Maybe heart disease is not the #1 health risk?

I'm going to make a bold statement here. Some of you won't like it and will stop reading immediately, but a few of you will be curious as to what I could possibly mean and you will hear me out. Please let me just say in advance: Thank you.

"We can be and do and have whatever we want in our lives." We teach this to our children  and our parents taught it to us. But somehow as we have lived life in its beauty of ups and downs we have forgotten this truth. We can be and do and have whatever we want and that includes amazing health and wellness.

The CDC states CV disease is the # 1 health threat. I am going to be controversial here and state that that's not the complete picture. In my opinion dis-stress is what we need to avoid at all costs. If you think about what's actually happening inside the body, you too may come around to my way of thinking... ( but if you don't it's ok! I'm not going to stress over that! ;) 

I know you probably have heard of cortisol: you know that hormone that your body produces in response to stress? Most people think cortisol is the enemy and if we could only stop producing it we'd be a ok! We'll hold your horses dear one! There is more to this story. 

We do need cortisol! You know how when you are running away from those tigers and and other such predators? Cortisol does a wonderful thing: it shuts down non essential services like digestion, immune functions, and growth and repair and focuses our bodies resources on the body parts most needed in that moment, for example : energy to the legs to get out of there.

Having outrun the tiger, cortisol is quickly removed from the system and normal functions return. Yay cortisol! 

Well ok -in addition to this being an oversimplification of things, it is also true that in our lives with our lifestyles things don't tend to go as planned.  In our modern lives the stressful scenario is probably not a predator in the actual sense of the word, but more likely something we are worrying about at home, at work, with our families... You get the picture. We trigger our stress response but never seem to turn it off like we used to once tiger was no longer in the picture. 

Cortisol constantly bombarding our systems has a negative effect on growth and repair, on our immune system on inflammation and on our digestive systems. It's no wonder that some statistics show as many as 50% of Americans suffering from chronic pain, more and more people are being diagnosed with tummy trouble (IBS is more prevalent now than ever before!) And it's no wonder that we just don't seem to recover from little ailments the way we once used to.

If this speaks to you or someone close to you, don't despair. You are not alone. Most of us, myself at the front of the line on this, let stress get the best of us. I believe though that if we can manage our stress better and can allow our bodies to reset the way they very well know how to, then the amazing health we are reaching for will be more easily attained. 

As always these articles are for general information. Do talk to your healthcare provider before starting any health or wellness regimen. If we can be of service in any way please do call us in office, we are happy to help.

Regards in health,

Dr Shepherd

Preventing Alzheimer's Disease

I'm not sure if the prevalence of Alzheimer's is increasing or if it is just that I'm seeing more patients whose lives are being touched by this so very sad condition. Whatever the case is, I felt moved to write a little bit about Alzheimer's from a nutritional perspective.

Here are some dietary do's and dont's that may be key in helping prevent Alzheimer's disease:

1) Supplements: Some nutrients are very important for the healthy function of the nervous system. B Vitamins, magnesium and unsaturated fatty acids appear to significantly aid in the health of the nervous system. Some studies show that antioxidants, Vitamin E and choline are also essential.

2) Avoid: Sugar, additives, preservatives, aluminium  (eg aluminium cooking utensils, cans, etc.,) alcoholic beverages and cured cheeses may also be on the don't list!

3) Eat these: Green leafy vegetables (e.g. watercress and lettuce,) brewer's yeast, nuts like cashews, pine nuts, almonds and brazil nuts and oatmeal.

As always when starting any health program, please do consult your healthcare provider. If you have questions or concerns do call us in office we are happy to be of service.

Focus on food: Food to support Cardiovascular Health

Just this week, one of my favorite patients (truly they are almost all my favorite patients,) came in after not being in for a long time. She told me that since I had last seen her she had had a cardiovascular event. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. Recently I have seen many patients who have come in and who have reported that they have had a CV event or that they have been diagnosed with CV disease. The center for disease control CDC says that: "Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United states [and ] people of all ages and backgrounds can get the condition."

With my continued commitment to resist the temptation to treat my patients as  a collection of symptoms but to offer the best advice that I possibly can in an attempt to treat the whole patient, here is a list of five suggestions for helping patients with or at risk of CV disease. Maybe you, a family member or someone you know and care about has been diagnosed or may be at risk. Lifestyle changes can go a long way to help patients live a longer healthier life.

