Natural Sports Medicine Blog

Sunday, December 7, 2008

What A Difference A Day Makes (and a good ankle support brace!!!) Day 2 of my ankle sprain saga

Yesterday was pretty awful with the right ankle. (Click here to read what happened)I did 6 sessions of Ice/Compression/Elevation/Interferential Stimulation throughout the day. The worst was getting around on crutches. I've never had to crutches in my life and I hope I never have to again. But here's my problem. I'm like the typical guy. I don't like to let injuries slow me down. I need to get up ad get going again.

The support the E.R. nurses dressed me with was adequate at best. I understand what they were trying to do. Lock my ankle from any lateral or medial movement. First was a 3" ace bandage in a figure 8 around the ankle and heel. Next a soft fluffy cushion layer over the foot, ankle and 3/4 of the way of the calf. Then a material that molded to the medal and lateral (inside and outside) of my foot-ankle and calf that eventually hardened into a rigid, almost cast-like material. Then, the entire thing was wrapped up and secured in a 4" Ace bandage. With all of this, there was still some medial and lateral play in the ankle and it was difficult to get around. It was bulky, awkward, but sufficient. They did exactly what they were supposed to do. Make sure it's not broken, secure it up and refer me to a specialist.

I went out to a holiday party last night with my hospital setup and crutches. Hobbling around on crutches wasn't much fun and due to the slight instability in the current bracing, I'd get twinges of pain. I needed something better and I knew exactly what it was....

Years ago when I sprained my right ankle for the last time doing something relatively simple, I discovered a really great tools that allowed me to get up and walk like a normal human being again. What is it? An Ankle Air-Stirrup Brace

<--that ankle="" brace="" div="" my="" new="" s="">

The one I'm using is called the Air-Lite Ankle Stirrup from Core Products. Now, there's a secret to using this thing. You can't use it like it appears in the picture...there's one thing missing. I have had many patients come in from their orthopedists with this thing strapped to their foot, on top of their sock and in maybe a flip-flop type shoe or a slipper. This is absolutely, 100% wrong.

It's meant to be put inside a lace up shoe or sneaker. I prefer high top sneakers like basketball style sneakers for this. Here's a few pictures of how this thing is properly worn. Yes, this is me in my brace.

Under my sock I have a 3" Ace bandage wrapped in a moderately snug figure-8. Then the sock, then the ankle air-stirrup. You really have to pull your laces wide in order to fit your foot and ankle into your sneaker. Then, you tighten up the laces, tie your laces and then when you stand. Ahhhhhh, stability. I can walk 98% normally on this thing now. It allows my ankle to flex up and down but locks it from bending or twisting (or rolling) to the inside or outside.

It's simple to put on and simple to take off. This makes getting around SIGNIFICANTLY easier. This is hold the ankle so stable that I can stand on the side of the sole of my sneaker and my ankle remains locked in neutral. This this is also very simple to take off and putting back on for my frequent therapy sessions, making it all much less of a hassle.
So, now, the "tough guy" can prevail. I can stand, walk and now, tomorrow morning I can work. But Ill be taking my own medicine with frequent ice/interferential sessions. I'll use Graston Technique to help further break up the bruising and reduce the swelling and I'll get my wife to adjust my ankle. Yes, I said adjust my ankle. And no, I'm not crazy. When one side sprains, the other side of the ankle gets jammed up. Ever jam your finger? Well, this isn't much different. Ultimately I need all those little joints in my ankle to function normally. Chiropractic helps restore normal joint movement and that something I need too. It's not just about the pain, the swelling and the bruising. When it's all said and done, the joints need to function normally again too. It's kind of a whole package deal.
Thanks to my ankle stirrup, life will be good again for me as I make my recovery from this thing.
'nuff said
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 Center; A Facility for Natural Sports Medicine.

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Saturday, December 6, 2008

When A Doctor Gets To Taste His Own Medicine...The Story of My Ankle Sprain

So this morning I'm running and I missed the curb I was targeting for my next step. I was at the tail end of my stride when my forefoot caught the outside of the curb and my foot and ankle

inverted (rolled over) with a vengeance and the weight of my full 200-lbs coming down on it.

C-R-A-C-K from the ankle then boom as I dropped to the floor. I've never felt pain like this. It was severe, it was intense, I immediately became nauseated and light headed. The pain brought tears to my eyes. Ironically, it all happened in a handicap parking space.

