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Dr. Will’s Words on Supplements!
As your family chiropractor, not only is it important that you understand the relevance of chiropractic adjustments, but how important and valuable proper nutrition and supplementation is as well.That is why choosing the most essential and highest quality supplements and making them available to my practice members is so important…and why the decision to choose the right company was so difficult.With that said, after doing my own research and using the products on my family and self, I feel confident that I chose a company no other can touch.
1. OPC
In today’s world we face many obstacles in our health, toxicity being the most critical.Toxicity comes in many forms, from poor nutrition and food quality to environmental pollution and prescription drugs.These all affect the body in virtually the same way – by producing irritation and inflammation.We know that these toxins commonly affect our physiology in two ways: by creating oxidative stress and free radical damage.Not only are these negative processes responsible for early aging, but they contribute to the increasing incidence of chronic disease.
Unfortunately, avoiding stressors is just not realistic these days. However, living the chiropractic lifestyle dramatically reduces our exposure to them and at the same time increases our ability to adapt to them.With that said, OPC (Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins) is one of the greatest allies we have when it comes to fighting free radicals, as well.OPC is the most potent antioxidant out there.These antioxidants are found in grape seeds, red wine and the bark of French maritime pine trees that are more powerful than vitamins C and E.They boost immunity, protect against complications of diabetes, ease allergy symptoms, increase blood circulation, increase learning ability and memory retention (which is why they are so essential for spectrum disorders), decreases inflammation and restores joint flexibility, decreases stress, decreases risk of cataracts, keeps skin smooth and youthful looking, etc., etc.Need I go on?But the bottom line is if you want to live better longer….include OPC in your diet daily.
2. Fish Oil/Omega-3 fatty acid
Because fish oil or specifically Omega-3 fatty acids, is so commonly known and scientifically supported to be essential to health, brain development and well-being, it is a “no brainer” that this supplement is an absolute necessity.
Our brain is more than 60% fat, just as our muscles are made of protein and our bones are made of calcium.But it’s not just any fat that our brains are made of.It has to be certain types of fats, and we no longer eat these types of fats like we used to.Worse, when we eat man-made trans-fats and excessive amounts of saturated fats and vegetable oils high in Omega-6 fatty acids, these fats actually interfere with our body’s attempt to utilize the tiny amount of Omega-3 fats that the body gets.In fact, Omega-3 deficiencies have been tied to many conditions, including the following: allergies, arthritis, cancer, depression, diabetes, dyslexia, eczema, heart disease, inflammatory diseases, memory problems, weight gain and violence. The ideal fatty acid ratio should range from between 2:1 and 1:1 omega 6: omega 3. However, the modern diet is estimated to be between 15:1 and 22:1! This imbalance has serious health implications.
So…what is one to do?Easy, if you’re not taking a fish oil supplement yet, START TODAY!If you are just starting, I highly recommend the Innate Choice Omega Sufficiency supplement.Whenever a popular brand comes to market many companies will come up with cheaper, lesser quality products and market it under the same claims.Nowhere is this more apparent than with fish oils.Fortunately, most are aware of the benefits, however, few know of the vast difference between supplements.
Innate Choice is the “biggest fish in the pond” when it comes to fish oil supplementation.From start to finish they deliver the highest quality and most effective product.Their sources are the best; cold water fish, anchovies, herring and sardines.Their extraction and distillation processes are top of the line and they create a product that is most importantly safe AND effective.Another great quality is that they don’t alter the natural composition of the fatty acids.They are kept in the NATURAL TRICLYCERIDE form, unlike most fish oil supplements sold at stores that are in the ethyl ester form, and are organically filtered and triple purified which then are immediately infused with natural antioxidants.
A good fish oil supplement shouldn’t only consist of Omega-3’s.Omega-6 fatty acids have health benefits too, but only in the proper ratio, as I explained previously.You also need to take into consideration the multiple types of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically EPA and DHA.DHA is vital for brain function, so much that there are baby foods with DHA added to them now. The problem with these products though, is they still contain huge amounts of corn syrup and other unhealthy ingredients.This is why it is so important mother’s breast feed (if they are not deficient) because breast milk is loaded with DHA for the developing brain and nervous system of the child.
