Chiropractic Care For Southern Maine

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And what’s interesting is most protein bars aren’t very healthy for you.  In fact, with some of them, it’s really no different than eating a candy bar.

So today I want to give you some tips on what to look for in a protein bar.

First, check the label.  You are going to want to avoid the following ingredients if you want a healthy protein bar:

*  High fructose corn syrup
*  High amounts of sugar
*  Artificial sweeteners
*  Chemical additives
*  Soy protein
*  Artificial vitamins

Most protein bars have one or more of the following above, so pay attention and try to find a bar with as few of this list as possible.

Now let’s go over a few things to look for in a healthy protein bar:

*  Make sure there is zero soy protein.  Why?  Because soy protein and soy products the most genetically modified of any crop out there.  They are also one of the most contaminated crops with pesticide and herbicide residues.  Instead of soy protein, look for whey protein.

*  With a healthy protein bar, you don’t want artificial sweeteners.  So if the protein bar has aspartame, sucralose, or any of the other artificial sweeteners, then the bar isn’t that healthy.

*  Next is the total carbohydrates and fiber.  You want a good fiber to carbohydrate ratio.  For example, if a bar has 10 grams of fiber and 50 carbohydrates, that’s 20% fiber content from the carbs.  So look for bars with a higher percentage of fiber.

*  The next thing to look at is the protein content .  You generally want a protein bar that has 10 to 15 more grams of protein than carbohydrates.

*  Also look for a bar that has healthy fats.  These would be from nuts, seeds, coconut oil, or something like almond butter.  Try to find a bar with 8 to 15 grams of healthy fats.

*  Last, and this one if a little harder to find so think of it more as a bonus, is superfoods or greens.  There are plenty of good protein bars that don’t contain greens or superfoods, but if you find one that does, it’s going to be an extremely good protein bar.

In our fast paced lives, having a couple protein bars on hand at home or work is a great idea.  And the information above will help you navigate through the dozens of options out there so you are eating healthy.

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I’ve got a story with some food for thought for you today.  Go ahead and read it and then send me your feedback or let me know if you have any questions.

Here we go…

There was a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  On this large ship was a gruff, heavy set captain who was shortsighted, slightly deaf, and very opinionated.  He and his crew followed the principles of majority rule on decisions about navigating the ocean.

On board the ship, they had a very skilled navigator who knew how to read the stars on voyages.  This navigator was better than anyone on board at getting the ship to its destinations, but the navigator was not very popular and was rather misunderstood.

One time, in the panic of being lost at sea, the captain and crew made a decision based on majority rule to follow the most charismatic and persuasive of the crew members to navigate the ship and get back on course.  They ignored and ridiculed the navigator’s suggestions, remained lost, and ultimately starved to death.

In America, the health care model that is “majority rule” is failing.  The World Health Organization ranks the United States 37^th in the world in health care, and 24^th in the world in healthy living.  The American Medical Association reports that properly prescribed medicine, taken properly, is unfortunately the 4^th leading cause of death in the United States.  That means you have a better chance of dying from properly taking medication than you do from being in an automobile accident or having AIDS.  Americans spend more money treating the side effects of medication than the cost of medication itself.

Our health care system has a navigator, a doctor of chiropractic, who is very skilled at improving health and well being naturally and with little to no risk.  The navigator is not very popular in the usual medical democracy of the pharmaceutical companies and the American Medical Association.

The public misunderstands the navigator because the medical profession ridicules chiropractic, and the ‘majority’ of people in this country make their decisions based on the failing traditional medical approach.

The problem is when you look at the health of our country statistically; the traditional medical approach is sinking like the titanic.  Our country has never been sicker, more depressed, more overweight, or used more drugs.

For health in our country to change, we need to change the way we think about health.  Albert Einstein said, “You can’t solve a problem with the same level of thinking that you had when the problem was created.”  Failure to change your beliefs and your approach to your health will leave you in a model that has proven statistical failure.

No one ever said you have to abandon the medical professionals in healthcare, but maybe it’s time to start listening to the navigators.

Sincerely,

Dr. Pete

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I had a conversation with a patient the other day that I thought you might find interesting.  The patient was a male in his late 40’s.  He became a patient because he has chronic low back pain.

The first 7 chiropractic adjustments I gave him didn’t provide much relief.  In fact, in each of those first 7 visits the patient stated that he wasn’t feeling any better and wasn’t sure if the adjustments were working.

When he came in for his 8^th visit to my office, he seemed like he was in a great mood.  I asked him how his body was functioning and he said, “Doc, I feel great!  Do whatever you did the last time I was here.  That really seemed to work.”

The thing is, the first 6 adjustments that I gave this patient were the essentially the same every time.  So why did he think that the first 6 adjustments weren’t doing any good and the 7^thadjustment was the one that made all the difference?

Because he didn’t understand how the body heals.

