Where am I supposed to get my Calcium?

If I can’t have cow’s milk, where am I supposed to get my calcium? The next question should be, “Where does a cow get calcium?” Naturally, it’s from the food it eats. Likewise, we should concentrate on foods rich in calcium. There are numerous foods which provide calcium — green leafy vegetables, almonds, parsley, beet greens, broccoli, spinach, green beans, just to name a few.
Nature provides the protein linkages, fat molecules, and hormones intended to bring calves to maturity in two years, at about 2,000 pounds and with a low IQ. Humans are the only mammals who do not wean their young (or drink milk from another species).
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our bodies and has numerous essential functions. The National Academies Press reported in 1997, that in addition to building bones and teeth, calcium is needed for blood vessel contraction and expansion and secretion of hormones and enzymes, as well as sending messages through the nervous system. A constant level of calcium is maintained in body fluid so these vital body processes function efficiently. Bone undergoes continuous remodeling, with constant resorption and deposit of calcium in new bone formation. The balance between resorption and deposition changes as people age. During childhood, there is a higher amount of bone formation and less breakdown. In early and middle adulthood, these processes are relatively equal. In aging adults, particularly among postmenopausal women, bone breakdown exceeds its formation, resulting in bone loss, which increases risk for osteoporosis.
There are several types of calcium; calcium carbonate, lactate, gluconate, and citrate, are the ones usually associated with human needs. Calcium carbonate is the most abundant type of calcium, and the most difficult of all calciums for humans to absorb. Calcium carbonate is the type of calcium found in milk and often is described as “closely resembling chalk.” A very low gastric pH is essential for absorption of milk. Dairy tends to reduce HCl, thereby reducing the body’s ability to absorb the type of calcium found in cow’s milk.
In addition to the natural hormones found in all mammals’ milk, the latest high-tech onslaught on the cow is the addition of bovine growth hormone, better known as BGH. This genetically engineered drug is provided to stimulate increased milk production. A related problem is that it causes a marked increase (50-70%) in mastitis in cows. This, in turn, requires regular antibiotic therapy. These antibiotics and hormones are consumed with the milk by humans.
All lactating mammals excrete toxins through their milk. These include antibiotics, pesticides, chemicals, and hormones. Also, all cow’s milk is reported to contain blood. According to The Milk Letter: A Message to My Patients, by Robert M. Kradjian, MD, the USDA allows milk to contain from one to one and a half million white blood cells per milliliter (1/30 of an ounce). White blood cells found where they are not supposed to be found are called “pus cells.” If the cow has mastitis, there is pus in the milk. However, there are ways to camouflage that fact with language such as “macrophages containing many vacuoles and phagocytosed particles,” etc.
The dairy industry has done such an excellent job of marketing their product that the general public has the common belief that milk is its only source of calcium. We have been told that milk is an important source of calcium that helps kids grow up big and strong. Milk is said to contain vital nutrients and to help prevent osteoporosis. A well orchestrated $180 million annual advertising budget has convinced the US Department of Agriculture of the importance of dairy. Its dietary guidelines report that everyone should receive between 2-3 servings of dairy every day. Milk is advocated by various agencies of the US government, legions of physicians and white-mustached celebrities (e.g., Britney Spears, Carson Daly, Naomi Campbell, Spike Lee, and Rudy Giuliani).
A 12-year prospective study, reported in the American Journal of Public Health (1997; 87:992-7) was performed among 7,761 women (aged 34-59) who had never used a calcium supplement. Women who drank two or more glasses of milk per day had relative risks of 1.45 for hip fractures and 1.05 for forearm fracture, when compared with women consuming one glass or
less per week. Higher intakes of total dietary calcium (or calcium from dairy products) were not associated with decreased risk of hip or forearm fracture.
A large Harvard study, reported in the Journal of Nutrition (1997; 127:1782-7) and the American Journal of Public Health (1997; 87:992-7), of male health professionals and female nurses reported that individuals who drank one glass of milk (or less) a week were at no greater risk of breaking a hip or forearm than those who drank two or more glasses per week.
However, another study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (1997; 337:670-6), reported supplementation with calcium along with vitamin D significantly reduced bone loss and the incidence of non-vertebral fractures
Very early in my chiropractic career, I serendipitously discovered that cow’s milk, if consumed regularly, will commonly contribute to a wide array of health problems including chronic back pain, a compromised immune system, and delayed food allergies. According to Amy Lanou, PhD, the nutrition director of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), “Besides prostate cancer, milk has been linked to asthma, anemia, allergies, juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus, obesity, heart disease, and ovarian and breast cancer.” A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology (May 1, 2007) reported a study of more than 130,000 US adults, followed for nine years, confirmed a relationship between large amounts of dairy products and increased rates of Parkinson’s Disease.
Just a few weeks ago, a mother brought her 15-year-old son to our clinic for examination and treatment for chronic lower back and hip pain. His mother reported that he loves and excels at sports and “hurt his back” playing football during the seventh grade. Furthermore, she reported that following the injury, they had spent several thousand dollars trying to find what caused the pain and fix it. During the history I learned he consumed milk every day, and with most meals. On the physical examination, in addition to subjective pain reported to the lower back, the kidney flank was reported to be tender. He reported relief following a spinal diversified adjustment to correct the subluxation. I predicted that if he would avoid dairy, he would be well in a week. Two weeks later, his mother reported him to be pain free, and he played in the season opening baseball game for his high school.
Two years ago a 45-year-old female fell down her basement stairs on a Monday and was then transported to the hospital via ambulance. Numerous MRIs showed two large bulging discs between C6 and C7. Surgery was scheduled for the following Monday, with the plan being to replace the two ruptured discs with discs from a cadaver. Recovery time was expected to last a year. She got some good advice to try alternative therapies first. Rather than the planned surgery on Monday, she called for an appointment and arrived at our clinic with her right arm resting in a sling, and her left hand supporting her right elbow. She reported the pain was intense and radiated from her lower cervical spine to the right shoulder and into her arm and fingers. She was unable to drive due to the unrelenting pain. She brought copies of the MRIs, which revealed two of the largest bulging discs I had ever seen. While conducting the history, I learned she had long suffered from sinusitis and experienced frequent sore throats, colds, and influenza. Her diet was not the best, and she reported consuming milk daily. A very conservative treatment approach, with dietary counseling, nutritional support, light manipulation, and ultrasound was initiated. Effectiveness of treatment was certainly slow for the first two weeks. However, five weeks later she asked when could she play golf again. I advised, that in order to allow for maximum healing, to wait until the next summer. The next week she reported that she had played golf, and it didn’t hurt. We now see her occasionally for adjustments. Her diet has improved, and she avoids dairy. She reports no sinusitis, colds, or flu. She also plays volleyball, reportedly at 75% effort.
In my experience and humble opinion, the consumption of dairy is responsible for numerous health problems and has increased the financial rewards of the health care profession exponentially

