How Coffee Affects Your Health

We seem to hear different things from the medical community every few years about either the positive or negative effect that coffee has on our health. So what is the most current information? Is coffee good or bad for your health? The answer, in short, is that it's a little of both.
Too much coffee can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure, anxiety and upset stomach, in addition to its ability to become addictive. And don't forget that added cream and sugar contribute to weight gain. For example, a 24-ounce Starbucks venti double chocolate chip frappucino contains a mind-boggling 520 calories!
Despite these drawbacks, moderate coffee consumption can actually have a protective effect, helping to reduce your risk of many problems, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, liver cancer, gallstones and Type 2 diabetes, to name a few. It can also lower the risk of stroke in women.
Current research has indicated that there is no increased risk of heart disease or cancer from moderate coffee drinking. The studies done earlier that reached that conclusion were flawed in that they did not take into consideration other lifestyle habits that went along with increased coffee drinking, such as smoking and lack of exercise, two major causes of these diseases. In fact, coffee has been shown to protect against many kinds of cancer.
A recent study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that there was a 25 percent reduction in cases of endometrial cancer in women who drank four or more cups of coffee per day. Scientists believe this may be due to the fact that coffee has the ability to lower concentrations of free estradiol and insulin, in addition to the cancer-fighting effect of coffee's antioxidant phenols.
Even a few cups of coffee every day can cut men's risk of developing prostate cancer by 30 percent, with those consuming six cups of coffee a day reducing their risk of a dangerous form of the cancer by a whopping 60 percent.
Coffee also reduces your risk of developing basal cell carcinoma by up to 20 percent, according to scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Another study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who drink coffee (four cups per day) have a 20 percent lower risk of depression than those who drink no coffee at all.
It is recommended that you get no more than 500-600 mg of caffeine intake per day, the equivalent of about 6 to 8 cups of brewed coffee. Obviously, the amount of caffeine in a cup of espresso will be more than that in the equivalent amount drip coffee.
The key point to keep in mind is to consume coffee in moderate amounts, especially if you are pregnant. But all in all, the benefits of coffee consumption far outweigh the risks for most people, so grab a café grande and drink up!
Nutrition is a very complex and our understanding of it is constantly evolving.  If you have questions about your current nutrition or supplement plan, please ask. We are here to help!

Pedometers: An Inexpensive Way to Get Moving

Incidental exercise is the physical activity we get throughout the day when we move around. You don’t have to go to a gym, change your clothes or complete a routine. Incidental exercise can make a real difference in your calories burned, especially if done consistently, and a pedometer is an excellent device for measuring it. 
Of course, a pedometer also measures intentional exercise, such as regular walks or runs you may take during the week. However, you can actually rack up a lot of exercise incidentally. The important thing to realize is that most of the time, you have a choice to move around or not. There are probably some hours you must spend seated at a desk, but there are many hours during the day that you might choose to sit instead of doing something active. You will have to make the effort, and if you do, you’ll notice the difference.
Pedometers don’t cost much and you’ll hardly notice it’s there, but studies have shown that simply wearing a pedometer increases our motivation to get up and move around significantly. Keeping a log of your daily steps is a wonderful way to monitor your progress and get even more motivated.
Once you’ve got that pedometer, here are some ways to increase incidental exercise in your life:
o After establishing a baseline, increase your number of steps by 10% each week. Aim for 10,000 steps per day. That meets most fitness guidelines for daily exercise.
o Is it really that far to the shops? Is there anything you can walk to that has something you need on a regular basis, so that you could leave the car behind once in a while (or more often)? That would save the environment, gasoline expenses and improves your health.
o If you must drive absolutely everywhere, park farther away from the shops so you have to walk a bit.
o I know the stairs are hard. But if you take them regularly, you’ll go a long way towards improving your fitness level, burning calories, and just feeling invigorated. And it gets easier with practice! Stairs are one of the higher intensity activities you can do.
o Get off the train or bus a couple of stops early and walk the rest of the way.
o Include a 10 -or 20-minute brisk walk every day at lunch. You’ll be amazed how a walk can help you de-stress and refresh your mind for the afternoon ahead.
o Take your dog for an extra walk each day. He’ll love you for it.
Incidental exercise will keep your metabolism up, which can boost your energy levels and help you sleep better, and of course, you’ll burn more calories. If you put enough effort into it that your heart and lungs have to work a little harder than usual, you’ll improve your fitness level, too.

