What is E-Stim?

Usually referred to as “electric stim” or “STIM”, it goes by many other names and there are different types and reasons for using this modality. Electric muscle stimulation mimics the body’s nervous system by sending safe, low frequency electrical pulses to the affected area, causing the muscle to contract and increasing temperature and blood circulation. By utilizing and encouraging the body’s natural healing mechanisms, STIM and similar therapies can drastically reduce the dependence on medications and unnecessary surgeries and resolve the symptoms of underlying causes.

To start, four sticky conducting pads are placed around the treatment area. The intensity is then increased slowly allowing the current to flow through you to the opposite pads. This causes a gentle tingling that develops into a massage-like sensation as the frequency is increased. The therapy normally lasts ten minutes, often with the use of cold compresses. Patients should always feel relaxed and comfortable. STIM is intended to help, not hurt. The treatment improves healing in the area, causes the muscles to relax, releases chemical pain relievers and temporarily confuses the nervous system so that it is not able to transmit pain signals as well. In essence you get temporary pain relief and improved healing.

Active Care Chiropractic…Dr. McGraw and Dr. Bradburn keep you moving for life!

Many ‘All Natural’ Foods Are Actually Heavily Processed

If you think a food is “all natural” just because the label says it is, think again. Many food products like ice cream, cookies, yogurts, sauces, and cereals all come with glowing, ‘all natural’ labels, but contain ingredients like corn syrup and maltodextrin, which are not natural.

…SO, what does an “All Natural” label claim really mean? Zero. Zilch. Nada. Zip. The natural food label on a processed food has no standard definition and really no meaning at all. In the processed food arena, a “natural” product can be virtually anything — genetically modified, full of pesticides, made with corn syrup, additives, preservatives and artificial ingredients. Most are also heavily processed.

Processed foods containing cheap, chemical-laden ingredients will eventually take their toll on your body. 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food is spent on processed foods, which is a disaster for your health even if you’re buying “natural” processed foods. Just because someone slaps a “natural” label on a food product, that label does not somehow magically transform a junk food into a health food. “All-natural” processed foods — ice cream, potato chips, soda, etc. — are just as detrimental to your health as conventional processed foods. How healthy can you really be if you’re routinely ingesting pesticides, antibiotics, hormone-disrupting chemicals, genetically modified organisms, chemical additives, colors and preservatives, and an untold amount of other chemically-derived byproducts and toxins that may or may not claim to be “natural” on their labels?

Cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes — all modern plagues that have a dietary component — are spreading and increasing in occurrence and severity with each passing year. The health statistics speak for themselves.

So if a “natural” label claim is no measure of food quality, then what is? First and foremost, focus purchases on items that have no labels at all … namely fresh vegetables, preferably organic and locally grown. Grass-fed, organic meats and raw dairy products are also staples to safely invest in. Next, whether shopping at a supermarket or a farmer’s market, here are the signs of a high-quality, healthy food:

1. It’s grown without pesticides and chemical fertilizers (organic foods fit this description, but so do some non-organic foods)
2. It’s not genetically modified
3. It contains no added growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs
4. It does not contain artificial anything, nor any preservatives
5. It is a whole food, and this means it will not have a long list of ingredients (for instance, high-quality almond butter should contain almonds (preferably raw) and maybe sea salt — no added oils, sugars, etc.)
6. It is fresh (if you have to choose between wilted organic produce or fresh local conventional produce, the latter is the better option)
7. It is grown with the laws of nature in mind (meaning animals are fed their native diets, not a mix of grains and animal byproducts, and have free-range access to the outdoors)

By educating yourself on what ‘healthy food’ really is, you’ll easily be able to spot gimmicks like the word “natural” on processed foods, allowing you to put your family’s food money toward purchases that will not only satisfy your appetites but also nourish your health.  Call and schedule a nutritional consultation with Dr. McGraw today! We Can Keep You Moving…for Life in Wilmington, NC!

