Bone Up!!

I've got a bone to pick with current management of osteoporosis! It's always a drug with medicine. For some reason, when you suggest something other than a drug or surgery for problems it's seen as primitive or un-sophisticated. Either that or the medics think that it's just too hard for someone to do. 

OK so drink milk right! Wrong. Large scale studies have shown that milk slightly increases osteoporosis! WOW, and how long did milk producers feed us that! It's white and looks like bone but it has omega 6 which increases bone resorption. Omega 3 on the other hand decreases bone resorption. Yes, fish oils which don't look at all like bone and have no calcium are better for you than milk for your bone density. The best thing in milk is the Vitamin D3 that they add to milk. You are better off just taking your own supplement instead. 

Drugs do a great job making your bone density tests look good but not as good a job actually preventing fractures. Your bones are always being replaced by new strong bone (slower as you get older) and removing old bone. Drugs work by reducing the rate at which your body removes the old bone. In other words, you get a build up of old bone which make the re-test of density look good but does little to prevent fracture risk. The old bone is brittle so it's acutally not great at preventing a fracture. Drugs also (and always) have side effects. Softening of the jaw bone, etc.

Next week I will go over how to prevent bone loss in a natural, effective way. 

Yours in Health, Dr. D., The Wellness Doc

Part 3 of 3: Emotional Stessors

It got darker quicker than you expected, you're in the woods. Now you feel like something is watching you. You whip your flashlight around to see if there's something behind you but nothing there. You start thinking, "I'm being childish, smarten up!" Suddenly a snarl, white eye's and the flash of teeth! Your hair is on end, your heart is thumping and you feel your legs flying under your body. You are running hard. You feel the branches whipping your face until you finally emerge onto the streetlights and finally the road and even houses. Yes! You're safe; out of breath, sweating but safe. 

Chiropractors and neurologists call this a sympathetic nervous system response. It's the fight or flight mechanism that we were born with. It's part of the limbic system in your brain. It's cortisol and adrenalin that shut down blood to the higher reasoning centres of the brain and open up blood to the heart and skeletal muscles so we can run away from the bear in the woods. It kept our ancestors alive when a bear or lion tried to eat them. It gave hunters more power and endurance to capture prey.

These days we don't get chased by lions and we don't do a lot of hunting with spears. However, we still get this kind of stress when we think we might get fired, when your computer does not work or your spouse and you are not getting along. Instead of an occasional lion it's constant mosquito's of life giving us the same fight or flight stress. The problem is that we are not running off that cortisol and nervous energy. The stress therefore stores in our nervous system and causes brain and spinal problems. Remember, if your higher reasoning centres are deprived of blood because your under stress all the time it's even more difficult to get out of those stess cycles.

One of the goals of our office is to not only release those stores of nervous system stress but also to help you get out of those cycles. We adjust the spine for the physical and also the attitude for the brain. Be grateful, get exercise and get adjusted regularly. Stress will always be there, it's our method of coping with it that counts. 

Put another way, it's not our situation that determines our outcomes how we react to that situation.

All the best, Dr. D.

Part 2 of 3: Physical Stressors

Genetics change over thousands of years. We adapt from generation to generation to our environment. The strong survive and reproduce. The weak have died before reproducing. It all goes back to Darwin and his book "Evolution of the Species". Obviously, our ancestors of the last several thousand years lived very differently than we do and adapted to the environment along the way over thousands of years. 

In the last couple hundred years our lifestyles have changed dramtically but our genetics have not caught up to the change (not even close). We are not designed to sit in front of computers, do such repetitive activities, and eat so many empty calories. That's the prime reason we are seeing the rise of so many chronic diseases. Keep in mind that the increased longevity we see in our population is largely due to decreased infant mortality as that makes the average lifespan increase. It's not due to the miracles of modern medicine as is often cited in the media but mostly attributed to simple hygine, i.e. hand washing.

So there are the dramatic causes of subluxation such as falls, car accidents and lifting incorrectly but this represents a mere fraction of the causes of subluxation. A vast majority of subluxations come from the stress of not living according to our genetics. We stress our bodies when we eat processed foods, sit for prolonged periods and do not exercise away our stress hormones.

What can you do? 

1. Move it, every day as if you are foraging for food or trying to catch it! 

2. Eat whole food. I'll make this simple; if it has a fine print label it's probably not a whole food. 

Yours in health, Dr. D.