It took me about 10 minutes before I was able to handle the pain and think about getting off the ground. My son's surf camp instructor had brought me an instant ice pack that I help on there while I lay on the ground. I swore I broke it. I've sprained my right ankle 6 times earlier in my life which prompted me to study and research how and why ankle sprains tend to reoccur so often. This time felt much different, much more severe. I tried getting up with the help of my son's Sufing camp instructors and walked about 8 steps when I was overwhelmed with chills and light-headedness and before I actually passed out, I sat back on the ground (this time on the grass) for another 10 minutes until I was able to get up.

Before getting up I started examining my ankle. There was light tenderness at the lateral talus, lateral calcaneus and at the distal fibula. Why was the pain so intense from the injury yet when I examined it, it was so mild? Because the inflammatory process hadn't start to really kick in yet. When I moved my ankle to test its stability, wow.. there was some pain when I inverted it. OUCH! If it was fractured, I was going to have to get to the E.R. quickly before the inflammation started to build up. Often, periosteal swelling (an onion-skin like tissue layer on bones) can block some fractures from being seen on an x-ray.

I was eventually able to drive myself to Mt. Sinai Medical Center where I was quickly brought into the emergency room. I waited maybe...maybe 5 or 6 minutes. A very nice nurse practitioner came in to check me, took a history and did a cursory exam and ordered some x-rays. I asked for a bag of ice and an ace bandage and I started to take my own medicine. I placed a paper towel on the skin, placed the bag of ice on the lateral ankle and then, with the help of a nurse, wrapped the ankle moderately tight with the Ace bandage. I elevated the ankle and waited for the radiology tech to take me for an X-ray. After X-ray, I re-wrapped it and waited for the attending physician, Richard Menendez, MD to give me the news. Dr. Menendez was very nice, very thorough and explained the injury and my options. Of course I knew all of this because this is exactly the type of injury I take care of at my office on a daily basis. I knew what I was in for.

So for me, it was mixed news. The x-ray was negative for fracture. This may seem odd that I say this. But with most simple fractures, they will most often heal faster and stronger than a bad ankle sprain. Turns out I have a "bad ankle sprain". Which means weeks and weeks of therapy and more weeks and weeks of rehab with emphasis on proprioceptive neuromuscular re-education. Yes, a mouthful I know. But, probably one of the most important aspects of getting an ankle that was badly sprained to be functional again. Especially when it's the ankle of an athlete...or me, the wanna be athlete.

So, what's my medicine???

To start with: R.I.C.E. Rest, Ice, Compression & Elevation. I happened to have a Rich-Mar Auto-Sound/Multiwaveform Combo unit at my house and a Sub-Zero freezer full of ice packs. I've been using Interferential stim with ice 30 minutes every 1-2 hours since I got home. I will continue this for the next 2-4 weeks depending on my body's response. Tomorrow I will start passive ROM within a non-painful ARC of motion. As the ankle swells up and gets purple, I'll use Graston Technique (http://www.grastontechnique.com/) to increase the lymphatic drainage of the ankle and reduce the swelling. This is incredible for inflammation of most things inflamed (ankles, knees, wrists, knuckles....whatever). Then there will be light Isometric resistance and an anti-inflammatory diet (not to mention some actual anti-inflammatory meds because this sucker is really throbbing with pain). I will put a little pressure on my heel a couple times per day so the capsule / ligaments around the ankle doen't get too tight due to the lack of normal movement and weight bearing.

You see, there has to be a balance between ligamentous stability and joint/tendon/muscle flexibility. Very important and all of us sports docs and sports therapists are still working on the perfect recipe for this.

Over the next weeks I will work in increasing pain free ROM, increasing muscle strength and stability. All things we do in our office, the same stuff I do with my patients. I can't wait to see the faces of my ankle sprain patients on Monday when they see me starting the process from scratch.

Eventually my life will be filled with balance and wobble boards. Working with them "eyes open" and eventually "eyes closed" to stress and rehab the higher proprioceptive centers. Eventually introducing Most Heat rather than the ice and then finishing it off with strength training with the most wonderful ankle rehab device.... The Ankle Rehab Master (To order an Ankle Rehab Master, call 954.752.2299).