The Surprising Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is a great all-in-one healthy oil…studies have shown that the intake of coconut oil can help our bodies mount resistance to both viruses and bacteria that can cause illness. Numerous medical studies done around the world have shown virgin coconut oil has the ability to actually improve cardiovascular health, help both our metabolism, bowel and digestive systems work optimally, and also helps us to better absorb vitamins and minerals. It can be used for cooking, as a lip balm, moisturizer, shaving cream, deep treatment conditioner, makeup remover, bug bites, athlete’s foot, and canker sores. Replacing polyunsaturated cooking oils like soy and corn oils with coconut oil will have a noticeable and direct impact on your health.

Be sure to look for our cookbook “Simply Dined and Well Aligned” for ways to improve your health…coming soon to Wilmington, NC!

“When You’re Out of Tune…”

You can’t sleep, your energy levels are low, and you are finding it harder to make it through the day. The specialists insist there’s nothing wrong but, you innately feel like something is out of tune. Maybe it’s time to call the chiropractor.

D.D. Palmer, the Father of Chiropractic, recognized that repetitive physical, chemical, and emotional stress can alter the normal “tone” within a person’s nerve system (a.k.a. subluxation). This consistent irritation can lead to poor physical, mental, and emotional performance. The solution? Restore normal tone to the Nervous System with specific chiropractic adjustments and better health will naturally follow.

Health is the “music” that plays when all your cells, tissues, and organs vibrate perfectly in unison – orchestrated by a finely tuned nerve system. If you’re feeling sluggish, weak, and tired, a trip to Active Care Chiropractic in Wilmington, NC is what you need to get back in key!

Fructose Versus Glucose

People everywhere are finally waking up to the indisputable fact that all sugars are not created equal when it comes to the physical end results they create.

Scientists have now shown that fructose, a sugar found in most processed foods (typically in the form of high fructose corn syrup), can in fact trigger changes in your brain that may lead to overeating and weight gain. Researchers discovered that when you drink a beverage containing fructose, your brain does not register the feeling of being satiated, as it does when you consume simple glucose. What all this means in everyday terms is that when you consume fructose, you may actually be “programming” your body to consume more calories, as fructose fails to trigger that feeling of fullness, and may even trigger continued hunger pangs.

Part of what makes fructose so unhealthy is that it is metabolized by your liver to fat in far more rapidly than any other sugar. The entire burden of metabolizing fructose falls on your liver, and it promotes visceral fat. This is the type of fat that collects around your organs and in your abdominal region and is associated with a greater risk of heart disease.

It is important to understand how your body processes fructose versus glucose. According to Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, there are some major differences in how different sugars are broken down and used…

• After eating fructose, 100 percent of the metabolic burden rests on your liver. With glucose, your liver has to break down only 20 percent. The metabolism of fructose by your liver creates a long list of waste products and toxins, including a large amount of uric acid, which drives up blood pressure and causes gout.
• Every cell in your body, including your brain, utilizes glucose. Therefore, much of it is “burned up” immediately after you consume it. By contrast, fructose is turned into free fatty acids (FFAs), VLDL (the damaging form of cholesterol), and triglycerides, which get stored as fat.
• The fatty acids created during fructose metabolism accumulate as fat droplets in your liver and skeletal muscle tissues, causing insulin resistance. Insulin resistance progresses to metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes.
• When you eat 120 calories of glucose, less than one calorie is stored as fat. 120 calories of fructose results in 40 calories being stored as fat.
• Glucose suppresses your hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates leptin, which suppresses your appetite. Fructose has no effect on ghrelin and interferes with your brain’s communication with leptin, resulting in overeating.

Consuming foods that contain high amounts of fructose—even if it’s a natural product—is, to put it bluntly, the fastest way to trash your health. It is advised to keep TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. For most people it would also be wise to limit fructose from fruit to 15 grams or less. Fifteen grams of fructose is not much — it represents two bananas, one-third cup of raisins, or two Medjool dates. Remember, the average 12-ounce can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar, at least half of which is fructose, so one can of soda alone would exceed your daily allotment.

The chart below shows fructose levels in fruit to give you an idea of what 25 grams a day looks like!

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Schedule an appointment today,
Chiropractic is good for you!

Happy Valentine’s Day from your Wilmington, NC Chiropractor with a Heart! ♥