(July22.2016)

Part 1 of 3: Food Stressors

1. High fructose corn syrup (HFC's), found in pop and lots of sweet processed foods. eg. BBQ sauce

2. Hydrogenated fats

3. Trans fats

4. MSG or anything with hydrolyzed...protein. It's a tricky way of hiding MSG

5. Aspartame

6. Food additives and colours

Some examples are fried foods like donuts, chips and white flour (the only grains should be whole oats or wild rice) sprayed early harvested fruit and vegtables, smoked or cured meat, farmed fish and pork fat. 

Avoid using non-stick pans, use stainless steel or cast iron. Too high of temperature frying with oils (see further down this page for the topic), gently steam vegtables or eat them raw. Avoid burning or at least cut off burnt parts of cooked meat (esp. chicken). 

Yours in Health, Dr. D.

(July 11, 2016)

Three Stressors that cause Subluxation

First of all, a subluxation is when a joint in the spine is not moving properly and effects the nerve that is exiting between the spinal bones. That's the basic way movement can effect nerve function. The bones of your back are like an armour for the very delicate nerves that exit between them. When the bones don't move properly they can irritate the nerves. A properly function nervous system is critical for health. Any type of stress can cause subluxations in the spine. The subluxation, in turn, causes health problems. That's one of the links between the stressor and the disease.

The three stessors are environmental stress, emotional stress and physical stress. Some common environmental stessors to avoid are:

Household: 

-vinyl (siding and windows)-chemical based paints
-perfumes/hair products

-antibacterial soap

-carpet

-particle board

-attached garages

-poor ventilation

-chemical deodorizers/cleaners

-pesticides/herbicides

-plastic food containers

-fire retradants

-tracking chemicals into your house on your shoes

Next week we'll talk about some better choices for your diet.

Yours in Health, Dr. D.

(June 30, 2016)

Why Do I have to Keep Coming Back?

I get asked that question a lot and the answer is... that you don't.
When you get a joint in the spine moving it's good for you. Just like eating right and exercising are good for you, keeping joints moving is good for you too. But why does it take so long? Why should I get adjusted when I feel fine? Here's a few reasons why it takes some work to get them going:

1. Joints in the spine have often been stuck for years by the time they are found by a chiropractic assessment and/or X-rays.

2. Nerves, ligaments, tendons and muscles have a memory of the stuck position and try to go back to that "default" position.

3. Stress, Stress, Stress.
Physical stress, like sitting too much. 
Emotional stress.


Environmental stress such as poor diet or pollution. 
These three types of stressors are all processed by our nervous system and our body becomes overwhelmed by it all.

The first two points above explain why, just like straightening teeth with braces, it takes time to make the change. Third, if you're alive, you have some degree of stress. 
If you can manage the effects of stress you will be better off today and especially in the future.

Be Healthy! 
Dr. D.

(April 21,2016)

My Spine Feels Fine, Why Does my Chiropractor want me to come Back?

There are some key things to understand about the spine that will clarify this.

The spinal joints are special for a number of reasons:
#1. There are nerves that lay right beside those joints in your spine. If the joint is not moving properly it swells and irritates the nerve. 
#2. You cannot isolate a spinal joint and move it on your own. For example: you can move your elbow and know for sure if it's not moving properly, but you cannot tell if one of your spinal joints are not moving. Just like you can't target your 11th thoracic vertebrae with any yoga move or stretch. It requires the specialized assesment of a chiroprator to detect these stuck segments (fixations) and to correct them. 
#3. You won't be able to feel if there is a stuck segment or nerve irritation. A lot of those nerves are notnerves you can feel. You only feel 1/9 of your nerves so there is only about an 11% chance you will feelthe nerve irritation.

Like any joint, if it's not moving properly for a long time it will get arthritis. This is irreversable and can further irritate the spinal nerves. For anything that is not reversable the only answer is prevention. Proactive care has been shown to be far superior to reactive care. What we call "Wellness Care" is a proactive appraoch. Continually reaching for a higher state of health is a sure way to stay healthy. 
Make time for a little health now otherwise you will be forced to make a lot of time for disease later.

Yours in Health,
Dr. D.

(March 30, 2016)

Good Carbs Bad Carbs

I talk a lot about carbohydrates. There's good reason. It's because carbs in the form of starch is major contributor to diabetes. How can you tell if the product has a lot of starch? It's pretty simple math if you read labels. A great example is Corn Flakes. Per portion it has 24 grams of carbs (similar to a portion of stone cut oats). The Dietary fiber is 1 gram and the sugar is 3 grams. The ratio of fiber to starch is therefore 24:1. That's a problem because there is way more nutrient poor starch than the nutrient rich and filling fiber. If you eat a whole grain cereal with the same amount of carbs but with 14 grams of fiber you are better than a 2:1 ratio. Similar items are white rice compared to wild rice. Whole grain flour vs white. Whole grain pasta compared to white. Always aim for a 10:1 ratio. eg. 30 g of carbs needs at least 3 grams of dieatary fiber on the label to be healthy.

