Free Radicals and the Power of Antioxidants

In my re-cap of Aspire Chiropractic's workshop last week I mentioned how heating your food in a microwave can cause free radicals to form. So what are free radicals? Free radicals are the cause of the aging process. Free radicals steal electrons from molecules in your body and in turn, the molecule missing an electron becomes a free radical and steals an electron from another molecule causing a chain reaction to occur. Free radicals can cause damage to DNA, lipid components in blood, and proteins; damage to DNA can cause cancer, damage to lipids can cause heart disease, and damage to proteins can cause autoimmune disorders and Alzheimer's disease. The greater amount of free radicals in your body the more likely it is that they could cause serious damage.

So how can you stop free radicals from forming? You can't stop free radicals from forming as it's a part of living. Every living creature produces billions of free radicals every second. However, you can stop the chain reaction of free radicals with antioxidants; when a free radical steals an electron from an antioxidant the antioxidant becomes a free radical but it doesn't seek to find another electron, thus stopping the chain reaction. Note: an antioxidant molecule can only stop the chain reaction of a single free radical so it's important that you have a supply of antioxidants available to help reduce free radical activity. Visit your local Maximized Living doctor to find out how you can get the antioxidants needed to help fight the chain reaction of free radicals in your body.



Sources: A Legacy of Wellness, Maximized Living

Sustainable foods

I had the opportunity to watch a documentary last night called Food Inc. For those of you who are on the fence about eating organic foods and grass fed meats this film does a good job of explaining why you should, but I do have to warn you that there may be some content that is not for the faint of heart. The film featured a farm in Virginia called Polyface Farms. I really enjoyed hearing about this farm and their environmentally-friendly farming practices. The owner, Joel Salatin, explains their farm a bit in the YouTube video below.

You can find sustainable, organic foods in your community by using the Eat Well Guide. This site gives you information on local farmers, farmers markets, co-ops, butchers, caterers, restaurants, and more.

Enjoying the Anytime Fitness 1st Annual Party in the Park!

Anytime Fitness Hero!

5K and 10K Race to support Faith's Lodge

Aspire Chiropractic's Booth

Anytime Fitness 1st Annual Party in the Park

Aspire Chiropractic is a proud sponsor of the Anytime Fitness 1st Annual Party in the Park, a 5 and 10k Race benefiting Faith's Lodge this Saturday, August 27th from 10am-2pm! Anytime Fitness will be giving each runner a gift bag, there will be live music, and their personal trainers will be doing a free bootcamp class, and stretching class. This will be a fun time supporting a great cause! Call anytime fitness at 651-292-1707 for more details or click here to register for the run. Here's a short article CBS did regarding the race "Charity Run to Rebuild Faith's Lodge...". Hope to see you there!

"Honey We're Killing the Kids" Workshop Recap

The EPA estimates that our homes are five to ten times more toxic than the air outside. Toxicity is unavoidable but we can take some steps to make our home and our bodies less toxic. Dr. Brenda Kress talked about some toxins in our environment that we should be aware of and how to avoid them if at all possible during Aspire Chiropractic's monthly workshop last week.

One thing Dr. Kress talked about was the fact that the carpeting in our homes contains harmful chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde. In addition, our carpeting collects dust mites, dirt, pesticides, and other toxins over time. These toxins can be reduced by using a quality air purifier in your home or getting rid of your carpeting all together.

Did you know that the cookware you're using could be toxic? Teflon or "non-stick" cookware emits toxic particles and gases when heated to a certain temperature and can be considered a cancer-causing substance. It is best to use steel or cast iron pans. Also, heating your food in a microwave is not recommended because it can cause free radicals to form but if you choose to use a microwave in your home be sure you use glass containers to heat your food. Heating your food in plastic will mess with your hormones. There are some plastics you should stay away from altogether, those plastics are #'s 3, 6, and 7.

A study by the Columbia School of Health found that 95% of all cancer is due to diet and the accumulation of toxins. Signs of toxicity are headaches, fatigue, depression, allergies or asthma, weight loss resistance, insomnia, hormonal imbalances, and thyroid problems. You can get rid of toxins in your body by getting adjusted regularly to remove any nerve interference along with using a detox kit. If you're interested in finding out more call Aspire Chiropractic at 651-294-2332.

Back to School Fundraiser August 22nd!

Help kids and families in need this school year by participating in Aspire Chiropractic's 2nd Annual Back to School Fundraiser supporting the Wilder Foundation! When you donate a backpack and school supplies for the Wilder Foundation on August 22nd, you will receive a complimentary exam and x-rays worth $250.  A small donation for a piece of healthcare!

Monday, August 22nd

8:00a -11:00a  and  3:15p-6:15p

Monday's Workshop + Dr. Matt's Max Living Experience

Monday's Max Living Workshop "Honey We're Killing the Kids"

Aspire Chiropractic will be hosting their monthly Maximized Living workshop on August 15th starting at 6:15pm. You won't want to miss this month's topic of "Fighting Toxicity in Our Body and Our Homes" covering the most common problems and their everyday solutions! Chemical pollutants are found in our food supply, water, household & personal care products, and medicines & vaccinations; learn what you can do to fight toxicity on Monday evening.

Did you know that everything we flush down the toilet or pour down the drain will end up in our community's sewage system, even if you have a septic system? (Eventually your septic system will be pumped and brought to the sewage treatment system.) Some compounds are biodegradable and will break down and become harmless during treatment, but others are non-biodegradable and can do damage by adding toxins to our environment.

Dr. Matt Gravel's Max Living Convention Experience

"Let's see, the seminar was a lot of fun and very informative. The things that stick out to me the most were the sessions on bringing the fire back to me about chiropractic; getting the idea that we have little understanding of the power we hold in our hands, the ability to change someone's life through the power of the chiropractic adjustment, and hearing stories about how doctors have helped patients completely revolutionize their lives."

"Funny story: On the second day of early morning workouts, the doctors put us through Max T3 training outside the hotel at 6AM. As I am just beginning on my road to a Maximized Life, I am a novice at the T3 training. Well, to motivate me, Dr. Ben Lerner, one of the founders of Maximized Living, placed himself directly to my left and as I was huffing and puffing, getting red-faced and sweaty, Dr. Lerner was doubling and tripling everything we were doing, so I had the founder of the company there to give me motivation!"

- Dr. Matt


Dr. Matt Gravel will be hosting weekly Surge Training sessions based on Maximized Living's Max T3 system beginning Monday, September 12th. It will consist of  a 20min T3 training session followed by a surge up Ramsey Hill (weather permitting). Maximize your exercise with Aspire!

Max Living Convention

Dr. Kress and Dr. Gravel went to the Maximized Living Convention last Thursday thru Saturday and are excited to share some pictures with you!

Getting energized!

Some great speakers!

Nice accomodations.