It’s getting cold

We are entering a season of increased treats, more time spent inside, less sunlight, decreased physical activity, increased stress, and more sickness. The good news is we can do a lot to help fortify our body and improve our health. Time to start thinking of “food as medicine.”

One of the strangest things with the typical American diet is that we are overfed yet undernourished. We have an abundance of calories, yet that food has relatively little nutritional value. This time of year treats are in abundance - both food and beverage. Food can be a tremendous healer or a slow poison. Eat real food: meat, fruits, vegetables, cheese, yogurt, butter, olive oil, nuts. The base of what you eat should be real food. Challenge yourself and switch to a whole food diet, or a Mediterranean diet, or a Paleo diet. One of my favorite things is sitting together as a family and sharing a meal. It is common for my family to cook and eat together. Our meals are high protein. We make soups, bone broths, beef chilis, everything with lots of protein. We work hard to limit our sugar intake and treats. We enjoy going trick or treating. Visiting friends, walking around for 90 minutes, and sorting through the spoils of the evening. We pass out apples and rubber duckies instead of candy. I make sure our Halloween candy disappears. This is because I have the most difficult time with sweets. If sweets are around, I will eat them. It is much easier for me to get rid of them once than be tempted every time I walk by the “treat cabinet” at home.

As the weather cools sports and activities move indoors. In Ohio sunlight becomes scare and we begin to pile on layers of clothing. Sunlight is not reaching our skin. We need to supplement with vitamin D. My family supplements with Cataplex D and Cod Liver Oil. Cod Liver Oil contains the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, is a natural source of vitamin D, as well as the antioxidant vitamin A.

As physical activity decreases, so does our health. Because of colder weather and decreased daylight we find ourselves spending more time indoors. There is less outside work to be done. It is not as enjoyable to walk or exercise alone in the dark. Find something to keep you moving. Meet up with a workout group, go to a gym, start a daily stretching routine, try yoga, or put on extra clothes and go outside for a walk. Limit technology, have conversations, connect with others. Instead of sitting around and watching devices, play games, tell stories, read, or do a family workout (planks, pushups, air squats, stretching). Come over to our house and enjoy our wood burning stove!

The season of consumerism can be very stressful. We spend a lot of time trying to spoil our kids, our loved ones, our friends. Instead try investing in experiences or time with your loved ones. Trust me, everyone will appreciate a connection more than a gift. It is a great time of year to start a meditation practice. Breath work is calming.

I hope this provides you with a new idea or a spark to motivate. Please share your successes. I want you to be strong and healthy. If you start to get sick or want to fortify your body we have lots of great immune support in the office.

Happy November!

Protein

There is a lot of information out there about the correct amount of protein to consume, how much protein you should take at one time, and what happens to the extra. Each one of us is different so things will vary. However, too many people do not consume enough protein. Increasing your protein consumption provides sustained energy for longer periods of time, it decreases your hunger and cravings, protein builds muscle, it improves sleep, boosts metabolism, protein supports brain cognition, it allows you to build an intermittent fasting window (maybe going to 1 meal a day), protein helps your body repair itself, and the list goes on.

My recommendation is 1 gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight. Take me for example. My ideal weight is 180 pounds - so I work toward eating 180 grams of protein per day, usually I get more, sometimes less. Here is the protein I ate yesterday: 1 Pure Paleo beef broth protein shake = 40 grams of protein. 12 oz serving of Fage 5% plain greek yogurt = 36 grams of protein. 1 can of Wild Planet Albacore wild tuna = 31 grams of protein. 1 pound of 80:20 ground beef (burgers) = 78 grams of protein. Cheddar cheese for my burgers, 3 ounces of cheddar cheese = 22 grams of protein. This is a total of 207 grams of protein. I also ate some fruit, pickles, ketchup, roasted potatoes, and Haagen Dazs mint chocolate chip ice cream.

