Children, ADHD, and Sensory Disorders


It is any parent’s greatest wish to see their children happy and healthy. There is nothing more joyful than seeing a carefree, innocent smile light up your child’s face. Read more

Leaky Gut and Autoimmune Disorders


Your gastrointestinal system is an incredible design. It contains endocrine (hormonal) and immune system cells. It cooperates with beneficial bacteria to break down food and protect against harmful pathogens. Read more

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Leaky Gut and Autoimmune Disorders

April 1, 2013 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Digestive Health, Healing, Immune System, Nutrition, Stress Leave a comment  

Your gastrointestinal system is an incredible design. It contains endocrine (hormonal) and immune system cells. It cooperates with beneficial bacteria to break down food and protect against harmful pathogens. Every 5 days, you replace the lining of your gastrointestinal system with new cells. This is the fastest turnover of any human cells. This is good news, because it means that the gut can heal quickly. But for many of us, gut dysfunction can lead to daily pain, avoiding foods that are good for us, and even chronic illness.

Your gut can be damaged by processed foods, alcohol, prescription drugs, antibiotics, over-the-counter pain relievers, toxic compounds, and chronic stress. Daily worry and anxiety raise your stress hormone levels, which damages the cells that line your gut. The gut lining is intended to be a strong barrier against pathogens and undigested foods. The cells of the gut lining must correctly identify and process everything that is allowed into our bodies, so that harmful compounds do not enter the blood circulation. The cells of the gut lining are the gatekeepers to the body. They determine how effectively you can turn food into cells, tissues, and organ systems. We’ve all heard, “you are what you eat,” and this is the truth!

The integrity of your gut lining directly influences detoxification processes, cellular energy, brain function, immune function, thyroid function, allergic reactions, and weight gain or loss. Poor gastrointestinal health is a key factor in the following illnesses:

  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Arthritis
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Hashimoto’s disease
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Alzheimer’s
  • Autism

Note that several of these diseases are autoimmune in nature. Autoimmune diseases are becoming alarmingly prevalent in this country, and have a drastic impact on quality of life. Newer research has shed light on how damage to the gut lining can allow substances to enter blood circulation and trigger autoimmune responses. Essentially, the gatekeeper has been destroyed, and the body’s first line of defense has become broken down. With the onslaught of foreign substances, the immune system becomes confused and hyper-vigilant. There is loss of control in the immune system, and the body begins to attack its own healthy cells as well as the invading substances.

Autoimmune disorders are often viewed as permanent, but newer research shows that they can be, to some extent, reversed. Identifying factors such as leaky gut, nutritional deficiencies, sources of toxicity, and chronic stress are critical to healing. Leaky gut testing is available to identify whether specific sugars, once ingested, enter the bloodstream and are excreted in the urine. If these sugars are present in urine, leaky gut (intestinal permeability) is likely. Diagnosing the problem is the first step to healing. Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP, specializes in cellular healing and health development in Eagan, MN. For more information and a complimentary consultation, call us at 651-757-5096. We are devoted to your healing!


Top 3 Diet Changes to Make: 3 of 3

February 14, 2013 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Balanced living, Brain, Healing, Immune System, Nutrition, Wellness Leave a comment  

In previous posts, we discussed the importance of cutting way back on sugary foods, and switching the meats you eat. The third big diet change is to make peace with fat.

Since the 1950′s, fat has had a bad reputation as a killer. But just because “every knows it,” doesn’t make it the truth. Actually, I used to believe that fat was bad, but then I learned things like this:

  • About 60 percent of your brain is fat (hmm, you’ve got my attention with that!)
  • Fats help with brain function, absorbing vitamins and antioxidants, clotting blood, and building cells.
  • Fats have other surprising functions: for example, coconut oil has antiviral and antibacterial properties.
  • Trans fats, not saturated fats, are linked to heart disease and cancer.
  • In those African and arctic populations where the diet is primarily fat, meat, and milk, people are actually quite healthy!
  • Americans eat more fat-free, low-fat foods than any other country, but we are the world’s fattest population (because of all the low-fat, high-sugar foods).

Good fats are the most lacking nutrient in the American diet. These include the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. These are “essential” fatty acids, which means that our bodies can’t make them from other sources, but need to ingest them directly. EPA and DHA are the key components of “fish oil,” but if the product label doesn’t specify the amount of EPA and DHA, don’t buy it – look for a manufacturer with better standards. ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) is another omega-3 fatty acid that has fewer functions in the human body, but the body can only convert about 5% of ALA  into DHA or EPA. This is why vegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids, like flaxseed or chia, are not the best choice. Speaking as a former vegetarian (or pasta-tarian), I know some people don’t like to hear that, but it’s the honest truth.