Is Chiropractic Safe for Babies? While spinal manipulation may seem too intense for infants, it’s actually quite safe. Chiropractors take special care and precautions with babies, and many believe proper chiropractic care can help infants grow more healthfully and even reduce the likelihood of colic and middle ear infections. In fact, chiropractic care is sometimes used to treat colic, as well as pain, sleep problems, and musculoskeletal concerns. Chiropractic care can also be preventive. As children are very active, there can be a great deal of stress placed on certain parts of the body. Regular chiropractic appointments can help ensure a properly aligned spine as the child grows, resulting in better functioning and less risk of injury. It is important to know when to go to a chiropractor and when to go to an allopathic doctor. Viral and bacterial infections, for example, are best treated by allopathic doctors. Chiropractic treatment is usually best for musculoskeletal problems, as chiropractors are specialists in the musculoskeletal system. Chiropractors are also a good choice when you want to avoid drugs or surgery, as they are committed to medication-free, surgery-free treatments. Just as with allopathic doctors, the quality of care may vary and you need to shop around for a qualified and well-respected practitioner. Some are more competent than others. The best way to ensure you get a good chiropractor is to investigate their training, other patient and parent reviews of their services, and when possible, peer-reviews of the chiropractor. Have an interview with the chiropractor before bringing your child in for treatment, and see how comfortable you are with him or her. Don’t be afraid to move on to another practitioner if you are not completely comfortable. It’s best to find a chiropractor who specializes in pediatric chiropractic for your child. Your pediatrician, local hospital or the Internet can help you find specialists in chiropractic child and infant care. Don’t worry about asking your pediatrician for a referral; both chiropractors and allopathic doctors are used to working together with other health professionals to ensure your child gets the best care and treatment possible. In fact, the best health care professionals available are the ones that are willing to work together with others, and who don’t disparage other kinds of care. Take the time you need to select the best team of professionals to meet your child’s or infant’s particular needs. References

Why You Should Drink More Water!

Water is the elixir of life, but do we get enough of it? Many people think that substituting sodas, coffee and juice for water is enough to keep us hydrated and healthy, but nothing can beat the original and the best – water. Our bodies are made up of 43-75% water, and it’s an essential component of our health. The wide range in percentages comes from measuring different populations ranging from newborns (~75%) to obese people (~45%), with normal adult hydration at about 57-60%. We can survive a month without food, but we’ll die after a week without water. The body is able to absorb many nutrients and salts better thanks to water’s ability to transport these nutrients and oxygen to our body’s cells and organs. Detoxifying is vitally important to our health, since it cleans our bodies of impurities. The best way to excrete these impurities is through urine and sweat – both of which depend on our water intake. Upping your water intake may help to reduce the risk of kidney stone formation. The kidneys filter our waste products through the blood and out via urination. If the concentration of salt in our urine is high, and our water content low, this increases the risk of kidney stone formation. By drinking more water, this concentration of salts is reduced. We are at risk of sunstroke if our bodies become dehydrated. When we sweat, this cools our body down. If dehydrated, the body cannot sweat and overheats, which can damage the body’s internal organs. If you suffer from high blood pressure, maybe it’s your water intake that is the problem. When our bodies excrete and lose more than the optimal amount of liquid, our blood vessels constrict, which can cause our blood pressure to increase. If blood pressure is increased by a deficiency in water, this may also increase the risk of heart disease. Because the constricted blood vessels cause an increase in blood pressure, the heart works harder to compensate for the reduced volume of blood. Lower blood pressure and greater consumption of water help lower stress on the heart. What’s more, drinking more water can help you stay younger looking. Drinking a lot of water helps keep the skin clean and fresh-looking by removing impurities through sweating. Water also helps to keep the skin hydrated, which means younger looking skin – sagging and wrinkled skin is usually a sign of dehydration. Drinking water also cuts hunger pangs and acts as a good filler. Water has zero calories, so consider trading in your sugary drinks and juices to help control your weight. If increasing your water intake seems like a chore, why not add lemon or mint to your bottle to make it taste better? Eat more fruits rich in water such as watermelon, and try to drink water more regularly over the course of the day. Having a glass of water or water bottle near you during the day has been shown to increase water consumption without effort. References Used [1] http://www.jbc.org/content/203/1/359.full.pdf Accessed October 2011 [2] http://thetaoofgoodhealth.com/10-health-reasons-why-you-should-drink-more-water-4/ Accessed October 2011 [3] http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/generalhealth/ghea5288.html Accessed 2011

