Great time of the year to FAST!

Fasting Helps to Reduce Coronary Heart Disease Factors

• Triglycerides
• Weight
• Blood sugar levels

And although opinions vary on the health benefits of the fast, the evidence continues to mount in favor of fasting for health benefits. The idea of fasting is nothing new and in fact, dates back centuries. Practiced by many religious faithful, fasting has shown to improve health for years.
Fasting for weight loss
This may seem obvious, but fasting allows your body to burn fat and lose weight due to two main factors.
According to the Intermountain Health Care study, during a fast, your body will begin to respond to the stress of reduced or drastically changed eating by releasing more cholesterol, which your body makes use of to burn fat.
It has also been found that HGH (Human Growth Hormone) levels are elevated during and after a fasting period. This increased HGH level will protect your lean muscle while helping you to lose unwanted fat.
3 Types of Fasting
This is by no means an exhaustive list of ways you can fast, but it covers the range of methods most used by people looking to get healthy,

1. The full fast is as the name says, a full fast in which only liquids are consumed, sometimes only water, for the fasters specified amount of time.
2. A partial fast, is again as the name suggests and can be executed in various ways. With the partial fast you can eat at specified times of the day only, or one time a day, or any variation.
3. A Daniel Fast or juice fast is when you eat only fruits and vegetables and drinking water or fruit juices for the specified fast period. This fast promises some of the best and long lasting results for your health. Many people have lost enormous amounts of weight and turned around their failing health by doing an extended Daniel Fast or juice fast.

How to Fast
As with any lifestyle change, having a plan is key to success in fasting. The more details you can have taken care of before starting, the better chance you have of having a positive fasting experience.

Goal Setting – What do you want to accomplish by fasting? Lose weight, be healthier, feel better, have more energy? Write it down and put it in a place you’ll see frequently during your fast.

Fast Duration – Are you going to fast for a day, week, month, more? Depending on the type of fast you are doing and your goals, set a period of time that will challenge you yet not be overwhelming.

What are you going to eat/drink during the fast? – Other than a full fast, knowing exactly what you’re going to eat and when is very important. Try to purchase as much of the food before starting as possible to avoid the temptation to stop simply due to running out.

High Quality Foods- Stick to eating the healthiest, all natural, organic foods you can find. That means real foods such as fresh, raw and organic fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds are good to eat during this cleansing time.

Water – It is vital to drink pure water during your fast to assist your body with the detox and cleansing process that will naturally occur when you fast.

Example foods to eat during a fast

• Kale
• Spinach
• Collard Greens
• Carrots
• Granny Smith Apples
• Oranges
• Lemons

Sources: latimes.com, eurekalert.org, intermountainhealthcare.org

The Definition of INSANITY

"It will go away." My friend says to "try chiropractic," but the pain isn't that bad. I think I can deal with it.

So what do you have to lose?  The drugs aren’t fixing the problem and they’re probably causing some side effects you would rather avoid.  Surgery is costly, risky, and generally not effective.  There is another option.  When I talk to patients or teach at seminars in the community about ditching what hasn’t worked and trying something new, I remind them of one of my favorite quotes of all time from the late great Albert Einstein when he tried to define insanity:

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Although I am not saying that you or your doctor are insane, I can tell you that the only way you are ever going to get to a different place in regards to your health is if you take a different path.  A consultation with a doctor of chiropractic may be the first step on a journey towards better health and renewed vitality.

TRICK OR TREAT CONTEST

Aspire is holding a "Trick or Treat" contest.
We are going to be giving you sheets with pumpkins and skulls on the paper.
For every treat you give your body ie: apple, glass or water, or for every good deed you do for your body such as go for a walk, you will reward yourself a pumpkin.

On the other hand, for every trick you give your body: ie: diet soda or candy, you have to circle a skull on the contest sheet we give you.

When you complete your sheet full of pumpkins, bring it into us for 10 raffle tickets toward winning the ultimate Halloween basket!  You can complete as many sheets as you wish.

See front for details!

"Back to School" Campaign

Aspire Chiropractic presents their 3rd Annual Back to School Campaign!!