1) Can you see yourself having as many as 13 servings of fruits and veggies per day?
It may sound like a lot but it's worth considering for your cardiovascular health. Having a plant based diet is key. The antioxidant properties of fruits and vegetables keeps the heart healthy and may actually be responsible for reversing arteriosclerosis that can lead to a heart attack. But how to get in so many servings you may ask? Easy my friend! Have a serving or two of fruit at breakfast, Have a green smoothie every morning to add in 4-6 servings of fruit and veggies, have a salad for or with lunch, follow up with some veggie snacks mid afternoon and add 2-3 servings of veggies to your dinner plate! There you've done it! over 13 servings for the day without even breaking a sweat!

2) Eat these please:
What specific foods are heart healthy you may ask? Lots of fun delicious stuff is actually also good for your heart. For those of you who know me well you know that if it's not delicious I won't even waste my time let alone my calories! Choose Fish (especially fatty fish,) lean poultry and peas and beans as your protein sources. Olive oil, nut and seed oils as well as fatty fruits like avocados are the good fats. Nut butters and milks can help replace dairy in the diet. Explore recipes that contain Avocado, chickpea, grapefruits, pear, squash, berries, nuts and seeds including sunflower seeds, walnuts and cashews. A few of many other heart protective foods include beets, bananas (which are a good source of potassium,) broccoli, grapes, macadamia nuts and peaches.

3) No no's:
Ok here's the bad news that you already knew: Too much salt, sugar, coffee and alcohol are a no no. Tobacco should be avoided too. Skip the saturated fat, trans fats, processed meats and red meats.

4) Supplements can help.
Are you taking your foundational multi vitamins? How about your Omega 3's, Co Q10, antioxidants (eg pycnogenol) and probiotic? For patients who have established cardiovascular disease, talking to your healthcare provider about balancing your folates, potassium, calcium, magnesium, as well as vitamins A, E and C is important. There are also some studies that show that Aloe Vera Juice may help in reducing cholesterol levels.

5) Cardiovascular exercise
It's called cardiovascular exercise for a reason. The guidelines recommend at least 40 min three times per week.

Bonus: Ditch the stress!
What are you doing to reduce your stress? Yoga? Meditation? Exercise? Music...? Whatever you need to do to reduce your stress levels it's most likely worth it and probably one of the most important things you can do for your overall health. Enough said!

Doc #1 Hippocrates said: Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food! When I was pursuing my masters in clinical nutrition I was amazed at just how much we could change our lives simply by focusing on our lifestyles! As always, these are general recommendations and I do suggest that you talk to your healthcare provider before starting any new health regimen/ program. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to all us in office  860-589-1491 and we will be happy to schedule an appointment.

Regards in health,
Dr. Shepherd

Focus on food: Dietary strategies for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

We see a lot of patients with arthritic changes in their joints but one particular group of patients, patients with rheumatoid arthritis, could benefit from certain changes in their diets. Certain foods aggravate the inflammation in the body and also the joints. Here are five dietary strategies that may help rheumatoid arthritis patients.

1) Vegetarian diet:
Some studies show that vegetarian diets reduce inflammation, while diets based on meat and animal products worsens inflammation including joint inflammation. There is evidence to show that rheumatoid arthritis improves with a  vegetarian diet for many patients. Note that vegetarian diet in this context means a healthy diet that focuses on fruits and vegetables.

2) Take Your Probiotic
Some studies show patients with rheumatoid arthritis also appear to have high levels of some negative gastrointestinal species of bacteria. It appears that these species grow unchecked when there are a lot of foods from animals in the diet. Adding in a probiotic reduces the negative bacterial species overgrowth.

3) Foods to increase
Fruits
Legumes
Vegetables
Nuts
Fish oil

4) Foods to reduce
Meat
Alcoholic beverages
Milk
Eggs
Additives and preservatives
Sugar
Gluten containing products

5) Raw fruits and vegetables contain enzymes and phytochemicals that help to reduce inflammation

When starting any diet please do discuss with your health care provider and if you have questions or concerns please do come in to see us in office.

Regards in health,
Dr. Shepherd

Baby's first visit to... (yes you guessed it,) the chiropractor!

I'm in our Bristol office today and I'm in the best mood. Every day in practice, several times per day I am reminded of why I love being a chiropractor. Today one of my favorite moments has been seeing one of our youngest patients. You have probably heard me say before that in our practice we treat the whole family: from newborn babies to grandparents and everyone in between. When I say that, people can generally get their heads around the fact that we treat children with injuries and teens who play sports but many cannot wrap their heads around babies going to the chiropractor! Well, here's the deal: not only do we see babies, but we absolutely love treating babies! This may in fact be the high point of our days!

