Flu season is here: 10 ways to naturally protect yourself

Flu season is here and back with a vengeance.  Here are a 10 tips on how to protect yourself and build a spartan like army as your immune system.

1.)  Sleep - We all know how important sleep is but still many are sleep deprived.  We need at least 6 hours per night or we can go ahead and pretty much expect to get the flu.  Less than 6 hours of sleep makes us 30% immune deficient the next day.

2.)  Water - We are almost 70% water, water is mainly what our blood is composed of too.  We need plenty of water to transport vital nutrients to our cells.  Use this equation to prevent dehydration:

Your weight / 16 = The # of 8 oz. glasses of water you need to drink per day.

3.)  Wash hands often - Alright captain obvious so far this article is telling you nothing that you do not already know.  However, I could not make a top ten list without including the most important ways to avoid an infection and boost immunity.  Wash your hands often with anti-bacterial soap and avoid touching your face.

4.)  Amino Acids - These are the building blocks of protein synthesis.  Protein is what our immune system needs build cells that defeat foreign invaders.  Whether you are up againt the flu virus or something as tough as cancer you need to increase your amino acid intake to give your immune system enough ammo to fight a battle.  I recommend an amino acid called MAP (Master Amino Pattern) that is used by cancer patients as well as Tour de France cyclists to increase protein levels.

5.)  Proteolytic Enzymes - These enzymes digest protein and can be taken in two ways.  First, they can be used with food to digest protein and spare your bodies own proteolytic enzymes.  The more that we can spare our own natural source of these enzymes the more we will have for battling foreign invaders.  Second, we can use these enzymes away from food to digest bacteria and viruses.  When taken away from food they enter our bloodstream and target the protein rich wall of a viral/baterial infection and digest it/destroy it.

6.)  Exercise - Exercise not only boosts endorphin levels which makes you feel great but sweating will help empty the 70 trillion garbage cans in our body (cellular waste).  When fighting a foreign invader our cells accumulate waste that needs to be exited through the avenues of elimination (skin, liver, kidneys, bowels).  Making sure our garbage collectors are emptying their trash cans is important in detoxification.

7.)  Infrared Sauna - Dry heat is another great way to sweat especially if you are too sick to move and exercise.  Find a sauna and detox or build one at home for about $500 with some PVC pipe, tenting materials and infrared bulbs from home depot for a quick made detox center.

8.)  Butter - This superfood has such a bad rap but has many great qualities.  Butter is composed of lauric acid which is the same fat that is in breast milk.  We all know it may be a little awkward to ask a breast feeding mom for a glass of the good stuff so go ahead and buy a stick of butter and spare yourself some strange looks.  Lauric acid has an anti viral, anti bacterial and anti microbial effect that helps to build a strong immune system.  Look for organic butter from grass fed cows for your best option.

9.)  Reduce sugar intake - Sugar feeds bacteria and helps it thrive.  Starve an infection by reducing sugar intake.  Sugar provides energy and should not be eliminated but good choices of sugar are the way to go. Natural sugars are in fruit and vegetables as well as honey and molasses – they should be part of a healthy diet. Processed sugars such as white or brown sugar and corn syrup should be avoided or limited.  Cut back on sugar-loaded foods such as candy, baked goods, sugary cereals and sodas to reduce your cancer risk and help to improve your immune system.

10.)  Juice Plus+^® - I recommend this product for anyone looking to boost immunity.  This product is unlike many supplements because it has several unbiased peer reviewed scientific studies.  One of the studies showed Juice Plus+^® was associated with fewer number of days with at least moderate common cold symptoms.  There are also many studies supporting Juice Plus+^® and using it to increase immunity, increase anti oxidant capacity and help decrease oxidative stress from prolonged intense exercise.  It is a great way to get 17 different types of fruits and vegetables without the sugar.  It is also a great supplement for kids or anyone who does not get enough fruits and vegetables.

Here is the article on how Juice Plus+^® reduces common cold symptoms:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3023145/

If you have any questions about any of these recommendations or where to get them please email me at DrToddRodman@aim.com.