Patients and members of the community are encouraged to bring in backpacks and school supplies to help support the Wilder Foundation’s 2012 Back to School Campaign. In the past, 850 children have been serviced.

Help us make it another successful year by participating! When you donate a backpack and school supplies, you will receive a complimentary exam and x-rays worth $250. A small donation for a piece of healthcare!

Donations can be dropped off at Aspire Chiropractic from August 20-22, 2012.

Visit Aspire’s website at www.aspirechiro.com or call 651-294-2332 for their office hours.

Aspire Chiropractic                                       Aspire’s 2010 Wilder Fundraiser

333 Grand Ave. Ste 102

St. Paul, MN 55102

Dr. Brenda Kress DC / Owner of Aspire

Website: www.aspirechiro.com

651-294-2332

FREEDOM!

With the 4th of July quickly near, this is the time to celebrate our country's freedom and to acknowledge those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for serving our country.

When it comes to your health, this is a great time to ask yourself, "Am I free?" Am I living a life free of sickness and disease?" Sadly, many answer this question with "no!"

We live in the best country and one with the best health care, yet why are so many people still sick? Why are so many suffering with pain? The fact of the matter is that it is possible to live pain free and to live a life you were born to live. You can be free!

Come to our office, ask our patients how they did it? The answers you hear are so simple, yet the hardest part is to take the first step.

Let freedom ring for you, your health, and for your family's benefit, by taking the first step. Call us to find out more. 651-294-2332

5 Healthy Habits for a Successful Relationships!

 

Photo courtesy of istockphoto / Thinkstock

I was recently married and found this article to be helpful and inspiring.  With divorce rates hovering around 50 percent—even higher for celebrities—what can we do to beat the averages? Here are some tips:

(Article taken from Maximized Living.com)

 

 

Show, Don’t Tell. Love is a verb, not a feeling.  When people say they no longer feel the way they once did, they are referring to the butterflies and sparks of the relationship’s honeymoon stage. Feelings are emotional states brought on by a complexity of internal and external factors. Love grows and evolves as we honor commitments, keep promises and learn to forgive. Do you ever wonder how some people stay married for 50 years or more? Successful couples become best friends and learn to work together as partners to reach common goals. Don’t just state your love. Show it.

 

Make Regular Deposits.  In the classic book, His Needs, Her Needs , the author offers a brilliant analogy between your checking account and your marriage. If you regularly withdraw more from your bank than you deposit, your finances will suffer. Likewise, if you regularly withdraw more from your marital love bank than you deposit, your marriage will suffer. Compliments, affection, pleasure and promise-keeping are deposits. Criticisms, disappointments, neglect and pain are withdrawals.

 

Never Stop Dating. Couples from 19 to 91 need a regular date night. Even if you don’t go out on the town, find a way to have uninterrupted play time. Dress up for a candlelit dinner at home with romantic music in the background. Keep an ongoing list of new meals to try, games to play, local places to visit, movies to rent, activities to enjoy. Keep it simple and fun. If you have children, find a trustworthy babysitter you can depend on. 

 

Use “I” Language. This is an important skill to develop, especially in tense situations. Here’s an example: Instead of saying, “You make me so mad!” or “You’re so irresponsible!” try saying, “I felt very angry when you did what you did.” Your anger does not belong to your spouse, even when you’ve been treated unfairly. By taking responsibility for your own emotions, your spouse will be less defensive, and specific issues are more likely to be resolved. Sometimes, it’s better to postpone the conversation than to have it sabotaged by strong emotion.

 

Lighten Up. When it comes to minor differences of personality and taste, live and let live. Constant nitpicking can lead to unnecessary arguments and ongoing stress. Save your energy for resolving far greater issues, like money, family and career. Even then, try to keep a tone of lightness and humor.

Studies show that married couples are not only happier on average, but also healthier than their single, divorced or cohabitating counterparts .  A strong, healthy marriage is worth the effort. 

 

Dr. Kress' comments: When your relationships are affected, your health is also affected. However, it goes both ways....when your health is affected, it WILL affect your relationships. Call our office to find out how to work on both for mental, emotional, and physical health & well being.

