Antioxidants before and during pregnancy help prevent obesity, glucose intolerance in children

July 24, 2011

Antioxidants play a crucial role in preventing the onset of disease, and they can make all the difference in determining whether or not children develop glucose intolerance or become obese. According to a new study out of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHP), women who consume high amounts of antioxidants before and during their pregnancies may be protecting their children against diabetes and obesity.

Noting that diets high in bad fats and carbohydrates cause harmful oxidative stress that leads to obesity and diabetes, researchers decided to study the effect that antioxidants have in mitigating their onset. The team fed four groups of test rats either a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet or a healthier and more balanced diet. The first two groups received such diets with no additional antioxidants, while the other two received extra antioxidants with their diets.

At the conclusion of the study, the group eating the unhealthy “Western” diet with no added antioxidants had significantly higher rates of inflammation and oxidative stress than the other groups, and their offspring were larger and had higher rates of glucose intolerance. The Western diet group that consumed added antioxidants, however, produced offspring with markedly lower rates of glucose intolerance and no obesity whatsoever — and these conditions persisted even after two months.

“These results suggest that if we prevent obesity, inflammation and oxidative stress in pregnant animals, we can prevent obesity in the offspring,” said Rebecca A. Simmons, MD, a neonatologist at CHP.

The study shows that not only do antioxidants help prevent obesity, but they even do so when consumed as part of the Standard American Diet (SAD). This diet consists of high intakes of red meat, sugar, high fat rate foods, refined grains, dairy products and eggs.  This is not to suggest that consuming a SAD diet is beneficial, but rather that the incredible power of antioxidants to alleviate oxidative stress and its resultant diseases is strong enough to counteract some of the negative effects associated with the worst of diets.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele…

Learn more: http://www.NaturalNews.com/031702_antioxidants_pregnancy.html#ixzz1SWtF6FPQ

By Dr. Amie Gregory | Posted in General Health, pregnancy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Impingement Sydrome v. Frozen Shoulder

March 6, 2011
Impingement Syndrome and Frozen Shoulder are very similar because they effect the shoulder joint but there are some differences.  Lets look at both and see what we can do about them.

Impingement Syndrome (I.S.):

We become more at risk for shoulder can happen as we get older because we become tighter and less mobile.  This condition can sometimes become a problem after bouts of shoulder bursitis or rotator cuff tendonitis.  Injuries to the shoulder inflame the tissues and can cause long term damage.  The rotator cuff muscles become tight and do not function properly leading to decreased movement of the shoulder.

What are the Symptoms?

Difficulty lifting a straight arm over your head or behind your back.  There can be tightness, pain and tenderness on the shoulder area. If this problem is not taken care of, chronic muscle tightness and atrophy can pull or rupture the bicep muscle or tendon limiting ability to bend the arm and elbow as well.

What can be done?

1. Stretching exercises

2. Proper alignment of the shoulder in the joint space

3. Muscle and tissue loosening with massage or sastm (a Graston Technique)

4. Ultrasound, Tens machines can also be used to stimulate the area

Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)

What is a frozen shoulder?

Frozen Shoulder is similar to Impingement syndrome but the capsule of the arm is affected with loss of movement in all directions (over the head, to the side, backwards).  It happens during active motion (patient does it) or when the doctor moves it and the patient is relaxing the arm.

What causes a frozen shoulder?

Repetitive movements or injury to the shoulder which causes inflammation, scarring, thickening, and shrinkage of the shoulder’s  joint capsule which surrounds the shoulder joint and keeps muscles and tissues in place.

If you are diabetic, have chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis or have recently had chest or breast surgery you are at a higher risk of getting Frozen Shoulder.  Also, long term non-movement of the arm in its normal range of motion can develop frozen shoulder.

How do we know you have frozen shoulder?

During examination we will move your arm and see where its limitations are.  Orthopedic tests will be administered to test strength and neurological testing will be performed.

If necessary, an x-ray with contrast dye injected (Arthography) into the shoulder joint can show problems with the capsule.   Also an MRI can be taken to see soft tissue damage.

In order to help with this problem, proper stretching of the arm and rehabilitation is required.  Stretches must be done everyday to keep good blood flow, movement and mobility.  Here is the bad news….once you have frozen shoulder or impingement sydrome, you have to keep stretching.  It can and will come back.