4 days per week I do CrossFit style workouts, high intensity training with weight lifting. The other 3 days my workouts are less intense (walking, stretching). I fast for 20-24 hours on the days I don’t lift weights, I go from dinner to dinner without eating. On my fasting days I eat one big meal - typically lots of meat plus fruit, cheese, and yogurt. I consume 180+ grams of protein in a single sitting. Some believe that is too much protein at one time. Is it? No. Because, the protein I am eating is from whole foods. Whole food proteins (beef, venison, eggs, cheese, etc.) contain macronutrients which slow down absorption. Whole food proteins are slowly absorbed over hours. For example, a cooked egg has a protein absorption rate of 3 grams per hour. So, 4 cooked eggs containing approximately 24 grams of protein will be absorbed over 8 hours. Slower absorption reduces the oxidation of amino acids produced, resulting in improved whole body protein availability and balance.

The flip side of slow absorbing proteins are fast acting proteins, such as whey protein. Whey protein has an absorption rate of 10 grams per hour. The quick breakdown of whey protein allows rapid availability of amino acids which can spike muscle protein synthesis. Yet, you will have increased oxidation of the amino acids produced and less efficient whole body protein synthesis. A study from Areta et al. showed the distribution of 20 grams of whey protein every 3 hours “has the potential to maximize outcomes of resistance training for attaining peak muscle mass.” This is where the maximum protein absorption of 20-25 grams comes from. If you are body building this is where you want to be. For the rest of us whole food protein is where we want to be.

The majority of us, those looking to improve ones health, increase performance, achieve high levels of functioning, should work toward consuming 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Put your focus on protein. The rule in my house is protein 1st, just ask my kids. Which brings up another point: dealing with children can be a challenge! We just have to be a little more creative. Burgers for breakfast. Good quality whole food protein shakes, Protein smoothies. Full fat milk and cheese. Beef sticks. Tuna fish. Sardines. Bacon and eggs. Start thinking of cereal as a dessert food. I am not against carbs. They taste delicious and are easy to consume. However, it is too easy to become a carboholic. Increase your protein and watch your energy, mental clarity, and strength take off.

Steak and eggs for everyone!

Two journal articles for further knowledge.

1.) Areta JL, Burke LM, Ross ML, Camera DM, West DW, Broad EM, Jeacocke NA, Moore DR, Stellingwerff T, Phillips SM, Hawley JA, Coffey VG. Timing and distribution of protein ingestion during prolonged recovery from resistance exercise alters myofibrillar protein synthesis. J Physiol. 2013 May 1;591(9):2319-31. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2012.244897. Epub 2013 Mar 4. PMID: 23459753; PMCID: PMC3650697.

2.) Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Feb 27;15:10. doi: 10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1. PMID: 29497353; PMCID: PMC5828430.

Positive Affirmations

Whether you think you can, or think your can’t, your are correct. It really is mental. Here are some of my favorite affirmations which help move me to a positive mindset.

• I am filled with love and kindness.

• Abundance is all around me, flowing to me and through me.

• I am strong and confident.

• I make great things happen.

• I am full of joy and love.

• I am in control.

• I am intentional in my thoughts and actions.

• Great things happen to me.

• I am grateful and blessed.

• I am proud of who I am.

• I am peaceful and full of ease.

Please add to this list, customize the list for you. I recite these while driving to work and in the evening before bed. Positive affirmations fill me with gratitude, improve my mindset, and set a positive tone for the next day. May they help you in ways you did not realize.

Have a great day,

Dr. John

Chiropractor. Owner of Harding Holistics. Neuro-muscluoskeletal specialist.

Four easy things you can do to change your LIFE, in 30 days.

