When it comes to conditions created by dehydration, athletes are distinctly at risk. Researcher, Susan Yeargin, assistant professor of athletic training in Indiana State’s College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services, said of athletes,”Physiologically, their core body temperature could be higher than it should have been if they were hydrated. Their heart rate will be higher, and they’re going to perceive that they’re working harder than they actually are.”  A high percentage of collegiate and professional athletes begin the season dehydrated, putting their health at risk even before they begin strenuous workouts, according to researchers at Indiana State University. In fact, Pre-season physical examinations, in fact, found that 80 percent of football players exhibited dehydration.

Confused about how much water is enough water? Chiropractors, like the majority of other health care professionals, recommend a minimum of eight, 8-ounce glasses of water per day for most patients, however for our athletic patients, or for patients who carry around excess weight or exercise or work where it’s hot, we recommend even more. How can you find out if you, personally, are drinking enough water? The color of your urine is a good indicator. If it comes out a light, pale yellow, it’s a good sign that you’re well-hydrated!

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However, before you opt to add an extra cup of coffee to your morning routine, let me warn you that under “Related Stories” on the website were at least two articles regarding studies that showed the negative effects of caffeine, “Morning Jolt of Caffeine May Mask Serious Sleep Problems,” and “Coffee Consumption Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Attack For Persons With Certain Gene Variation.”

Nearly any point of view, I’ve noticed, particularly when it comes to age-related health issues, can be confirmed, or at least bolstered, by other related studies. The “yin-yang” of caffeine benefits-deficits naturally aren’t, by any means, the only ones. Nonetheless, it did get me to pondering about the reasonableness that there will not ever be simply “one thing” that will with absolute certainty help we, humans, to live longer, healthier lives. Humans are dynamic, biological creatures. We are free to engage in life. We’re not confined to a cage! And, furthermore, though Alzheimer’s disease may be on the rise, obviously no one has been “singled out to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” therefore caffeine isn’t absolutely the “one thing” that is going to reverse or prevent it.

Our body is an elegant, involved system that is based on homeostasis, that is to say, balance. Consequently good health is about a healthy, balanced way of living, instead of our jumping on the bandwagon of the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one particular thing in the hope that it will reverse all of the other over-indulgent and unhealthy things we do to our bodies.

I believe, as a chiropractor, that every single day we have an opportunity to choose healthfully for our body, to decide what will help us to live longer, healthier lives. We know what genuinely “feels” life enriching and what doesn’t when it comes to what is good for our body. So, the next time you reach for that extra cup of coffee or that second glass of red wine, I hope that you’ll keep this in mind. There is no “one thing” that will do “everything” for your age-related health issues.

Technorati Tags: age-related health issues, caffeine, chiropractor, health, longevity, red wine

How can chiropractic help to relieve the symptoms of PMS? Chiropractic treatments get rid of nerve disturbance in your body. Every cell, fiber, tissue, organ, and system in your body is governed and regulated by your nervous system. Your reproductive system is included in this master regulation. If your reproductive system isn’t performing properly because of nerve disturbance, it can cause an array of symptoms such as those associated with PMS. You would most likely experience agitation, pain, heavy bleeding, or severe cramping if your reproductive system were overactive. Missed periods or infertility can be caused by an under-activity reproductive system. On the positive side, if nerve impingement is creating your PMS symptoms, then chiropractic care can assist because adjustments restore unimpeded activity to your nervous system and, hence, assisting it in functioning more normally.

A larger number of women find an improvement in their reproductive health, in conjunction with improved general health, while under chiropractic care. So, if you’ve been thinking that your PMS is just in head, think again! And, make an appointment to see your Colorado Springs Chiropractor as soon as possible. Chiropractic management provides  an all natural answer for PMS that could assist you in avoiding periodic misery, without medication, and keep you healthy and active all month long.

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Doesn’t it seem that healthy lifestyle information is everywhere you look these days? There are magazines and TV shows all about healthy foods and beneficial exercises. There are even recipes for nutritious meals in the newspaper. But, even though more Americans today are aware that eating nutritious meals, getting exercise, and keeping their body weight down is essential for health and longevity, a new study reported in the June 2009 issue of the American Journal of Medicine has found that the number of middle-aged and older Americans who have adopted a healthy lifestyle has actually declined substantially in the past two decades. Using data from a large government health survey, researchers found that in 2006, only 26 percent of Americans ages 40 to 74 said they ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. That’s down 16 percent from the 42 percent who responded in the 1988 survey! When it came to exercise, the same kind of decline was reported. Only 43 percent said they worked out at least 12 times per month, versus 53 percent in 1988. Not surprisingly, the rate of obesity in the United States went in the opposite direction, from 28 percent in 1988 to 36 percent in 2006.

The findings were based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a regularly conducted government health survey. Researchers focused on surveys conducted between 1988 and 1994 and between 2001 and 2006, which together included more than 15,000 Americans between the ages of 40 and 74. They looked at rates of five lifestyle factors involved in preventing a range of health risks: maintaining a normal weight, getting regular exercise, eating enough fruits and vegetables, not smoking, and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol.

Though the study cannot tell us why healthy lifestyle habits are on the decline, lead researcher, Dr. Dana E. King, of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, said that one reason may be that these changes are just difficult to make. “People’s increasingly hectic lives may be making it hard to fit in regular exercise, or to sit down to healthier, home-cooked meals rather than eating take-out.” He suggested some simple steps can make a difference. “It’s not hard, for example, to take some fruit to work with you, instead of going to the vending machine.” (Parking a little farther away from your destination and walking a bit can help, too.) Most importantly, Dr. King stressed that “it’s never too late” for middle-aged and older adults to make lifestyle changes for the better. In fact, in an earlier study, King and his colleagues found that when middle-aged adults newly adopted a healthier lifestyle — including regular exercise and eating more fruits and vegetables — their risk of developing cardiovascular disease or dying over the next several years fell by as much as 40 percent.

If you think about it, there aren’t many things in life that carry an “it’s never too late” guarantee. So, why not start today, no matter what your age may be? Your healthy future is depending on you!

Technorati Tags: cardiovascular disease, healthy lifestyle, middle-aged adults

Add to the growing list of chemicals showing up in human blood, chemicals called diPAPs. They’re found in the compounds that make food wrappers grease-proof. These chemicals are fairly new and scientists don’t know yet if they are harmful to human health. But diPAPs break down into another worrisome chemical, called PFOA (perfuorooctanoic acid), which is in a class of compounds called perflurochemicals, and may be carcinogenic.

PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate, another perflurochemical) are resistant to oil and water, which makes them perfect for use as fast food wrappers, and as liners on nonstick pans, microwave popcorn bags, and pizza boxes, not to mention carpets clothes, and electronics among many other applications. The problem is that these compounds end up in the environment, our food and our bodies.

“The take-home message is that some chemicals that make our lives easier, better and more satisfying end up in our bloodstream with unknown toxicological consequences,” said Scott Mabury, a chemist at the University of Toronto. “We should be smart enough to design chemicals that do what we want them to do without causing a chemical pollution problem.” Imagine that — designing chemicals that wouldn’t harm our bodies or pollute the environment. I wonder why no one has thought about that until now?

For the complete article, go tohttp://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/15/food-wrapper-chemical.html?campaign=w01-101-ae-0001

Technorati Tags: diet, fast food, health, pollution