The best carbs are still vegtables and fruit but at a minimum if your going to eat grain make it whole grain and avoid potatoes, corn and peas. 

Heathfully Yours, 
Dr. D

2016

Good News for Egg Lovers!

Back on the 70's eggs got a bad rap. Scientists discovered cholesterol in the yolks at high levels and jumped to the conclusions that they must be bad. The myths carry forward even as the the evidence mounts that eggs are good for you. Another study from Sweden recently found that up to six eggs a week are perfectly fine for most people. They are a great source of protein, lutein and many other vitamins.

Some of the previous negative studies on eggs were flawed because they failed to account for what often accompanies a pair of eggs. Things like sausage, bacon and ham. These are not healthy sources of protein because the additives used in the curing process are carcinogenic.

Enjoy a couple eggs with some vegtables in the a.m. and you will be well set up for the day!

Yours in Health, 
Dr. D.

2016

Vegetables are Associated with Weight Gain!

Hold the presses! Send out a news release! This is the type of thing that some media loves to confuse us with. It's true though, some vegetables are associated with weight gain because of their high starch and low fibre. Fibre makes us feel full so if the the food lacks fibre we'll eat more of it. The worst culprit is corn. These days they are putting corn in lots of prcessed food because it's cheap and you can dress it up with salt and flavour enhancers like MSG to make it taste like anything. It's replacing a lot of grains so that they can be called Gluten Free. If you do have to avoid gluten then you may be drawn into lots of corn based products which are not good for you. 

Potatoes are second in being associated with weight gain. The studies on this did not even include chips or fries. It's often a staple in the diets of people I counsel on weight loss. It's a tough habit to break but they are not good for you when eaten too often. I eat them when they are "new" in the late summer. 

Peas are next. Also very starchy. I suggest using them as an ice pack instead.

Vegetables that are associated with weight loss are the ones with lots of fibre such as Kale, broccoli, leafy vegetables and the list goes on. 

Berries had a much higher association with weight loss than fruit. A good way to keep those handy is to have them in your freezer. Defrost in the fridge the night before or microwave them in the morning. They are great with some Greek Yogurt in the morning or as a dessert. Sweeten your oatmeal with them if you wish but make sure you get some protein with those carbs and you will have yourself set up for a great high-energy, yawn-free day!

Warm Regards,
Dr. D.

2016

Get a Head Start on those New Years Resolutions!

I have always felt that when in comes to doing the right thing that every moment is a second chance. If you fail to do the right thing for someone or for yourself don't feel bad about it and label yourself; simply do better next time. Negative self-talk that labels you will propogate the same behavior in the future. Instead say to yourself, "that's not like me to do that, next time I will do better." 

Now is the time to plan to do the right thing! Write down your goals and put it in your calender along with how you're going to do it. Here are some tips:

1. Write it where you'll see it. Above all, write it!

2. Put a three month goal next to the present day action step. eg. "I will be able to run 5 sets of stairs" or "lose 5 lbs" or "do one kind thing for my spouse per day for 90 days" (without making a big deal of it) 

3. Make the action steps doable! A great example would be to implement one idea from this Wellness page per week. Just One!

4. Place a check mark next to each completed action step. 

Start writing now! You've got to plan now if you want it to start on January 1. Now is a good time to start getting a taste of doing the right thing by having a high protein snack before going to a Christmas party. Lingering by the vegetable tray instead of the sweets tray. Having a water before and between alcoholic or sweet beverages. Practise saying, "no thank you, I am full." or "may I have a water instead?"

Have patience with friends and family this year. Instead of the consumerism the internet and other media promotes, focus on the real meaning of Christmas and be grateful for all that you have regardless of life's imperfections. 

Have a Wonderous Christmas Season, 
Dr. Darrell

Low Fat Myth Still Being Propogated by Government Programs

The road to a healthier nation is a challenge when programs like "We Can" by the National Institutes of Health promote misinformation. In their category of "Eat anytime" they have fat free dressing and ketchup! Both are sources of sugar. At the same time they have eggs cooked with fat and whole milk in the same category as candy, chips and soda! It is no wonder people are confused. Always makes me wonder who is funding these guidlines. Please read below for information not funded by anyone. It's not in a box or in a pill, but it's real.

Yours in Health, 
Dr. D.

More Evidence on the Mediterranean-Style Diet

Greece may not have a great economy but thet do have heathier diets. Once again a study has shown that key elements of their diet protect cognition, memory and has protection properties for the prevention of stroke. A large randomized study found that those who were assigned a mediterranean diet kept their cognition intact while those on an american style diet showed decline in cognition. What is a mediteranean diet? Read on...

