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Change Your Families Course of History

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Stop Blaming Your Genes

Here is a very important message if you want to live an active, healthy, quality of life for 80, 90, 100 years and beyond: Stop blaming your genes. Too many people rationalize unhealthy choices with words like, “Why bother, it’s in my genes.” You can’t get away with this anymore.

The lifestyle choices that you make for yourself and your family can literally change the course of your history. A family history of heart disease or cancer used to mean that it was your destiny to get those conditions too because they were “in your genes.” Through the science of epigenetics we are learning that nothing could be further from the truth. Epigenetics, which means ‘around the gene’, has shown that your lifestyle choices, both positive and negative, can influence the expression of your genes, turning them on and off like a light switch.

In the largest nature/nurture study that was ever done, on 44,000 pairs of twins, it was found that the primary determines in most cases of cancer were environmental or lifestyle factors such as tobacco use, diet and exercise habits rather than the inherited disposition of their family history.

A recent report in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA found the activity of more than 500 genes in the normal tissue of thirty men with low-risk prostate cancer changed after the patients began eating diets higher in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and lower in red meats and fats while also implementing an exercise and stress reducing regimen.

After three months the men had changes in the activity of about 500 genes including 48 disease preventing genes that were turned on and 453 disease promoting genes that were turned off.

Adjust Your Lifestyle
Changing the course of your history is not rocket science. Eating a diet filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats will keep you lean and healthy and they will activate healthy genes. Exercise, as a part of a lifestyle, reduces stress, strengthens your heart and muscles and has been shown to reduce the risk of nearly every disease.

Optimistic thinking has been shown to keep people motivated to make healthy lifestyle choices regardless of their circumstances. In addition, chiropractic care as a part of a healthy lifestyle, Lifestyle Care, keeps your spine and nervous system aligned, balanced and healthy and free from deterioration, this ensures that the vital messages between the brain and the body are optimized. Reducing stress is also important as stress has been shown to shorten the telomeres, or caps on the genes, which can reduce the life expectancy of your cells.

One of the life-changing principles of The 100 Year Lifestyle is “Change is easy, thinking about change is hard.” It is much easier to eat healthy and exercise regularly as a part of your lifestyle than it is to be on a weight gain-weight loss rollercoaster or to chronically have to deal with being sick or injured.

Chiropractic care as a part of a lifestyle is a much better option than the crisis to crisis suffering that comes with an unhealthy spine and nervous system. Bringing these values into your home can literally change the course of your history and ensure a healthy future for you and your loved ones.

Please take advantage of the resources our office provides to help you and your loved ones rewrite your history. Contact us to make an appointment for yourself or someone in your family. A healthy future could be yours for generations.

The Benefits of Lifestyle Care

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The benefits of Lifestyle Care are many and well documented. From improving athletic performance, increasing brain function and increasing bone density to strengthening the immune system and preventing deterioration, the results can be dramatic. And as common sense and world renowned chiropractor, Dr. Ernie Landi has stated so eloquently, “If you prevent it, you don’t have to treat it.”

Lifestyle Care is about keeping your spine and nervous system aligned, balanced and functioning to its full potential throughout your lifetime. This allows your brain and your body to communicate efficiently, without interference, so that they can function at their highest level and you can enjoy life to the fullest.

People will frequently ask, “This makes a lot of sense. How often should I come and get my spine and nervous system checked?”

Life Can Be Intense

The answer is quite simple and depends a lot on you. The intensity of your Lifestyle Care will depend on the intensity of your lifestyle as well as the underlying condition of your spine and nervous system. People who live stress free lives and have no underlying deterioration in their spine or nervous system require much less Lifestyle Care.

On the other hand, people with moderate amounts of stress and deterioration require more frequent visits and people who are under severe stress or have a lot of severe deterioration in their spine and nervous system require much more frequent visits to keep their body functioning at high levels of health. You and your chiropractor will determine together the frequency that is best for you based on your personal health condition and goals.

As the intensity of your lifestyle changes from month to month or from year to year you may find that the intensity of your Lifestyle Care also needs to change.

For example, if you have found that an adjustment every two weeks has been ideal for you and you change to a more stressful job with a lot of sitting or a long commute you and your chiropractor may find that one adjustment a week works better.

