So, Milk Does A Body Good Huh? Read And Decide For Yourself.

You've seen the milk mustache, you've guzzled it down after a peanut-butter & jelly sandwich. But, is drinking the milk from a cow really good for you? You should know, right off the bat, that we humans are the only species on earth that drinks milk in adulthood. We are also the only species that drinks milk from another species. Now, look at a cow, then look at a human and ask yourself if they look like they would have the same nutritional requirements?

Personally, I have an allergy to milk protein and I am moderately lactose intolerant. In other words, my body is telling me to stop drinking milk and stop eating milk based products. About 12 years ago, I stopped drinking milk. About 6 years ago, I stopped eating milk based ice cream and about 2 years ago I started using soy milk in coffee & tea. I’ve since stopped coffee as well. August 30, 2006 I stopped all dairy products with the only exception being eggs. So, milk isn’t high on my list at all and a recent study apparently highlights some possible adverse effects. If you ad milk to tea or coffee, you may want to read about this. Especially if you make even a small effort to be healthy.

A recent article on Yahoo: Milk Destroys Health Benefits of Tea (paraphrased here) highlights a German study that reports that when women drank half a liter of tea, their arteries relaxed significantly more than when they drank hot water or tea with milk( milk being 10% of the drink’s volume). In the study on 16 women ages 50+, drinking black Darjeeling tea; the researchers placed ultrasound probes on their forearm to measure the arterial responses.

Tea has complex antioxidant compounds called polyphenols which are believed to help the arteries to relax or dilate, thus enabling a smoother flow of blood. The results were confirmed via lab-dish tests on the aorta of rats. The study in the European Heart Journal points the finger of blame at 3 milk casein proteins. These milk proteins adhere to the polyphenols (the good antioxidants in tea known as catechins) and prevent them from carrying out their healthful duties. One of the researchers point out that in England, where tea is consumed in abundance, they continue to have difficulty making headway with cardiovascular disease. A very interesting implication isn't it? Well, we know the tea is healthy.

Rachelle Strauss in her on-line article Is Dairy The Best Source of Calcium, points out the other side (the side I believe) of the “Milk Does Your Body Good” controversy. I suggest you read it and decide for yourself. She makes very compelling arguments for seeking other sources of calcium.

So, if milk and milk protein containing products can destroy the health benefits of tea, what will it do to you on its own? Thought provoking isn’t it? Feel like guzzling down an 8oz glass of milk right now or are you having second thoughts?

Is milk really good for us or is this a case of the dairy industry trying its best to pull the wool over our collective eyes to sustain their business. Only you can decide for yourself. For me, since I’ve stopped dairy, I’ve stopped snoring, I’m sleeping better, no more dark rungs under my eyes and in combination with some other nutritional changes have lost weight and am feeling more energetic, more often. But that’s me. Read more on this subject and decide for yourself. Even talk to your doctor about it.

So, next time you reach for those cookies, maybe try some vanilla soy milk with them instead. I bet you'll be surprised.

Healthfully Yours,

DocT


Dr. Narson is a 2-term past president of the Florida Chiropractic Association’s Council on Sports Injuries, Physical Fitness & Rehabilitation and was honored as the recipient of the coveted Chiropractic Sports Physician of the Year Award in 1999. He practices in Miami Beach, Florida at the Miami Beach Family & Sports Chiropractic Center; A Facility for Natural Sports Medicine.

For More Information On Dr. Narson's Practice, visit: www.NaturalSportsMedicine.com

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Dr. T’s Guidelines To Reduce High Cholesterol & High Triglycerides (and you’ll also lose weight too!!)

This is a long blog entry. It’s packed with good information and references. Doctors, feel free to print this out and use it as a reference. Just please make sure you reference where you got this info. Oh, this is reference material. "Food for thought", so before you start any weight loss or exercise program, consult with your personal physician

If you’ve been following the classic USDA Food Pyramid for the last decade or so, you’re probably extremely obese, have high cholesterol and triglycerides, have bad skin, probably have diabetes, or cancer or heart disease and are close to dying. Which is why health professionals “in the know” have been urging the USDA for years to change it. Finally they listened and they’ve almost got it right, but like most government agencies, they are still beholden to the big industries and their power lobbying. Why? Because to them, jobs and the economy are more important than your health. Several months ago, my personal physician, Islon Woolf, MD; On a prescription pad wrote: Ultrametabolism; Mark Hyman, MD. He told me to buy it and read it and follow it. And so I did. It changed my life and it can change yours. I've been using the info I learned in this book the change the lives of my patients as well.