Both of these problems need a lot of time for rehabilitation.  It can sometimes take be 6-8 months to get back to full function.  Be patient, it will happen, just a lot of hard work to get you back in the swing of things again.

Hope this makes sense to you.   If not, email me or blog back and I will clarify!
By Dr. Amie Gregory | Posted in Chiropractor Redwood City, Redwood City Chiropractor, San Carlos Chiropractor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Not “old age diabetes”

February 12, 2010

Diabetes happens when our body has a problem secreting insulin. Insulin is required to keep the body in homeostasis when glucose (sugar) is ingested and stored in the body. People who develop diabetes have what is called “insulin resistance”. This basically means that the body (liver, muscles, pancreas) do not produce enough or fail to produce insulin. People who are overweight have a higher risk of insulin resistance because fat blocks insulin production.

There are a lot of people out there that call Type 2 diabetes “old age diabetes”. It has been believed in past years that as you get older, you develop diabetes. Well, this is partly true but it is not just because you get older. Yes, there is a genetic factor but in my opinion most of the time it is strictly caused by years of eating badly and not getting enough exercise. After years of not giving your body what it needs to thrive, it finally just starts to break down. This is why we develop symptoms when we get older.

Here are some symptoms of diabetes:
1. Blurred vision
2. Erectile dysfunction
3. Fatigue
4. Slow healing
5. Increased appetite, thirst, and urination.
So, how can we prevent or manage diabetes?
  • Eat healthy meals. There are diets out there that are specially designed for people with diabetes. Here is an example: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002440.htm
  • Make sure you get checked by your medical doctor for cholesterol, high blood pressure and glucose levels.
Diabetes can be managed easily without medication if monitored correctly. Patient education about proper foods, physical activity play a key role and when applied, become easy!
By Dr. Amie Gregory | Posted in General Health, San Carlos Chiropractor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Hypertension and the DASH diet

December 18, 2009

Hypertension is defined as having blood pressure greater or equal to 140/90 on 3 or more visits to the doctor.

To combat this problem it is very important to exercise while keeping track of your heart rate as well as eating what is called the DASH diet.  This includes a diet high in fruits and vegetables with decreased dairy products and saturated fats.  If you follow this plan, you will see not only great results in our cholesterol level and blood pressure, but will probably lose some inches too!

Here is a list of what is recommended by DASHdiet.org:

Type of food Number of servings for 1600 – 3100 Calorie diets Servings on a 2000 Calorie diet
Grains and grain products
(include at least 3 whole grain foods each day)		 6 – 12 7 – 8
Fruits 4 – 6 4 – 5
Vegetables 4 – 6 4 – 5
Low fat or non fat dairy foods 2 – 4 2 – 3
Lean meats, fish, poultry 1.5 – 2.5 2 or less
Nuts, seeds, and legumes 3 – 6 per week 4 – 5 per week
Fats and sweets 2 – 4 limited
By Dr. Amie Gregory | Posted in General Health | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

9 Natural Remedies for a Healthier You

August 4, 2009
  1. Avoid foods that cause headaches! Stay away from red wine, chocolate and caffeine. Adjustments do wonders to alleviate them too!
  2. Carpal tunnel is often misdiagnosed. See what else it could be: Check out
    Chiropractic for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  3. Problems with sciatica? Chiropractic can help. No drugs or surgery! Chiropractic Treatment of Sciatica
  4. Know someone with diabetes? There is great information here! Diabetes Diet Plan
  5. Love fast food? Learn how to eat healthy on a fast food diet. Get tips and tricks from How to Lose Weight Eating Fast Food
  6. Have you heard about a way to track your diet and wellness? Go to www.sparkpeople.com
  7. Problems with inflammation or intestinal issues? Here is a great site that answers all your questions! www.deflame.com. (Note: the site looks like an advertisement, but there is useful information on deflaming via nutrition)
  8. Have a cold? Treat it the natural way with zinc, garlic and Astragalus.
  9. Have a sweet tooth but want to cut back on sugar? Try these: Stevia, Lo Han and Xylitol! No aspartame!
By Dr. Amie Gregory | Posted in General Health | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)