Best of luck in an illness free 2013,

Dr. Todd Rodman, DC CSCS

Reduce Cancer Diet

It has been a few years now since 3 people that 

I am close with were diagnosed with cancer in the 

same month.  I wanted to do all that I could to learn

about how to reduce the risk of cancer and help them 

beat cancer with nutrition.  My research led me to find a 

nutritionist named Pamela McDougle who uses the Kelley

Method to help many people get rid of tumors.  This 

information has been great for me to know but I would 

like to share it with all of you who may be interested.

Below are the dietary guidelines that she includes in her 

protocol.  There are also lifestyle changes and supplement 

recommendations that are extremely important especially if 

you are battling cancer.  This diet can help people without 

cancer. It is a great way to stay healthy and decrease your 

risk of getting this horrible disease.  If you have any 

questions or would like further information about the 

supplements and lifestyle modifications please feel free to 

contact me by email at DrToddRodman@aim.com or call our 

office at 561.313.9117. 

General diet guidelines

Vegetables: eat as many servings of that vegetables as you 

would like. There are no limits. Eat as much raw as possible.
Asparagus, avocado, artichoke, beets, broccoli, brussels 

sprouts, cabbage, carrots, Cauliflower, celery, collards, 

cucumbers, dark leafy lettuce, eggplant, escarole, garlic, 

kale, green and red peppers, leeks, onions, parsley, parsnips, 
radishes, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, spinach, sprouts, 

squash(all), turnips, tomatoes, yams.

Raw unpasteurized sauerkraut: Eat 1 tablespoon daily.
It may be ordered at gold mine 1–800-475–3663. 

Store-bought is heated and does not have the enzymes 

or lactic acid.

Nuts: almonds, Brazil nuts, filberts, pecans and walnuts.
Eat nuts raw, un-roasted without salt or sugar.
Please continue to eat 10 almonds at breakfast and at lunch.
(Note: two or 3 tablespoons of almond butter may be 

substituted for the almonds as long as the butter is raw.)

Soaking nuts and seeds in filtered water on the counter for

4 to 12 hours will release enzyme inhibitors and make them 

more digestible. Smaller seeds take four hours while larger 

seeds and nuts, such as almonds, require 12 hours. Note: 
drain and then re-immerse the seeds and nuts with clean water

once during the soaking process. Soak guidelines: almonds 

for 12 hours sunflower seeds for six hours in filtered water.

Seeds: sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
If you like seasoned snacks you can drain your soaked nuts 

and seeds, season, and dry using food dehydrator with the 

thermostat set no higher than 110°.

Sprouts: you may add any sprouts to your salad.
Sprouting: you may sprout beans, grains, nuts or seeds. 

Sprouting increases the nutritional content and makes them 

more easily absorbed. Purchase good organic seeds. Many good 

books on sprouting can be found at your health food store. A 
good one is by Ann Wigmore & Rodales "Basic Natural Foods 

Cookbook" is also a good choice. OHI has a catalog on 

purchasing organic seeds or the Herb and Spice Collection 

also has a catalog call 1–800–365–4372.

Beans: you may eat sprouted beans and cooked beans 2 to 3 

times per week.  Black beans, chickpeas, green beans, 

kidney beans, lentils, lima and pinto beans. Avoid soybeans, 

they have enzyme inhibitors. Also, avoid peanuts which 
harbor a mold that is carcinogenic.

Dr. Kelly always included the following tasty cooked bean 

recipe.  2 cups of any type of dried washed beans in a pot 

or covered ovenproof dish.  Add 5 cups of pure clean water, 

five garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of organic olive oil, 

1 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
1 or 2 tablespoons of molasses maybe added.
Cover the pot, place in your oven at 200° overnight 

(up to 15 hours).

Bread: you may have one slice of sprouted Ezekiel bread or 

one slice of sprouted manna bread daily. These may be found 

in the freezer section of your health food store.  You must 

avoid all refined grain products such as white flour and 

white rice.

Kelly's 14 grain cereal: should be eaten for the first 

six months of your program:

Prepare 3 to 4 tablespoons of the 14 grain make sure 

it follows:  The 14 grains are equal parts: wheatberries, 

buckwheat, barley, rye, oats, oat groats, millet, 

sesame seeds, brown rice, flaxseed, corn, alfalfa seeds, 
lentils, mung beans, almonds. Store the 14 grain mixture 

in a cool dry place.  Prepare 3 to 4 tablespoons of the 

14 grains mixture as follows: 

In the evening grind in seed grinder and place in a bowl 

and add apple juice or water.  Let soak overnight in the 

refrigerator.  In the morning you can add blueberries, 

organic vanilla and Stevia and eat it without cooking. 