I would love to be able to tell you to just eat more fish but our fish today is so contaminated with heavy metals and toxins such as dioxins and mercury that it would be unsafe to get the sufficient amounts of omega-3 from them.Therefore, it is absolutely crucial that you supplement your healthy diet each and every day with Innate Choice Omega Fish Oil.
3. Vitamin D
Unless you are getting your required 15-20 minutes of direct sunlight every day you will almost be certainly deficient in vitamin D.You cannot, nor were meant, to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from food.We were designed to get it from sunlight.However, living in WI where sun is limited to only 6-7 months out of the year it is impossible to get recommended amount without supplementing.
Read this quote from a recent study, “A meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials has found that supplemental vitamin D significantly reduces mortality from all causes.”In other words…..IT HELPS YOU LIVE LONGER!The most likely reason for reducing mortality is because Vitamin D influences over 2,000 genes.This is significant because you have 30,000 genes in all.Having such an influential factor on overall health and well-being is huge.
Vitamin D deficiency is actually linked to seasonal flus and colds, cancer, heart disease, asthma, allergies, and autoimmune disorders such as diabetes.Need I say more?
4. Probiotics/Digestive Enzymes
In this day in age, we have been taught that germs are bad and the root of all illness.Because of this, we now live in an anti-biotic and anti-bacterial world.Everything from hand soap to bedding to cattle feed is laced with antibiotics.Some kids can’t even walk into the store without them; even the shopping carts are being “typhooned” with antibacterial wipes, sprays, and soaps!
What’s the real result of all this?Poor health.The truth is “The Germ Theory” along with poor nutrition is likely the biggest cause of our horrible health today.This is why probiotics are so crucial to our everyday diet.They combine nutritional and digestive health with immune health.Reality is that we do not get healthier by avoiding germs.In fact, “germs” are more numerous in our bodies than any other type of cell….and we have trillions of cells in our bodies!
Probiotics, or “good” bacteria, are responsible for a multitude of health-promoting actions in our body.Their main actions are really two fold.First, they help us breakdown, absorb and utilize the foods we eat.Secondly, they are actually one of our best defenses against “bad” germs that we ingest.Without probiotics we cannot properly digest our food or support our immune system.A deficiency in probiotics can be linked to everything from acid reflux, ADHD, allergies and asthma.And that is just the A’s!
Because we kill a lot of our probiotic bacteria with poor nutrition, prescription drugs, stress, antibiotics, etc., we need to “restock” it.Unfortunately, it is not possible to become sufficient in the correct amount of probiotic bacteria by consuming dairy (i.e. yogurt) or goat’s milk, soy, wheat or corn because of the change in the manufacturing and agricultural methods of food.This is why, once again, supplementation is so crucial.
5. Multivitamin (with or without Iron)
For the longest time I had been very adamant about recommending a multivitamin to my practice members.I assumed that through teaching and advice, nutritional sufficiency could be met through dietary changes and improvements in cooking.After some time, I came to realize that eating the “perfect” diet day in and day out is a mighty task.And even those who get close to this goal may still not be doing quite enough.
The reality is that it is impossible to eat a totally pure and sufficient diet in the industrialized world we now live and breathe in.Modern day agriculture and farming practices have changed dramatically, greatly reducing the nutritional quality and content of our food.Most farmers today use genetically-modified crops, pesticides, herbicides, larvacides, and more.Soils are nutrient depleted and so is our produce, even the organic.Even our meat sources are devoid of quality, particularly, polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Most of us do not have the time or desire to eat the amount of raw vegetables required to match the vitamin, mineral, and fiber content of the diets of our ancestors.Even though we may be eating the “right foods” in our diet, what we get out of them today is not the same as it was just a few generations ago.The reality is that supplementation of a multivitamin is now a requirement in order to achieve the nutrient and fiber levels that our cells require.While every Walgreen’s and Walmart has many brands of cheap multivitamins (and any vitamin of your choice for that matter) on its shelves, the truth is they are very hard to digest and once (and if) they finally are, the vitamins and minerals are no longer available for the body to use.No matter if you are looking to regain or maintain health, you can’t go wrong incorporating a multivitamin into your daily diet.
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