Chiropractic and Exercise

If you are a casual exerciser and decide to start participating in triathlons, the increased intensity of your training might require you to increase the intensity of your visits to multiple times per week. On the other hand, if your life becomes less stressful, you begin meditating three times a day and your underlying spinal conditions have already been corrected, you may find that your Lifestyle Care frequency may decrease in its intensity.

Lifestyle Care is Not Based on Symptoms

The most important thing for you to understand is that Lifestyle Care is not based on symptoms. Your frequency is not determined by how you feel but instead is determined by whether or not you have a subluxation, a spinal imbalance with nerve pressure, that needs to be adjusted. Since additional research has revealed that nerve compression can exist without pain, waiting until you have symptoms to get checked is not a good idea. Only your chiropractor can determine whether you need an adjustment or not through a chiropractic check-up.

Ask around and you will find that there are millions of people who have been under chiropractic care for decades not just because they have had a problem but because they have experienced the benefits of Lifestyle Care. These people may be some of the healthiest people you meet. Too many people in our society are suffering because they are crisis oriented when it comes to their health. Don’t let this happen to you. It is easier, less expensive and more fun to stay well than it is to have to get well after you become sick or injured. Make Lifestyle Care your top priority.

© 2013. The Family Practice, Inc., Dr. Eric Plasker and The 100 Year Lifestyle. All Rights Reserved.

Tired of Chasing Symptoms?

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Symptoms are Signals

Isn’t it time you stopped chasing symptoms? These signals that you get from your body are frequently misunderstood. More importantly, treating symptoms without getting to the cause of a problem can lead to mismanagement of your health and more severe health problems as you age.

When you get sick, for example, and your temperature goes up, your body is naturally fighting off the infection. Bacteria thrive in a climate that is 98.6 degrees so your body’s Innate Intelligence raises your temperature to help fight off the infection on its own. The symptoms of this elevated temperature can be muscle aches, fatigue, weakness and general malaise. At the first sign or symptom of a fever, many people will immediately panic and try to bring the temperature down with medication, treating the symptoms rather than letting the body do its job and heal itself.

The medications that are used to treat these symptoms can lead to side effects and even weaken the body’s natural immunity. In recent years, the overuse of antibiotics has created an epidemic of superbugs within individuals that are untreatable and pose a serious threat to our long term health.

The CDC States

The CDC states, “If antibiotics are used too often for things they can’t treat-like colds or other viral infections-they can stop working effectively. Antibiotic resistance has been a concern for years and is considered one of the world’s most critical public health threats. Widespread overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics is fueling an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

In the U.S., antibiotic-resistant infections are responsible for $20 billion in excess healthcare costs, $35 billion in societal costs and $8 million in additional hospital days.(1)

A report commissioned by the Canadian Coordinating Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance estimated that infections caused by antibiotic-resistant organisms increased direct hospital costs in Canada by $15-25 million annually(2).

How Your Body Heals Itself

Many experts say that it is better to give the body a chance to heal itself with rest and fluids along with chiropractic adjustments that remove pressure from the nervous system. Unless there is an extreme elevation in body temperature, and depending on other symptoms, allowing your body to heal itself naturally helps your immune system build the resistance it needs to keep you healthy and fight infections more effectively.

Consider the case for “referred pain.” This means you can feel a symptom in one part of your body while the cause or the origin of that pain is somewhere else. For example, very often the cause of arm, hand or finger pain is in the neck. Leg and foot pain will often originate from a problem in the back. Problems with the gallbladder will often refer pain to the spinal nerve roots in the middle part of the spine and vice versa.

Because chiropractic works to restore health and vitality to the nervous system, we are always amazed at how the entire body often becomes free of symptoms through our work with the spine. Since nerves control every cell, tissue and organ of your body, problems in the nervous system can cause or mimic nearly any and every symptom imaginable.

It is very common to hear our practice members say things like “I know I came because my neck hurt, and my allergies and headaches are gone too.” or “I didn’t even tell you about my menstrual cramping but since I’ve been getting adjusted, my cramps have been reduced dramatically.” or “I sleep so much better since beginning my care.”

The list goes on and on. Isn’t it time you stop chasing symptoms and get to the cause? You will enjoy a much healthier life when you do.