What does your pH of your body have to do with your Health?

pH stands for "potential of hydrogen." The pH of a fluid tells you how acid or alkaline it is. pH is measured on a scale from 0-14 with neutral being 7.0; anything below that is acidic and anything above is alkaline.
The blood must maintain a pH level of 7.35 - 7.45. More oxygen is presnet when pH is avove 7.0 than below which is why all pathogens thrive in an acidic environment. However, pathogens can't survive in an alkaline environment. An acidic condition is a breeding ground for unhealthy bacteria, yeast, and fungi while an alkaline environment helps to keep things in check.

Come to our May 15th workshop to learn more about the pH of your body and what you can do to improve it!

Are you inspired?

There is a difference between being motivated vs being inspired.

When someone is set to get in shape, often times they will say "I am motivated to getting in shape!" or "I am motivated to lose weight!"
The problem with these sayings is that being motivated may last a day, a week, a month, or a few months and quickly the motivation quickly goes away.

However, when a person is INSPIRED, than you are more likely to WANT to work out, lose weight, or do what is necessary to get you to where you want to go.

If you need help, we are here to inspire you and to teach you the tools you need to be successful.

Call the front desk to schedule a complimentary mini consultation with the doctor and get INSPIRED!

651-294-2332

GET REAL... with Chiropractic

American TV personality and psychologist Dr. Phil doesn't hold punches when it comes to advising his guests on living a more balanced, principled life.  So it should come as no surprise how he feels about Chiropractic. On a recent show with personal Chiropractor and author Dr. Fabrizio Mancini, Dr. Phil touts the benefits he's experienced from regular care.  "I've been seeing a Chiropractor a couple times a week for the past 10 years…"  And you can bet it wasn't for a bad back.  Dr. Phil knows Chiropractic care goes beyond helping aches and pains.  It transforms your entire health and LIFE for the better – exactly what his show is all about. If you're frustrated with your current level of health, maybe it's time to get real with a new paradigm shift.  As Dr. Fab says, "we are all born with a natural ability to heal." Chiropractic care simply brings it out.  And if it's good for Dr. Phil, it could be good for you too!

An Ounce of Chiropractic... (From The Weekly Sticky)

There's a saying that goes an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.  From a financial stand point, nothing could be more true when it comes to using Chiropractic care.

A 2005 study published in JMPT found "for low back and neck pain, the inclusion of Chiropractic benefits resulted in a reduction in the rates of surgery, advanced imaging, inpatient care, and x-rays."  That means less unnecessary testing, less hospitalization and fewer operations when Chiropractic care is made available.  The scales clearly tip in our favor.

When you keep your Nerve System clear and give your body a chance to heal itself, you end up saving tons of time, money and aggravation.  Chiropractors know it.  Our patients know it.  We're just waiting for the rest of the world to catch on.

Why You Should Give Up Your Microwave for Lent (Or Forever)

Ten Reasons to dispose of your Microwave Oven

From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research, one can conclude this article with the following:

1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term – permanent – brain damage by ‘shorting out’ electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].

2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.

3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.

4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.

5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.

6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.

7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumours]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in UK and America .

8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.

9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.

10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

Is Your Light Shining Bright? (The Weekly Sticky)

Ever have one of those days where you just don't feel as bright as you should?  Your diet's good, you're getting enough exercise but for some reason you still feel drained and unproductive.  Maybe it's time for a trip to the Chiropractor… Think of your Nerve System as electrical wires and your body a 100 watt light bulb connected to it.  When the wires are clear and electricity flows freely, your bulb glows to 100 watts. But if power is restricted in the wires, your bulb dims.  Chiropractors call it being Subluxated or in a 'state of less light/less energy.'  And the only thing that can 'light you up' again is a specific, loving Chiropractic Adjustment. Eating properly and getting enough exercise is important, but you'll never shine to your full potential if you're Subluxated… and you can't afford that.  The world needs you beaming at 100 watts.  So don't wait until your light's completely out.  Get adjusted and shine bright with regular Chiropractic care!

Antibiotics ineffective for most sinus infections

Antibiotics ineffective for most sinus infections

Check the Eggs! (From the Weekly Sticky)

How many times have you had a minor fender-bender, or a slip on the ice and never gave it a second thought?  Maybe your ego was bruised, but you didn't notice any outward signs of injury.  What happened to you on the inside could be a different story.