Vitamin D, The Sunshine Vitamin

Sunshine is not only important for vegetation, it's important to humans too! The vitamin D that your body needs to reduce the risk of some cancers and fight off diabetes, comes from exposure to sunshine, specifically UVB Rays. Typically a fair skinned person located in the middle to southern part of the US needs only about 10-15 minutes of direct sunshine three times a week to achieve optimal levels of vitamin D. Darker toned skin may require a bit more. Direct sunlight means, arms legs and face without sunscreen on a normal partly cloudy to sunshiny day. Cloud cover or smog reduce the UVB Rays by about 50%, but as we all know you can still get a sunburn on a cloudy day! Burning your skin is never recommended, so each person should manage their sun exposure to avoid excess exposure. Sunscreens above 8 can block UVB rays, but if your exposure to the sun will be lengthy please remember to apply sunscreen as needed.

Low levels of vitamin D are linked to low calcium levels, osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, depression, Autism and other conditions. Achieving optimal levels of Vitamin D from our food is difficult to do, because fortified foods typically use D-2, but D-3 is the vitamin that your body needs. The best food source for Vitamin D-3 is Wild Salmon, but no source is better than sunshine. Testosterone and Estrogen also play a factor in the production of vitamin D.

How do you know you are getting enough vitamin D?
Spending 10-15 minutes in full sunlight 3 times a week should be enough, but you can also have a blood test to determine what your vitamin D levels are. Supplements which would need to be taken in very high doses to meet the daily needs of a person, are normally not needed, but in some cases are required. Our office offers an emulsified (fat soluble) vitamin D supplement in a dropper bottle. We recommend this when full body sun exposure is not possible and when the vitamin D level is not adequate. Please call us if you need more information on how to be tested for vitamin D levels!

Is spinal decompression for everyone?

Kessinger Health and Wellness Diagnostic Centre announces the addition of a Decompression Therapy Table to their arsenal of treatments for back pain sufferers.



