Health, what is it really?
Ok…you are confused! I want you to know that we all understand and you are not alone. Very few people really know what this health “thing” really is. Is it simply feeling better? Lets chat a bit about it!
Well…you are starting to have some doubts here, your mom used to be able to make all your boo-boos magically go away when you were little. However, as an adult, you are finding out that her magic was very limited- and now you are having a real problem with your four year old and his ear infections. Factoid: Did you know! Ear infections is one of the most common pediatric health problem we see in our pediatric Burlington chiropractic office!
So, there must be more to this health issue than you previously thought. Take your neighbor for a moment: Here is an example of a really healthy guy, eats well, runs, watches his weight and you just heard that he’s in the hospital with some heart trouble. The last person in the world you’d expect to have a problem, right?
You are beginning to learn that good health is not at all what you thought. No. It isn’t about simply feeling good. It’s about having your body function at an exceptional level-not simply being happy with tying your own shoes. You are beginning to understand that health is not how you feel. It’s how you function. It’s how you are! What a concept!
Our Amazing Body:
The approach we have always taken when faced with a health issue was to consult with your doctor. The medical approach has always been, to prescribe antibiotics, pain remedies and all sorts of drugs to do the job your body was designed to do – on its own. People do not realize and understand that those drugs do nothing to help your body regain its ability to perform its functions in the future. In fact, relying on these drugs will actually hinder your bodies’ recovery. (Not to mention all the side effects that are associated with taking them.) There is no pill, potion or lotion on the face of this planet, which can possibly oversee the power of your own body to achieve Health! Now, of course there is a time and place for these types of methods (i.e. a true medical emergency). But, most people do not realize that our normal state is to be healthy. Our aim then, as parents, should be to allow our children’s bodies’ to function with absolutely nothing interfering with this process. Nothing! And that’s why we’re here!
Antibiotics Overuse Can be Bad for Our Health
Antibiotics saved my life when I had pneumonia as a kid and not too long ago when I had cellulitis. Now I hear antibiotic resistance is threatening to put us back into the pre-antibiotic era. How’s that possible?
Antibiotics are one of the most life changing medical innovations of the past 100 years. These days, we take their benefits for granted. The problem is that bacteria are adaptable, and many have mutated so that they are now superbugs that do not succumb to the antibiotics we possess. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced that 2 million people a year fall ill from drug-resistant organisms, and 23,000 of them die.
Among the most worrisome drug-resistant bacteria are salmonella, E-coli, Y-pestis, and shigella (they’re enterobacteriaceae); C. difficile and gonorrhea.
What can you do to help stem the tide of resistant bacteria? If you’re prescribed an antibiotic, ask why. One study found 25 per cent of prescriptions (mostly for broad-spectrum antibiotics) are for a condition that that the medication can’t treat. That’s a sure route for building up resistant bacteria. And don’t pressure your doctor for an antibiotic when it won’t help. Among the conditions most commonly treated with antibiotics when they are in fact caused by viruses and can’t be knocked out by the meds: cold, flu, most coughs and bronchitis, sore throats (except for strep) and some ear infections.
When you do take antibiotics make sure to take the full dose as directed. In addition, don’t use antibacterial soaps or antibacterial disinfectants. The FDA has finally ordered them removed from soaps. The FDA says they do little or nothing to make soap work any better and said the industry has failed to prove they’re safe. “Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.” –Health, Sept 2, 2016
Almonds are the super-nuts that keep the heart healthy
If nuts are a super-food, then almonds are a super-super-food. New research has discovered that the nuts help reduce the risk of heart disease by keeping arteries healthy. Almonds increase the amount of antioxidants in the bloodstream, reduce blood pressure and improve blood flow.
And these benefits can be seen within a month of snacking on 50g of almonds a day, researchers at Aston University in Birmingham have found. They added the nuts to the diets of one group of men, while the rest carried on with their normal diets, which didn’t include almonds.
Those who ate the almonds for a month had higher levels of antioxidants in their blood, better blood flow and lower blood pressure.
Almonds are full of healthy fats and vitamin E, and could be a key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet.
And the take-home message – aside from eating almonds every day – is that it’s never too late to start. As beneficial effects can be seen within a month, they could help you as well, said lead researcher Prof Helen Griffiths.