After a trauma, things may appear fine on the outside, but it doesn't mean they're OK on the inside.  That's why we open egg cartons and check the contents for hidden damage before we buy them.  The same goes for your spine after any jolt.  What may seem like a minor bump from the outside, could actually create SUBLUXATIONS on the inside.  (Misaligned vertebrae that interfere with nerve function, and silently diminish health)

The solution?  Get your spine checked for SUBLUXATIONS after any  trauma, no matter how big or small.  If your kid takes a tumble down the stairs – get them checked.  If your spouse backs the car into a fence post – get them checked.  If you tripped over the dog on the way to the refrigerator last night – get yourself checked too.  Life's tough enough without having to live it SUBLUXATED.

February is Have a Heart for Chiropractic Month!

February is Have a Heart for Chiropractic Month at Aspire Chiropractic! We want to know why you get adjusted and who you get adjusted for.

Dr. Matt gets adjusted so he can turn the power on in his spine and have the power to treat all of the wonderful patients at Aspire!

Dr. Brenda gets adjusted so she can keep her nervous system working so her body can provide all the nutrition her new baby needs, and so she can keep going and save lives!

Andrea gets adjusted so she can keep her muscles working so she can deliver the best massage possible!

Everyone has a reason why they come to see us, what's yours? Want to keep your nervous system performing at it's peak so you can play with your kids? Do you get adjusted so you can stay healthy for your family? For yourself? Let us know your reason!

Dinner With the Docs!

Aspire Chiropractic will be hosting a Dinner With the Docs on February 22nd! Join us at Dixie's on Grand on the 22nd for an evening of great food and informative talk on health care. The dinner is on us, so call now to reserve a spot for you and up to two guests at (651)294-2332. Spots are limited, so call now!

Heart Healthy Talk at Aspire Chiropractic

Aspire Chiropractic will be hosting a heart healthy talk with Dr. Matt Gravel on February 15th at 6:15 PM. Dr. Matt will be covering a variety of topics including heart health, exercise, stress reduction, nerve system interference and why fat is not the enemy! Join us for this informative talk and learn the right way to keep your heart healthy and avoid the pitfalls of traditional medicine for cardiovascular care. Call (651)294-2332 to reserve your spot today.

The Top 12 Cancer Causing Products in the Average American Home

Interesting list of common products that can lead to cancer. How many of them are in YOUR home?

Conservative Care Beats Medication for Neck Pain

Study: Spinal manipulation and exercise are more effective than OTC pain relievers, narcotics and muscle relaxants.

By Peter W. Crownfield, Executive Editor

A study published in the Jan. 3, 2012 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine and widely reported by mainstream media suggests conservative care consisting of either spinal manipulation or home exercise is more effective than over-the-counter and prescription medication for relieving acute and subacute neck pain. Spinal manipulative therapy was more effective than medication in both the short and long term, as was home exercise in the form of self-mobilization of the neck and shoulder joints – a point media outlets were quick to emphasize in a classic attempt to downplay the value of the chiropractic intervention.

The study involved 272 adults ages 18-65 with nonspecific mechanical neck pain of two to 12 weeks' duration. Participants were recruited from a university research center and a pain management clinic in Minnesota. Other inclusion criteria included pain equivalent to grade I or grade II according to the Bone and Joint Decade's Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders; and neck pain score of 3 or greater on a 0-10 scale. Exclusion criteria included cervical spine instability, fracture, neck pain referred from peripheral joints or viscera, progressive neurologic deficits, diffuse idiopathic hyperostosis, inflammatory or destructive changes of the cervical spine, previous cervical spine surgery, and blood-clotting disorders, among other criteria.