Luckily, the Ankle Rehab Master happens to be manafactured by my father (I know, lucky me). What a great tool for strengthening ankles in combined vectors of motion. For those therapists, trainers and sports chiropractors out there.... not only can it easily do plantar flexion, dorsiflexion....it will allow the patient (in this case...'Mwa') to do resisted inversion and eversion. Then there the combined movements of inversion with plantar flexion, eversion with dorsiflexion and everything in-between.

I'll be ready for that in about 4 weeks.... I hope.

But Monday morning, I'll be ordering an Air-Ankle stirrup to strap on my ankle so I can walk without these crutches. A recent study shows a sprained ankle will heal quicker when you wrap the ankle with an Ace bandage and use the Ankle Stirrup together. I’ve tried it with a few patients and it seems to be a good thing.

So, I know what I'm in for and I'm willing to take my own medicine.

Now it's time for more R.I.C.E.

'nuff said

DocT

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

So Tell Me…What’s Wrong With High Fructose Corn Syrup?

Have you heard the phrase “a little knowledge is dangerous” ??? Well, that’s what the corn refiners association’s new T.V. commercials are banking on. Both a little of YOUR knowledge and a lot ofTHEIR knowledge. Why? Because their hoping that if you know very little about it, they can easily convince you (with a bit of "spin") that High Fructose Corn Syrup isn’t harmful to you.

You may have seen a seemingly innocent commercial. The last one was a young, probably mid 20-something couple on a picnic blanket. The woman offers the man a popsicle. The man refuses and says, no thanks, that has high fructose corn syrup. Then, the question……. So What’s Wrong With High Fructose Corn Syrup???, It’s made from corn. The man fumbles with his thoughts and can’t come up with an answer. Then he accepts the popsicle and you are now assured that high fructose corn syrup is, well, okay...if not, even good.

Knowing what I know about high fructose corn syrup, seeing and hearing this TV commercial made my blood boil. They innocently try to convince you that it’s made from corn, therefore it’s natural and harmless. It’s an easy argument if you don’t know what high fructose corn syrup is. They bank on your naïveté in not being able to come up with a reasonable answer and therefore concluding it’s "fine". They bank on the fact that you don’t know enough to answer the question as to why high fructose corn syrup is bad for you.

So….. I feel compelled to day to give you the knowledge and tools to answer this questions.

Here’s the science. The next 5 paragraphs are more technical and the information is from Mark Hyman, MD's book Ultrametabolism, his blog at http://www.Ultrawellness.comas well as 2 articles published at http://www.westonaprice.org/ , but read through them and get a basic understanding…..I simplify it further down

1. Let’s start with the base product….Corn. The corn used in high fructose corn syrup is genetically modified(as nearly all corn is). It has 13 carbon molecules instead of 12(The original non GMO stuff had only 12). According to Dr. Mark Hyman, there are no good long term studies on the effects of eating genetically altered corn or corn products. So if you are concerned about eating genetically modified foods, you already have a problem with high fructose corn syrup.(1)

2. High fructose corn syrup is far from “a natural product made from corn” as the argument goes. High Fructose Corn Syrup (here after called HFCS) is produced by processing corn starch into glucose, using 3 different enzymes and at least 5 different steps(2). Therefore, High Fructose Corn Syrup is far from being “natural”. I mean...it's not like you can blend up a can of corn in your vita-mix and come up with HFCS. It's not quite as simple as making a fruit smoothie

3. The introduction of HFCS into the food supply in the USA is associated with the beginning of the obesity epidemic. Don't believe it says Dr. Hyman....who goes on to say: Even a slight difference of an extra 100 calories a day can add up to a 10-pound weight gain in just one year. And the average American drinks 440 12-ounce cans of HFCS-laced soda each year (1). Not to mention the HFCS in ketchup, yogurt, breakfast cereals, cookies, breads, ice creams, popsicles and hundreds of other products.

4. HCFS is bad news for your waistline and your health…It makes you eat MORE!!! Yes, you read that right. HFCS actually increases your appetite.

Here's how: Regular table sugar is 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose, while -- as its name implies -- HFCS is 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. Doesn't seem like a big difference, but it can have HUGE effects on your appetite.

When you eat fructose, it doesn't set into motion the chemical reactions and hormones that tell your brain you are full. For instance, high fructose corn syrup doesn't stimulate insulin secretion or the increase in leptin (the hormone that makes you feel full). While glucose is transported into the brain, affecting brain signals that control or limit appetite, fructose is not.