We should avoid the cheap, popular seed oils like canola and soybean oils. These are oxidized and harmful by the time they get to the store shelves. PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) are healthful in their natural state, when they are protected by the plant or seed that contains them. When PUFAs are isolated in a bottle, they are easily oxidized by light and heat, so storage and cooking make them unhealthy. Oxidized fats (just think of them like metal – oxidized metal is rust) are linked to chronic inflammatory conditions like joint pain, chronic fatigue, heart disease, diabetes, weakened immunity, even cancer.

Cooking with fats requires using them at the right temperatures to minimize oxidation. For frying at high heat, use coconut oil, expeller-pressed naturally refined grapeseed oil, high oleic naturally refined peanut oil, high oleic naturally refined safflower oil, and naturally refined sesame oil. Medium-heat fats include butter, ghee, extra virgin naturally refined olive oil, naturally refined walnut oil, and expeller-pressed naturally refined peanut oil. Oils from fish, flaxseed, hemp, and unrefined EVOO/safflower/sesame should not be heated.

The truth is not always convenient, but think of this: your family’s health is worth taking the time to read labels. Make the switch from bad fats to good fats over the next 60 days.


Holiday Stress and Immunity

December 5, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Balanced living, Chiropractic, Healing, Immune System, Research, Stress, Wellness Leave a comment  

As we enter the holiday season, I am beginning to see the signs of stress creep into our everyday lives. More and more of the general population is starting to show signs of a weakened immune system. The “symptoms” are out there. How many people do you know who are starting to get the sniffles, sore throats, coughing, and aches and pains associated with illness? During the holiday season it is easy to neglect yourself and become run-down shopping for presents, planning holiday menus, trying to pay bills and stretch a dollar. Balancing your job with your family. All of these things contribute to stress. The first thing to go out the window is your exercise program. You start to not eat right. Maybe you skip your regular wellness chiropractic visit. All of these factors contribute to a decrease in the function of your body’s immune system and resistance to illness.

Stress is the number one cause of a weakened immune system. When your immune system is not functioning properly, you will become sick. The key to health is to have a strong immune system. Certain factors play an important role in the health of your immune system. Naturally, stress reduction is extremely important, as is exercise, eating right, getting enough rest, taking high-quality supplements, and drinking plenty of water.

The most important action you can take for the health of your immune system is to receive a chiropractic adjustment. Research has shown that immediately after an adjustment, there is an increase in white blood cell activity. White blood cells are the blood cells that fight disease. That is why it is so important to get an adjustment when you have cold or flu symptoms. The increase in white blood cells stimulates the immune system to fight the illness immediately.

The chief of cancer research at New York’s Preventative Medicine Institute and professor of medicine at New York University researched chiropractic spinal adjustments and immune system health. He found that people under chiropractic care had a 200% greater immune response than people not under chiropractic care. You can see how important chiropractic care is for keeping you healthy.

So remember to keep up the things which keep you healthy over the holiday season, no matter how stressed you become. Keep up with your exercise program, eating right, getting enough rest, and your chiropractic adjustments. If you have any questions on stress reduction, supplements for colds, or chiropractic research, please contact our office. We will be more than happy to help.. Have a very happy holiday season!


Spinal Neural Integration: A New Health Care Field?

November 28, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Balanced living, Brain, Chiropractic, Healing, Immune System, Spine, Wellness Leave a comment  

Imagine if I told you about a new field in health care. A specialty called spinal neural integration. The focus of this new field of health care would be to restore spinal neural integrity. Spinal Neural Integrationists are doctors that specialize in maximizing the function of the nervous system. These doctors correct spinal joint misalignments, removing spinal nerve irritation and spinal nerve pressure. Once the spinal nerve pressure is reduced, the nervous system is able to function at a more optimal level.

Key research has shown that because the nervous system controls and coordinates the function of every system in the body, reduction of spinal nerve pressure can improve the overall health of the body. Increased function of the immune system  is quite common, as well as the improvement in function of many other vital systems in the body.

 

Spinal Neural Integrationists recommend periodic check-ups to promote health and vitality, not treat disease or sickness. Early reports of this new health field have been highly regarded. The general public, in their quest for ways to enhance their health, have been flocking to see Spinal Neural Integrationists. Patients proclaim that they have more energy, have less colds, and just lain feel better. Spinal Neural Integration is the wave of the future. I am sure just reading about this new form of health care makes you excited to learn that there is a way to improve the health of you and your family.

