The Dos and Don’ts of Fish Oil

As a young boy, I remember watching an episode of The Three Stooges in which Moe slapped Shemp in the head with a big fish. Larry chimed in and said, “Fish is great brain food.” Needless to say, science has been slow in keeping up with the wisdom of the folk medicine from my grandparent’s generation. Only recently has fish oil taken center stage. These Omega 3 fats are currently the darling of alternative medicine. Big Pharma has even created a prescription version (because real fish wasn’t good enough?) called Lovaza which, as all drugs do, comes complete with a list of side effects. 

Omega 3 fats are important structural elements of human anatomy as the cell walls are comprised of these fats. Larry was right; they are found in abundance and densely rich in the brain. As such, they help decrease the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Omega 3 oils help with brain fog and memory. Fish oil is also “heart healthy” as these oils reduce the likelihood of heart attack and stroke, lower blood pressure, reduce triglycerides, and slow the development of plaque in the arteries. Omega 3 oils reduce inflammation and can help with arthritis pain. They help heal psoriasis. The king of fish oils, cod liver oil, (more about this later) has vitamins A, D, E, and K which are vital to the immune system and bone health. 

It’s recommended that you eat oily fish such as herring, salmon, mackerel, sardines and fresh tuna at least twice a week. Are you following those guidelines? If so, is your fish cooked or in a raw state such as sushi? Omega 3-fish oil is a very heat and oxygen sensitive. Canned tuna is too processed and the nutritive quality of the oils has been destroyed. Using excessive heat to cook or to extract the oil for supplements creates denatures the oil and free radicals. Humans are the only animal on earth that cooks its food. Bears, seals, sharks, and other wildlife eat fish raw. So what’s a person to do? My best recommendation is to eat more sushi. If you are going to cook your fish, I recommend baking it to a medium rare. 

Omega 3s can be found in plant/vegan sources such walnuts, organic canola oil (conventional canola oil is tainted with GMOs), pumpkin, chia and flax seeds, But these oils are called ALA. It is the DHA/EPA oils found exclusively in oily fish and marine algae that have been shown to produce the health benefits listed above. Our body can convert ALA to DHA, however, research clearly indicates that the conversion is extremely limited.

Another option worth investigating is taking a supplement. Here I highly recommend fermented cod liver oil from www.greenpasture.org over a standard fish oil supplement. You will be hard pressed to find a fish oil or another cod liver oil supplement that has not been heated, polished, deodorized, bleached, filtered, genetically altered, separated with caustic lye, and basically processed to the nth degree. If there are vitamins added to these products, they are certainly fractionalized, isolated, lifeless, inert molecules and not naturally occurring whole vitamin complexes. These synthetic vitamins come with their own list of health warnings and have been noted to create toxicity. MSG can be in some brands of fish oil but secretly hidden on the ingredient label under “natural flavors.” 

Green Pasture uses cold processing and fermentation to protect the naturally occurring healthy fats in their cod liver oil products. This oil is much more nutrient dense than industrialized fish oil. Fermented CLO contains the naturally occurring fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K2 that are so scarce in modern diets. CoQ10 and various quinones (known for anti-tumor, anti-microbial, and anti-cardiovascular disease properties) are found in Green Pasture CLO as well. 

Green Pasture fermented cod liver oil comes in liquid, capsule, and gel. My family uses the liquid Oslo Orange flavor. For my 10 and 6 year old children, I mix 1 ml of the fermented CLO with 6 ounces of Odwalla Smoothie Juice (mango). This thick juice holds the oil in suspension and hides the taste of the oil nearly completely. This is a very doable method to get small children to comply with their daily dose of cod liver oil.  I recommend 2 ml for teenagers, 3 ml for adults, and 5 ml for adults who need therapeutic dosages. 

No matter how much marketing the salesman does, he/she cannot escape the fact that the fish oils from other companies are over-processed and denatured. This includes the more popular brand names. I can easily discern which supplement companies are worthy of my dollar. I look at their multivitamin ingredients list on the label. If I see synthetic vitamins listed instead of whole food sources, then I can conclude that all their other products are guilty by association; this company does not understand the basic concept of nutrition and therefor does not use the utmost care in processing their product.  They most assuredly will be guilty of some of the processing tactics mentioned above.

So what are you waiting for? Get yourself some Cod Liver Oil from Green Pasture and give your body what it needs to keep you healthy!

Nature's Pharmacy: Aloe Vera

We have seen the commercials on TV espousing the benefits of this ointment in our hand lotion, soap, moisturizer, shaving cream, shampoo, sun screen, and cosmetics. However, when I speak of aloe vera, I am referring to the whole plant and not some processed isolated chemical. Aloe vera, used both internally and externally, is one of nature's most powerful tools in creating a path to wellness.

My family uses aloe at home on any skin condition: cuts, abrasions, bug bits, acne, burns. It can even help heal psoriasis, exzema, poison ivy, athlete's foot, and other forms of dermatitis. Aloe vera's versatility is unparalleled. It is antimicrobial and can replace antibiotics for scrapes and abrasions. Aloe has analgesic properties which help relieve the pain and inflammation of wounds. As an emollient, aloe vera helps to soften and soothe the skin. From its high water content aloe is a great way to hydrate, moisturize, and rejuvenate the skin. As an antipruritic, aloe vera helps relieve or prevent itching. As an an astringent, it can help reduce bleeding from minor abrasions.

