Let Food be Thy Medicine...

Let Food be Thy Medicine… Cruciferous vegetables have been known to have many health benefits. Cruciferous vegetables include but are not limited to broccoli, cabbage, collards, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale and bok choy. These vegetables contain several plant compounds that are important for good heath. These powerful chemoprotective compounds have been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers. Cruciferous vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber. One cup of broccoli even has as much vitamin C as an orange. Raw cruciferous vegetables contain a chemical ingredient called Sulforaphane which gives cruciferous vegetables their cancer preventing reputation. Cruciferous vegetables are also good for the bones, digestive system, immune system, heart health, reducing inflammation in the body and helping with blood sugar levels. The best way to eat these vegetables is eating raw or lightly steamed to preserve the nutritional content. Chiropractic Thought for the Week: Childhood ear infections. It's all about the fluid. When fluid builds up in the ear tube due to improper drainage, bacteria develops in the fluid and this causes an infection which then leads to painful, swollen ears. What research has taught chiropractors over the years is that tight neck muscles can exert pressure on the ear tubes, actually forcing the tubes into a more horizontal position, preventing ear fluid drainage. This is the reason why many children have recurrent ear infections after antibiotic treatments seemingly resolve the infection. The antibiotic kills the bacteria which resolves the painful, swollen ears. Because the neck muscles are still tight and the tube is still in a horizontal like position the fluid remains in the ear and an infection occurs again. When chiropractors loosen the child's neck muscles with very gentle soft tissue work and extremely light spinal adjustments, the tube slants slightly downward in the position nature intended and the fluid drains out of the tube. This prevents the reoccurring ear infections and the merry-go-round of antibiotic treatments. Pregnancy Prenatal Chiropractic Care Information: During pregnancy the female body has to make many changes to accommodate the growing baby. One of these changes is hormonal. The hormone relaxin (not kidding!) is released (which just like its name suggests) relaxes the joints to make labor and delivery easier. Occasionally, the ligaments become too loose and the pelvic structure becomes unstable and painful. Other factors that contribute to this are carrying an extra 25-30lbs, weakened abdominal muscles and the lumbar spine curve moving more forward in position do to the belly weight and size. Chiropractic care during pregnancy will help keep the pelvic structure aligned. A chiropractor will work on spinal alignment, muscles, joints and ligaments to create better functioning and stability of the pelvic area during pregnancy. This makes prenatal chiropractic care an important part of the pregnancy health care team. As most of you have heard me say in the past, EAT WELL… MOVE WELL… THINK WELL…