References:
1 Centers for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/features/getsmartGet Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work: Dangers of Antibiotic Resistance

2 Birnbaum D, Canadian Committee on Antibiotic Resistance. Antimicrobial resistance: A deadly burden no country can afford to ignore. Can Commun Dis Rep. 2003 Sep 15;29(18):157-64.

© 2013. The Family Practice, Inc., Dr. Eric Plasker and The 100 Year Lifestyle. All Rights Reserved.

Children’s Health and Longevity

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According to the British Medical Journal, The Lancet, 50 percent of the babies born since the year 2000 are expected to live over the age of 100. Additional research is concerned that our current generation of children may be the first in recent history to see their life expectancy go down.

How can this be? Doesn’t it seem like a contradiction to see so many children living longer while their overall life expectancy goes down? The answer is sad yet simple in that the other 50percent of children are expected to die younger and sicker than ever, not because of their genetics, but because of unhealthy lifestyle choices.

The Requirements of a Healthy Life
It is not rocket science to understand the connection between lifestyle choices, quality of life and longevity. A healthy life requires a lifestyle that includes healthy food, exercise, strong social circles and a healthy spine and nervous system, The 100 Year Lifestyle, as well as avoiding destructive habits such as smoking and excessive stress. On the other hand, a 50 to 60 year lifestyle includes unhealthy eating with excessive sugar, calories, sitting, lack of exercise and an unhealthy spine and nervous system.

“It Runs in My Family”
Are you raising your children to live a 60 year lifestyle or a 100 Year Lifestyle? You will often hear people say as they get older, after they are diagnosed with diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes, that “these diseases run in my family.” While there is a genetic component to these conditions, it is actually a small component. These diseases are mostly lifestyle diseases. Based on the lifestyle in which your children are being raised, they are either inheriting the lifestyle habits that contribute to a 60 year lifestyle or they are inheriting the lifestyle habits that contribute to a healthy, active, positive, productive 100 years and beyond.

100 Year Lifestyle Affiliate chiropractic offices are filled with individuals and families who are committed to optimizing the expression of their genes by living their ideal 100 Year Lifestyle. By providing a positive environment filled with healthy lifestyle education and chiropractic care, we are helping our community raise healthy drug-free families over the course of their entire lifetime.

It’s Not Too Late
If you have not been healthy and you are ready for a change, it is not too late for you. 100 Year Lifestyle Affiliates provide care to many people who have lived from crisis to crisis and become tired of the suffering and the roller coaster ride. The good news is that, because of the amazing ability of your body to adapt and heal, it is never too late to take care of your spine and nerve system and adjust your lifestyle.

Begin shopping in stores that sell organic food. Fill up your shopping cart with fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and whole grains. Avoid high fat foods like cookies, cakes, and cereals that are high in sugar as well as white flour and white rice. Turn off the TV and the video games and get outside with your family for walks or bike rides, and come in together for your chiropractic appointments.

In 1903 Thomas Edison said, “The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” It is 2013 and the future is now. You do your part by making good lifestyle choices and we will do our part keeping the master control system of your body, your nervous system, functioning at its full potential so you can enjoy good health now, for 100 years and beyond.

Children and Chiropractic Check Ups

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Recent research has shown that chiropractic care is extremely safe for babies and children. As a result, more children and families are having their spine and nervous system examined by chiropractors.

The Journal of Science and Healing reported on a study of 577 children under the age of 18 receiving chiropractic care. The study showed that parents reported a high rate of improvement in their children presenting with health issues with the most common symptoms of muscular conditions, ear, nose, throat, respiratory and digestive issues. They also reported better sleeping patterns, improvements in behavior, and stronger immune systems while under chiropractic care.

While there are many conditions that respond to chiropractic care as indicated in this research, chiropractic care does not treat these conditions. The conditions respond because of the increase in the body’s ability to fight infection, resist dis-ease and heal itself when the spine is aligned and the nerves are working properly.

At the same time many parents who used to give prescription and over the counter drugs routinely to their children are stopping to think twice before doing it again. Why? Here are a few reasons to consider.

