Every person’s body comes equipped with an amazing immune system comprised of little soldiers created with the specific purpose of being vigilant against foreign invaders in the form of germs and disease. The location of an invader triggers a set of hormones to call specific white blood cell fighters to crash the scene and destroy the unwelcome presence. The process occurs without the conscious awareness of the human body. The immune system operates through a series of constant ongoing procedures that take place without thought or human instruction. The entire fascinating process of health, healing, and restoration occurs under the guidance and direction of the autonomic nervous system.

Evidence proves that Chiropractic care improves the function of the autonomic nervous system through gentle adjustments which increase movement in the spine and balance communication between the brain and nervous system. The adjustments empower the autonomic processes by reducing stress in the nervous system. The outcome leads to improved hormone balance that guides immune function and results in better health.

Research from 2010 showed that patients receiving Chiropractic adjustments increased a specific signaling molecule in the body called Interleukin-2. Interleukin-2 regulates the activities of white blood cells responsible for immunity, a key component of the body’s natural response to microbial infection. Interleukin-2 also helps the body recognize and create specific responses that neutralize foreign invaders. This protein molecule existed at higher rates in people who received a chiropractic spinal adjustment in comparison to people who did not.

The primary focus of a Chiropractic adjustment does not target the immune system or a specific symptom or condition. The increased health function from an adjustment simply serves as an example of an outcome that takes place after removing interference from the nervous system. The static in the nervous system lines decreases when the spine becomes better aligned and mobile. While other health professions attempt to change the environment to suit a weakened body, Chiropractic focuses on strengthening the body to suit all naturally occurring environments.

Four methods of improving long term immunity include:

1) Staying on track with adjustments to keep the autonomic nervous system balanced

2) Making sure to get adequate amounts of Vitamin D (a major immune booster)

3) Adding 30-60 minutes of sleep to a normal routine (inadequate sleep plummets immunity)

4) Replacing sugary drinks and snacks with more nutritious choices (sugar drains immunity)

The post CHIROPRACTIC: The Ultimate Remedy During Cold and Flu Season first appeared on Chiropractor Broken Arrow.

Don’t worry, as your natural health and wellness resource, we’ve got you covered. Here are some ways you can protect yourself against skin cancer without subjecting yourself to harmful ingredients.

Avoid chemicals. When you’re loading up on commercial sunscreen, your body takes in chemicals that worry many health experts—and shockingly, some may even increase the risks of cancer. Oxybenzone, found in many sunblocks, is known to disrupt the human hormonal system and has been linked to cancer in some studies. Lab research has shown that retinyl palmitate, a type of vitamin A found in commercial sunscreens, may increase skin cancer risk when exposed to the sun.

Search the EWG’s list. The EWG puts out a Guide to Sunscreens each year, which makes it easy to select the safest products. There is a wealth of information on their site, guaranteed to send you in the right direction. Visit the site: www.ewg.org/sunscreen.

Dress appropriately during long periods of exposure. While a small amount of exposure—15 to 20 minutes—is beneficial, too much can be dangerous. Avoid sun damage when exposed for long periods by covering your head with a hat and your body with regular or sun-protective clothing. The sun’s rays can still penetrate through non-UV treated clothing, but at a much lower rate.

Use zinc oxide. Lifeguards use this on their noses for a reason! Zinc oxide, in its natural form, is a safe and effective sunblock product.  Widely available at pharmacies and health food stores, mix zinc oxide with your favorite organic body lotion for an alternative to commercial sunscreens.

Eat your greens. Green leafy vegetables are great additions to our diets for many reasons, including the fact that they’re chock full of carotenoids. This antioxidant prevents sunburn and stress that can lead to the development of melanomas.

Go red! Lycopene, found in watermelon and tomatoes, is a natural sunburn protector. When tomato paste was mixed with olive oil for absorption, eating this combination reduced sunburn in participants by 41 percent in a German research study.

The post Avoiding Skin Cancer: How to Find Natural Alternatives to Sunscreen first appeared on Chiropractor Broken Arrow.

Sleep Tight

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: Quality sleep is critical for good health! While the right amount of sleep for each person varies, aim for at least seven hours of high quality sleep each night. When you pull late nights or sleep fitfully on a regular basis, you actually weaken your immune system. In fact, studies have revealed that three nights of low quality sleep can drop your immune system function by 60 percent. Create an optimal sleeping environment: put your phone or alarm clock at least 3 feet away from your body, keep TVs and other screens out of the room and set the nighttime temperature between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Say Namaste

Or sing aloud to a blasting radio or schedule an evening out with friends—whatever you do to relieve stress! Chronic stress is just plain bad for your body—and that includes your immune system. The Mayo Clinic states that the stress hormone, cortisol, changes immune system responses, and the American Psychological Association has an entire field, psychoneuroimmunology, devoted to learning more about the link between the mind and health. Make sure you are regularly relieving stress; if you’re dealing with chronic stress, seek out further recommendations from a wellness care provider.

Move Your Body

The cold and cozy months of the year might inspire you to curl up and hibernate, but studies show that remaining active can prevent you from being under the weather. In 2006, The American Journal of Medicine published a study that found that moderate-intensity exercise on a regular basis resulted in fewer upper respiratory tract infections and other infections in participants. Take a brisk walk in the evening, hit the gym in the morning or find a regimen of at-home exercises to do. The extra time and effort now will help prevent time wasted on the couch with a pile of tissues!