Plus, high fructose corn syrup doesn't reduce ghrelin, a stomach hormone that stimulates appetite. And high fructose corn syrup may also decrease adiponectin levels, which is a hormone made by fat cells that helps make you more sensitive to insulin and helps control your weight and appetite. What does all that mean? Simply put, when you eat more fructose you don't feel full -- so you keep eating!(1)

And if 1-4 aren’t convincing enough….read on:

5. Here's an undisputed medical fact: You can survive on an intravenous drip of glucose. But replace the glucose with fructose, and you'd get a fatty liver. That's because fructose is the source the chemical building blocks of cholesterol and triglyceride production. And fructose just isn't digested, absorbed, or metabolized in the same way as glucose. Instead, it goes right to your cells without the help of insulin(1).

The result? Fructose moves right into fat production -- so it spikes your triglycerides but lowers your HDL ("good") cholesterol. It also increases your levels of small, dense LDL (called LDL-B) cholesterol, which is much more dangerous than regular LDL ("bad") cholesterol. (1)

Let’s Bullet Point Your Answers clearly.

Here’s the Top Ten List of Why High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad for you:

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup is made from genetically modified (GMO) corn. Which you should know, most corn nowadays is GMO.

2. High Fructose Corn Syrup is far from being natural as it takes high heat, 3 different enzymes and 5 different processes to create it.

3. The introduction of High Fructose Corn Syrup into society coincides with the beginning of the obesity epidemic. As HFCS beame more widely used, the rate of obesity climbed as well, bringing with it all those obesity related problems like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

4. Because High Fructose Corn Syrup is so far removed from a natural food, it fails to stimulate leptin, the hormone that makes you feel full.

5. Because High Fructose Corn Syrup is so far removed from a natural food, it fails to reduce ghrelin, a stomach hormone that stimulates your appetite.

6. Because High Fructose Corn Syrup is so far removed from a natural food, it may also decrease adiponectin levels. Adiponectin is a hormone made by fat cells that helps make you more sensitive to insulin and helps control your weight and appetite

7. Because of #’s 4, 5 & 6, eating high fructose corn syrup fails to do 3 things your body needs to feel full and curb your apetite…..so you keep on eating and eating and eating...

8. High Fructose Corn Syrup spikes your triglyceride levels

9. High Fructose Corn Syrup lowers your levels of “good cholesterol” (HDL)

10. High Fructose Corn Syrup increases your levels of LDL-B cholesterol. LDL is your “bad cholesterol”, the LDL-B is the “bad of the bad cholesterol”.

The science is clear: HFCS/Fructose consumption in this mannor is associated with insulin resistance, increased calorie intake, impaired metabolism, weight gain, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.(1). All of which is associated with Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer and a hell of a lot more…

So the next time someone asks you what’s the big deal with HFCS….read them bullet points 1-10 and I’d just about guarantee ya they’ll soil their pants when you rattle-off that answer.

The information in this blog post is based on, and excerpts are taken from the references listed below. I strongly encourage you to go to the original source and read the info for yourself.

‘nuff said

DocT

PS... after further thought, I realized I should have made it a "Top 11" List. As I have said in prior blog posts, what we should and should not consume comes down to evolution. Corn itself is a newer evolutionary product. 99% of the corn available today has been genetically engineered and is far from it's original form. Then, it's refined, heated, treated with 3 different enzymes in 3 different processes, put through 2 more processes to come up with the HFCS. So number 11 is:

11. EVOLUTION. High Fructose Corn Syrup has not been part of the human evolutionary diet over the past 50,000-100,000+ years and our bodies don't have the physiological process to adapt to it. Therefore, we cannot properly process HFCS which is why it fails to stimulate the 3 hormones listed above, bypasses insulin to get into your tissues and causes weight gain, increased triglyceride and cholesterol levels, increased risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Now...'nuff said

References:

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup; How this liquid poison can make you fat, Mark Hyman, MD / www.Ultrawellness.com

2. The Murky World of High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Linda Joyce Forristal, CCP, MTA , http://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/cornsyrup.html

3. The Double Danger of High Fructose Corn Syrup, Bill Sanda, BS, MBA; http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/highfructose.html

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Finally, Some Clarity With Nutritional Supplements.