If you want to reduce your cholesterol and triglycerides, and live life to it’s fullest potential, try the following:

1. Cut out all foods with High Fructose Corn Syrup
2. Cut out all products with Corn Syrup
3. Eliminate any added sugar from your diet.
4. Eliminate Hydrogenated Oils from your diet
5. Eliminate Partially Hydrogenated Oils from your diet.
6. Eliminate white and wheat flour from your diet
7. Cut out rolled oats (typical oatmeal)
8. Eliminate white rice from your diet
8. Cut out all fried foods.
10. Cut out red meats & pork
11. Cut out caffeine in all forms.
12. Cut out dairy (there are other, much better sources of calcium anyway, try green leafy vegetables, tofu, sesame seeds, etc.)


Don't starve yourself or cut our meals. It will only slow your metabolism and cause you in the end to regain the weight you've lost and pack on even more!


OK, now that you're in shock, here's what you can eat:
1. Eat only organically grown, range fed and/or wild chicken or turkey
2. Eat only wild fishes (not farmed) if available. Especially Salmon. Stay away from bottom fish
3. Eat only whole grain breads (yes they can be found); whole wheat doesn't count.
4. Eat only whole grain or Konjac Pasta(http://www.konjacfoods.com/). Konjac pasta tastes kind of rubbery and whole grain pasta is a bit gritty. Konjac is known as a "superfiber" and slows the absorbtion of CHOs (carbohydrates).

5. Eat 5-9 servings of Fresh raw Fruits & veggies per day. Preferably Organic & vine ripened.

6. Take a properly balanced Omega oil supplement I prefer Flora’s Udo’s 3-6-9 Oil Blend. Take 1-Tbsp per 50-lbs of body weight. It can be drizzled over salads or simply spoon it in. It must however, always be kept cold. Any heat will destroy the health benefits of this amazing balanced omega oil.

Click On The Picture To Find Out More Info

7. Take whole food supplements rather than individual vitamins. Vitamins and other phyto-nutrients were meant to work "in concert" with one and another how they exist in nature. Not individually. Unless of course you have a specific deficiency.

8. Drink green or red teas to provide rich anti-oxidants and to help you relax. Do not add milk to tea as it destroys the cardiovascular health benefits of tea

9. Eat Steel-cut oats (This is the kind of oatmeal that takes 30-40 minutes to make. The kind your grandmother use to make your parents for breakfast)

10. Add Raw Almonds to your diet. It's amazing how healthy they are. Eat them in-between meals for a snack to keep yourself from getting hungry. Almonds are incredibly healthy for you as long as you aren’t allergic or have diverticulitis or diverticulosis (check with your doctor). Yes, almonds have fat; but they’re good fats and you need to eat them!!! Eat ONLY RAW Almonds.

Oh, and yes, Avocado has a lot of fat too. But it’s good fat. Eat them, enjoy them and you’ll get healthier.


The Bottom Line...Eat Whole Unprocessed Foods to Speed Up your metabolism so it burns more calories. Here's how I explain this "speeding up your metabolism" thing to my patients:

Think about one of those old coal burning locamotive trains. You have a big pile of coal, an engine that runs off of steam and a fire that boils the water to create the steam. If you don't put in enough coal (starve yourself) the fire will die, the water won't boil and the engine will shut down. Then you are left with a big pile of coal. Which, now you can store (fat) for later use.

If you shovel in too much coal (eat too much) you will smother the fire, causing the system to shut down(slow down your metabolism -- kind of like when you go to sleep after eating too much)

Now, if you shovel in the right amount of coal, you keep that fire burning, the water boiling and the engine running(metaboism). This way, you get to your desired location (results). Keep the fire burning throughout the day by shoveling in moderate amounts of coal (with snacks and lunch) to keep the engine chugging along.

So, you must eat the right foods at the right intervals to keep your metabolism burning those calories. Don't be temped to skip a meal. You'll only slow down your metabolism.

Here Are Some Of The Rules I Play By:
1. You must read labels on everything you purchase when shopping for food. Trust me on this, they’ll sneak stuff in the most unsuspecting foods. I've seen "100% Whole Wheat" breads and multi-grain breads that were nothing more than multi-ground flour breads sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. It's nasty and not only isn't it good for you, it's poison to your body and will raise your triglycerides! Read the ingredient list, not the front of the package. It's not the mixture of multiple ground up grains, it's the multiple whole grains that is most important.