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is one of the few vitamins our body needs that it can produce independently of our diet. This fat-soluble vitamin is unique in humans because it functions as a prohormone, a precursor to the ordinary hormone, and is synthesized when our skin is exposed to the sun. It is synthesized in the kidneys in the form of calcitriol, before it is released into the body as a hormone. It regulates the concentration of calcium and phosphate in the blood stream, helping to promote healthy growth and remodeling in our bones.
The regular intake or production of Vitamin D in our bodies can help to prevent rickets in children and the onset of osteomalacia in adults. Vitamin D, especially when combined with calcium, helps to maintain healthy bones and can also reduce the risk of osteoporosis later in life. While it is commonly known that Vitamin D is good for the health of our bones, many people do not know that it also affects the function of the neuromuscular and immune systems, inflammation and cell growth [1][2][3]. Vitamin D also partly modulates the genes in the body that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis [1]. 
The recommended dietary intake, recommended by the Food and Nutrition board at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, is about 15-20mcg in a healthy adult for optimal bone and overall health [1]. Even though getting regular sunlight is the simplest way to top up Vitamin D levels, many people don’t get sufficient sun, particularly if they live in a colder climate or during the winter. Fortunately there are plenty of food sources out there that can help support our Vitamin D intake.
In some countries, it is not uncommon to come across food that has been artificially fortified with Vitamin D [4]. But the regular consumption of fatty fish, such as catfish, salmon, mackerel, sardines, eel and tuna, can help to naturally get enough Vitamin D in our diet. Other food sources are also rich in Vitamin D, such as: whole eggs, beef liver, fish liver oils – including cod liver oil, mushrooms and yeast that have been grown under UV light.
It is important to maintain a healthy balanced diet rich in Vitamin D and to get enough sunlight when the weather is nice enough to do so. Vitamin D is important for a healthy skeletal system, immune system [5], may reduce the risk against cancer [6] and may even reduce the overall mortality risks from any cause [7][8].
 

 

 
References:
[1] Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2010.
[2] Holick MF. Vitamin D. In: Shils ME, Shike M, Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ, eds. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 10th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006.
[3] Norman AW, Henry HH. Vitamin D. In: Bowman BA, Russell RM, eds. Present Knowledge in Nutrition, 9th ed. Washington DC: ILSI Press, 2006.
[4] DRI, Dietary reference intakes: for calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin D, and fluoride. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press. 1997. p. 250. ISBN 0-309-06350-7. Nutrition
[5] http://web.archive.org/web/20080419071840/http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20061111/bob9.asp Accessed October 2011
[6] Ingraham, BA; Bragdon, B; Nohe, A (January 2008). "Molecular basis of the potential of vitamin D to prevent cancer". Current Medical Research and Opinion 24 (1): 139–49.
 [7] Autier P, Gandini S. Vitamin D supplementation and total mortality: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med 2007;167:1730-7.
[8] Giovannucci E. Can vitamin D reduce total mortality? Arch Intern Med 2007;167:1709-10.