There has always been a lot of confusion in the world of nutritional supplements. What vitamins to take? What minerals are important? What antioxidants do I need? How much do I take, how do I know what’s right for me? Etc…etc…etc… yada…yada…yada….

If you’re reading this blog, I’m sure you’re taking some nutritional supplement based on something you’ve read or something someone has told you. Albeit a good book, your family doctor or an educated friend. But, how do you know what you’re taking is right for you?

Answer: You Don’t.

Why? Because until now, there have been only generalities and not specifics. Don’t get me wrong, we know certain nutrients are good for certain conditions and ailments. Wild salmon and eggs are essential for your eyes and brain, green leafy veggies are good for your teeth and bones. But how do you know what Y-O-U need? Not the person sitting next to you, I mean YOU…..? How do you know? Because when you go to the store, the supplements are made for everyone...so how do YOU know what YOU need?????

A doctor takes a history and a family history from a patient to get insight as to what he or she may be dealing with. Often, illness and disease run in a family. You can change many things in your life, but you can’t change your parents, grandparents and your genes. Your DNA is your DNA. Your genes are your genes. It's that way for life. Wouldn't it be cool if a company could take your DNA and figure out what your nutritional needs are?

Well, one company has figured it out and is making life much easier when prescribing nutrients for my patients and myself. Now, recommending nutritional supplements is as easy as taking a Q-tip swab of a patient’s cheek (like they do on CSI-Miami). The cheek swab DNA is analyzed and you get an analysis of your specific nutrient needs based on your specific DNA. Cool huh? Furthermore, they take your specific genetic information and make custom Organic Whole Food based nutritional supplements SPECIFIC TO YOU!!!

How sweet is that?

Finally, with 20 years of genetic research behind it, the guesswork is taken out of nutritional supplementation. This is the future of nutrition. In fact, genetics is the future of medicine. Now, your doctor can finally make recommendations specific to you.

For my patients, I’m now doing the genelink-genewize testing in my office. If your doctor isn’t, ask him or her to call me and I’ll help them advance their nutritional practice into the next millennium. Or, just click here to email me. There is a seminar being planned for medical professionals (MDs, DOs, DCs, dentists, eye doctors, pharmacists, trainers and nutritionists) in about 6 weeks and I'll have more info soon.

Oh, sorry guys, this doesn’t take the place of good healthful eating. You still have to eat good. All that stuff I’ve written about over the past 2 years still holds true. Now, you just have a good foundation on which to base your preventative health.

Interesting stuff for sure. Especially for the nutritionally geeky-science discovery channel people like myself.

'nuff said

DocT

Monday, July 28, 2008

Is What You’re Eating Killing Your Performance?

The more I read about athletic performance and work with athletes and Type-A personality business men and women, the more I realize good nutrition is vital - and quite hard to get in this country. The more I read about good nutrition, the more I realize your health depends on the health of the food you eat. (as a side note, the more I read and learn about nutrition, the more I confirm that being a vegetarian is wrong too. But, that's for another blog post)

So, you’re out there training hard and recovering as best you can so you can go back out and train real hard again. It’s a constant cycle and it’s always about making gains. Each time you go out there you want to exceed what you did the time before. But what if the food you’re eating is killing your performance?

I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately and questioning what I (think I) know is healthy and have been quite intrigued by the answers I’ve come up with. The most common answer has to the question of “is what I’m eating healthy” has been yes and no, it depends.

For example.

Is Salmon healthy? Yes and No. It Depends.

Here’s why.

If you’re talking about Wild salmon, the answers is yes, it’s definitely healthy. It has spent it’s life living in its natural environment, eating its natural diet which give you all the nutritional benefits you’ve come to expect when you sit down to eat salmon.

But, it you’re talking about farm raised salmon the answer is no.

Why? Because the farm raised salmon is in a confined environment (which means it lives in a high stress environment without being able to exercise as it swims thousands of miles throughout its life. The Salmon lives in a chemically toxic water (would you want to dine where you and your room mates urinate or defecate?). The farmed salmon is fed a grain diet, much different than the natural diet of a wild salmon.

Why is everyone Wild about salmon anyway? Simply put.... It's The Omega-3 Fish Oils.

Salmon are naturally carnivores. They eat mackerel, sardines, herring, krill, shrimp and other fish.