Children’s bodies process medication differently than do adults. During debate and discussion about off-label prescribing, which is the practice of prescribing medications to children and extrapolating from an adult does to a pediatric dose, The Director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Pediatric Therapeutics stated, “We found out that you can’t predict how kids are going to handle things.” The Government Accountability Office concluded that only about one-third of the drugs prescribed have been studied and labeled for pediatric use. This is a very dangerous practice.

According to a CDC Report in November 2013, “Every year as many as 10 million U.S. children risk side effects from antibiotic prescriptions that are unlikely to help their upper respiratory conditions. Many people have a misconception that, since antibiotics are commonly used, they are harmless. Taking antibiotics when you have virus can do more harm than good.”

The families that are choosing chiropractic care and opting for alternatives to medication as a first response to symptoms and conditions are enjoying both short term and long term perks of their positive choices. Regardless of who in the family is seeking relief from conditions, everyone in the family benefits from improved immune systems, better digestion and restful nights. Lifestyle Care can make a huge difference.

Our office offers Chiropractic Care to people of all ages and sizes including infants and children. We are trained to provide you and your family with great, quality care. The adjustments are specific to the individual. The adjustments given to a newborn are not the same as the ones given to a 4 year old sibling and the adjustment for a 12 year old will differ from the one the parent just received.

Everyone in your family could benefit from a chiropractic check-up. Through your examination, we will determine if you are a candidate for care and if your spine and nervous system has been compromised. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.

Lifestyle Renovation in 3 Easy Steps

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The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of Renovation is 1 – To restore to a former better state (as by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding), 2 – to restore to life, vigor, or activity.

Have you ever thought about renovating your lifestyle? Naturally, most of us think of a house when we hear the word ‘renovate’. The way you have lived until now has brought you to where you are physically, mentally, financially and spiritually. Your lifestyle is your choice and your responsibility. Renovating can be done in 3 easy steps and NOW is a great time to start!

First, get your nervous system working at its best. Your nervous system controls and coordinates every cell, tissue and organ in your body and allows your body to respond to its internal and external environments. Gray’s Anatomy says this about the nervous system: “It is the mechanism concerned with the correlation and integration of various body processes and the reactions and adjustments of the organism to its environment.” [1] This means that your nervous system allows you to adapt and live in our constantly changing world. Keeping your nervous system free from interference must be a priority in your lifestyle renovation.

Food is the second step of your lifestyle renovation. No kidding, you are what you eat. Your body rebuilds itself constantly replacing every single cell, over the course of 7 years. If you are eating processed foods, packaged foods or fast food, this can be very destructive to your health now and as you age. Instead, fill your body with fresh vegetables, fruit, proteins and healthy fats. Science shows us that we are living longer. The fastest growing segment of our population is the centenarians, or 100 year old, age group. How do you and your family want to be when you get to 100 years old or older? How healthy do you want your journey to be? The World Health Organization says that increasing your fruit and vegetable consumption can lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke. [2]

A healthy spine and nervous system give you the best change of absorbing the nutrients from the foods you eat. Remember your nervous system: The nerves that exit from the upper neck, mid back and lumbar regions of the spine send messages to your stomach, gall bladder, and intestines controlling digestion. Their health should be a priority!

The third step to renovating your lifestyle and living a quality life as you age is healthy movement. You will recall from other health articles that to do this you have to Get Your ESS in Shape – Endurance, Strength and Structure. Endurance training exercises your heart and lungs. You need Strength to remain independent as you age. Structure determines the quality of your health because it houses your spinal cord and central nervous system. A healthy structure keeps you aligned and helps maximize healthy movement.

You have a lot of living to do. Getting your ESS in shape now will help you now and down the road. Harvard did a study that not only says you can reduce your risk of disease by exercising, but you can also feel better and live longer! [3].

Before the years fly by, commit to starting your lifestyle renovation now. Begin eating better, get your body moving, and make an appointment to get your spine and nervous system checked to help optimize the function of all your organs and systems. Your quality of life depends on it!

[1] http://www.bartleby.com/107/183.html
[2] http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/fruit/en/index2.html
[3]http://www.health.harvard.edu/special_health_reports/exercise-a-program-you-can- livewith

Contributed by Dr. Josh Handt, A 100 Year Lifestyle Affiliate Chiropractor in New City, NY