So I know what you are thinking: Why would babies need a chiropractor? Well as usual you have great questions and I'm so happy you asked. If you asked a baby (assuming in this made up scenario that the baby could answer you,) especially a newborn, they would tell you that for the past 40 weeks or so of their life they have been in relatively cramped quarters. True story: there is not very  much room to move around in there! Do you remember the last time you were stuck sitting in a meeting, or had to drive or fly for a long time without being able to change your position much? I bet you absolutely wished to see your chiropractor after that ordeal. Babies often can develop "back problems," from difficult delivery or birth trauma. Sometimes the way we hold, pick up and even the way we carry and burp our babies can cause problems.

You may be thinking right now of some baby you have known who seemed fussy and seemed to cry a lot for no reason. You are also probably thinking that you are not sure that there is anything a chiropractor could do to help this poor little baby. The truth though, is that the chiropractor would most likely help this little angel significantly. If you have been reading our column for a while, you probably know that I love studies and research and evidence, so may I please share with you the results of a study that was done looking at 316 colicky infants? Colicky infants: you know the ones who seem otherwise healthy, but cry for several hours per day for at least 5 days per week and who do not respond to the traditional methods of soothing such as hushing, changing diapers, feeding etc? Yes, those are the ones of whom I speak. Anyway, in this study, the infants were treated over a 2 week period. Improvement was seen in 94% of the babies. 94%! For most of the babies, improvement was seen in as few as 3 visits. Please note also that in this study there were ZERO side effects. Now I ask you: how often do you see a study showing 94% efficacy with ZERO side effects?It's also interesting to note that as many as 20% of American babies have a diagnosis of colic.

For those of you who have been to a chiropractor (or for those of you who have heard stories of visits to the chiropractor,) your next question is probably: "Surely you are not suggesting cracking baby's back?" Well, you are absolutely correct. Adjusting patients in our practice is generally very gentle. In addition, adjusting babies is very different from adjusting adults. That clicking sound sometimes heard with adult adjustments (that crack that people speak of,) is absent when adjusting babies. As for the babies, they tend to tolerate adjustments very well. My little patient gave me the most beautiful smiles during our examination and treatment today. It has been my experience that babies seem to love being adjusted.

There is a saying that nobody's happy if Mamma Isn't happy. Well, as a mamma myself, I can assure you, If baby's not happy, mamma is not happy at all! Let's keep our babies happy and well adjusted. If you have questions or concerns, do talk to your health care provider and of course your local neighborhood chiropractor.

Regards in health,
Dr. Shepherd

Lyme disease - How can your chiropractor help?

It’s officially spring. I know some days it hasn’t felt like it, but it is, I promise! Many of us have been dying to get outdoors and to enjoy our wonderful state of Connecticut! With that in mind, it seemed appropriate to talk to you today about Lyme disease, particularly because recently we have been seeing quite a number of patients with this diagnosis in our office. I’m sure if you have never had Lyme disease, you’ve probably had someone you know complain of being diagnosed with the disease.  The CDC says that in CT the prevalence of Lyme disease is one of the highest in the entire country! (These stats are from 2014…)

Here’s a little info on Lyme disease:

Being in CT, you have probably already know that Lyme disease is most often caused by a certain type of tick called Ixodes which carries the spirochete bacteria Borellia burgdorferi . Most times the host of this tick is deer.

In the early stages, there may be a skin rash, fever and flu like symptoms. This may be following an outdoor exposure, especially in high risk areas. Later on, there may be many body systems affected including the heart, eyes, spleen and the nervous system.  Antibiotic treatment is appropriate for patients with Lyme disease and patients with a positive diagnosis are always co-managed with their primary care provider or other relevant specialist.

So I know what you are thinking: "Ok Dr. Shepherd, Thanks for the Lyme disease update, but what on earth does that have to do with you and your practice? I mean you are a Chiropractor, you treat neck pain, back pain, joint pain and headaches right?" Well, I’m glad you asked! About 60% of people with Lyme disease report inflammatory arthritis. This usually includes significant joint pain and fatigue, and it is usually at this point in the disease course that people come into our office for help. The manual medicine treatments that chiropractors provide can be very helpful for patients with joint symptoms of Lyme disease. Modalities such as Low Level Laser Therapy have been shown to be very helpful for reducing joint pain, and the right blend of supplements can go a long way in supporting the immune system as the infection is being eradicated.

