Archive for November, 2009
More Foot Power, Less Car Pollution Best for Health
November 27th, 2009 | 
Author: Walking and cycling plus low-emission vehicles may reduce future disease burden, researchers say
(HealthDay News) — Encouraging city dwellers to walk and bicycle instead of using cars would offer much greater public health benefits than increased used of low-emission vehicles, U.K. researchers have found.
The study compared the projected health effects in 2030 of alternative urban land transport scenarios for London, England, and Delhi, India: business-as-usual (no greenhouse gas reduction policies); motor vehicles with lower carbon emissions; increased walking and cycling (active travel) plus less motor vehicle traffic; and a combination of increased walking/cycling and low-emission vehicles.
In both cities, reductions in carbon dioxide emissions achieved through increased active travel and less use of motor vehicles offered much greater health benefits than increased use of low-emission vehicles. The benefit was over 40 times greater in London and over seven times greater in Delhi. The greatest health benefits would be achieved by combining active travel and increased use of low-emission vehicles, according to the report published online Nov. 27 in The Lancet. Read more…
Bypass Food Reactions – Learn How to Read Food Labels
If you are a regular food label reader, did you know that even the most diligent scanning can still result in food reactions? If you have problems with gluten or dairy, those supposed gluten-free and dairy-free foods still may have some type of enzyme or chemical derived from the very types of food you are trying to circumvent. Because of this issue, the FDA is devising a number of standardized definitions for the description of foods so that you will be able to tell what each ingredient is.
Food labeling is necessary to comply with the law. Any major food allergy triggers must be clearly displayed on the packaging if it contains any ingredient or derivative of the ingredient. While the foods may not contain the actual allergic ingredient, if the food is made in the same manufacturing plant as another product that does create food products with those allergens, there is a possibility of cross contamination. The food labels must clearly state this scenario as well. For instance, cookies may have a food label saying they contain no nuts but other cookies in the factory may be baked with nuts and so the label must indicate the possibility.
How to read food labels
It is smart to read food labels, but you must be more aware of the variety of ways ingredients can be described, especially if they are derivatives of foods you are allergic to. Here are some important aspects to keep an eye out for:
Even if it is a product you have purchased for years, read the food packaging. Sometimes, food manufacturers change the production process or modify ingredients without any type of warning. It is important, therefore, to always read food labels, even for those “tried and true” go-to safe products.
Please note that food labels that proclaim it is free of something like “dairy-free” are not always accurate. These proclamations are not regulated by the government and therefore these food products could still have minute amounts of the supposedly absent ingredient. For example, powdered creamers for drinks sometimes mention they are dairy-free but there is usually a powdered form of some type of milk derivative.
Keep an eye out for food packaging that says something like “may contain” on its label. This possible claim covers manufacturers in the event of a consumer has an allergic reaction but it can be quite a nuisance for you when shopping for safe foods. This “may contain” phrase basically means that your supposedly safe food product could have been contaminated by an allergen. Any manufacturer that uses nuts for some products but not for others uses this proclamation quite a bit.
Some food labels are a bit nebulous. Is it safe to take a chance on a food product with “may contain” on the label? Is there any way to avoid these foods altogether? When food allergies are mild, you can probably chance it and be ok. However, if you have a life threatening allergy or one that makes you completely miserable, it can be tough to shop for food. This ambiguous food labeling is the very thing the FDA is trying to remedy.
The best thing to do is avoid anything suspect and purchase only fresh foods that have not seen the inside of a factory. Look to internet grocers that cater to people with severe allergies and only market safely manufactured foods. Health food stores are good options to shop in. However, the only way to be absolutely certain about your food is to read food labels diligently.
Chiropractic (Often) Works to Help Women Get Pregnant
If you’ve been trying to get pregnant and nothing seems to work, your chiropractor just might be able to help. That’s right. Your back could actually be the culprit that is interfering with the process. Spinal misalignment, expressly in the lower back, can commonly produce a diverse variety of female health issues such as PMS, pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, incontinence, and even infertility.
Are you wondering how in the world chiropractic works to help you get pregnant? Chiropractic manipulations get rid of nerve impingement in your body. Your nervous system instructs and regulates every cell, fiber, tissue, organ, and system in your body, including your reproductive. If your reproductive system isn’t operating properly due to nerve impedance, it can generate a myriad of symptoms. When your reproductive system is overactive, you might experience agitation, pain, heavy bleeding, or severe cramping. And, when it is under-active, you might have missed periods or become infertile. Chiropractic works because spinal manipulations restore harmony and balance to your entire nervous system, which as mentioned, includes your reproductive
A larger number of women find an improvement in their reproductive health, combined with improved general health, while under chiropractic care. So, if tried “everything” and still can’t get pregnant, chiropractic. It often works to help women get pregnant!
Posted in pregnancy and chiropractic | 
Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, infertility, pregnancy | 
No Comments »
Chiropractic Works for Animals, Too!
Chiropractic works, and not just on the human musculoskeletal system. Many humans take their pets to a chiropractor, especially dogs and occasionally cats. Chiropractic treatment is also effective for horses, but in those cases, the chiropractor makes a “house call.” Chiropractic treatment provides effective pain relief from the osteoarthritis that older pets often suffer from. There are chiropractors who adjust both humans and pets, while others specialize in treating one or the other.
Overweight dogs, in particular, frequently develop arthritis in their knee joints as they age because, just like humans, the added weight causes stress and strain on the knees over time. Sometimes, a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligaments of the knee can occur.
A chiropractic care approach often includes low-level laser therapy in combination with adjustments. Many chiropractors recommend acupuncture as well.
So, if you have an overweight pet who’s far too young to be moving around like a “senior,” or one who experiences pain when walking, in addition to helping your pet to lose the excess weight, give your chiropractor a call. Chiropractic works for animals, too!