I've had the chance to speak with people from around the world, places like Germany, Iran, France, and Nigeria.  And one thing they notice about Americans is that we're pudgy in the middle.  Our bellies bulge over our wastebands testing the limits of shirt buttons.  Why is this?

It's largely due to the fact that we're stressed out.....A LOT!  See, when the body senses stress it releases a large amount of the hormone Cortisol.  As cortisol floats through the blood stream it causes a number of reactions to happen in the body.  One of them is that it likes to take any calories it can find and store it as fat.  And cortisol doesn't just put it where no one will notice.  It has a sense of humor and loves to put it in our hips, butt, and gut!

Combine our stressful lifestyles with fast food, high sugar sodas, and snacking when we get a chance while taking kids to dance or soccer or baseball or whatever, and we are a ticking time bomb for the internal explosion of fat.  KABOOM!  Suddenly we look in the mirror and wonder "How did this happen?"

The answer is, of course, simple.  We relax.  No, not with a bag of chips and coke.  We allow ourselves times of peace away from the to-do lists.  We  go for a walk on a sunny day or play with the kids.  And most easily, we breathe.

Belly breathing, moving the belly out while you inhale and squeezing it back in during the exhale, moves the body out of the stress response and into relaxation.  Simple breathing is all it takes to squelch cortisol and prevent the buildup of stress fat.  It's so easy, we blow right past it.  

But now that you know, will you do it?

Dr. K

The idea that something in your closet can make you sick is absurd, right? You may be thinking of some nasty things growing in your closet like black mold or massive collections of dust.  And these are a concern for certain.  The idea is that we don't know.  Some areas, like the top shelf of our closet, rarely get a second glance.  Maybe there are parts of you that get the same attention.

Spring is here!  And with it, spring cleaning has commenced.  A quick glance on facebook today shows a number of people jumping into the dirt and dust to return the shine of cleanliness to their homes.  It feels good to clean things up and restore a sense of beauty and peace to our homes.  And it's also beneficial to us.  

What you should consider is cleaning out your body.  A nice spring cleaning of the blood, liver, kidneys, and other organs rejuvenates the body and restores a shine to your skin, eyes, and energy levels.  Imagine jumping out of bed in the morning with energy and enthusiasm.  How much would you accomplish if you didn't have that mid-afternoon sluggishness?  And what would looking in the mirror feel like when your skin glows, eyes brighten and teeth shine and you think to yourself "Hey Hot Stuff!"?  

Detoxes can be short (3 days) or much longer (3 weeks).  They are immensely good for you which is why we do a detox twice a year.  There's no doubt that the toxins were exposed to every day are abundant.  And they build up in your body like the dust and grime in your home.

Maybe this year you can add one more spring cleaning to your list.  Just like your home, I guarantee you'll see and feel the difference. 

 

How much sugar should you have in a day?  Well, none. At least not any added sugar. Sugar has absolutely no nutritional value.  It does nothing beneficial for our bodies.  It is ,however, addictive and inflammatory. Foods that cause inflammation in the body are the main culprits behind lifestyle diseases.  Lifestyle diseases are the main killers in America today; obesity, heart disease, cancer, etc.  
In the documentary, "Hungry For Change", all the experts equate sugar to cocaine. Makes sense, both are the super refined part of the plant.  The plant as a whole is not going to be addictive and lead to inflammation, but when you extract and concentrate the sugar it becomes a legal drug.

So, how much is too much?  Well, if you want to be able to eat in America today, you are going to have to consume excess sugar (that not naturally found in food).  Women shouldn't have more than 100 calories, 24 grams or 6 tsps of sugar per day, men are allowed only 50 more calories or 3 more teaspoons. That's not much.  I was heating red pepper and tomato soup yesterday and read the label. One cup = 12g of sugar!  I usually can eat more than one cup, but one cup is half my acceptable excess sugar. I've been reading more labels lately to become more aware of all the extra sugar/inflammation I am putting into my body.  It is amazing the things you will find it in, and at a significant quantity, as well.

Excess sugar is stored as fat in the body.  It can be stored in the organ tissue itself, or in adipose tissue. If you are looking to lose weight this spring, drop the sugar and add pure water.  "Fake" sugar should not be used as a substitute.  That is a whole other topic, but for now know that the pink, blue, and yellow packets cause weight gain, are neurotoxins (kill the nervous system cells) and nephrotoxins (kill kideny cells).

Read your food labels. Cook with as many raw and natural ingredients (no boxes, bags or cans) as possible. Do a good cleanse to re-set your system. Increase water intake and healthy fats.

Want more help? Email chiropracticnow@gmail.com for information on our upcoming Simple Health Coaching calls or about our March Cleanse.

Yours in Health, Love & Beauty,
Dr. A