You see, one of the biggest problems with Lyme disease is that sometimes when patients come in to see us with arthritic type or Fibromyalgia like symptoms, their exposure is in the relatively distant past and they have no recollection of the trademark rash or of being exposed to a tick. This is one of the reasons that chiropractors do a very thorough physical examination on the initial visit, and this is also one of the reasons why in some cases the lab work we order may seem very extensive.

With spring being here and with us spending more time outdoors both for us and our children, here are a couple of tips for preventing Lyme:

§  Inspect your body (including the hair on your head) for ticks after being outdoors.

§  Use tick repellent -- follow directions on the package label.

§  Minimize bite by walking in the middle of the paths and staying clear of tick-infested areas.

§  Wear light colored clothes to help spot ticks.

§  Wear long pants and long sleeved shirts.

§  Tuck pant legs into socks, and tuck shirt into pants when hiking.

§  Remove attached tick by grasping the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pulling back with a steady force. Use forceps or tweezers and protect bare hand by using gloves, cloth or tissue. Do not squeeze the tick's body. Clean the bite after removing a tick as you would any minor wound. 

The good news is that the prognosis for Lyme disease is usually favorable. Early detection is helpful and so if you suspect being exposed to Lyme, please do see your primary care provider as soon as possible. As always if you suffer from joint pain, neck pain, back pain and or headaches, always also consult your chiropractor.

Be healthy out there,

Dr. Shepherd 

Laser therapy for pain

Low level LASER Therapy has been evaluated in many studies.  The numbers in the studies are amazing: Studies are showing it to be over 90% effective in healing certain types of musculoskeletal injuries and reducing pain symptoms. Over 90% effective for treating pain associated with all kinds of pain including: - Back pain - Neck pain - Shoulder pain - Chronic pain - Elbow pain - Knee pain - Foot pain - Etc. Thanks so much for all your support for us in our Bristol office and at our new Farmington office. Would you please continue to be on the lookout for anyone who may be suffering from back pain? If you do see a match, please let them know about us or vice versa? Thanks again!  Regards in health, Dr. Shepherd and your Saporito Chiropractic Family

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Are some illnesses just a natural part of aging or is NFkB to blame?

So What is NFkB? 

We have in previous articles talked about how inflammation is responsible for a number of chronic conditions that people consider just a natural part of aging. Well, there is now new research that confirms this theory and pinpoints a molecule called NFkB found inside the cells. NFkB is responsible for telling the cells in the body to start the inflammatory process. This is great if there is an invader that needs to be taken care of, but as we have mentioned before, inflammation that goes unchecked will eventually become chronic and can lead to a variety of diseases. So here is the very very very short version of what's going on inside the cell:

NFkB activates COX 2 which stimulates the production of prostaglandins that cause inflammation and in many cases pain. 

What increases its actions?

Lots of things can activate NFkB! One key activator are free radicals. Pollution, radiation, certain types of smoke (e.g. cigarettes,) and some chemicals such as those used in agriculture as well as even some of the foods we eat may increase exposure to free radicals.

What diseases are associated with increased NFkB?

Research is suggesting that some NFkB associated diseases include: Cancer, atherosclerosis, asthma, hepatitis, diabetes, inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases, inflammatory arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory kidney diseases such as glomerulonephritis etc.

What can help?

Keeping free radicals in check and suppressing the action of NFkB may help prevent and even may slow the course of many chronic inflammatory illnesses

- NSAIDS, COX 2 inhibitors and steroids have been shown in some studies to reduce the expression of NFkB and as a result reduce inflammation. This is great news, the only problem is that there are significant side effects associated with these drugs especially with long term use!

A more natural approach has fewer side effects and is also effective for keeping NFkB under control:

- Increasing intake of fruits and vegetables (As many as 12 servings per day. I know this sounds like a lot but it's not realy. Servings are smaller than you think and are easy to fit into your day...but that's another article for another day :)

- Potent natural antioxidants such as pycnogenol, polyphenols, resveratrol, vitamins C and E, curcumin, ginger, lipoic acid, coenzyme Q 10 to name a few.
- In addition to increasing fruits, vegetables and natural antioxidants in the diet, adopting what's called an anti inflammatory diet has also been proven to be very effective to keeping certain inflammatory conditions under control.

In the next article let's talk a little more about anti inflammatory diets and how they can help us.