensible plan that will help your heart, as this study suggests; your weight if you’re struggling with weight issues; and your entire body on multiple levels in terms of reducing disease risk.
The Ultraprocessed Heart
No one wants an ultraprocessed heart – a heart that’s affected by eating too many ultraprocessed foods. Let’s learn why ultraprocessed foods are so dangerous when it comes to heart health – and how to reduce your consumption of UPFs to benefit your heart and your entire body, from head to toe.
Ultraprocessed foods are foods that have been highly processed. Consider a fruit, vegetable, or whole grain that’s gone essentially from the ground / branch to your table. That’s an unprocessed or minimally processed food. By comparison, ultraprocessed foods have gone through multiple processes before they reach your table; consider packaged snacks, cereal, processed meats, and much more.
The problem with UPFs, according to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, is that UPFs contain “additives like oil, fat, sugar, starch, proteins and sodium. In the production process, they are [also] stripped of the nutrients that help our bodies feel good and stay healthy.” In other words, UPFs have unhealthy stuff added and some of the healthy stuff removed. That’s a bad combination, which is why UPFs have been associated with weight gain and numerous health issues.
One of those health issues, as we alluded to, is a compromised heart, specifically in terms of cardiometabolic risk factors. Research published in JAMA Network Open suggests UPF consumption increases these risk factors – even in children as young as 3-6 years. Children with the highest UPF consumption had higher BMI, waist circumference, fat mass index and fasting plasma glucose; and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol – the “good” kind of cholesterol, in that it helps remove bad cholesterol from the bloodstream – compared to children with the lowest UPF consumption.
Need any more reasons to make sure your family’s diet is as low in ultraprocessed foods as possible? Talk to your doctor for more information.
The Power of Ginger
Ginger is heralded as an effective natural way to ease stomach upset, but that’s not where the health benefits of ginger end. Another important benefit, suggests research, is its ability to reduce the all-too-common pain that plagues women of reproductive age.
Let’s see what this new review study says about how ginger may help reduce dysmenorrhea-related pain.
Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory, and inflammation often presents as pain. When researchers analyzed the combined results of 12 studies, they concluded that “ginger is notably more effective than placebo in reducing both the intensity … and duration of pain.”
They also noted that there were no differences between ginger and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which is a major positive, since NSAIDs are associated with a number of potential side effects, particularly if used long term. Findings appear in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine.
There are many ways to incorporate ginger into your diet, either for dysmenorrhea pain relief or for its anti-inflammatory benefits in general. John Hopkins Medicine provides a list here, along with more of its health benefits. Tap into the power of ginger and tap into the power of good health.
Note from Dr. Mha Atma: The below article is important and instructive. I have treated hundreds of pregnant women with gentle chiropractic care with good results. For the best results, pregnant people should consider getting adjusted before, during and after pregnancy, and not wait until pain appears. But if/when it does, appropriate chiropractic treatment usually helps a lot!
For Pelvic Pain During or After Pregnancy, Think Chiropractic First
By Ronald Feise, DC
The prevalence of pregnancy-related low back pain and disability is significant. According to a review of the literature, the mean prevalence of pregnancy-related low back pain is about half of all pregnancies.1-2 Most women report a return to pre-pregnancy levels of low back pain within six months of delivery, but some go on to experience chronic low back pain. Research reports a postpartum prevalence of 37 percent at one year and 18 percent at six years.3
Four types of pregnancy-related low back pain are recognized: posterior pelvic pain, lumbar pain, mixed pain and radiculopathy. Among these, posterior pelvic pain is unique, as it is associated only with pregnancy and represents about one-third of all pregnancy-related low back pain.4
There are two main approaches to the management of chronic pelvic pain – pharmacological or non-pharmacological. Let’s take a look at the effectiveness and safety of each approach.
The Pharmacological Approach
Horne, et al., conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to measure the efficacy and safety of gabapentin in women with chronic pelvic pain.5 More than 300 participants were randomly assigned to receive gabapentin or a placebo for 16 weeks.
Treatment with gabapentin compared with placebo did not result in lower pain scores in women with chronic pelvic pain, and it was associated with higher rates of side effects than placebo.