Does this new field of health care sound familiar to you? It should. You see, all I really did was rename chiropractic. Chiropractic is spinal neural integration. Chiropractic promotes health by improving the integrity of the spine and nervous system. So why aren’t more and more families flocking to the chiropractor? They are. It’s just not happening fast enough. Chiropractic, based on the successful reputation it has built, is in danger of being pigeon-holed as some sort of therapy for neck and back pain. Chiropractic works great for musculoskeletal disorders. But that is not the reason that I adjust my family or my patients. I adjust the spine to improve the function of the nervous system and improve the function of the body in turn, improving health.

If there were an article in the paper or a news story on television telling us all about the health benefits of spinal neural integration, I am sure millions of people worldwide would begin care with a Spinal Neural Integrationist. Chiropractic is already here for you and your family. Tell others. Let’s not keep the best thing in health care a secret. The health of our society depends on it.


Growing Healthy Kids

March 28, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP ADHD, Asthma, Babies, Children, Chiropractic, Digestive Health, Immune System, Medicine, Research, Spine, Wellness Leave a comment  

Every parent wants to grow a happy, healthy child that lives up to their potential. But the stresses of life can keep this from happening. Many problems in children and teenagers can be traced back to a difficult birth process. If a newborn’s head is pulled or twisted during delivery, they can develop spinal misalignments. This distorts the infant’s nerve system function, resulting in motor control issues like torticollis, or digestive issues like acid reflux, colic, and constipation. These issues often clear up after a course of gentle chiropractic care.

Nerve system malfunction (subluxation) frequently results in chronic ear infections. In preschool or elementary school, subluxation can cause problems like asthma, ADHD, emotional difficulties, and learning difficulties. The goal of chiropractic care is to treat nerve system malfunction so the body can return to normal function. Ideally, children will never develop the health problems that held back their parents and grandparents. Childhood should be spent enjoying life, not managing chronic health conditions.

In 1989, a survey of the children of chiropractors and medical doctors showed striking differences between the two health care approaches. Chiropractors’ children showed stronger immune systems than medical doctors’ children. Regarding ear infections (otitis media), 80% of medical doctors’ children suffered from this problem, while only 21% of chiropractors’ children had ear infections. For medical doctors’ children, 88% had taken antibiotics, but only 51% of chiropractors’ children had.

It is easier (and cheaper) to grow healthy kids than to fix damaged adults.


One Skipped Dessert

March 14, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Aging, Balanced living, Bone Health, Chiropractic, Healing, Immune System, Research, Spine, Wellness Leave a comment  

What do these things have in common?

  • 30 sit-ups
  • A chiropractic adjustment
  • One skipped dessert

They are… all positive choices? Yes! Part of a healthy lifestyle? Yup! Instant fixes that will give you six-pack abs and the results you want? Nope.

Clients sometimes ask me, how much longer do I have to keep getting adjusted? My answer is, as long as you want to be your best. When are you “done” with eating nutritious foods? Done with exercising? Done with brushing your teeth, getting haircuts, washing your clothes, and taking showers? Okay, if you decide to do that, you won’t need to tell anyone, we’ll all figure it out from 50 feet away.

When a client gets their nerve system checked using Torque Release Technique (TRT), my job as the clinician is to have a conversation with that client’s nervous system. Is there nerve interference that is sapping their potential for fully expressing life and healing? Or, since they are taking good care of themselves, do they have a nerve system functioning with no sign of distortion, and are they “clear” at that point in time?

TRT uses objective measures of detecting nerve system interference (subluxation), so we can determine a client’s ideal frequency. Most people need to be checked and adjusted once per week to counteract the effects of accumulated physical, chemical, and mental stresses. When clients get off schedule, they often report feeling less “with-it,” getting sick more often, and generally feeling out of balance. Try eating healthy for 2 months, then eat edible-foodlike-substances-thru-a-car-window, and you’ll know what I mean!

Research from Clinical Biomechanics journal informs us that once-a-month chiropractic care is not an ideal “maintenance” schedule. Videman and colleagues noted that after two weeks of joint immobilization, irreversible degenerative changes occurred. These changes included breakdown of cartilage, hardening of bone, and formation of bone spur. Put those things together, and you have common conditions called osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease. That’s called accelerated aging, which is not normal and I recommend my clients do everything possible to avoid.