Subjects were randomized at their second baseline appointment to one of three groups for 12 weeks:

• A spinal manipulative therapy group, which received "manipulation of areas of the spine with segmental hypomobility by using diversified techniques, including low-amplitude spinal adjustments ... and mobilization." According to the study, six chiropractors, each with at least five years' experience, provided treatment, with the specific spinal level to be treated and the number of treatments rendered left to the discretion of the individual chiropractor.
• A home exercise advice group, "with advice provided [by six therapists] in two 1-hour sessions one to two weeks apart. Recommended mobilization exercises included "neck retraction, extension, flexion, rotation, lateral bending motions, and scapular retraction, with no resistance." Participants received a booklet and laminated cards of prescribed exercises, and were advised to perform 5-10 repetitions of each exercise six to eight times daily.
• A medication group monitored by a licensed medical physician, with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, or both serving as the first line of pharmacological therapy. With patients who did not respond to or could not tolerate these drugs, narcotic medications and muscle relaxants were prescribed. With each patient, the MD determined the type of medication administered and the number of patient visits.

Self-reported outcomes, including pain, were measured six times during the 12-week treatment period in all three groups: at both baseline appointments; two, four, eight and 12 weeks after randomization; and on two occasions post-treatment (weeks 26 and 52). Objective measures of cervical spine motion were measured at four and 12 weeks by seven trained examiners blinded to treatment assignment.

Of the 272 participants, essentially equally assigned to the three treatment groups (91 SMT, 91 home exercise and 90 medication), "improvement in participant-rated pain significantly differed with SMT compared with medication at 12 weeks ... and in longitudinal analyses that incorporated pain ratings every two weeks from baseline to 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, a significantly higher proportion of the SMT group experienced reductions of pain of at least 50% [compared to the medication group]. Differences in participant-related pain improvement between the SMT and [home exercise] groups were smaller and not statistically significant."

Specifically, at week 12, more than 82 percent of the SMT group reported a 50 percent or greater reduction in pain; 57 percent reported at least a 75 percent reduction and 32 percent reported a 100 percent reduction. By comparison, the home exercise group reported pain reductions of 77 percent, 48 percent and 30 percent, respectively, while the medication group reported reductions of only 69 percent, 33 percent and 13 percent.

In terms of long-term improvement, 75 percent of the SMT group reported at least a 50 percent reduction in pain after 26 weeks, while nearly 81 percent reported at least a 50 percent reduction at 52 weeks. At 26 and 52 weeks, 71 percent and 69 percent of the home exercise group, respectively, reported at least a 50 percent reduction in pain. In long-term follow-up, the medication group's improvement fluctuated from 59 percent reporting pain reduction of 50 percent or more at 26 weeks to 69 percent reporting the same reduction at 52 weeks.

"Spinal manipulation therapy and [home exercise advice] led to similar short- and long-term outcomes," stated the authors, "but participants who received medication seemed to fare worse, with a consistently higher use of pain medications for neck pain throughout the trial's observational period."

Are Antibiotics Killing Off Beneficial Bacteria Forever?

Antibiotics: Killing Off Beneficial Bacteria…For Good?

From www.wired.com/superbugs

It’s an accepted concept by now that taking antibiotics in order to quell an infection disrupts the personal microbiome, the population of microorganisms that we all carry around in our guts, and which vastly outnumbers the cells that make up our bodies. That recognition supports our understanding of Clostridium difficile disease — killing the beneficial bacteria allows C. diff room to surge and produce an overload of toxins — as well as the intense interest in establishing a research program that could demonstrate experimentally whether the vast industry producing probiotic products is doing what it purports to do. But implicit in that concept is the expectation that, after a while — after a course of antibiotics ends — the gut flora repopulate and their natural balance returns.

What if that expectation were wrong? In a provocative editorial published this week in Nature, Martin Blaser of New York University’s Langone Medical Center argues that antibiotics’ impact on gut bacteria is permanent — and so serious in its long-term consequences that medicine should consider whether to restrict antibiotic prescribing to pregnant women and young children.

Early evidence from my lab and others hints that, sometimes, our friendly flora never fully recover. These long-term changes to the beneficial bacteria within people’s bodies may even increase our susceptibility to infections and disease. Overuse of antibiotics could be fuelling the dramatic increase in conditions such as obesity, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies and asthma, which have more than doubled in many populations.

