Supplements 101

Supplements can become overwhelming with everything that’s out there. This will touch on key categories of supplements and the best way on how to use them.

Supplements are divided into categories:

Nutrients

(Nutraceuticals or Orthomolecular Medicine)

 

 

Botanicals

(Herbal Medicine or Phytotherapy)

 

 

Hormones

Hormone Replacement Therapy or Restorative Medicine

 

 

Each category is meant to support underlying excesses or deficiencies, with the ultimate goal of bringing the body back into balance.

Where it becomes complicated is understanding the different uses and dosing of specific:

• Extracts
• Chelates (a chemical compound that dissolves more easily and is easily absorbed compared to other types of molecules and compounds)
• Prepared Compounds

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Hormones

Integrative medicine and hormone therapy usually involve synthetic versions of plant extracts, that mimick the chemical structure of endogenous hormones.

What are Hormones?

• Hormones are chemical messengers that are produced by the endocrine glands.
• These messengers have an effect on most tissues and major bodily functions.
• Establishing and resolving the causes of hormonal imbalance is one of the core therapeutic systems not only in integrative medicine but in conventional medicine.

How do Hormones Work?

• Hormones flow through the body’s circulation in abundance. In order for hormones to perform a function, the cells being used require specific receptors.
• When hormones bind to these receptors, it causes a biological response inside the cell, which is why a single hormone can have such an effect.
• The entire endocrine system is based on positive and negative feedback loops. This informs the endocrine glands to produce more or fewer hormones.
• Balance of endogenous hormone production is maintained through diet and lifestyle. However, when this unique balance is disrupted is when disease can occur.
• Despite their broad and potent effect on the body’s systems, hormones therapy must be done with caution and skill.
• There can be long-term negative side effects with hormone therapy and should be limited to highly-trained practitioners.

Examples of Hormone Ingredients

Exogenous hormones are available in different forms.

Examples include:

• Pregnenolone – this is the mother of steroidogenic hormones
• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) – elevates estrogen and testosterone
• Vitamin D – regulates bone density, and balances parathyroid hormone secretion

There is evidence that shows beneficial therapeutic uses for exogenous hormones.

Similar to botanical medicine, hormone therapy should be used exclusively and with caution by certified clinicians.

 

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Fasting Mimicking Diet Basics

Some people today might eat a slightly higher amount of calories the first day as they ease into the fasting-mimicking diet. They might then decrease their total caloric intake. You also want to make sure you eat smaller amounts of foods which are easy to digest.

ProLon® offers a pre-packaged box which contains all five days’ worth of meals for you to do the diet. The meals are all plant-based. One day, by way of instance, offers tea and a nut bar for breakfast, a small portion of vegetable soup and a few kale crackers for lunch, several olives in the afternoon, and finally another small portion of vegetable soup for dinner.

You can also do the fasting-mimicking diet without the need for a pre-packaged box-like ProLon®. Simply follow the right proportions and plan out how you will space them out every day. Macros for the fast mimicking diet are 34 percent carbohydrates, 10 percent protein, and 56 percent fat for the very first day and 47 percent carbohydrates, 9 percent protein, and 44 percent fat to the rest days.

A cup of black tea and coffee every day are generally allowed. Just make sure they don’t contain any added sugars or oils. Remember that people with health issues should consult a healthcare professional prior to doing the fast mimicking diet in your own home.

Foods

Dr. Anthony Gusting followed a four-day ketogenic fasting-mimicking diet. Every day, he consumed different amounts of bone broth, coconut milk, coconut oil, BCAAs, and exogenous ketones. Avocados and grass-fed butter can also be included in the fast mimicking diet. This is a great way to combine the ketogenic diet with the fasting-mimicking diet to benefit from the two regimens.