Simply cut an inch off the tip of a stem (be sure to say thank you!) and squeeze the gel right onto the effected area. Rub it in and feel the healing begin.

As miraculous as aloe vera is in minding the health of our skin, it is just as beneficial when taken internally. Yes, I said you can eat it! When the bug is going around and I want my family to get a boost of extra nutrition, I will cut off a stem, slice back the top layer, and spoon out the clear gel. This goes right into the blender with all the other goodies I have chosen to make our breakfast smoothy (banana, raw farm fresh egg, yogurt, berries, avocado). Please note: This is an exceedingly medicinal, incredibly dynamic plant and should be used with a level of respect for its potency. Moderation and short-term use are key when taking aloe orally.

Scientists have discovered over 150 nutritional ingredients in Aloe vera. That's some vitamin pill! Aloe vera is loaded with vitamins and minerals. It contains Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, E, folic acid, along with choline, calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, chromium, selenium, copper, iron, potassium, and phosphorus Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and aloe vera includes all eigth essential amino acids. The fatty acids found in aloe vera can help influence our brain function.

Had enough yet? Me neither! Aloe vera aids in digestion. It is filled with enzymes which help to break down the food that we have eaten. It soothes and cleanses the intestines and colon. As an adaptogen, aloe vera helps with either constipation or diarrhea. Aloe vera stimulates the immune system helping to fight infections. It also alkalizes the body. Most disease condition, including cancer, thrive in an acidic pH.

Though fresh is best, if you want to try adding some aloe vera juice to your tool belt, I reccomend Lily of the Desert organic aloe vera juice.

Who Are The Quacks?

We’ve all heard the word “Quack” before. It refers to a person falsely claiming to have curative powers; a fraud pretending to have medical skill.  In a broader sense, a charlatan or a person who masquerades as having competence, qualifications, or expertise he or she does not possess. As a chiropractor, I have heard (or seen in print) this word used many times in the direction of my profession by medical doctors, pharmaceutical reps, nurses, and other health care professionals only to be repeated through the misguided public. 

One only needs to take a gander at Stephen Barrett’s website Quackwatch (Don’t stay long. You may strain your diaphragm laughing) to understand how fear of the unknown driven through a God complex can replace an understanding of basic science, subjective validation, and Natural Law. Barret and his followers refuse to acknowledge, for example, that acupuncture has sustained a culture for 1,000s of years before the introduction of pharmaceuticals. The medical community points at those who refuse their medicine, their surgeries, their germ theory, and their dogma.

Dr. Royal Lee, founder of Standard Process Whole Food Supplements, was a pioneer in the field of nutrition. In the late 1950s Dr. Lee found himself under attack for exposing the dangers of consuming lifeless, nutritionally barren, processed, sugar laden food. In the aftermath of court battles with the FDA, a gag order was placed on him. He was prohibited from speaking publicly or writing on health, medicine, or nutrition.  His library of life long research was ordered destroyed! This, all the while Camel cigarettes and Coca-Cola were being promoted as a digestive aid. Quack.

Allopathic medicine refuses to acknowledge that chiropractic is scientific even though their AMA Encyclopedia defines the very foundation of chiropractic: “The nervous system is the body’s information-gathering, storage, and control system. The overall function of the nervous system is to gather information about the external environment and the body’s internal state, to analyze this information, and to initiate appropriate responses.” In other words, without a properly functioning nervous system, we have dysfunction in the body. Quack, quack.

.

Lest we not forget that the very group we have put in charge of our health care is the leading cause of death in the country. According to the research by Dr. Gary Null, published in the article, Death by Medicine. Over 780,000 people die each year due to medical negligence. Quack, quack, quack.

You want to talk about quacks? Let’s start with DES, Delcon Shield, silicone breast implants, Thalidomide, Fen-Phen, Vioxx, Accutane, Flomax, Depakote, smallpox vaccination program in the Philippines in 1917 creating the worst epidemic the island had ever seen resulting in over 60,000 deaths, Avandia, Humira, Swine Flu Vaccine, Chantix, Paxil, Prozac, Effexor, Zoloft, Lexapro, Yasmin, Reglan, GranuFlo, Abilify, transvaginal mesh, Gardasil, NuvaRing, Fosomax, Crestor, Baycol, Bextra, Mirena IUD, Adderall, and treating viral infections with antibiotics. I hear lots of quacking going on.

  

The lesson learned here is to be careful when you point a finger at someone. You have three pointing back at yourself.

Chiropractic Helps Bed Wetting

One of my very first patients (all those years ago) was a seven year old girl who was still having issues with bed wetting. Every night, no matter what they tried, Sarah woke with wet sheets. Sarah's self-esteem was poor. She walked with her head down, embarrassed. She couldn't have sleepovers with her friends due to her situation. None of her other friends wet the bed at this age. She knew she was "different." On the recommendation of a friend, Sarah's mom reluctantly brought her in to see me. 