The patient gave the 7^th adjustment all the credit, but the truth is it was ALL of the adjustments together that made the difference.

That is because healing is a process that takes time.  And if you don’t give your body enough time or remove enough nerve stress (adjustments) to heal, then it won’t heal.

You see, each chiropractic adjustment you receive builds on the previous one.  And even if you don’t feel any better after the first few adjustments, that doesn’t mean that your body isn’t healing, because it is.

Just like it takes years to reposition teeth with braces, it takes multiple chiropractic adjustments to restore proper movement and alignment with the spine.

Make sure you give yourself enough time to heal and get results with your chiropractic care.

Some patients become frustrated sometimes because they want to feel better immediately and if they don’t feel better overnight, they don’t think the adjustments are working.

If you cut your finger, does the wound heal in 24 hours?  No, it takes several days before the cut has healed.

So to wrap this up, here’s three two points that I want you to take away from this email:

1. Each chiropractic adjustment you receive builds upon the previous adjustment.

2. Healing is a process that takes time.

3. Chiropractic care works great if you give yourself enough time and enough adjustments to make a difference.

Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Dr. Pete

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Now, late for the bus they go running full speed down the stairs, grab two Pop-tarts and with a 40-pound bag of books strapped across their backs, they make a mad dash out of the house to their bus stop.  At school, they sit all day in uncomfortable, hard-as-rock chairs with their heads bent over their books (whether they are reading or sleeping).  When they take a break from the more than six hours of bending their necks over their books, which is in the opposite direction of their natural neck curve, they are in a constant state of stress.  Are they going to pass all of their classes?  When will their face clear up?  Will they win their next football game or gymnastics meet? What if they don’t get into college?  And this is a good-to-best-cases scenario. On top of all that, some children have other serious personal struggles with their identity, with handicaps or with peer pressure.

After school, they challenge themselves physically with sports of all sorts-football, soccer, tennis, golf, track, wrestling, basketball, baseball, volleyball.  Unfortunately, often times these activities are fueled solely by the one lousy piece of pizza they had for lunch or maybe a cheeseburger and fries, or sometimes nothing at all!

By the time they arrive back at home in the evening, they are often exhausted, not to mention cranky.  Dinner often is fast-food or if it is homemade they fall asleep on the couch while it is being prepared with their bodies contorted in some unbelievable position.  After dinner, it’s homework time or probably more likely TV time or computer time where they sit lifeless for another several hours.  Or maybe they sit and talk on their cell phone for hours on end with their friends, again with their heads tilted down stressing their delicate neck musculature.  Finally, you yell to them saying it’s getting late and they better get ready for bed (mostly because you’re exhausted at this point and you just don’t want to deal with it anymore).

Well, with all the physical, chemical and emotional stress your child packs into the typical day, do you really think their spines are going unaffected?  Spinal misalignments or subluxations are caused by STRESS! Physical, chemical and emotional stress can and do weaken the entire body including the spine. It’s when the body is weakened, run down, and exhausted is when the spine can no longer hold its position and becomes subluxated.  Subluxations cause interference and dysfunction to the nervous system. The nervous system is responsible for organizing every system in the body, so when it dysfunctions it creates dis-organization within the body instead of organization. If you want your child to learn and grow and play and be all they can be, and should be, you simply must have their spines checked regularly.  It’s that simple. Have your child checked for subluxation, if you haven’t done so already. That way they won’t have to live years or decades with their bodies in a state of dis-organization. I encourage everyone to be adjusted very regularly for life. Because it just makes sense! So, make the time for you and your family to fit it in.  It’s vitally important for your life…

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The other day I had a patient ask me a great question.  She asked, “What causes the spine to breakdown, cause pain, and create subluxations and health problems?  Is it every day wear and tear?”

The answer is there are 4 factors that cause our spines to breakdown and cause subluxations and health problems.

First is everyday wear and tear.  Our everyday activity can make our spines unhealthy over time.

The second factor is the aging process.  As we get older, our bodies naturally start to break down and deteriorate.  We can fight the effects of aging by taking care of our bodies on a regular basis.

The third factor that causes our spines to become unhealthy and create health problems is stress.  There are 3 different types of stress that affect the health of our spine and body: physical stress, chemical stress, and emotional stress.

Chiropractic adjustments have been scientifically proven to limit the damaging effects that stress has on the body.

Over 80% of our population experiences pain or health problems as a result of an unhealthy spine.  The reason so many people suffer from subluxations and poor health  is because most people don’t take care of their spine.

The fourth factor that causes our spines to break down and create health problems is neglect.

You wouldn’t expect your car to run optimally if you never serviced it and took good care of it, would you?  The spine is no different.

Just like healthy teeth need a dentist, a healthy spine needs a chiropractor to maintain optimal health.

Word to the wise: you cannot have optimal health with an unhealthy spine.  The quality of your health is largely determined by the health of your spine and nerve system.

Have a great day!

Dr. Pete

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