Among the findings he cites in support: The population-level observation that the incidence of infection with H. pylori, the bacterial cause of gastric ulcers, has declined over decades just as the incidence of esophageal cancer has risen. In addition, he offers his own research group’s observation that children who don’t acquire H. pylori are at greater risk of developing allergy and asthma, and their findings that eradicating H. pylori affects the production of the two hormones, ghrelin and leptin, that play a role in weight gain.

Are antibiotics to blame for the decline in H.pylori? Blaser points out that the organism is vulnerable to the same antibiotics that are prescribed to children for ear infections and colds — and that children routinely receive up to 20 courses of antibiotics before they reach adulthood. In addition, he says, one-third to one-half of women in the industrialized world receive antibiotics during pregnancy. Couple that with the increasingly large percentage of children born by Caesarean section — who by skipping their trip through the birth canal miss their first exposure to friendly bacteria — and the result, he says, is that “each generation… could be beginning life with a smaller endowment of ancient microbes than the last.”

Finally, he points to evidence that antibiotic use permanently changes the composition of the gut microbiome, altering the balance of bacterial species and maintaining resistant bacteria in the gut.

Where the Body Finds Answers (The Weekly Sticky)

How much stomach acid does it take to digest a cheeseburger? Or, how much calcium is
needed to heal a broken leg? How about a fever, how high should it reach to fight a common
cold? You don't need to surf Google for the answers, your INNATE search engine already knows.
If you doubt there's genius inside you, just consider this – the 50,000,000 cells in your body
that will die while you read this sentence… your innate intelligence knows how to replace every
single one of them. The trillions of mental impulses coursing through your Nerve System at this
moment… innate is moving them at speeds approaching 248 mile per hour. The number of
heartbeats you’ll get in your lifetime… innate reserved around 3 billion for you.
Google may be the web's leading source for information, but it's got nothing over your innate
intelligence when it comes to keeping you alive and well. Innate has solutions to just about any
health challenge you have. All you have to do is search within to find the answer.

Natural Cranberry Juice More Effective than Pills at Fighting Infection

Natural Cranberry Juice More Effective than Pills at Fighting Infection

From Natural News

(NaturalNews) A new study from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts confirms that natural cranberry juice is more effective in fighting infections than pills containing concentrated doses of the flavonoids found in cranberries. The study published in the Food Science and Biotechnology journal was led by Dr. Terri Camesano, professor of chemical engineering.

The new paper adds to the highly positive conclusions previously published by professor Camesano on the health benefits of cranberries. Earlier WPI studies have shown that their juice can prevent infectious bacteria, specifically a virulent form of E. coli, from attaching to the wall of the urinary tract. This strain is covered with hair-like projections that help it hook onto urinary tract cells.

Exposure to bioactive elements in cranberries reduce the ability of the bacteria to adhere to healthy cells. As a result, the E. coli is unable to form a biofilm, which would allow the bacteria to grow and spread further. Eventually they are easily eliminated by the natural flow of urine.

The new experiments have focused on observing the difference between the use of pills containing cranberry flavonoids and the intake of natural juice. Until now, a group of flavonoids called proanthocyanidins, or PACs, were thought to be responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties of cranberries. Based on this assumption, pharmacologists have tried to artificially replicate and increase the effects of this substance through the use of concentrated doses in pills.

The scientists' study proves these assumptions were wrong all along. Although at first they focused on the PACs themselves, the team's new experiments show that the natural remedy has greater effect than the isolated compound. "The data shows that they aren't the silver bullet, cranberry juice's ability to prevent biofilms is more complex than we may have originally thought," said Dr. Terri Camesano.

During the experiments, researchers incubated two different types of E. coli in the presence of two different mixtures of cranberry juice. At the same time, the bacteria was also incubated in the presence of a substance similar to the one found in cranberries. The results showed that in the presence of natural juice, the bacteria was completely unable to form a biofilm and create the conditions needed for an infection. The PACs, on the other hand, had a limited impact on the E. coli and only after a prolonged exposure. "This study shows that cranberry juice is better at inhibiting biofilm formation than isolated A-type cranberry flavonoids and PACs, although the reasons for this are not yet clear," the professor concluded.

"Cranberries have been recognized for their health benefits for a number of years," explained the professor. Besides their unmatched ability to fight urinary tract infections, they are a source of bioactive substances that can help maintain a vibrant health.