1. At least two servings of vegetables daily.

2. Three servings of fruit daily.

3.Three servings of legumes per week e.g. beans, lentils, garbanzo beans (hummus!) .

4.Three weekly meals of fish or seafood.

5.Tomato sauce with garlic and herbs with olive oil two times/week. (get sauce from glass jars at Italian Centre or sauce up your own)

6.Wine with dinner.

7.Snack on nuts, use olive oil for everything except very heat cooking. Non-virgin can be heated higher than virgin olive oil.

8. Eliminate processed meat and soda. Eliminate or limit red meat to once per week. Avoid potatoes and other starchy foods. One of the worst combinations is starch with red meat.

Make the above your new normal. Get some new cookbooks in your life that reflect the above choices. You'll feel heathier, stay sharper and be leaner!

Yours in Health,
Dr. D.

More info. on the Benefits of the Bean!

If you love coffee like me here is some more information to keep enjoying guilt free. Lets first point out that coffee means black, not the double double variety! A little milk is fine but don't load it with fat and sugar. A new large study from Korea found that coffee drinkers have cleaner arteries. It improved insulin sensitivity (a good thing) and decreased LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff). Benefits increased with the more people drank however the benefits fell off dramatically and started going the other way when coffee drinkers went over five cups. As always-moderation!

Health to you all, 
Dr. D.

Vitamin K, Cancer and Cardiovascular disease

Amazing new study from The Journal of Nutrition on Vitamin K. Over 7000 participants over five years showed a decrease in cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke) of 48% and 36% decrease in cancer deaths! If there was a drug that tested like this (even with side effects) it would be worth billions! Unfortunately for those poor drug companies they can't patent a naturally occurring substance. Where to get it then? Hail the kale again, also swiss chard, spinach, broccoli and brussel sprouts, mustard greens, turnip greens, kiwi's and the skin of green apples (go organic on that one). 
If you or someone you know has a family history of cancer or CVD, make sure they know about this study. You won't hear about it on TV because it's good news that no one can make money from. Spread the news about K!

Yours in Health, 
Dr. D.

(Feb, 2015)

Hail the Kale!

You can just look at kale and see that it's healthy. Deep dark green leaves that have phytonutrients packed in there not to mention the fibre that can make you feel full and gives the ol' colon a good scrub on it's way through!

But how do you eat it??? It's pretty tough stuff for a salad unless you chop it quite fine. I like to braise it. I tear the leaves off the stem and throw them into a wok with a couple Tbsp. of olive oil and garlic, stir fry it a bit and then add some chicken or vegetable broth, cover it and let it steam. Add some cherry tomatoes at the very end and season with salt and pepper. 
Super easy!

My boys love smoothies! So I will add kale to them. It makes the smoothie simply taste fresh not "Kaley". Throwing a vegetable in a smoothie is awesome because you hardly taste it passed all the berries and other stuff. It just will brighten up the smoothie.

Make kale something you always throw in your grocery cart. It's one of those little things, if done consistently, can make a big difference as the years goes by. Just like getting adjusted regularly! (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Warm Regards, 
Dr. D.

(Jan. 2015)

Prostate Health

Chiropractors like me (the crazy one's you hear about) always have a hard time fitting in when it comes to these awareness campaigns. They urge screening and early detection as prostate "health". Detecting cancer may be how medicine sees health but that's not how I see it. Seeking health is to avoid disease not find it early. I can paraphrase the World Health Organization definition of health as follows, "Health is optimum physical, mental and social function, not merely the absence of disease"
So using their definition (and mine) how do we optimize prostate health?
It's about keeping a healthful body mass index (see below) and you can target certain foods. Below is a list.

• Salmon
• Sesame seeds (epicurious has a great Korean Salmon recipe that has both of these, make it a staple dinner!)
• Pumpkin seeds (snacks)
• Almonds (no no to salted!)
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Ground Flax seeds (from fridge in your morning smoothy)
• Bell Peppers
• Grapefruit
• Avocado
• Green Leafies!
• Onion and garlic

The above foods have things like lycopenes, zinc and omega 3's etc. but wellness never will come in a pill. Eat the food that makes you well, get good at cooking it. It's so easy these days by going to a website like epicurious and typing in the foods you got and it spits out a recipe. eg. Type in "walnut salad" or "red pepper salad" You'll get great ideas!

Keep Being Well, 
Dr.D.

(November 21,2014)

Soda Pop Sabotage

Liquid calories are the easiest way to put on weight. They give no sense of fullness to stop you from eating more calories. The sugar is absorbed very quickly which causes insulin spikes that make one lethargic (slows BMR) and puts your hormones on "store food as fat" mode. 