Decompression therapy does effectively reduce pain in many kinds of back injuries, but remember, no treatment works for every type of pain. Your condition must be evaluated carefully by a doctor to determine if decompression therapy is right for you.



The decompression table that we use in our clinic moves vertebrae gently apart and then releases them repeatedly, to increase blood flow to the spine and discs. This increased amount of blood and oxygen is what allows the healing process to begin. Many of our patients have stated that they noticed a reduction in their pain level immediately, and it lasts several days to a week. Each situation is different and must be monitored carefully in order to ensure that the proper weight and duration is applied during each treatment.



The difference between decompression therapy and traction is the movement of the spine to pump blood to the painful areas. Traction only pulls apart the vertebrae whereas decompression repeatedly flexes the disc.



For more information please feel free to call our clinic. Patients will need to be evaluated prior to beginning treatments, to determine if decompression therapy is the best course of action for them.

Does Obesity Cause Allergies?

Obesity has been a challenge in the US for the last couple decades, due to fast food, poor eating habits and a lack of exercise. There are dozens of diets and diet pills available for anyone who wishes to lose a few pounds, but these "fad diets" offer nothing more than a way to drop a few pounds, then gain them back when you return to your normal way of eating. Maintaining a healthy weight for children and adults must be done by adhering to a healthy eating plan, and it must be a way of life, not a short term solution.



Obesity, or being overweight causes many stresses on the body. First of all, fat cells cause inflammation. When inflammation is present in a persons body, it causes the systems that are used to fight off disease and inflammation to work overtime. This leaves less of the bodies defenses available to fight off things like the common cold, viruses and bacteria, and allergens. When the body is fighting chronic inflammation, it doesn't have the extra ability to tell your cells that the pollen that you just inhaled is not a problem, therefore it sees it as an intruder and tells the body to get rid of it right away. This causes the standard allergy symptoms like, sneezing, itchy & watery eyes, etc. These symptoms are the body's way of cleaning or flushing out the intruders. Chronic inflammation such as obesity can also cause the body to see foods that are eaten frequently; such as wheat or gluten as intruders. This reaction causes food sensitivities and food allergies.



Obesity is considered one of the main causes of type 2 diabetes, which causes even more inflammation and affects blood vessels and arteries. Type 2 Diabetes is characterized by obesity, overproduction of glucose by the liver, and ineffective utilization of available insulin. The problem for type 2 diabetics is not insufficient insulin production, but rather insulin resistance. In other words, the body is making plenty of insulin, it is just unable to utilize it due to a history of poor nutrition. Also, individuals, whose close relations -- mother, father, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, etc. -- have developed type 2 diabetes, have a much greater risk of developing the disease themselves. Not only because of genetic factors, but eating and lifestyle habits are passed down through generations too! Heredity is only about 10-15% genetic and 85-90% habit. Type 2 Diabetes, which is also considered insulin resistance, can typically be controlled by a change in eating habits and proper exercise.



If you have a history of Diabetes in your family, you can help protect yourself by avoiding processed foods. This includes refined or enriched bakery products, all refined sugar, saturated, hydrogenated or partially dehydrogenated fats, luncheon meats, dairy products, all soft drinks, chocolate, chips and crackers. Table salt should be kept to a minimum. Diet soft drinks are also known to engage the pancreas, which is where insulin is produced. Diet soft drinks are not a solution for diabetics. Eat more fiber. Vegetables and fruits are a great source of fiber, and are much better choices for people with diabetic tendencies. Get plenty of exercise, which has been proven to reduce glucose levels. A good place to start is by getting at least 200 minutes of aerobic blood pumping exercise a week.

Antioxidants ... an important key in anti-ageing!

What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are provided to our bodies through eating a variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Many of the commonly advertised fruits with antioxidant power are acai berry and pomegranates, but these are only a couple of fruits that supply these powerful supporters of cell renewal. Antioxidants also help your body reverse the effects of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is caused by Free Radicals. Free radicals are created naturally in the body as a response to viruses and bacteria, but many are created from the absorbtion of pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides, just to name a few. In order to balance the body's systems and fight the damage that is caused by free radicals it is very important that antioxidants are consumed regularly. If the proper balance of antioxidants and free radicals is not managed, the free radicals cause damage to the body's ability to regenerate. In other words, new cell growth is slowed and damaged.