Please eat this daily for the first six months of your 

program. It is full of nutrients and needed proteins and 

minerals.  Do not eat the 14 grain cereal if you're sensitive 

to grains or gluten intolerance. 

Dairy products: organic butter is acceptable and small 

amounts. Plain organic goat yogurt is okay two times weekly. 

The yogurt should have active cultures and not contain any 

sugar added chemicals. You maybe use berries and a small 

amount of organic vanilla and/or stevia with the yogurt.

Eggs: you may eat 1 to 2 organic eggs daily (if possible

 fertile). The eggs are to be soft-boiled or poached. 

You may eat the eggs with your 14 grain cereal if desired.

If you have estrogen positive cancer (breast or prostate) 

exclude eggs from your diet. 

Fish: you may eat salmon 2 to 3 times weekly. I recommend 

you only eat salmon that has been tested and free of heavy 

metals. You can purchase this fish from vital choice 

at 1-800-608-4825. 

Liver: liver is one of the most important mainstays of this 

nutritional program. Each day blend 3 - 6 tablespoons with 

your glass of green drink or with freshly made tomato juice. 

You may cut up the liver into tablespoon sized pieces and 
freeze. You can purchase frozen organic liver from your 

health food store. If you can't tolerate the raw liver you 

can substitute it with cytozyme-lv as follows: Three tablets 

with breakfast and three with dinner.This is a very 

important part of the program! 

Beverages: you may have herbal teas. 

Water: drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of pure water a day.
Do not drink water with your meals. 

Oils: olive oil or flaxseed oil in small quantities 

(1-2 tablespoons daily). Great when used and salad 

dressings. A small amount of coconut oil is also 

acceptable. 

Seasonings: you may use natural mineral or unrefined sea 

salt and non-irradiated herbs and spices.  Make sure to use

organic seasonings were possible. 

Poultry: I do not recommend poultry right away on this diet. 

There are microbes that some research is linked to cancer. 

Red meat: beef, lamb and pork are not allowed. 

Sweetener: a few drops of stevia is permissible.* 

Fruit: all organic berries are permissible as are frozen 

organic berries. Organic berries are an excellent choice. 

Juices: 2 to 4 glasses of fresh organic juice daily.
Juices may include carrot*, wheatgrass, celery, apple and 

all green leafy vegetables; beet tops, carrot tops, collards, 

escarole, kale, dark lettuce, parsley, spinach and swiss 

chard. 

The best juicer for the price is the Omega 8005 which costs 

approximately $259. You can order it by emailing health best 

products at healthbestorders@aol.com. 

Anyone with Candida or yeast overgrowth should eliminate 

carrot juice, all sweetners and fruit. 

Eat as much fresh organic product as possible: Eat as 

much raw as you want or lightly steam your vegetables. 

Canned or processed foods: no canned or processed foods. 

Water: never drink or use chlorinated or Fluoridated water. 

Use only clean filtered water. Use filtered water for

cooking, drinking and coffee enemas. 

Other products: Avoid fluoride toothpaste. Buy and use 

natural hair products. Do not use hair dyes, with the 

exception of naturcolor made by Herbaceuticals. Purchase 

small plastic pouches and presort a one-month supply of your 

supplements in advance for convenient dispensing. 

Cookbooks: purchase either or both of these cookbooks:
"Eat well and live" by Gwynn Palmer from Health Best Product. 

The recipes are specific to this nutritional program. And/or 

"The Whole life nutritional cookbook" by Alissa Segersten.

How to use a lacrosse ball for self therapy

This may not be good for business but yes some of the best therapies only cost a buck.  Example is the lacrosse ball - great for throwing around to the dog but also great for busting out deep tissue muscle knots.  Check out this short video on how to use the lacrosse ball for self therapy.  Even better...stop by our office to pick one up for free!!  Just 10 minutes a day can make a huge difference in reducing pain and improving mobility.

Is Ice Right? Let's kick the ice bucket.