Even when 0 calorie drinks are consumed by obese or overweight people the appetite hormones are stimulated so that you are more hungry for solid food calories than you otherwise would have been. This hormonal effect is not seen in normal weight people (which is so unfair!). That's why the research can be both ways on this fact. It depends on the type of person being studied.

There's third reason to not drink soda if it's brown in colour (coke, rootbeer, or pepsi). The chemical that gives those soda's their colour is called 4-methylimidazole or 4-Mel. 4-Mel is a carcinogen but you won't find it listed with it's proper chemical name. They affectionately call this carcinogen "Caramel Coloring". That sounds so much nicer doesn't it. 

Alternatives for that fizz abound. There are carbonated waters that taste great on their own or with a twist of lemon or lime. Better yet and better for the environment are products like Soda Stream that allow you to carbonate at home with tap water. Make a change for the better, for you and for the environment.

Personally, I drink tap water poured through a carbon filter and stored in the fridge. Add some ice and a squeeze of lemon for a refreshing, cheap, healthy and good for the environment beverage.

Stay Well, 
Dr. D.

(Feb 27, 2014)

Getting a Great Sleep

The problems with pills are numerous. They get approved for short term use and people take them for years because they don't learn to correct the underlying problems. They have several daytime side effects including dizziness, impaired mental function and poor muscle coordination. Increased chance of fractures and serious falls is the result. There are cases of fatal falls which can be attributed to sleeping pill use.

Here's how to get a good sleep.

1. Get exercise during the day at least four times per week, preferably not right before bed. Ideally with some light exposure.

2. Some people can consume caffeine and still sleep OK but most can not. It's a good idea to avoid it in all forms if you are having trouble falling asleep. Alcohol may help you get to sleep but it's a more fragmented poor quality sleep. Eating before bed is definitely not a good idea. You can curb this habit by having some herbal tea instead.

3. Keep a pencil and paper beside your bed for concerns, worries or to-do lists so you can write them down instead of making sure you remember them for the next day. Get them out of your head and on some paper instead!

4. Stay away from screens at least a half hour before bed. The bedroom is for two things only and one of them is sleep. It's not for watching TV, checking e-mail or making phone calls.

5. Go to bed only when you are feeling sleepy. If you don't fall asleep within 20 mins then get up and do something soothing like reading a book with fairly dim light until you are sleepy again. Do not eat, or look at screens. Herbal tea or warm milk is OK.

6. Visualize a relaxed feeling starting in your toes and slowly moving into your feet then ankles and so on. It should take about 5 mins to move that relaxed feeling into your face, eyes and forehead. Another trick I've used is visualizing slowly walking down a set of stairs. It's a set of ten stairs with hand rail on both sides. The stairs are covered in a white carpet and I watch myself descending down each stair one at a time. If I get to the bottom I drift through to another set of stairs and descend those ones. I'm getting sleepy just thinking about it!!

If you're in a tough cycle of insomnia then making yourself go to bed an hour or two after your desired bedtime can break the habit. Be sure to do relaxing activities such as reading a positive book, meditating/praying, being grateful for all that you have and/or listening to soothing music during the extra wake time then implement the above strategies.

Good Night,
Dr. Darrell

(Feb.11,2014)

The Most Common Problem for Weight Loss is...

Breakfast. It is the bricks and mortar of what you eat for the rest of the day. You have fasted all night during your sleep and your body is waiting for that first sign of food in your blood stream which will determine your cravings and energy level for the entire day. It is the first domino to fall in the right direction or wrong direction. There's a lot of biochemistry here that I love but it boils down to protein.

If you eat too much carbohydrate the roller coaster of blood sugar ups and downs begins. You will crave the wrong foods the rest of the day and your energy level is no where near what it could be (thus you burn less calories too!). 

If you want to change your results you have to change your behavior. Here's what you have to do.

Go to bed 15 minutes earlier then get up 15 minutes earlier. Give yourself TIME to set up your day.

Pull out an egg and perhaps a carton of egg whites and learn to make them delicious. There are so many ways; you can boil them, poach them, combine low fat sour cream with mustard for a healthy hollandaise, scramble them with olive oil, season with herbs and pepper and sprinkle cheese on them, combine with last nights left over vegetables or saute some chard, beet greens, or kale with them. Over easy with some turkey bacon is great too! 

Other options are cottage cheese with fruit and/or berries on top. I like 1% cottage cheese with defrosted wild blue berries or apple and cinnamon on top. Kashi Go Lean Original is OK if you add some sunflower seeds to bump up the protein but if you like your grains in the morning than steel cut oats are the way to go. You still need protein with it though such as 1% Milk or Greek Yogurt (not Greek "Style" yogurt). 

