immune Archives - Damron Chiropractic & Wellness

Do You Have Enough Melatonin?

February 28, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Melatonin is a vital hormone necessary to sustain life.

Cutting your sleep short due to an early flight or studying for exams and you will most certainly feel it the next day. Sleep plays a vital role in our daily life, mess with it and you know. From tissue repair to restoring energy, sleep allows us to function each day, both inside and out. But what about those times when you have trouble getting to sleep? One night might be okay, however, what about several? What can a person do to remedy their situation that is not only safe but effective?

Most healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. Children and teenagers need even more. To help you determine if you are getting enough sleep, answer the following questions:

Do you have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning?
Are you feeling sluggish in the afternoon?
Do you need to nap to get through the day?
Have you been falling asleep watching television in the evening?
Are you relying on the snooze button too much?
Are asleep within 5 minutes of going to bed.

There are serious consequences to our health if we are not getting sufficient sleep that include premature skin aging, a weakened immune system, and impaired motor skills. To avoid this it’s imperative that we are aware of how we feel each and every day. If we know that we are suffering from sleep deprivation, we can then be proactive and do something to remedy the situation.

While there are many prescription sleep-aids on the market today, all have the potential for serious side effects. Familiar brand names include Lunesta, Ambien, and Sonata. A good night’s sleep comes with the risk of developing a side effect like changes in appetite, difficulty keeping balance, constipation and even compulsive behaviors such as gambling and eating. Even scarier is the fact that some users have experienced sleepwalking, sleep eating and sleep driving. The good news is that there are natural and effective options available for those who suffer from lack of effective sleep.

Melantonin is a hormone created by our pineal gland in our brain that regulates our sleep and wake cycles. The amount produced is influenced by our internal clock and how much light we are exposed to throughout the day. As the evening progresses, our melatonin levels increase, remaining elevated all through the night. It is this period of time that our body needs to repair and recharge itself for the following day. If we are unable to fall asleep, or stay asleep, this essential work is compromised, leaving us vulnerable to health problems. So, what are we to do if we are having sleep difficulties without resorting to prescription medications and the potential for more harmful side effects by using them?

The U.S. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 allows melantonin to be sold as a supplement. By naturally being found in some foods such as pineapples, rice, and tomatoes, melatonin is the only hormone that is available over the counter. This wonderful supplement, when taken as directed, helps a person to fall asleep naturally when occasional sleeplessness occurs.

There are times in our life when we need a little help getting the sleep that we need. It’s normal, especially as we age and our supply of melatonin decreases. Quality sleep is essential to how well we thrive.

Why Put Yourself Through Detoxification?

February 15, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Why would anyone want to eat clean, eliminate caffeine, cut carbs, and drink lots of water? Because we need to help our body rid itself from a build-up of harmful chemicals and toxins. Purification, detox, cleansing, and detoxification are all words that describe this ridding process. However, isn’t our body designed to do it internally?

Of the 80,000 chemicals registered for use in the U.S., many invade our body with simple exposure. This, in addition to the waste that is produced by our metabolic functions, overburdens our body’s natural detoxification process. Thus creating problems for our immune, endocrine, nervous, and reproductive systems. Detoxing is a great solution to combat this unhealthy situation that many of us find ourselves in today.

In any given day, we are exposed to a significant number of toxins from cigarette smoke (first- or secondhand), pesticides, household cleaning products, preservatives and additives, air and water pollutants, plus trans-fats. Some of the toxins are out of our control because they are in the environment. Yet others we voluntarily expose ourselves to by choosing to eat foods that are highly processed, fried, sugary, and boxed. Furthermore, many of us engage in unhealthy habits such as smoking, alcohol, caffeine, and not exercising. We then make the assumption that our body can handle this attack because we cannot see the internal damage it causes.

Our liver, kidneys, and intestines are responsible for removing toxins from our body, with the liver carrying a bulk of the work. We are designed to handle toxins, but in a amount that is far less than what we are exposed to. Advances in food shelf life, farming methods, and convenience foods have put significant strain on our detoxification organs that they were not designed to handle. The end result is a body that is overworked, under-performing, and leaving our body carrying the overflow of toxins that cannot be disposed of properly.

How can you tell if this is happening to your body? Here are a few questions you can answer to help if your body is on overload and in need of detoxing:

Do you have any joint discomfort?
Is your head usually stuffy?
Do you crave certain foods and gaining weight despite your best efforts to lose it?
Do you experience indigestion frequently?
Any temporary gastrointestinal upset?
Have you been experiencing a low libido?
Do you feel foggy during the day?
How does your skin look? Are you experiencing break-outs or puffiness?
Are you feeling tired throughout the day or having difficulty sleeping?

Detoxifying your body with a cleanse is similar to going on vacation because you are giving yourself much needed rest and relaxation. Detoxing allows your body to go on vacation, too, by giving it the tools it needs to purge itself of the excess toxins it has not been able to before. This re-calibration helps to sustain weight loss, increase your vitality, and improve overall wellness. So, the next time you feel the need for a vacation, think of your liver. Use that as a sign to give your liver a vacation too with a detoxification program. If you are unsure of where to begin, Damron Chiropractic & Wellness would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

“Where’s the Beef?”

July 12, 2016 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

If you are old enough, you remember the ’80s Wendy’s commercial with the little old lady asking, “Where’s the beef?” The underlying message behind the commercial was to spotlight the significant patty size between Wendy’s and its competition. Today, we can ask ourselves the same question but under much difference circumstances. Perhaps it’s the fear of over-consuming red meat. Perhaps it’s due to the confusion brought about by all the different labels: grass-fed, pasture-raised, grass-finished, and natural. Sometimes it’s just seems easier to avoid it all together. The truth is that beef can be very good for us. But first we must understand why and how to make the best selection.

There’s a familiar saying, “you are what you eat.” When we hear that we think of avoiding processed foods and eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. But do we really think about the protein that we eat, like beef, chicken, pork or fish, and what they eat? Do we truly understand the correlation between what those animals eat and the fact that we also consume indirectly what they eat, as well? Or do we look at the packaging and figure that if the butcher at the grocery store put it out that it must be “safe” to eat?

Being safe means different things. Yes, a food item can be safe to eat. It is not rotten, spoiled, or contaminated. But what about the long-term effects of eating something that may be considered safe, yes is filled with unnecessary by-products such as GMOs, growth hormones, arsenic, or copper? Yes, you read that right. Beef that is conventional raised versus grass-fed is exposed to all that. And so are you.

Cattle that are raised in pastures, eating grass rather than processed grains, are nutritionally superior.

There are higher levels of Vitamin E, Zinc, and B12.
A much healthier ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids (grain fed can have 20:1 and grass fed 3:1; experts recommend between 1:1 and 3:1).
Antioxidant rich.
Provides a better source of immune-boosting linoleic acid.
Less likely to contain bacteria that is responsible for food-poisoning outbreaks.
Less likely to contain antibiotic resistant superbugs.

So what’s the best choice? Look for beef that is labeled USDA certified grass-fed. You can even go the local route and purchase beef from a farmer you know, like and trust.

Do You Have Enough Melatonin?

Why Put Yourself Through Detoxification?

“Where’s the Beef?”

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