Just about everyone knows the acronym RICE (Rest Ice Compress Elevate).  This protocol has been used for many years to treat acute injuries.  Well now it is time to look at the physiology and realize we were wrong.  Recently an interview from Dr. Kelly Starrett (mobilitywod.com) and Gary Reinl made me look differently at using ice.  Don’t get me wrong if your goal is to numb an area, ice is great.  As Mr. Reinl points out, “Yes, making something numb is good if the short-term goal is pain control and the prevention of the body’s normal cellular and vascular response to injury.” 
In his recent article titled “People, We’ve Got to Stop Icing.  We Were Wrong, Sooo Wrong” Dr. Starrett quotes Dr. Nick DiNubile, Editor in Chief of The Physician and Sports Medicine Journal “Seriously, do you honestly believe that your body’s natural inflammatory response is a mistake?”  Our bodies are extremely intelligent, they know what they are doing.  Inflammation in response to an acute injury is not a mistake. Inflammation provides the tools necessary to remodel an injured area and rebuild the tissue as strong and functional as possible.  When inflammation is hindered pain may diminish but we shut down our natural healing process causing the area to heal with a thick nonfunctional tissue commonly called “scar tissue”. 
Scar tissue is similar to a scar on the skin but it is on a muscle or tendon.  Scar tissue is thick, adhesive and does not stretch well.  Scar tissue can adhere to nearby nerves causing peripheral neuropathies (pinched nerves).  It can limit your range of motion making you feel stiff and increasing your risk of future injury due to lack of tissue flexibility.  Once scar tissue has settled in it can be a tough challenge to reverse.  There are advanced non-surgical therapies such as Active Release Technique (A.R.T.), Graston Technique and Shock Wave Therapy which break up scar tissue by triggering the healing response in an effort to reverse the scar tissue that has formed. 
Well what does the research and literature say?
“When ice is applied to a body part for a prolonged period, nearby lymphatic vessels begin to dramatically increase their permeability (lymphatic vessels are ‘dead-end’ tubes which ordinarily help carry excess tissue fluids back into the cardiovascular system). As lymphatic permeability is enhanced, large amounts of fluid begin to pour from the lymphatics ‘in the wrong direction’ (into the injured area), increasing the amount of local swelling and pressure and potentially contributing to greater pain.” The use of Cryotherapy in Sports Injuries,’ Sports Medicine, Vol. 3. pp. 398-414, 1986
“Is Ice Right? Does Cryotherapy Improve Outcome for Acute Soft Tissue Injury?” JEM, 2008; Feb. 25; 65–68. 
Conclusion: There is insufficient evidence to suggest that cryotherapy improves clinical outcome in the management of soft tissue injuries.
According to Dr. Starrett the new acronym should be MCE:
    •    M - Movement
Our lymphatic system relies on muscle contraction to push the swelling into our cardiovascular system. If movement is not advised Electronic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) can push out swelling without you having to move the area.  Prolonged rest leads to muscle atrophy and scar tissue formation.
    •    C- Compression
Compressing the injured site improves circulation and clears congestion.  Compression reduces swelling, helps with pain control and facilitates the healing process.  Be careful not to compress to tight.
    •    E – Elevation
Elevation uses gravity to drain swelling out of the area.  Elevation and compression are the two parts of the acronym RICE still advised.
Just to be clear, I am not saying that ice has no purpose.  Ice is great if your goal is to numb an area and get rid of pain.  For example, if I ruptured a muscle, dislocated a shoulder or fractured a rib ice would help minimize my pain.  However, if the pain is livable think MCE before RICE because ice stops inflammation which leads to poor healing.  The problem is not inflammation, it is the pain of swelling that we need to minimize. 

Active Rest - "Can I Play?"

Where do you sit on your Sits?

  
Many people have heard of the sits bones which are the bony projections of the pelvis that we sit on.  Properly named the ischial tuberosity this area serves as the attachment site of the hamstrings and many other soft tissue structures.  Alot can be learned about your posture by the way that you sit on your sits bones.  First, make sure that you can locate these bones (you should be sitting on them!).  Hopefully you have found them.  Now, where do you sit on them?  Do you sit on the front/anterior aspect?  Do you sit on the the back/posterior aspect?  How about favoring one side over the other?  Do you sit more on the left or the right or maybe symmetrically?  Let's break down what happens when you sit on each aspect.