Plain Greek yogurt with Berries and/or nuts is fantastic and really easy. There are so many options for protein. Simply do not buy those boxes of cereal. They are destroying your metabolism for the entire day!

Yours in Health, 
Dr. D.

(Jan 21, 2014)

Chocolate Bars are Good for You!?

Ahhh the cocoa bean, I do love chocolate. My Swiss neighbor west of Edmonton has a beautiful little square log chocolate shop. It's a busy place this time of year and Peter needs our orders in early or the neighborly advantage won't help and we would be without! Peter Johner buys the best Swiss chocolate and crafts it with love into amazing creations. There is a problem though and it's not the squirrels; it's the calories! Sugar can ruin the benefits of chocolate.

Here's a list of calories associated with different forms of chocolate based on the amount of flavonals you need to get the benfits of chocolate. To get 200 mg of flavanols the calories consumed for each of the following are:

Milk Chocolate 1,580 calories

Chocolate syrup 840 calories

Dark Chocolate (70%) 320 calories

Semi-sweet chips 200 calories

Baking chocolate 70 calories

Cocoa Powder(1 3/4 Tbls) 20 calories

As you can see, the very minimum % is the Dark Chocolate (thank goodness) and even then one has to limit the consumption to about 60 grams otherwise the calories get up there fast. Milk chocolate does not cut it at all as the calorie count is way too high to get the benefits from it. My title up there was just to get your attention, chocolate bars are not good for you!

Another important note is that if the cocoa is processed with alkali, dutch process, or sodium carbonate then there are almost no benficial flavanols even if the chocolate is dark (sorry Starbucks).

The best way is clearly the cocoa powder so it's a great way to make a mocca latte however, I will enjoy my dark chocolate almond bark from Peter. I will do so in place of a cookie or other such flour, butter and sugar based Christmas treat and I will attempt to do so in moderation.

Have a Wonderful Christmas, Dr. Darrell

(Dec. 17, 2013)

Vitamin K and it's Bone Building and Cardiac Effects

A health seeking client of mine recently mentioned the bone building impact of Vitamin K. I was not familiar with this Vitamin other than with it's role in blood clotting.

MD's used to inject K3 to newborns to prevent hemolysis but it had side effects too often such as liver damage, brain damage and hemolysis. They now use K1 which is the type used for supplementing adults as well. It is found in foods such as broccoli, collards, spinach, and good 'ol brussels sprouts. K1 can be converted by your amazing body to K2 but it may be a bit slow in some cases so some food sources of K2 is a good idea.

K2 is the type for bone strength and preventing atherosclerosis. It is found in chicken, beef, pork, cheese and eggs. Scroll down for good sources of calcium, supplement Vitamin D and perhaps magnesium and now all you need is the weight bearing exercise. Higher impact activity is essential to build bone. Just eating calcium and sitting on the couch will not do it. It would be like an elite athlete injecting steroids and not exercising; the individual would not get strong, they would get fat!

For various biochemical reasons; following antibiotic use it is especially important to eat K1 rich foods and I always recommend some probiotic supplementation to get the gut flora back in correct balance. 

As always, knowing the "Why" behind eating various foods can help us make good choices when we drive past the fast food and make the best choices in the food store. 

Stay Well, 
Dr. D.

(Nov. 14,2013)

The Fabulous Five to Keep Your Brain Young!

Combining research articles from the American Journal of Neuroradiology, British Medical Journal and the Journal of Alzeimers Disease I have come up with the five best ways to preserve memory and cognition.

#1. Mediterranean diet (see below)

#2. Get rid of chronic pain. Even if it's just a little nagging pain it is harmful to your brain. Any loss of function whether it causes conscious pain or unconscious pain that is below your level of perception causes a loss of positive input to a part of your brain called the Vermis. The Vermis is like the rechargeable batteries in your brain and they get recharged from perceiving movement even if the movement perceived is not conscious (such as most spinal movement). Most movement perception is from the spine and is unconscious so you can't feel it like you can feel if your leg is up or down. That's why it's so important to have the function checked by a chiropractor regularly. Also, poor function has an energy draining effect on the Vermis. Optimize function to keep your battery charged!

#3. Keep Active. Goes hand in hand with #2. Perceiving movement gives the Vermis a burst of positive input. There is also a flood of positive hormones and blood flow. Four days per week is the minimum, thirty minutes each time at a level that makes it possible - but difficult to carry a conversation.

