Our bodies are beautiful, intricate machines. But often, we don't get what we need to keep these machines in balance and running smoothly. Our food lack key nutrients. Our gut bacteria is depleted. And on top of all that, all bodies are unique and have slightly different needs. This is where supplements come in! Supplements can be an effective way to "supplement" a healthy diet and enhance your health. And those effects can be wide ranging. Folic acid has been shown to reduce birth defects when taken by pregnant women. Vitamin D can strengthen bone. Vitamin A can reduce vision loss from age-related macular degeneration. If you are interested in supplements, talk with us! I'm a nutritionist, and as chiropractors, we have intimate knowledge about how the body works. We can talk and figure out what your body might be needing and how we can best support it.

If you are looking for take supplements, we know have an account with FullScripts - a professional grade supplement dispensing company. Through our website with FullScripts, we now offer a safe, reliable, and affordable way to get supplements. I recommend the probiotic Biodoph-7 plus. Our gastrointestinal tract is so important for our overall health. Yet our lives often strip it of its diverse microbiome, throwing our system out of balance. When given the opportunity, the bad bacteria in our gut will flourish and try to starve out the good bacteria. Probiotics help restore the good bacteria, restoring the diversity, and returning balance. This strong, healthy gut biome can have a wide range of effects, like expected ease of symptoms related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome, to even reduced allergies and colds. Each Biodoph-7 plus capsule contains over 20 billion organisms at time of manufacturing including Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium breve, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus salvarius, and Streptococcus thermophilus. I recommend probiotics to restore and maintain your overall heath, and Biodoph-7 plus is good product to do that.

Our bodies each have different needs and often need support. Supplements can be a way to offer that support.

The base of a healthy body is the feet. Literally! There are four healthy curves in the spine and to maintain those healthy spinal curves, we need the support of strong arches in our feet. The hard surfaces of our modern world, however, work to flatten our feet. If we consider our ancestors, our feet were made for running barefoot across dirt and grass. While concrete streets and hardwood floors make it faster for us to get around, they come at the price of us constantly pounding our feet and flattening our arches. But, good news! There are ways to counteract this.

First, arch raises! Standing with your feet flat on the ground, flex the arch of your foot up and hold it for one second. Don’t crunch or curl your toes; you are working the muscles of your arch, not your toes. Do this a 100 times a day! Any time you are waiting in line or washing dishes - work on those arches. Literally any time you are standing is a chance to strengthen that arch. When that gets too easy, hold each arch raise contraction for longer and longer.

Second is foot orthotics. A good foot orthotic can support your arch while you walk, helping you maintain that vital curve. By having that strong support, it pushes back against the arch not allowing it to flatten, helping to keep the shape. With that in mind, you need something firm. A soft orthotic will not be strong enough to support that arc consistently with your foot pounding into the ground all day. Tread Labs offers good, firm general orthotics. The top cover is replaceable and they offer different levels of support for low to high arches. You don’t need to find one custom made for your foot. Just something sturdy to keep that fifth essential curve!

Lastly, we need to spread out your toes! Most modern shoes have a narrow toe box. This leads to compression of the toes, squishing the front of the foot and toes together. Wearing narrow shoes often enough can change the shape of the foot, leading to pain and potentially longer term issues. By wearing toe spreaders, the toes are manually spread apart, helping restore their natural alignment. Benefits of toe spreaders include:
-reduced pain - in the toes, heels, ankles, and knees
-increased balance
-improved posture
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A healthy body requires attention to your WHOLE body. Don’t neglect those feet! Happy walking!

Comfort does not always mean it is good for you.

​Low backs just won't heal unless your mattress is "good" (firm) and if your sitting situation is keeping you in a "shrimping" posture - Car driving, sofa slumping, glued to the desk, etc. Let's address getting a mattress that will work FOR you and not hold you back from the progress you're making in the office with pelvic and spinal alignment correction.  Please attend my Spinal Care Class that I lead at the office every two weeks. Call the office for details (510) 538-1111. It is free of charge for you and your guests!