First of all why is this important?  Since most humans average at least 4 hours of sitting per day this is a posture you are in for most of your day.  Wolff's law states that your bones develop according to the demands placed on them so the way that you position yourself becomes the actual structure of your skeleton.

Sitting on the anterior aspect - This seating alignment causes an anterior shift in your pelvis and an increase of the lower back curvature (lordosis).  This way of sitting is most often the best and helps to maintain normal anatomic structure.  This will help people with disc injuries and a lumbar support will help you to hold this posture while seated.  Try to sit on the front of these bones and see how it changes your posture from head to toe.  This even helps your neck to be more upright and your mid back less forward preventing neck pain, mid back pain and possible headaches.

Sitting on the posterior aspect - This is what I call the tired posture.  After many hours of sitting it can be tiresome to sit upright on the anterior sits bones.  Sitting on the posterior sits bones is what I believe causes many of today's chronic back pain, neck pain and headaches.  It flattens out the lower back curve and rounds the mid back which leads to forward head posture and tightening of the trapezius and suboccipital muscles.  A good lumbar support can help you to avoid this posture.

Sitting on the left or right ischial tuberosity -  You may notice that you shift your weight to one of the sits bones more than the other.  This can be a good indicator that your pelvis is out of alignment and you may need a chiropractic adjustment.  Even if you have no symptoms of lower back pain this imbalance should be addressed so that you do not become a lower back pain sufferer.  This position can lead to a shearing stress on the intervertebral discs as well as place excessive loading on the pain sensitive facet joints of the spine.  Not to mention lead to muscle imbalances which will translate up and down your entire body influencing the position of many joints. 

Alot can be learned about our sits bones and the way that we sit on them.  Use them as a good indicator of how to fix your posture and decrease your chances of pain.  Check this video our for a good visual...

The Importance of a Functional Movement Analysis

Pain is inconvenient and enables us from doing what we love to do but it has a value and serves as a warning sign that something is wrong within our body.  Most people use pain as the only indicator of when something needs to be evaluated by a specialist.  Waiting for pain to happen is not the best indicator because it is often the last symptom to show up and the first to leave when something has gone wrong.  The intent of this article is to make you aware that a movement analysis by a trained professional can identify problems within the musculoskeletal system before symptoms of pain occur. 

Professional athletic teams have been using functional movement testing to discover if their athletes have any biomechanical imbalances or potential for injury even in the absence of pain.  Because pain is subjective (different to each person) it cannot be measured very accurately and is not the best indicator that something is wrong.  A thorough movement examination is objective and can be measured which makes it one of the best ways to predict and prevent injuries.  The goal of a good movement examination is to discover asymmetrical movement patterns and the lack of a tissues ability to stretch (tissue extensibility).    

With the knowledge of an athlete’s movement imbalances the athletic training staff will develop a fitness program and a therapeutic plan with the goal of improving that athlete’s weaknesses.  By acknowledging weaknesses and working to improve them you can reduce the risk of injury and enhance your athletic performance in any sport.  Non athletes can also benefit from a movement examination and a specific fitness and therapeutic plan because it will preserve the musculoskeletal system and slow the process of degeneration.  Not knowing your movement imbalances and setting up a training program is like going into a battle without any plan of how you are going to succeed. 

Most non traumatic athletic injuries are due to the repetitive overuse and strain of synergistic muscles asked to perform a task they cannot tolerate for prolonged periods of time. 

If muscles are not able to lengthen properly than synergistic muscles will strongly assist the desired movement.  This assistance is known as synergistic dominance or compensating movement patterns.  Movement compensations increase the risk of injury to synergistic muscles because they become overused and strained.  Movement compensations decrease athletic performance as well as place athletes at a higher risk of injury.  Functional movement testing identifies movement compensations so a plan can be developed to correct them and avoid musculoskeletal injuries.  If you have a functional movement analysis and implement the information into your fitness and therapy plan you can improve your athletic performance and avoid injuries before they happen.  It is important to find a therapist in your area who specializes in functional movement analysis and effective musculoskeletal therapies.  With their help you can avoid injuries and move as effortless and efficient as possible.

Dr. Todd Rodman, DC CSCS