#4. Learn something new! Be that gal who plays the guitar by the fire or take up the piano. Learning a new language is another way to flex your brain. Puzzles, cards, chess are other ways to stimulate your brain to stay young.

#5. Be social. It's more difficult when you retire because one loses the workplace interaction. There are great books on retiring well if retiring is a priority for you. If you can, do some part time work instead that involves positive interaction. Volunteering is great way to do this, helping other people will help you too!

Make it a Great Day! 
Dr. D.

(Oct 29, 2013)

Why Greek Yogurt?

Lots of products are using the term "Greek" when describing their product. It may be because magazine articles are talking about celebs eating it as a healthy snack. It is, of course, being incorrectly used in most cases. The most comical one I saw lately in the grocery store was a breakfast cereal claiming to have Greek yogurt in it. As far as I could tell from the ingredients they threw a dash of protein powder in and called it Greek. That does not cut it guys!

Real Greek yogurt is superior to other yogurts because it has double the protein. Also, Greek yogurts that are 0% fat often have a rich creamy texture which is quite satisfying. 

I like brands such as Liberte, Danone Oikos and Logo (organic versions). I would choose 0% to 2% (see below for the benefits of organic milk fat) but when it comes to the full fat for a treat make sure you keep the portion size to a couple tablespoons, use a small spoon and eat it slow!

Pair an organic 2% plain yogurt with some berries in the morning and you've got a great start to your day.

Enjoy!!
Dr. Darrell

(Oct 1, 2013)

Eat the Fat and lose the Weight!

I have never enjoyed eating anything that is low fat. I've always bought food that was, what I call, full fat dairy. I don't drink milk but I do enjoy cheese,cottage cheese, sour cream (occasionally), and Greek yogurt. 

Recent research has shed some light on which type of dairy is best. Dairy can be great source of protein and if you eat organic dairy it can be a great source of FAT. That's right a great source of fat!

It's a healthy fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). It's and antioxidant (slows aging), it can help prevent colorectal cancer, boost the immune system and decrease atherosclerosis (prevent heart disease). 

Go Organic when it comes to dairy. The USDA found that cows that were pasture raised had five times more CLA in their milk than grain fed cows!

Don't go overboard. The calories can add up quickly. The good news is that when you eat higher fat dairy you will get the normal satiety signals from your brain. In other words you will feel satisfied when you are supposed to. If you drink milk, I would suggest 2%. If it's cottage cheese go for 1-2%. Yogurt 2% but for a treat you could have a small amount of full fat for a dessert and feel like there was a healthy edge to that treat. 

Enjoy Life! Dr. D.

(Sept 15, 2013)

Heavy Metal Fish

I talk a lot about eating fish but there are many factors to consider in which fish you eat. There are environmental, omega 3 fat amounts and heavy metal amounts that should factor in on your decision. I will make this simple and list which ones are bad from a sustainability perspective, then those that have high mercury and then those that are the best from an Omega 3 perspective that are not on the other two lists.

Poor Sustainability: Chilean Sea Bass, Atlantic Cod, Crayfish from China, Atlantic Halibut, Mahi Mahi, Orange Roughy, Farmed Salmon, Shark, Imported Shrimp, Swordfish, Tuna

High in Mercury: Chilean Sea Bass*, Grouper, Mackerel, Orange Roughy*, Shark*, Sword Fish*, Tuna*

* denotes a double black list

Best in Omega 3: Anchovy, Herring, Sable fish, Wild Salmon,
Moderate in Omega 3: Arctic Char, Black Sea Bass, Striped Bass, Trout

I have read that some studies have shown only moderate levels of mercury in canned Tuna but those particular studies were funded by the people who sell canned Tuna! Strange how where the funding comes from seems to change the results! So depending on your priorities choose some fish and eat them three times/week for healthy choice.

Warm Regards to all, Dr. Darrell

(August 22, 2013)

Mediterranean Diet Cuts Heart Risk 30%

It's official and not likely to be overturned by next years study, the Mediterranean diet is a life saver! The study, being written for the New England Journal of Medicine, was even cut short because it seemed unethical to withhold the findings from the half of the participants that were eating a Western-Style diet. Usually, in the case of drug studies, they stop studies early when the participants taking a new drug are dying at a high rate! This study, showed significantly reduced heart related deaths by eating the right food. How do you eat like a Mediterranean?

From the study (and my notes in brackets):

-minimum two servings of Vegetables and a salad (use an olive oil based dressing on it)

-minimum three servings of fruit (mango, organic apple, cantaloupe would be my top three)

-minimum three/week servings of legumes (I like cut vegetables dipped in hummus but there's lots a great legumes)

-minimum three/week seafood (salmon is great but make sure it's wild, tuna occasionally but it's heavy on the metals so not if you're pregnant)

-tomato garlic sauces, simmered in olive oil (you could put this on a brown rice pasta which would give you a healthy whole grain fix instead of white flour based pasta's

-if you drink wine (and I sure do) have a glass or two with dinner to help celebrate every day.