TEMPUR PEDIC MATTRESSES: I do not like them. Their slogan is true - the foam will form to YOU. However, if your spine is out of alignment or has lost its four essential curves, then your bed is essentially holding you in this mal-positioning. No wonder why you feel so sore in the morning! Foam mattresses are really only helpful to some people who have already had "hardware" put into their spines. If you are addressing the cause of your low back pain by getting spinal correction at the office, then you will definitely want to get a GREAT mattress. You will get the most out of your treatment if you do. Consider, all of our great-great-great Grandparents were most likely sleeping on the ground or on a hard surface of some kind. The floor with a mat on it is better than a foam mattress, I promise you. Also, Tempur pedic pillows are TOO HIGH for the average person. They're only good for MAYBE side sleeping. I suggest investing in something else before you end up spending thousands of dollars in surgery, dealing with drug side effects or temporary pain relieving cortisone shots, not to mention having to halt the things you love to do because of the pain. Here are some tips - 

The most important things with regards to buying a mattress:

1. It be as firm as you can sleep on
2. I recommend coil mattress. NO FOAM BLOCK (tempur pedic). If you sleep on your sides, then you can use a 1-2 inch foam topper on the coil mattress for your shoulders & hips. If you're a back sleeper, you don't really need a foam top. 
3. Flip the mattress every 6 months

Recommendations ($ low to high)

1. Amazon - firm mattresses ($100-200)
2. IKEA - Latex mattresses ($300-450) - non flammable, no flame retardants, very firm
   1. Example: www.ikea.com/us/en/p/myrbacka-latex-mattress-medium-firm-white-70272144/
3. Keetsa - Coil with thin foam top ($400-$800) * this is what I have and I love it
   1. Keetsa Plus https://www.keetsa.com/collections/mattresses/products/the-keetsa-plus
4. Beauty Rest "Black" ($1,000+)
5. All organic beds that are most firm:
   1. Plush Beds (the organic ones)  ($1000+) 
   2. Avocado mattress ($1,000+)

Unfortunately the organic ones are on the more expensive side. Latex is sourced from trees therefore laborious and expensive. You can do a coil and latex hybrid to cut the price but all latex mattresses are the most firm. 

​Until you receive your new and firm mattress, I recommend you sleep on your back on the floor (preferably carpeted). Put down a comforter underneath you or a yoga mat. This will help you re-set your spinal curves and allow your low back to calm down - it will take "adjusting to" so be patient with yourself and I'll see you at the office for spinal alignment work.  If you are looking to buy a specific floor mat to really commit to helping re-set your curves, I recommend:

1. Japanese style-  Look into a super firm 3" shikibuton (Japanese futon) and a tatami mat underneath it as an option. Or possibly just a tatami mat with a blanket over it. Research what would work best for you! 
   
2. Biomat - for increased circulation and pain
   

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me at the office. You can call us anytime on the office line to leave me a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Have a good night's rest!

Things to note:
A lot of things can sneak into mattress production that are toxic. Be careful about these points in the image -





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These are the certifications to look out for that are standards for organic material. The circled ones are the top doc certifications that are the most thorough (see image below)

Myth or Fact: Essential Oils (EO) are effective against viruses.
Fact: Certain compounds found in some EOs have been scientifically proven to slow the spread of virus transmission in the air when vaporized. The EO compounds were often 96-99% effective at decreasing the infectivity of the virus and decreased the units of virus present in the air. These studies showed the compounds were effective against H1N1 and other coronavirus - SARs. There are not any studies that show its efficacy against this strain of coronavirus that is causing COVID19, however I think it's likely they have some impact due to this previous research.

The top EOs that decrease viral infectivity up to 99% in the air & links to the research articles:
1. Cinnamon EO. Link 1, Link 2
2. Orange EO. Link
3. Clove EO. Link
4. Eucalyptus EO: Link
4. Tea Tree & Cajaput EO: Link
Link to review article that contains these research articles. 

Contrary to common belief, certain EOs exhibit demonstrable impact against viruses and bacteria. The amount to which when vaporized is lower than applied 65% ethyl alcohol and synthetic compounds such as in antibiotics in cleaning solutions but their low-toxicity and natural origin make them a considerable alternative or addition to cleanliness protocols already in place. Keep your air safe - This is shown to work and causes little to no harm!