There is much discussion on whether our food sources of nutrients; including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are sufficient to provide the needed resources for our bodies to build healthy cells. Eating organically grown foods definitely helps because it lessens the herbicides and other chemicals that we can absorb from our food, but more importantly there are some very good supplements that you can use to help replace what you are not getting from your food. Supplements should never take the place of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and lean protein, but they can help fill in some of the gaps.

In order to ensure that you are receiving a good variety of antioxidants, be sure to eat 5-8 servings of fresh vegetables and fruits daily. The more raw they are, the better. Cooking vegetables for even a few minutes reduces their nutritional value drastically. Remember to eat a variety of different colors of these foods also.

• Red fruits and vegetables contain lycopene which helps the cardiovascular system, fight against cancer and aging, among other antioxidant qualities.
• Deep blue and purple fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids which strengthen cell walls promoting stable blood pressure and helps prevent cancer.
• Orange and Yellow fruits and vegetables are high in Vitamin C, Beta Carotene and Vitamin A. The many uses of vitamin C are yet to be discovered, it has proven to be a great cancer fighter, & is great for immune support. Vitamin A is great for skin and eyes.
• Green colored produce including spinach, kale and broccoli help with Folate levels, fight against Colon and breast cancer, and it helps protect eyesight and prevent birth defects.
• White produce is high in flavonoids. These include bananas, potatoes and garlic which is a great natural antibiotic.

Of course nature does make it easier to eat more of a specific fruit or vegetable when they are in season. Our bodies have over the centuries grown accustomed to this, but remember to mix and match the colors in your diet as often as possible to help all portions of your body. What good are healthy eyes, if your cardiovascular system is weak???

What is a DAN! Doctor? Defeat Autism Now...

Have you heard the term DAN! Doctor? It refers to a doctor that conducts his/her practice in accordance with the Defeat Autism Now!® philosophy. A DAN! doctor uses a more natural approach to treating Autism.

The exact cause of Autism has not been agreed upon by the scientific world. There seem to be various and multiple causes that can vary from one person to another. There is a genetic factor, along with exposure to mercury through some immunizations, food intolerance to gluten and casein, and other environmental concerns which contribute to a weakened immune system.

Recommended treatments are diet examination and food allergy testing, including removing dairy, gluten and casein enriched foods. Vitamin and mineral supplementation, including the occasional probiotics to aid in digestion & Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Our office has seen a positive change in our patients who follow this approach.

The doctors in our clinic which are Chiropractic Internists (DABCI) and Naturopathic Doctors (ND), treat a number of conditions as well as Autism. We will be attending a DAN! seminar in May to learn more about their philosophy. Check back for updates!

Gluten allergies or food sensitivities.

Do you have an allergy or intolerance to Gluten? When you eat "healthy" do you feel worse? Many americans have this exact problem. They eat a whole grain diet with plenty of lean protein and vegetables, but they still feel bad most of the time.

Headaches, auto-immune symptoms, skin problems, stomach upset (such as IBS-like symptoms), weight issues, bloating and just having the blahs, could be a result of a delayed response food intolerance. Food sensitivities cause a different response than foods that cause an immediate reaction like hives or swelling of the throat and tongue.

Gluten intolerance has been in the news lately due to the book written by Elisabeth Hasselbeck, "The G Free Diet". Gluten intolerances are commonly related to conditions like Celiac disease, Autism, Migrane Headaches, and other cronic illnesses. These symptoms are often mis-diagnosed or un-diagnosed for years, because they are difficult to pin point.

The only way to be sure if you are sensitive to a food substance such as gluten is to be tested for this sensitivity. Many doctors use an IgG ELISA test which tests blood drawn from the patient for reactions to food substances in a lab. This test requires several days to be completed because they watch the samples for delayed reactions. Reactions can be mild, moderate, severe, or non-existent.

The way these food sensitivities are treated is by eliminating the offending foods from the diet for a short time to allow the body to heal itself, and to reduce the inflammation caused by the constant introduction of these offending foods. Once the body has had a chance to recover from the damage, many of these foods can be re-introduced in small amounts and tolerated very well.
The key to managing these symptoms is knowledge. If you educate yourself on foods that cause you discomfort such as; joint pain, exzema, headaches, stomach cramps etc... you can ultimately be in control of your own health.

There are many options available for gluten and wheat intolerances. Many people find rice pasta to be very comperable to wheat pasta. Trying different brands is a good idea, don't be discouraged if you try one brand and find it less than satisfying. There are other types of flour that you may use in place of wheat flour also. Keep trying different combinations of foods, or search for recipes that others have tested already. There are many options available for people with food intolerances.