2. As the saying goes, Eat Breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince & dinner like a pauper.

3. Eat a Large breakfast to get your metabolism kicked into high gear.

4. Eat a handful or two of raw almonds in-between breakfast and lunch to prevent hunger and to keep your metabolism burning strong. Apples also make for a nice in-between meal snack. The in-between meal snack is very important to keep your metabolism firing away!!!

5. Eat a moderate size lunch.

6. Eat a handful or two of raw almonds in-between lunch and dinner to prevent hunger and to keep your metabolism burning strong through the afternoon.

7. Eat a “smaller” to medium size dinner. Keep it on the lighter side.

8. Do not eat 3 hours before bed. Any foods eaten during this time will simply be stored as fat as your metabolism slows down before bed and while you sleep.

Preparation is the Key to Success!!!
1. If you prepare your foods and snacks in advance, you can eat regularly and prevent that ravenous hunger (Like a shark’s feeding frenzy) that takes over your body when you’ve gone too long without eating. When the hormones kick in, well, you’re pretty much “S.O.L.”. Prepare your foods and prevent that from happening.

2. Prepare something to eat right after your workout. If you go too long without eating after your workout, you will allow yourself to get hungry and your hormones will kick into overdrive and you will be powerless over them. Plan a little post workout snack if you can’t sit for a proper port workout meal.

3. Get a small cooler for your car and bring your snacks and meals with you if necessary.

4. Drink plenty of water. Keep hydrated.

5. Exercise at least 4 days per week for a minimum of 60 minutes. Even if it is just walking, it’s a good start and it’s better than doing nothing. Personally, I do a mixture of cardiovascular (interval training) & weights. At my gym, I even take several group fitness classes that mix weight training, flexibility and aerobics. If you've never exercised before, you should hire a personal trainer. to guide you and teach you how to exercise properly. Also, don't forget to check with your doctor prior to beginning any exercise program.

6. Now, take all your new knowledge and teach your children. Teach your children’s children and so on and so forth.

If you want a brief background on why I feel what I have written above is so important, read my earlier article at: http://naturalsportsmedicine.blogspot.com/2006/12/is-yogurt-as-bad-as-soda.html to find out a little of the evolution of our species and our diet.

However, for some real in-depth background and the references for what I have written, I suggest you read the following books. Here you will get all of the gory details as to why I make the suggestions above. The books are easy read and make a lot of sense. They are must reads for anyone who wants to take back their health and improve their quality of life. Let me tell you, the following four sources have gotten it right. Their research is valid, their conclusions are accurate and their message should be taken to heart. Read them, teach your children and spread the word to your friends.

Ultrametabolism; by Mark Hyman, MD













Eat, Drink And Be Healthy; by Walter Willet, MD















PUBLISHED ARTICLE: Origins & Evolutions of the Western Diet; An article written by Cordain et al. Sorry, no cute picture. Just click on the link and it will start to download a .pdf file you can read or print.



The Authoritative Source On Good Fats (Fats that Heal) & Bad Fats (Fats that Kill) is Udo Erasmis, Ph.D. To find out more about his book Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill and what the real deal is on the fats you absolutely need and the ones to stay away from. There is no better authority on the subject of good fats and bad fats than Dr. Erasmus.






If you have any questions regarding the above, please feel free to visit my office web site at: www.NaturalSportsMedicine.com and you will find a link to my email address there.

Healthfully yours.

DocT

Dr. Narson is a 2-term past president of the Florida Chiropractic Association’s Council on Sports Injuries, Physical Fitness & Rehabilitation and was honored as the recipient of the coveted Chiropractic Sports Physician of the Year Award in 1999. He practices in Miami Beach, Florida at the Miami Beach Family & Sports Chiropractic Center; A Facility for Natural Sports Medicine.

He can be contacted at: www.NaturalSportsMedicine.com for more information, comments or lecturing info.

Are Your Life’s Goals Aligned With Your Workout?