There are great books on eating Mediterranean. You don't have to throw out all your old food, simply never ever buy it again. Just purchase the stuff in the med-diet cook book and buy a basil plant for your window and enjoy!

Yours in Health, Dr. D.

 (June 18, 2013)

The Deal on D

Whenever possible I always recommend food instead of supplements. It's pretty tough with Vitamin D though. At our latitude we can't get enough from the sun even if we get a sunburn trying. We have the wrong wave length of light up here to convert chemicals in our skin to Vitamin D3 and unless you eat catfish, salmon, sardines, tuna, 5 cups of milk, or 10 eggs every day you are not getting enough.

We live in times where people certain genes evolved for a certain set of environmental conditions are living in varying conditions. Inuit people traditionally ate livers and sea animals that provide Vitamin D and their requirements nutritionally evolved for their environment. Everyone has different requirements because of our mixed genes. A good clue to what your requirements are is to look at your family history. If heart disease is a problem in your family you should focus on heart healthy activities, weight, and foods that do not contribute cholesterol.

When it comes to Vitamin D we simply don't get enough food sources so it's an easy one to recommend as a supplement and it's easy to get the dropper bottle out to put a 1000 IU's on your cereal in the morning. Go to a reputable supplement store and make sure it's D "3" and don't take it with a multivitamin as it binds to other vitamins and will not get absorbed. We'll see what the research tells us down the road on the benefits as several trials are underway. Toxicity levels are 4000 and above so there's no apparent risk in adding it to our diet in modest amounts.

Your's in Health, Dr. D.

Multi-Grain Myths

I am hard on wheat because in our culture we tend to eat way too much of it, especially refined wheat (white flour). I often ask patients if they eat whole grains and they often answer, "For sure, I only eat multigrain or brown bread". That's what really gets me hot under the collar, not at my patient but at the marketers of bread. People are really trying to do the right thing for their body and the companies are tricking them into thinking they are. As usual you have to read the fine print to get the truth. Only about 10% of products that have "Whole Grain" in their large print actually have it in their small print too!

Why is it so brown? They colour it with molasses and put a sprinkle of whole grain in the white flour so they can claim on the front "Whole Grain!" That's crazy isn't it!?? I personally find it completely unethical. The customer takes it home eats it and thinks, "this good for me and it tastes good, I will buy this again". Problem is, it's not good for her. It's missing the bran and the germ (seed). The bran makes it filling and slow to digest and the germ has all the nutrients of a "whole grain". These are the items that help prevent obesity, diabetes, chronic inflammation and heart disease. 

So how can you be sure your getting Whole Grains. You have to get the magnifying glass out and read. The first ingredient has to have the word "whole" in front of whatever grain it is. Also look at the second ingredient because you want to see that, if there's a second grain, it is also "whole". Don't get tricked by words like "enriched", "unbleached", "durum", "cracked", "organic", or "bran". These are not healthy alternatives to whole grains.

Personally, I buy black rye bread. There are different types so you can experiment. Once your palate gets used to whole grains you'll never go back. Then you can enjoy all the other health benefits that go along with it.

Keep Having Fun, Dr. Darrell

 (April 9, 2013)

Cooking Oils, which to Heat which to Eat

One of our topics this month at the clinic is which fats are good for you and which are bad. The topic has stimulated a lot of questions about which ones to cook with as well. 

The best for cooking at high heat is Canola because it is relatively stable at high temps. Peanut and sunflower oil is OK at high heat but is not as unsaturated as canola oil. If your cooking at low or medium heat than olive oil is best. I use olive oil as much as I can but I'm careful not to get it smoking. If you get it smoking, start over. Sometimes you may not want that olive oil taste (I can't imagine why but...) so some other oils can be used for medium heat such as canola oil, almond oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, corn oil, and grapeseed oil. Flax seed oil must not be heated and should be stored in the refrigerator but is fantastic on steamed vegetables in place of butter.
My favourite place to purchase Olive Oil is at Evoolution on 101 Avenue and 104 Street.

Coconut oil seems to be the new thing these days but I have not read anything to suggest it's more than a fad. It's pretty high in saturated fat so I would use it sparingly. 

Next time I'll talk about the differences in olive oil, extra virgin, virgin, refined, and light.

Remember, every moment is a second chance to make the right choice! 

Dr. Darrell

(March 14, 2013)