I use Now! brand found at Sprouts but you can find many different sources online that can be shipped to you. I needed my office vaporized with these EOs to protect my patients ASAP so I bought my whole set at Sprouts. Vaporize the oil by getting a diffuser. It can be as simple and low tech as a soap stone and tea light candle one or an electric model.  Put water in the basin and add one droplet each of Cinnamon, Orange & Clove EO into the water. Then light the candle or plug it in. Voila! You are helping to keep your air space clear of transmitting viruses among other bacteria as well. Bonus is that it smells like the holidays!  There are other EOs that are effective against the spread of viruses but these were the top ones I found. I also bought Eucalyptus EO and have a separate diffuser with one drop of that plus one drop of Tea Tree. 

List of other ANTI VIRALS in the body when ingested:
GARLIC (+ PARSLEY) 
GINGER
PEPPERMINT (LEAF) 
HOLY BASIL EXTRACT - VEG CAPS
GINSENG EXTRACT
ELDERBERRY 
OREGANO OIL 
LICORICE ROOT
FENNEL SEED
CAT'S CLAW BARK
LEMON BALM
ASTRAGALUS

 Note: Please do your research to make sure which oral anti-viral will be best for you. These are all natural however check them to make sure they don't interfere with any medication you are currently taking. It is important for your maximum benefit and safety.

The immune system is commonly known as these organs in the image on the left. Cutting edge research has been filling in key players that have been missing to what we previously knew to be the immune system. It is called The Nervous system - Gut - Immune system triad. The image above depicts the connection. This is how chiropractic adjustments (nervous system input) supports the immune system. Research has shown chiropractic adjustments to the spine  increase IL-2, T-Cell, and  CD4+ counts. 

It also explains why what we eat impacts the immune system. Now we know that 75% of the immune system is located in the gut lining because it is the first line of defense between the outside world and our inner world - Food & Drink. If the gut lining is inflamed or damaged due to what we eat/drink/take as medication or because we are under chronic stress, it will impact the efficacy of the immune system. Please see my previous blog on how to Decrease Gut/Overall Inflammation through diet! The immune system in the gut lining is in direct relationship with the essential microbes in the gut - the gut microbiome.

THE AGE OF GERMAPHOBIA IS OVER. The "Germ theory" was hypothesized at the turn of the 1900s, when we first discovered microbes. Then came the time of sterilization of humans and pasteurization of food. However, the paradigm is changing now with the understanding of the human microbiome - showing that we are the home to 3x the amount of MICROBES/GERMS inside our bodies and on our skin than we have Human cells! We are a living ecosystem. What we have learned is that germs are NOT BAD. What's more important is that certain germs need to be in certain places. So, yes, there are germs everywhere, but that isn't necessarily bad. Sure, washing hands and keeping surfaces clean is good, but complete sterilization of germs is just not necessary. This is why there is such great danger in over-prescribing antibiotics (aka anti-microbe medication) to patients. Antibiotics wipe out ALL microbes, not just the ones we are targeting if we have an infection. This is also why we usually have constipation/diarrhea or even fall ill after taking a round of antibiotics. The damage to the microbiome in the gut lining hurts our digestion, immune system and even our nervous systems because they are all connected. If we shouldn't take antibiotics, what then should we do? A post to come about this soon!

HOW TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM:
1. NERVOUS SYSTEM CARE - GET ADJUSTED, Maintain GREAT posture/ergonomics
2. Sleep
3. Hydrate - coffee, sodas and sugary drinks do not count. Drink 1/2 of your weight in ounces. (130 lbs = 75oz water/day)
4. Don't stress - Meditate, go for nature walks, DANCE, listen to music
5. Exercise - Gets lymph and fluids moving through body. Turns over old cells to encourage healthy new ones
6. Eat anti-inflammatory - see my blog post 
7. Eat Vitamins A, B, C, E & Zinc. Google which foods have these
8. Vaginal births & Breast feed babies - both boost baby immune systems
9. Hugs & Dirt - The era of germaphobia is OVER. We need germs We just need the right germs in the right places.

As my son says, "COMMIT!"
Commit to your health and future. We are a team! Find the challenge in the link above. You can add your name to a column to keep yourself accountable. Link is viewable by anyone with it.

30 Day Push-Up and Squat Challenge