When they eat their natural diet, they are chock full of those very healthful Omega-3s. As Jonny Bowden, PhD puts it in his exceptional dissertation The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, wild salmon is the “Best Source of Omega-3s on the Planet”

Omega-3 oils are natural anti-inflammatory Cox-2 inhibitors.

Now you should also know that Wild Salmon also contains Omega-6s. A very low dose dosage when compared to Omega-3s. Hence, there is a natural balance of the anti-inflammatory Omega-3s to the pro-inflammatory Omega-6s. Suffice it to say there are much more Omega-3s in Wild Salmon than Omega-6s, which means, it’s good for you.

BUT…That’s NOT true in farm raised salmon.

Not only is it not true, it’s the opposite.

There are much more Omega-6s in farmed salmon than omega 3s. So, not only is farm raised salmon not good for you, it’s actually unhealthy for you.

Sorry sushi lovers, most of your salmon is farmed. Not wild. You have to ask the sushi chef or restaurant owner to know for sure.

So, if you’re trying to perform your best, recover from your last workout or prevent your next heart attack and stroke, farm raised salmon isn’t helping even a “wee” bit. It’s probably actually hurting you.

I stopped eating beef 12 1/2 years ago because of the Mad Cow scare going on. And, it wasn't from Oprah's show of that year, it was a news magazine story that I saw and it just didn't sit well with me. Too much of my food was coming from people simply trying to make a buck and not caring how they made it. Cow farmers grinding up dead diseased cows and mixing them back into their vegetarian feed just didn't make sense to me. Forget the fact they were diseased, a cow is a vegetarian, this just wasn't right.

Turns out I was right. Not only do most of our beef cattle today not eat their natural food (grass), they are fed a diet of genetically modified corn (which is 100% of the corn on the commercial market today including the stuff YOU eat), but it's mixed with soy and other stuff (stuff being animal by products) as well. Some people are proud to proclaim that their cattle is natural 100% corn fed. To that I say, so freaking what! Corn isn't a cow's natural diet, grass is and the meat produced by it is crapola. They should be grazing in a field getting fat over the course of 4-5 years. Instead, they feed them corn and they get fat in 16-18 months. So, with some rare logical thinking, I hit the nail on the head with my reasoning.

Do you want to eat beef? There really are some wonderful health benefits to 100% Natural Grass Fed Grazing Beef. Did you know this kind of beef actually has some beneficial Omega-3s??? When you cook the beef, some of the saturated fat turns into CLA, conjugated linoleic acid, another healthy fat that has been shown to get rid of your belly... BUT THOSE HEATLHFUL BENEFITS AREN'T IN the mass produced cows that you find represented at your favorite steak house or in your local grocery store.

So, buyer beware (If you want to know more about how your food goes from the farm/field to your plate, read The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan). Although to find it, you'll have to go to a Whole Foods or find a 100% Natural Organic cattle farm (which you can find on the internet). Remember, 100% is the key. Not just organic, not just natural. (You can thank your government for screwing up the terms natural and organic to where you have to now look for "100%")

Remember the phrase: “You Are What You Eat” ??? You’ve probably heard it growing up and a few times since… But, I’m gonna change that phrase for you (you can thank me later) because it’s not nearly complete. It should be: You are What THEY Eat.

Because what your food eats, drinks and absorbs, makes a HUGE difference in your health. Here’s the question you need to ask……Is your food eating it’s natural diet?

Not is it eating “A” natural diet….is your food eating “IT’S” natural diet.

If you remember nothing else about nutrition or health, remember that. Your health, your athletic performance depends on the health of the food that your food eats. Over millions of years, we’ve evolved as part of a food chain. Luckily we’re on the top of that chain (except for the occasional surfer or SCUBA diver). So logic tells you when you mess with the food chain and try to circumvent it, you mess with your health.

If you continue to eat a diet that’s not native for the species you're eating, not only will your performance suffer, but eventually, disease will follow.

Bottom Line: Your health depends on the food that your food eats.

‘nuff said

DocT

Oh....One more thought....

Have you ever traveled to another country, ate the food of the land and then discovered that when you returned you felt great and lost weight.... Ponder that for a while and ask yourself why.

That happened to me when I traveled to Colombia for 2 1/2 week in July 2006.

______________________________________________________

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Please Don't Eat The Wallpaper

I enjoyed her book so much, I asked her to write a "guest blog" here at Natural Sports Medicine Blog. She agreed. So, here are a few words of wisdom from Dr. Nancy Irven, author of Please Don't Eat The Wallpaper.