Raw cranberries have elevated antioxidant contents that help the immune and cardiovascular systems, as well as fight free radicals. Medical experts remind us that substances found in these fruits can help prevent tooth decay by inhibiting the formation of plaque. Moderate amounts of dietary fibers, vitamin C and various essential minerals can also be obtained from the regular consumption of cranberries.

Top Ten Most Modified Foods

Top Ten Most Modified Foods

from Healthy Child Healthy World

We often hear the question: “What foods should I avoid?” this is a great question, as many of our everyday foods are so genetically modified (GM) that they aren’t even close to the foods that originally developed over time on earth. So here is a list of the top ten most modified foods that you should try to avoid:

1)       CORN – Our #1 agricultural commodity. In 2009, nearly 20 million acres of GM corn was planted and harvested in this country, including Bt and Roundup Ready corn varieties. Corn has leaked into almost every part of our daily life, from food to clothing to plastics, corn is everywhere!

2)     SOY – The #2 agricultural commodity in our country. 60%(!) of processed food in this country contains some variation of soy in it, and over 80% of edible fats and oils in this country are soy based. Over half of the nearly 75 million acres of soy in this country are GM. Not to mention that Monsanto doesn’t allow farmers to clean their beans and re-plant them, you have to buy new seeds from them EVERY YEAR!

3)      POTATO - Currently, the only GM potato is a Burbank Russet variety, marketed under the name NewLeaf. This Bt-producing plant is lethal to the Colorado potato beetle – and possibly to beneficial insects.

4)     TOMATO - The first GM tomato, the Flavr Savr, was introduced commercially in 1994, but flopped because it proved tasteless. Since then, other varieties, including a cherry tomato, have been genetically engineered to delay ripening and extend shelf life.

5)      CANOLA OIL - Of the 15 million acres of canola grown in the U.S. and Canada annually, 35% is GM, mostly for herbicide-resistance.

6)     COTTONSEED OIL - In 2000, 61% of the 15.5 million acres of cotton grown in the U.S. was genetically modfied. Every year, half a million tons of cottonseed oil makes its way into salad dressings, baked goods and snack foods. About 1.4 million tons of cottonseed meal is fed to livestock annually. And as we eat those livestock, we also consume whatever they have consumed, so watch the meat you’re eating and make sure it is as green-fed as possible.

7)      PAPAYA - More than one third of Hawaiian papayas have been genetically engineered to withstand the papaya ringspot virus. Organic papaya growers in Hawaii worry that the pollen from GM papaya trees will contaminate their crops.

8)      RADDICHIO - Currently one variety of radicchio, called Seed Link, has been genetically modified to be resistant to the herbicide glufosinate.

9)     SQUASH - Several varieties of summer squash have been genetically engineered to resist mosaic viruses. Some scientists are concerned that resistance to the virus may spread to weedy relatives, such as gourds, found in the U.S., creating invasive superweeds.

10)   SALMON - A company called Aqua Bounty has engineered a salmon with genes from two different fish species so that it grows much more quickly than non-GM salmon. The company now seeks FDA approval to market this fish for human consumption. Escaped into the environment, (which is inevitable on fish farms), the GM fish may be larger and more aggressive, eat more food, and mate more often, though their offspring are less fit to survive in the wild, raising the possibility of wild species extinction. Human health effects are also relatively unknown. Currently, research on transgenic strains of 35 fish species world-wide is underway.
 

Aspire is Back to Our Regular Schedule

Now that the holidays are over, we are back to our regular schedule.

Mondays and Wednesdays 8:30-11:30, 3:15-6:15 (Max T3 training on Mondays at 6:15)

Tuesdays and Thrusdays 3:15-6:15 (Doctor's Report at 6:15)

Fridays 8:30-11:30

Saturdays 9:30-11:00

Know Anyone Who Has Been in an Accident?

Have them call us first! Aspire is always accepting auto accident cases and we have a list of legal professionals who can assist you in handling everything for your case. Get quality care and heal faster with Aspire Chiropractic! All new patients can call (651)294-2332 for information and to schedule.