1. Get adjusted. Your nervous system is in charge of everything you do. Getting adjusted directly impacts your nervous system. Your spine is your body’s circuit breaker box, if a breaker is thrown, power to an area is compromised. The journal article Neurophysiological effects of spinal manipulation, by Pickar, JG in the Sep-Oct 2002 journal Spine shows this to be true. “One mechanism underlying the effects of spinal manipulation may, therefore, be the manipulation's ability to alter central sensory processing by removing subthreshold mechanical or chemical stimuli from paraspinal tissues. Spinal manipulation is also thought to affect reflex neural outputs to both muscle and visceral organs. Substantial evidence demonstrates that spinal manipulation evokes paraspinal muscle reflexes and alters motoneuron excitability.”

2. Eat real food. Eat items with minimal ingredients. For example an apple is an apple - blueberries, beef, chicken, fish, rice, sweet potato, beet root, cheese, yogurt, honey, etc. Eliminate seed oils, processed foods, food dyes, additives, colorings, corn syrup, and any food you think you may be sensitive to. Ask yourself, do I have to run to the bathroom soon after I eat? Do I have brain fog after I eat? Click here for my “How to determine your food sensitivity at home.”

3. Sleep. Set a consistent sleep time and wake up time. Get 8 hours per night. Sleep is recovery. Think you need less, baloney! Check out Matthew Walker PhD’s book, Why We Sleep: unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. For those of you that know me, most days I go to bed at 8:30 pm and wake up between 4:30 and 5:30.

4. Move. Move it or lose it. Exercise, especially strength training, improves hormone production, lowers blood pressure, improves cardiovascular health, slows neurological degeneration (think dementia, Parkinson’s), improves strength, reduces ones risk of injury from a fall, and is a great way to spend time with friends.

Stop thinking of health as something you do for others. Think of it as payment to yourself.

“I owe it to myself to get adjusted.”

“I owe it to myself to eat only real food.”

“I owe it to myself to get 8 hours of sleep.”

“I owe it to myself to go for a walk.”

Turn off the television, get off social media, and you will find more than enough time to to put these into practice. I know, because I have done it.

Love,

Dr. John

Chiropractor. Owner of Harding Holistics. Neuro-muscluoskeletal specialist.

Why Detox?

Why Detox?

Do yourself a favor and read The Hundred Year Lie: How Food And Medicine Are Destroying Your Health (2006) by investigative journalist Randall Fitzgerald. This book examines the rise of the local and global influence of the United States food and chemical industries. The Hundred Year Lie illustrates how by introducing synthetic chemicals into our food and water supply over the past century the chemical and food industry has altered and damaged the lives of millions of people in the United States. While there may have been a good intention it has produced disastrous results. From micro plastics in our water, dioxins in our food, bisphenol A, valproic acid, and organochlorine compounds affecting our in-utero development. Chemicals surround us: in our clothing, bedding, furniture, water, food, air, and vehicles. The good news is our body is incredible at handling the constant onslaught of toxins. The bad news is with the ever growing chemical list to which we are exposed, our bodies become overburdened. Here is a link to a toxicity questionnaire to help you determine your bodies burden. So what are we to do?

My favorite tool is Standard Processes 21 Day Purification Program. The 21-day Standard Process Purification Program isn’t just a cleanse diet (no colon cleanse!). It is a structured program that brings healthy lifestyle habits into focus. It’s designed to purify, nourish, and help you maintain a healthy body weight. It’s easy to follow: eat whole foods, exercise (walk), drink nutritious shakes (I use one shake as breakfast), and take supplements made with whole food and other ingredients. The menu includes a varied abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits for the first 10 days, with proteins added on day 11. The supplements support the body’s ability to naturally remove occurring toxins. Before and after blood labs (glucose, hemoglobin A1C, cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides) are a fantastic way to objectively see the changes. Here is a link to the program guide book. Look it over and ask me questions.

Do yourself and your loved ones a favor - invest in your health. I want you to be healthy and strong until you are 100. Join me and my office and start the 21 Day Purification Program January 2nd. Have your spouse or a friend do it with you - we are more successful when we have an accountability partner.

I believe in you.