Supplements

Taking nutritional supplements can also make the fasting-mimicking diet easier by providing enough nutrition. These may include:

• Electrolytes like magnesium and salt to replenish any lost during water loss
• Grass-fed liver tablets to provide micronutrient support
• Branch chain amino acids, or BCAAs, to help prevent loss of lean tissue
• Greens powder to provide micronutrients
• Algal oil or cod liver oil for omega-3s

You may also take exogenous ketones to achieve ketosis through the keto diet. The fast mimicking diet can also help you achieve ketosis before following a ketogenic diet. Below, we will discuss how the fast mimicking diet promotes ketosis.

Ketosis and the Fast Mimicking Diet

The fast mimicking diet is an excellent way to prepare you for the ketogenic diet. This is because it allows you to get into ketosis. Additionally, eating keto foods makes it possible to remain in ketosis throughout the regimen. To follow a ketogenic fasting-mimicking diet you must maintain your macros over the suitable range of 5 to 10 percent of carbohydrates, 20 to 25percent of proteins, and 70 to 80 percent of fats. If you’re unsure about whether you’re properly maintaining your macros, always choose something with more fat.

If you or a loved one need additional dietary guidance, give us a call. Our Doctor of Chiropractic is here to help!

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Correct Bad Posture with Custom *FOOT ORTHOTICS* | El Paso, TX (2019)

 

Posture is the way in which we hold our bodies while standing, sitting, or performing tasks such as lifting, bending, pulling, or reaching. However, when a person practices bad posture, it can cause a variety of health issues. According to research studies, signs and symptoms associated with a bad posture are the 3rd most common reason for doctor office visits in the United States.

The spine helps support the weight of the head and stabilizes the human body when standing upright. However, bad posture can strain the spine, causing a variety of health issues. Custom orthotics can help support good posture and promote pain relief. Dr. Alex Jimenez can help patients improve their overall health and wellness through custom orthotics. Patients recommend Dr. Alex Jimenez as the non-surgical choice for posture.

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Posture

Poor posture takes a serious toll on health. Here are a few negative results:

• Muscle soreness
• Subluxations
• Blood vessel constriction
• Nerve constriction

As time passes, body/health problems also arise, which result in pain, restricted motion, and make the body more susceptible to injury and disease. Posture can even affect your emotional well-being, including self-confidence!

Treatment

Chiropractic can help you maintain proper posture with alignment adjustments, and custom orthotics can benefit the treatment making it last longer.

The American Chiropractic Association maintains proper posture involves sitting, standing, and lying down properly. Here’s an excerpt:

Sitting properly

• Keep your feet on the floor or footrest, for feet to be stabilized.
• Ankles should be in front of your knees.
• Keep a small space between the back of the knees and the front of the seat.
• Your knees should be at or below the level of your hips.

Standing properly

• Keep your weight on the balls of your feet.
• Keep your knees slightly bent.
• Keep your feet in line with your shoulders.
• Arms hang naturally down the sides of the body.

Sleeping properly

• Find the mattress that is right for you.
• A firm mattress is generally recommended but sometimes people do better with a
• Softer mattresses to reduce back pain.
• Remember comfort is important.
• Sleep with a pillow.
• Special pillows are available to help with posture problems that come from a poor sleeping position.
• Try not to sleep on your stomach.
• Read more on the ACA website.

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What’s Afoot

The feet are complex structures which function to provide protection and support to the body in relation to the spine and head posture. The feet are essential towards balancing the body’s entire weight, allowing it to walk, run, stand, and, jump. Foot complications may cause severe issues throughout the spine, hips, knees, and ankles if left untreated. Chiropractic care can be effective for treating injuries or conditions such as plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, and ankle sprains. Foot health is essential towards establishing the body’s proper support and balance, together with a proper spinal posture. In the presence of foot complications, chiropractic treatment can be used to achieve long-lasting health.

 

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NCBI Resources

It seems our moms were right; we are what we eat. Unfortunately, in today’s marketplace, there are many valid worries about the foods we consume. Antibiotics, pesticides, and foods tainted with dangerous diseases are a top concern for many Americans. In addition, processed and genetically modified foods and artificial ingredients contribute to a number of health issues from obesity to cancer.