Enjoy,

Doc T

_________________________
In my book, “Please Don’t Eat The Wallpaper!,” I tell my story about volunteering at the local

high school to educate fourteen year old students on better nutrition. One of the letters I received from a student said, “Dr. Nancy you surprised me. I thought when Mrs. Powell told us that we were going to be learning about nutrition, that we’d be learning something pretty boring. Not something life changing! I can’t tell you how much this helped my family and I eat better.”

I teach the students to stay away from refined grains, trans fats and refined sugars, primarily high fructose corn syrup. I teach them to eat vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. What makes this life changing for a fourteen year old? I remind them of the healthy foods they do like, but have forgotten about and encourage them to eat those foods. I gave them a sheet of paper with eleven headings: Vegetables, Fruits, Meat/Eggs, Dairy, Beans/Legumes, Whole Grains, Nuts/Seeds, Herbs/Seasonings, Condiments/Oils, Sweeteners, and Beverages. I asked the students to raise their hands and tell me what vegetables they liked. The room was full of students with their hands up! As they started naming all the various vegetables, I asked them to write down the ones they liked. One girl in the back of the room started laughing. When I asked her why she was laughing she exclaimed with enthusiasm, “I like fifteen vegetables and I didn’t even know it!” Now she knows what she can eat. One student was thrilled to learn that it was okay to eat mashed potatoes with butter and milk. We went through all eleven headings and even the picky eaters discovered at least twenty or more good whole foods they actually liked. I simply encouraged them to eat those foods regularly. I gave them no restrictions on any whole food. I helped them understand that if humans have been eating a food for thousands of
years, then the answer is … yes!

I helped them understand that if humans have been eating a food for thousands of
years, then the answer is … yes!

This means I said yes to saturated fat in the form of red meat, cheese, butter, and dairy. The present generation of teenagers has been raised in a “zero fat” environment and many of them believe that any fat is bad. I teach them this is not correct. I have seen that if they can eat nature’s fats in any form, they eat less man-made fat, which is the real health threat. According to Harvard, reported in Harvard Women’s Health Watch, “The Trouble With Trans Fat.” March, 2004, Vol 11, no.7, over 30,000 women die each year of heart attacks and strokes due to trans fat consumption in the United States. This study did not even include men.

If you would like more information, please read an article titled, “What If Bad Fat Is Actually Good For You?” By Nina Teicholz in the 2007 November issue of Men’s Health Magazine. Go to http://www.menshealth.com/. Consider this quotation from the article:

“When people replace the carbohydrates in their diet with fat – saturated or unsaturated – the number of small, dense LDL particles decreases. This leads to the highly counterintuitive notion that replacing your breakfast cereal with eggs and bacon could actually reduce your risk of heart disease.”

When I taught students they could eat eggs for breakfast in the name of “health,” many were excited, but still skeptical. Some of their parents were even more so. It’s amazing to me so many people, teenagers and adults, start their day with a breakfast cereal with a long list of ingredients including enriched grains, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup as well as many other chemicals and food dyes but they believe eggs are bad for them.

I suggest a web site, http://www.westinaprice.org/ for more information on healthy eating. In addition, the book by Michael Pollan, “In Defense Of Food” is an excellent book to read. I only disagree with him on one point. He quotes the research that makes the case that saturated fat is not unhealthy. However, he still follows the collective consciousness against the health benefits of saturated fats in a few of his comments. Still a good read!

Have a great day! Eat well and live long!

Dr. Nancy Irven

_______________________________

Thank you Dr. Irven for contributing to my blog. Her book, Please Don't Eat The Wallpaper is geared towards high school kids. I bought it anticipating that I would read it first, then give it to my kids to read. They both enjoyed it and had a lot of questions for me after. My children are much younger than the target audience, however, it sparked a similar result. A conversation was started about what is and what is not healthy for you.

'nuff said

Doc T

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 Center; A Facility for Natural Sports Medicine.

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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Are Glue & Plastic Part of YOUR Diet?

Human performance depends on a few factors. Good genes are important and at this time, effecting them is virtually out of our control. An athlete needs skill, focus, a good healthy body and good training in order to compete. Just like a top NASCAR race car or an F-18 jet fighter, in order to run at those peak performance levels, you’ve got to put in the best fuel possible. Anything less will clog up the system and break down the engine. Just like the glue and plastic in your diet right now!