"How can chiropractic help bed wetting," she asked?

It's really quite simple. First of all, chronic bed wetting is not the child's fault. No seven year old child deliberately wants to wet the bed. The problem stems from a true physiological dysfunction. The bladder does not and cannot work properly. The proper function of any part of the body is directly related to its nerve supply. If we severe a nerve, we have paralysis/no function. If we stress, pinch, or obstruct nerve flow we have what I call half-paralysis/half-function. This obstruction to proper nerve flow most always originates from a subluxation. A bone in the spinal column has been knocked out of position and that causes undue pressure on the nerve as it exits the spinal cord. 

The analogy I use is "stepping on a garden hose." This pressure stops the water from coming out the open end. Without the water, the flowers in your garden wither. Their life support has been taken away. Once we take our foot off the hose and release the pressure, water is restored to the flowers and they come back to life. When a chiropractic adjustment takes the pressure off of a nerve, life is restored.

The nerves that stimulate bladder function arise form the low back and sacrum. Subluxations in this area can results in bladder dysfunction. Another area to consider is the neck. The phrenic nerve stems from C (cervical) 3-4-5, the middle of the neck. The phrenic nerve supplies the diaphragm, our muscle that creates breathing. The phrenic reflex occurs when carbon dioxide levels in the blood get too high. This triggers the diaphragm to contract (pull down). This in turn creates a vacuum in the thoracic cage/chest and air/oxygen rushes into the lungs. You take a breath.

A high concentration of CO2 causes smooth muscle tissue to relax. The muscle that controls the opening and emptying of the bladder is composed of smooth muscle fibers. As your child sleeps, their respiration decreases and CO2 concentration rise. If the phrenic reflex does not respond concurrently, the smooth muscle fibers of the bladder's opening are more apt to relax. There's your accident.  

A toddler's phrenic nerve is still in the stages of developing (as are all of their other parts) and bed wetting is normal. Children gain control of their bladders with the normal maturation of the phrenic nerve. Should your child have bed wetting issues, perhaps there is a subluxation in the cervical spine causing dysfunction in the phrenic nerve or in the lower back and sacrum. 

Sarah got her first adjustment that day and returned five days later for her follow up appointment. Her mom reported that Sarah had only one accident since her adjustment. Still not convinced of the simple science of chiropractic, she asked me, "Do you really think it was the adjustment?" I answered, "You've tried everything else and nothing worked. Sarah got an adjustment and she has improved dramatically. Yes. It was the adjustment." Her mom, on the verge of tears, then asked, "Can we have some more?" 

I love my job!

There’s No Such Thing as a Gay Gene

First of all, I must start this blog with the obligatory, “I am not a homophobe.” I don’t care about your sexual preference, the color of your skin, the size of your body, or the religion you adhere to. The only determining factor I have in attaching labels to people is whether or not you intentionally work on making this planet a better place to live. I don’t ask that you be Gandhi. I ask that you be conscious, respectful, courteous, and live your life in a manner that supports and stimulates life, peace, and truth. Being gay is the least of my concerns. With that; there is no such thing as a gay gene.

It is very easy today to blame our genes for any kind of expression that is not socially accepted. However, we must first understand what a gene is and how it works. Here I interject another disclaimer. I am not a geneticist. I had nothing to do with unraveling the human genome. I also know that those who did will never completely understand the infinite magic of the gene. The more science digs, the more questions arise.  I am, however, (and maybe more importantly) a student of Natural Law.

A very simple point I want to make is that genes have an innate desire to create life. That is the gene's divine function; to propagate itself and therefore its species. A gay gene would be a self-destruct button in the evolution of life. If the male and female species never again sexually interacted, whether it be a pine tree, butterfly, or human, then that species would eventually die off. A gay gene is the antithesis of life itself. It contradicts the very function of genetics. 

Sticking to the very basics of genetics, the DNA in your genes is made from phosphate, sugar, and four amino acids: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) and thymine (T). The sequencing of genes/the creation of all your different parts, comes from how these amino acids line up and where they line up within the gene. (e.g. ACT, CAG, TTT).  When genes are copied they can only copy these amino acid chains. Amino acids are the building blocks for protein. Protein is a physical structure and has no self-directing brain. There is nothing in this chain of amino acids that tells the structure HOW to act. It can only build structure.

Genes create form. Genes can give you green eyes, curly hair, long legs, or strong bones. Genetic defects can give you cystic fibrosis, Down’s syndrome, or Sickle-cell disease. Amino acid chains do not have the capacity to create character. They cannot tell the form how to function. Genes are not endowed with secret brains that whisper in your ear. They cannot tell you to be obsessive compulsive, type-A personality, or an addict. They cannot teach you to be polite or rude. How you act with the parts that genes give you must come from somewhere else entirely: Epigenetics and psychological programming. (For a more in depth understanding, please refer to the work of Bruce Lipton.) 

So it is with much chagrin that I must disagree with Lady Gaga. You were not and can never be Born That Way.