Chiropractor

Source: Business Day, Tamar Kahn (2011-06-01)

CAPE TOWN — Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi is planning to introduce legislation to lower the salt content of food, he told Parliament yesterday.

This is likely to come as a blow to the food industry, which prefers self-regulation.

While salt has the virtues of preserving food and making it tastier, it takes its toll on health. It drives up blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

“(The) South African diet has been shown to be very high in salt,” Dr Motsoaledi told MPs during his budget vote debate yesterday. “The desired amount of salt for your body is known to be 4g-6g per day, but in our country it is up to 9,8g.” continue reading…

Article by Richard Geres

As you may suspect, you are not alone with your chocolate cravings. The question is where are these cravings coming from? Cravings for chocolate or sugar can occur for a number of reasons, and the first step in deducing your craving is to understand why you are craving it the first place.

While several factors may contribute to chocolate being your sweet vice, part of the problem may be that you have a magnesium deficiency. Many people are deficient in magnesium, and chocolate is often a source of this important mineral. According to Dr. Carolyn Dean’s book, The Magnesium Miracle, magnesium has been largely ignored in health care, yet it has been scientifically proven to be a vital part of our overall health. In America nearly two-thirds of the population are deficient because of the high amount of junk food in diets. If you are eating more junk foods and highly processed foods, you are not getting enough of the right vitamins and minerals into your body.

continue reading…

Much has been said and written about the power of intent, but few people really take the idea of having deliberate intent seriously.

What is deliberate intent? Well firstly, the term deliberate intent, as such, isn’t a term I have seen referred to in the sense I’m about to describe. I may be wrong here, and if I am, apologies to the originator of the term, so let me explain.

So many of us have intent… we’re always intending to do things, lose weight, exercise, save money, stay in touch with friends, invite people over, fix the leaky tap, learn to speak another language or whatever, yet very often these intentions never bear fruit. As they say ‘the path to success is paved by good intentions’ (or something like that!) continue reading…

Our bodies don’t distinguish between the real stress of a physical danger like a near motor car accident or the self-inflicted stress of becoming anxious because of our thoughts, such as getting tense and upset about being late.  Unchecked emotions and thoughts cause actual physiological change in our bodies taxing the endocrine system, and particularly the adrenal glands.  Real dangers and threats are not a usual part of our day to day lives .   Most of the ubiquitous modern day stress is made up in our minds.  While there are natural nutritional ways of supporting the adrenal system, the most obvious natural approach to stress management should start with changing our minds. continue reading…

The Institute of Functional Medicine defines this science-based medical approach as “an evolution in the practice of medicine that better meets the healthcare needs of the 21^st Century.”  Functional Medicine is a shift away from the traditional focus on treating an isolated set off symptoms to treating the whole person.  The Functional Medicine practitioner takes into account the individual genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that underlie complex, chronic diseases. continue reading…

Apples and Pears present different overweight risks

Being over a healthy weight puts one at risk when it comes to the range of obesity-related conditions and diseases.  Interestingly, body shape is a very reliable predictor of underlying clinical conditions.  The primary overweight body shapes are the apple and the pear.  Those described as apple-shaped have extraneous fat concentrated around their abdomens, while the pear-shaped carry their extra weight around their bottoms and thighs.  Just as the different shapes are indicative of different health risks, managing weight reduction demands different approaches and protocols. continue reading…

There are common misperceptions that whiplash only occurs immediately after a big, obvious trauma such as a car accident.  Not true.  While whiplash is a common result of car accidents, it can also happen as a consequence of any fall or a quick jarring motion of the neck in a relatively minor incident.  Moreover, whiplash does not necessarily manifest immediately – it often presents itself three to six months after the event.  Traditional diagnostic equipment very often fails to clearly and adequately reveal the severity of a whiplash injury.  For this reason it is important to be examined by a specialist in neuro-muscloskeletal function. continue reading…

Backache is an age-old phenomenon that has plagued mankind for thousands of years. Ancient Chinese, Egyptian, Greek and Roman history bears witness to this, with numerous references to the treatment of spinal problems using various ‘mechanical’ techniques. Fortunately techniques have progressed somewhat since those early times!

Why is back pain such a problem, costing individuals and companies billions in medical costs, lost man-hours and disability? Let’s look a little more closely at the causes and treatment options. continue reading…