Several years ago a local personal trainer referred a semi-retired cardiothoracic surgeon to my office for evaluation and treatment of shoulder pain. The shoulder pain had slowly set in after several weeks of training with his personal trainer. He had been to two orthopedic surgeon “sports medicine” specialists and was diagnosed with bursitis, given anti-inflammatories, told to apply heat and that was pretty much it. After an actual physical exam (I actually do hands on examinations using classical and new orthopedic tests) I determined he had a shoulder impingement syndrome bordering on what I felt was a rotator cuff tear/strain. I prescribed a course of Graston Technique, physical therapy and chiropractic shoulder adjustments and he noted immediate improvement for the 1st time in a long time and full resolution of his shoulder pain within 10 days (yes, he even followed my home instructions!) I later found out that in high school and college Dr. “B” was a “back-stroker” on the swim teams which made a lot of sense since this type of swim stroke can lead to shoulder impingement in and of itself.

A few weeks later, Dr. “B” returned with a new complaint; Low Back Pain. He said he strained it while working out and then later confessed to me that this was the 4th training related strain injury he had suffered in a short period of time and that he felt that he was being trained much too hard. He further mentioned that all he really wanted in his semi-retirement was to be able to walk around his medical practice, examine and consult with his patients (he no longer performed surgeries but continued to train medical residents) and that he wanted to be able to get back in the pool and do the back-stroke like he did in college. He felt his trainer was trying to prepare him for the Iron-Man and wouldn’t listen to him. It was obvious to me that Dr. “B” was being pushed beyond his wants and needs. His repetitive strain injuries were actually hindering him from the activities he really wanted to do.

I asked Dr. “B” if he had ever sat down and discussed his life’s goals with his personal trainer; he said no. Basically what had happened is Dr. “B” was going to a trainer who was training him for what the trainer felt should be his health & fitness goals and capabilities and not necessarily what Dr. “B” wanted or needed. Dr. “B” eventually dropped out of his personal training because of the repetitive injuries he suffered from the training. After his symptoms reduced and his function restored, he began doing what he loved, the back-stroke & consulting with his patients.

So, I ask you, is your workout aligned with your goals? If you work out with a personal trainer, make sure you have this conversation with him or her. It’s very important; after all, it’s your life and your workout. If you are a trainer, when was the last time you sat and just talked with your clients to get to know them, their goals and their dreams?

DocT

Dr. Narson is a 2-term past president of the Florida Chiropractic Association’s Council on Sports Injuries, Physical Fitness & Rehabilitation and was honored as the recipient of the coveted Chiropractic Sports Physician of the Year Award in 1999-2000. He practices in Miami Beach, Florida at the Miami Beach Family & Sports Chiropractic Clinic.

www.NaturalSportsMedicine.com

Proper Work Out Technique Isn’t Just For Exercising…

It occurred to me that that most of the people who’ve been to my office for “gym” or “workout” injuries haven’t injured themselves actually working out, but rather preparing for the workout.

Yes of course I get the overzealous person who strained themselves lifting too or the person who mis-stepped in an aerobics class. But way too common are people injured when setting their exercises up.

Everyone pays attention to proper technique when doing the exercises themselves. But sit back sometime and watch how they set up the barbell. Look how they take the weights or dumbbells off the rack. Look how they lift the handle bar and attach it to the lead wire for a weight-stack machine.

Proper technique counts whether you are doing an exercise, lifting a weight to put on a bar or bending over to pick up a handle for a weight stack machine. You may not be exercising, but you are lifting a weight. If nothing else, your body weight.

I’ll never forget patient file #6 from 1994. All she did was bend over from the waist to get a cotton ball out of the bag of cotton balls from underneath the bathroom cabinet below her sink. Even if she lifted the entire bag of cotton balls, it would have only been maybe 1 ounce. But only 1 cotton ball and guess what…? She herniated a lumbar disc in her lower back. Ouch!!!

It’s not what you lift, but how you lift it. It’s not how much you lift, but how you lift it. It doesn’t matter if you are doing an exercise, preparing your workout or getting ready to remove your make-up. Proper technique should be observed at all times. Not just when doing your exercise.

Remember, you might not be doing an exercise, but your still lifting a weight. Even if it's just the weight of your own body.

DocT


Dr. Narson is a 2-term past president of the Florida Chiropractic Association’s Council on Sports Injuries, Physical Fitness & Rehabilitation and was honored as the recipient of the coveted Chiropractic Sports Physician of the Year Award in 1999-2000. He practices in Miami Beach, Florida at the Miami Beach Family & Sports Chiropractic Clinic.

www.NaturalSportsMedicine.com