But what about for those of us who aren’t athletes? Who aren’t on the path to be the next Olympic gold medalist or the next person to break the record running the NYC or Boston Marathon…What about the rest of us. The weekend warrior, the high school student, the business man or woman who is trying the best they can to get through the day?

The fuel you put in your body DEFINATELY influences how you perform. Even if you don’t realize it. Our bodies are extremely complex biological systems that developed ALONG WITH OUR FOOD over tens and hundreds of thousands of years. That’s why even those tiny little nutrients that our scientists 'aren’t sure what the heck they are yet', are so sarn important. They matter.

Elements that exists in micrograms can be essential nutrients. AND if not consumed, over the course of a couple of decades could cause irreparable damage to your body. Hey, a little stream millions of years ago eventually carved out what we know as the Grand Canyon! Little things do make a difference, it just takes time.

In her book, Please Don’t Eat The Wallpaper!, Dr. Nany Irven

described what has become the staple of the American Diet. Glue & Plastic….yes, I said glue and plastic.

In the not-so-old days, wall paper hangers use to mix white flour and water to make paste to hang wallpaper. Dr. Irven remembers her mother doing the same thing. Essentially what they were making was a simple glue. This glue being the main ingredient in most breads, pastas, cookies, cakes and more.

The plastics being partially hydrogenated oil. Why plastic? Well, as Dr. Irven states it in her book, the chemical process of creating plastic and creating partially hydrogenated oil is the same. Interestingly enough, partially hydrogenated oil is about as healthy for you as plastic. Both being poison.

The best this about her book, besides the information itself, is the way it’s written. IT’S EASY TO READ!!! And is specifically targeted toward teenagers. But, for all you parents out there, you need to read this first!! The information in this book represents the foundation of a healthy life. Bottom line is, you can live to be 100 and be in a wheelchair, on oxygen, needing assistance and having a miserable time of it, OR-you can be 100 and out there running around playing with your great-grandchildren.

The choice is yours, the essential information is in this great, quick read.

Glue, plastic or real food…..You decide. Personally, I want to be out having fun riding my bike and playing with my kids, not a grumpy old yuk-yuk that can’t get out of a chair.

Kudos to you Dr. Irvin

Don't even get me started on the high fructose corn poison they sweeten everything with nowadays. If you want an update on that, read my earlier blog post, or just read Dr. Irven's book.
‘nuff said

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 Center; A Facility for Natural Sports Medicine.

#chiropractormiamibeach #MiamiBeachChiropractor #SportsInjuriesFixedHere #DrNarson #ToddNarson #Narson #TriDoc #TriathlonDoc #ChiropracticSportsMedicine #ACASC #SportsMedicine #SportsChiropractor #MiamiBeachSportsMedicine #SportsMedicineMiami #MiamiSportsMedicine #MiamiChiropractor #Triathlon #Running #Ironman #IFixPeopleInPain #TrainWithoutPain #MiamiBeachChiropractor #GrastonTechnique #FAKTR #IASTM #Chiropractor #FootPain #Narson #NarsonBodyMechanic #NarsonTool #DACBSP #CCSP #ACBSP #BackPain #NeckPain #ShoulderPain #RotatorCuff #ITBandSyndrome #runnersKnee #PlantarFasciitis #Plantarfascitis #AchillesTendonitis #AchillesTendonosis #GettingAthletesBackInTheGame #MiamiBeachChiropractor #MiamiSportsMedicine #MiamiBeachSportsMedicine #WeFixPeopleInPain #TrainWithoutPain #ChiropracticSportsMedicine #ACASC #ProSportChiropractic #FunctionalMedicineMiami #DrNarson #BackPainRelief #NeckPainRelief #SportsInjuriesFixedHere #LaserTherapy #RockTape #KinesioTape #KTTape #Nutrition #21DayPurificationProgram #DetoxProgram #PaleoDiet #PaleoDoc #FunctionalNutrition #Chirooractor #Chiropractic #ChiropracticPhysician #DoctorOfChiropractic #USATriathlon #USAT #TeamUSA #CorporateWellness #HappyEmployeedProfitableBusiness #HeadacheRelief #MigraineHeadacheRelief #Migraine #SportsSpecificExam #SportSpecificTreatment #WorkCompDoc #WorkersCompensation #ankleSprain