Dose of D

We don’t want to be a broken record, but please pay attention to your Vitamin D intake! Research has shown a link between weakened immune response and Vitamin D deficiencies. While it can be harder to get vitamin D in the fall and winter (its natural source is the sun), you can get your dose of D from egg yolks, beef, Swiss cheese, fatty fish and shiitake mushrooms, full-spectrum light therapy and trusted supplements.

Ditch the sugar

Sugar has been catching a lot of flak lately, but there’s good cause for concern and one of them is immune suppression—and this isn’t new. Four decades ago, a study was published by researchers from Loma Linda University, which demonstrated a change in the white blood cells’ ability to kill germs after participants consumed a large amount of sugar. In addition, further research links sugar to inflammation, and this includes white breads and pastas which quickly break down into sugar in the body.

If you follow these basic guidelines above along with regular chiropractic adjustments to increase the function of your nervous system that drive immune system function and staying hydrated, you will give your body a fighting chance to stave off the cold/flu naturally.  More and more people are moving away from the “traditional” treatment for the flu and colds and opting for a more natural approach to health and wellness.  If you have any questions, please give us a call at 918-940-4630 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Ring.

The post How Can I Prevent the Flu and Colds From Getting Me Down? first appeared on Chiropractor Broken Arrow.

What are pesticides?

Pesticides are chemicals, typically man-made, that are used to kill or repel the pests that are harmful to the plants we eat or to the environment we live/work in. There are many different types of pesticides: insecticides (for bugs), herbicides (for weeds) and fungicides (fungus killers), as well as others for germs and rodents.

Can’t I just wash it off my fruits and vegetables?

Yes, and it’s strongly encouraged to wash all of your produce, but some fruits and vegetables are “dirtier” than others and have pesticide residue even after you wash them. Strawberries currently top the list as the fruit that has the highest concentration of pesticides in the Environmental Working Group’s 2016 “Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen.”

The Dirty Dozen:

Gently rubbing fruits and vegetables under running water will wash off much of the pesticides, but not all. The following list shows the “cleanest” produce, but these should be washed as well.

The Clean 15:

Eat organic when you can, and source locally. Visit your local farmers market, pick up some produce and “eat your vegetables!”

The post Is Organic Produce Worth It? What Makes It Better Than Non-Organic? first appeared on Chiropractor Broken Arrow.

I see too many 10-year-old kids in the line at Starbucks before school grabbing their iced coffee cooler or mocha lattes. I am always shocked that any parent would allow their kid to eat something like this-EVER. It is especially shocking considering that this is supposed to fuel them until lunchtime and they are expected to concentrate and behave throughout the day.

For kids to concentrate they need good quality whole foods, a balance of carbohydrates and protein and very little sugar. Here are a few do’s and don’t for breakfast with your kids.

Do Try to get some protein in them before they leave their house in the morning. If they like yogurt, try mixing a scoop of protein powder into the yogurt. A good quality protein powder makes the yogurt taste like pudding. Lots of kids like it.

Do Get creative and try to make they a fruit smoothie with the protein powder as well. If you leave it with just fruit it is very sugary so adding the protein powder to balance it is virtually tasteless, helps make it a bit thicker and shake like and is healthier.

Do Use whole foods. While these ideas with protein powder added are better than their average breakfast, whole foods are better. How about a vegetable omelet? Cut up veggies they like ahead of time and add them to the eggs each morning. It won’t take more than 5-7 minutes to make and your kid is out the door with a healthy breakfast. If you can’t find veggies they like, you need to start improving your cooking skills now and model healthy eating for them. Kids usually won’t eat what parents themselves don’t enjoy.

Don’t Start the day with a sugary cereal or really any kind of cereal. Most are very high in sugar, take minutes to break down in their bodies and send their blood sugar spiking and then dropping very quickly. Also-they have very little protein and….the vitamin-fortified cereals….hate to break it to you…I’d love to test the bioavailability of the vitamins added to the cereal. I’m guessing there isn’t a lot of nutritional value coming through. Empty calories.

Don’t Allow them to start their day with a pop or coffee or any other sugar and caffeine-laden beverage. Adding all those chemicals to their little bodies at a young age isn’t good for them.

Don’t This should go without saying but the energy drinks that are so prevalent today…not good for you…not good for your kids. This is just good common sense. The amount of sugar and caffeine and chemicals in these beverages make the kids in the line at Starbucks look like they are getting healthy food.

Listen, I’m a parent and it’s not easy to get your kids to eat what you want them to eat.  That being said, you owe it to them to make quality decisions regarding their diet.  During childhood, you are setting the stage and creating eating habits that will last a lifetime.  Don’t sell your kids short and don’t let them get away with sub-par nutrition.  You’ll thank me later :-).

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding the health of your family, please give us a call at 918-940-4630.  We would be happy to schedule your complimentary consultation with Dr. Travis Ring of Eastern Oklahoma Chiropractic to help you uncover that which is limiting your health.  Thank you for allowing us to be your chiropractor.

The post What Should My Child Eat for Breakfast? first appeared on Chiropractor Broken Arrow.