Although acetaminophen and NSAIDs offer a modest amount of pain relief, they have a poor safety profile. Maternal acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk for attention-deficit disorder and autism spectrum disorder in children.6 Additionally, two meta-analyses found an association between the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and asthma in children.7-8
Increased risks of miscarriage and malformations are associated with NSAID use in early pregnancy.9 Exposure to NSAIDs after 30 weeks’ gestation is associated with an increased risk of premature closure of the fetal ductus.10 Li, et al., demonstrated that NSAID use around conception was associated with an increased risk of miscarriage with a dose-response relationship.11
The Non-Pharmacological Approach
An effective non-pharmacological approach to pelvic pain includes an individualized treatment program consisting of: 1) adequate patient education and reassurance, 2) individualized exercises, and 3) spinal manipulation.
Exercises: An individualized exercise program that includes stabilizing exercises and aerobic exercise is part of an effective treatment strategy for pregnant patients with back or pelvic pain. In a randomized, controlled trial, researchers found that stabilizing exercises had a significantly better statistical and clinical effect than the controls on pain, functional status and health-related quality of life measured after 20 weeks of intervention and one year postpartum.12 A Cochrane systematic review confirmed these findings.13
Aerobic exercise contributes to the overall treatment plan for patients with spinal pain, because it is associated with improvements in mood state and overall feeling of well-being, strengthening the supporting spinal musculature, improving neuromotor control and coordination, and increasing nutrition for the disc. Thus, current research supports an exercise program of strengthening exercises and aerobic exercise.
Spinal Manipulation: Researchers have found that spinal manipulation can provide safe and effective relief of back and pelvic pain in pregnant women. A randomized clinical trial examined the effects of a chiropractic multimodal approach (including stabilization exercises) compared to standard obstetric care.14 The research team was composed of medical doctors and chiropractors, and the findings were published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
“Effect size” is a measure of treatment benefit. The larger the effect size, the better the result. The chiropractic approach demonstrated clinically important reductions in pain compared with standard obstetric care.
Moreover, multiple systematic reviews support the conclusion that chiropractic treatment is a safe and effective intervention for reducing pain intensity and frequency in pregnant women with back and pelvic pain.15-16
Science Supports Conservative Care
Chiropractic care is the premier non-pharmacological choice for patients with chronic pelvic pain. As a patient, you can help communicate the safety and effectiveness of chiropractic to your medical doctor / OB-GYN and insurance company with this research. And of course, if you’re pregnant and experiencing pelvic or other pain, schedule an appointment with your doctor of chiropractic.
For References tp these studies go to toyourhealth.com
Ron Feise, DC, is a doctor of chiropractic and a practice management consultant at the Institute of Evidence-Based Chiropractic.
Children’s Cereals: Candy for Breakfast?
Written by Michael Greger M.D. FACLM •
Plastering front-of-package nutrient claims on cereal boxes is an attempt to distract us from the incongruity of feeding our children multicolored marshmallows for breakfast.
The American Medical Association started warning people about excess sugar consumption more than 75 years ago, based in part on our understanding that “sugar supplies nothing in nutrition but calories, and the vitamins provided by other foods are sapped by sugar to liberate these calories.” So, added sugars aren’t just empty calories, but negative nutrition. “Thus, the more added sugars one consumes, the more nutritionally depleted one may become.”
Given the “totality of publicly available scientific evidence,” the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to make processed food manufacturers declare “added sugars” on their nutrition labels. The National Yogurt Association was livid and said it “continues to oppose the ‘added sugars’ declaration,” since it needed “‘added sugars’ to increase palatability” of its products. The junk food association questioned the science, whereas the ice cream folks seemed to imply that consumers are too stupid to “understand or know how to use the added sugar declaration,” so it’s better just to leave it off. The world’s biggest cereal company, Kellogg’s, took a similar tact, opposing it so as not “to confuse consumers.” Should the FDA proceed with such labeling against Kellogg’s objections, the cereal giant pressed that “an added sugars declaration…should be communicated as a footnote.” It claimed that its “goal is to provide consumers with useful information so they can make informed choices.” This is from a company that describes its Froot Loops as “packed with delicious fruity taste, fruity aroma, and bright colors.” Keep in mind that Froot Loops has more sugar than a Krispy Kreme doughnut, as you can see in the graph below and at 1:46 in my video Friday Favorites: Kids’ Breakfast Cereals as Nutritional Façade.
To read the rest of this article go to nutritionfacts.org