This is a question I often get. A probiotic is healthy bacteria that are naturally found in healthy digestive tracts and inside the human body. The level of health is increased with the level of these healthy bacteria. It is found that the healthiest people have the highest level of probiotics. Your body actually contains more bacteria cells than it does human cells, and they are essential for many functions within the body.

Why do we need to supplement? Because, according to research, we only get about one millionth of the probiotics that our ancestors got. This is due to commercial farming techniques, using chemical fertilizers and pesticides which have killed the natural bacteria out of our soil.

How do we get the probiotics in the body? I am often asked if it is enough to eat yogurt. The answer is NO.

1. Yogurt is pasteurized, therefore killing many, if not all of the probiotics.
2. It is from a dairy source which is very toxic to the liver and hard to digest.
3. Iit does not carry all the probiotics that your body needs. It may carry only one or two, whereas your body needs 7 different types, according to research, for healthy function.

Therefore we recommend the Innate Choice® probiotic because it has the 7 bacteria that are found in healthy digestive tracts, and it also is preserved properly in a non dairy source to assure the highest quality probiotic and the most effective for your body and your overall health. Never settle for less than the best; your health is worth it!

First of all, the most common deficiency found in Americans today is omega-3 fatty acids. The reason for this is that it is depleted out of our diets because of the change in our agriculture and farming techniques. Whereas cattle used to eat grass, they now eat corn, which produces a different type of fat. Not an omega-3 fatty acid but an omega-6, which causes more inflammation and more chronic disease in the body. Therefore, our brain sizes have decreased over the last few hundred years.

The question rises now..is there a difference in the types of fish oil? Absolutely! 80 to 90% of the fish oil that is on the market I would not recommend to my family or to any of my patients. The reason is #1, it may not be purified or it may not be pure, which means that it could be oxidized and rancid. It also may not be in the true natural state. The true natural state of fish oil is in a triglyceride state. Most supplements are not in this state, but are in an ester state which is produced because it is cheaper. However, it is not usable by the body, therefore not beneficial. The reason we recommend the fish oil by Innate Choice® is because it is purified, it is in a natural state, and it is preserved properly without exposure to oxygen. Don’t settle for any less. Your brain and nervous system and overall health are worth it.

Researchers estimate that only about 20% of Americans get the recommended servings of fruit per day, and only 60% get the recommended servings of vegetables. These recommendations are the bare minimum and not nearly what our ancestors ate. The other problem is that the food we are consuming doesn’t have the same vitamin and mineral content that the food did even 50 or 60 years ago. Therefore, with less-healthful food and less of healthful foods, our bodies become depleted of essential minerals and vitamins. "Essential" means that our body cannot produce them, and they must be taken in from our diet. Therefore one of the supplements that we recommend every day for everybody is a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral. This vitamin supplement needs to be made from a whole food source, whereas chemical vitamins are not the same and not used by the body the same as those from a natural source.

That brings up a very important topic—the topic of the word “natural”. The word “natural” means “nothing”. It can mean that it is taken from something natural, but not in its natural state. Therefore, the word you are looking for is “organic” or “in a naturally occurring” which means that it is in the same state as found in nature. Don’t settle for any less in your nutritional supplements. We don’t for our patients, and I don’t for my family at home. Your health is worth it.

Not only is the development of the nervous system affected by subluxation in children as discussed last week, but also the spinal development is affected and can cause altered bone growth and alignment. The most common manifestations of these are scoliosis, Osgoode Schlatter’s disease and Scheuermann’s Disease. The reason for this is the stress of the spinal curvatures and abnormal spinal function produce adaptive vertebral subluxations in areas of maximum strain. This also causes an abnormal neural reflex to the muscles and even to the organs which can lead to such conditions as irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, and even Crohn’s Disease. If a patient has developed a subluxation affecting the digestive system, begins to experience the classic symptoms of gas and bloating and cramping, and even blood in the stool, then he or she is treated with traditional medical care, which does not correct the problem and actually can allow the disease to progress. The aim of chiropractic is to correct the interference and allow the normal nerve flow to the digestive system and then allow the body to begin to heal itself. As a chiropractor my goal is not to achieve temporary relief but to correct and remove the interference and allow the body to develop and function at 100% of its God-given potential.

Childhood represents a critical period of time when a young child’s nervous system is developing and learning to assimilate and differentiate internal and external stimuli. The nervous system learns postural and movement patterns and acquires future habits by reacting to the repetitive stimuli. Because the nervous system is not always able to distinguish between proper and improper stimuli this can cause problems. This process of neurological learning or programming of the central nervous system with respect to locomotion, posture, proprioception and body kinetics begins within a few short months of birth.

When a subluxation occurs at birth or shortly thereafter, then there is a pathological or abnormal development of the nervous and neuromuscular systems. These subluxations encroach and interfere with the neurological integrity of the spinal nerve roots through the misalignment of the spinal column. This subluxation leads to localized excitement of the nerves, causing abnormal muscular and organ function. Because of the development of the nervous system, this abnormal neurology has a far reaching effect on the health and development of the child.

Whereas 65% of the child’s nervous system develops within the first year of life, this is the most important time to have your children checked for subluxations. More on this subject next week.

A medical study was done of patients suffering with dermatitis. 120 of these patients received chiropractic adjustments for subluxations in the thoracic spine. Of these 120, 106 showed improvement. The conclusion of the researchers was that the reason the patients’ dermatitis improved from the chiropractic adjustment was because of the nerve supply controlling the adrenal gland. Because of the chronic neuropathy caused from the inter-vertebral narrowing of the hole where the nerve passes through, it caused a decreased immune function and decreased adrenal function. I agree 100% and have seen this for the past 19 years in my office. I am glad to see that the medical profession has finally recognized this also.