You have been hearing about antioxidants for years. You know you that oxidation is bad (just look at anything that is rusted out and you see what oxidation can do) but you just aren't sure of what you should what it means to you.

As the human body goes through all of it’s processes on a day to day basis it is carried out  by many complex metabolic reactions. These reactions serve purposes such as breaking down glucose (sugar)  to create energy.

As a side effect from these complex reactions,  molecules called  free radicals are created. These free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage other organic molecules. In causing damage to the cells of the body in this process, many well known diseases can begin to occur.

Antioxidants are stable molecules that have the ability to neutralize these oxidized molecules. Many of your antioxidants are obtained through the foods you eat and / or the vitamins that you take but there are some that are only produced by the body.

One of the most powerful and important antioxidants in the body is Glutathione. Supplements have not been found to be effective in elevating the glutathione level in the body but by taking denatured whey protein, you can give the body the tools it needs to increase these levels.

Taking antioxidants can help prevent much of the damage that occurs with oxidation. They have been known to prevent cancer, help with blood pressure, diabetes, arteriosclerosis and many other disease processes.

Most of our antioxidants are in the foods that we eat. Fruits, vegetable and nuts are very high in antioxidants as is green tea and believe it or not coffee.For instance, just a cup a day of berries like strawberries, blueberries, cranberries or blackberries or a whole apple, can help you get the antioxidants that you need each day.

Being aware of the nutritional needs of your body and supplying them is the first step to creating a healthier you.

So you’ve decided that you want to start taking vitamins ( supplements ). Some people get started because their energy stores are low. Others because they have a lot of joint pain. Others yet because they’ve read an article about vitamins keeping them younger. Whatever the reason, getting started and knowing what to take always feels like the biggest step and in most cases it is .

We all know that we should be on a multiple vitamin. Great place to start and then you begin your search. Where do I go to start and which multiple should I take. A lot of people start with the ones that are the most advertised and of course why not take a one a day versus a handful of pills. Why are some vitamins $10 per bottle and some are $50 a bottle, how much a difference could there be in vitamins....aren’t they all the same?

They are not all the same and cost can be a big clue as to their effectiveness. With vitamins, you do get what you pay for. Since Vitamins are a natural product there is no control over the production of them. Also since Vitamins do not have to accomplish anything such as heal a specific condition they can give you any form of the vitamin, even if it is an inactive form that the body can’t use.

This is the problem with the cheaper brands. They will give you a form of the vitamin that is cheaper to produce and is not effective and the general public will buy it based on price alone.

A great example is the herb Ginko Biloba. This is well know for increasing circulation in the body. There is only one part of the plant from a very specific area of the world that has this effect on the human body, yet it can be sold to you with the wrong plant parts that although they will never hurt you, they will also never help you. It may be cheaper, cost wise but since there is no effect on the human body it is much more costly to your health.

When getting started with vitamins, talk to your Chiropractor or other health care professional that is trained on the subject. Get started in the right direction and you actually can stay healthy till you die.

Probiotics are beneficial organisms that are normally found in your intestinal tract.
The lining of your intestinal tract has more surface area and interfaces with your external environment even more than your skin. The immune system cells located in the gut ( intestines ) contain 70-80% of the body’s immune cells.
All of these immune cells of the intestines are greatly influenced by the composition of these organisms. By supporting these cells with probiotics, you are actually supporting the health of many of your body’s systems.
The environment of your intestines gets out of balance by way of :
 1. Antibiotics - Their goal is to kill off offending bacteria, however, they kill the good bacteria at the same time.
2. Diet
3. Pollution and other toxins in our foods and water
4. Simple aging
These imbalances can negatively effect our immune system and cause many of our chronic degenerative diseases. According to S. Bengmark, author of Gut Microbial Ecology in Critical Illness, gastrointestinal secretions are as rich as breast milk in health-supporting and disease-preventing factors.
Probiotics can also improve insulin sensitivity for type 2 diabetics, lower total and LDL-cholesterol while increasing the good HDL cholesterol and even improve hypertension.
For those suffering with irritable bowel syndrome, Chron’s disease, colitis and a whole bunch of intestinal ailments, taking a probiotic is your first step in helping get your system balanced again and reducing the inflammation that accompanies and in most cases causes each of these.
It has been proven that problems with or a poorly functioning immune system is at the root of many chronic degenerative diseases and many of our cancers, and with so much of the immune system depending on these organisms, it makes sense that a proper balance is beneficial for almost all of our bodily systems.
Taking a pharmaceutical grade brand of Probiotics is something each of us should do with our daily supplements.

So many times when I speak with a chiropractic patient about their condition and we talk about stress levels, I  get a roll of the eyes and the expression stating, let’s not blame this on stress, I have an actual physical problem.

Stress comes in so many forms. We have the all too well known form, psychological. This is your job, your family, financial issues, health issues and anything else that causes you anguish.

But, there are many other forms of stress that affect our health in profound ways.
We have environmental stress which is our air, our water, the food we eat, preservatives, chemicals etc..We have physical stress which is your exercise, the way you sit, lift, stand and sleep. We have stress on the body from too much sun ( radiation ), stress on the body from too little sun ( seasonal affective disorder ).

So the theme here is that our bodies are constantly under one form of stress or another. All of this stress on the body causes certain chemical reactions.

With stress comes the production of what are called free radicals. These are unstable molecules that cause aging of the cells and inflammation in the body. If you’ve ever wondered why when you are under stress you get a headache or your “back goes out”, there are actual chemical reactions in the body that cause this.

How do we battle stress and it’s effects on the body?

One of best ways is to avoid stress in all it’s forms. Now that you’ve stopped laughing, how do we really battle stress?. One of the best ways to battle stress in all of it’s forms is through nutritional supplementation. Taking Vitamins.

Antioxidants are specific vitamins that battle free radical production. In other words, through taking antioxidants you can prevent inflammation as well as slow down the aging process.

There are many antioxidant vitamin formulas that come with many different prices.

When shopping for vitamins always look for companies that produce only pharmaceutical grade vitamins. The old adage of “you get what you pay for” has never been truer than when buying vitamins.

For a more thorough consultation on what vitamins you are taking or what your body needs, we are always here to help you with making those health decisions.