Most people would agree: your life is too important to have a random, scattershot approach. So keep making choices that serve you best. When your body works better, your life works better!


Natural Options for Ear Infections

March 7, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Babies, Children, Chiropractic, Immune System, Wellness 2 Comments

Would you prefer natural health care for ear infections in babies and children? A 1997 study of 332 children with otitis media showed remarkable results. All children were between 27 days and 5 years of age. Children were categorized into four groups, depending on the type of otitis media they presented with. Each child received 4-6 chiropractic adjustments and was monitored for 6 months after initial care. Six months later, between 70-89 percent of the children had no recurrence of ear infections. This study supported a 1996 report of 93% improvement in ear infection symptoms after chiropractic care, typically a 6-visit care plan, in the same age group.

It is important to note that chiropractic is not a “treatment” for ear infections. The intention of chiropractic care is to address the spinal and meningeal structures to reduce impediments to nerve system function. If the nerves to the inner ear and Eustachian tubes are communicating properly, these structures will drain efficiently, and fluid will not build up in the inner ear. This makes children less susceptible to having a cold develop into an ear infection. Parents also find that children under regular chiropractic care bounce back more quickly from illness. If you have ever seen an adult get a chiropractic adjustment, it is nothing like an infant adjustment. For babies, chiropractors use the pressure you would apply to test a tomato for ripeness.

According to AskDrSears.com, indications of an ear infection include 2 or more of these symptoms:

  1. Cold symptoms – keep in mind that ear infections are almost always preceded by a cold. Often a clear runny nose will turn yellow or green before an ear infection sets in.
  2. Fussiness during the day or night
  3. Complaining of ear pain or hearing loss
  4. Night-waking more frequently
  5. Unwillingness to lie flat
  6. Fever – usually low grade (101º – 102º); may not have a fever.
  7. Sudden increase in fussiness during a cold
  8. Ear drainage – if you see blood or pus draining out of the ear, then it is probably an infection with a ruptured eardrum. These almost always heal just fine.

Your child is unlikely to have an ear infection if they have no symptoms of a cold, unless they have had a diagnosed ear infection in the past without a cold. If your child is less than 12 months old, they are unable to precisely localize their ear pain. Infants cannot tell that the pain associated with teething is coming from their ears, or from their jawbones and teeth. The pain of teething comes and goes from about four months of age until the two-year molars have emerged. Infants may also tug or bat at their ears because they enjoy playing with these strange, floppy appendages. Infants interact with the world primarily on a physical level, so sticking their finger in their ear may be exploration, not a distress signal.


Sick Children Should Stay Home, and Do What Exactly?

February 15, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Balanced living, Children, Healing, Immune System, Medicine, Wellness 1

One of our biggest delusions about health is that if you have a symptom, you should suppress it. If you’ve ever had food poisoning, your body was doing its darnedest to protect you from harm. The results were not pleasant, of course. But think about the alternative. Would it have been better to shut down your digestive system completely and keep poisonous food inside you?

What about a fever? It doesn’t feel good to be feverish, and no parent wants to see their child suffering. But the increased heat during a fever has a purpose: to destroy bacteria and viruses. If the body is forced to cool down, infections take longer to clear. Putting the brakes on the immune system forces it to become hypersensitive in order to continue its activities of surveillance and destruction. Would you prefer an unbalanced immune system, or a well-balanced immune system?

The fact is, a healthier body is more expressive. If you encounter tainted food or a germ that needs to be destroyed, you won’t feel fantastic. And that is okay. There is a euphemism in our office to describe this: “expressing health in an unpleasant way.”

Do you expect that you will never experience discomfort? That you should never go to bed early “just because” you feel like you’re coming down with a cold? How disconnected we are from ourselves! The spark behind this post was a TV ad for a children’s fever reducer. The little girl was at home sick, but because of her fever-reducing medication, she was able to play, read, and be active all day. Common sense tells us she would be better off sleeping, to let her body’s natural defenses work. Instead, we are exposed to the lie that even children are “too busy” to take time for healing.


The Fires Within: Inflammation

January 25, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Aging, Balanced living, Digestive Health, Healing, Hormonal Balance, Immune System, Wellness Leave a comment  

Let’s talk about inflammation. In the short-term, inflammation is your body’s intelligent healing response to an injury. The pain and stiffness associated with inflammation after you stub your toe forces you to protect your foot from further injury while the tissues heal. When inflammation becomes systemic and chronic, it damages your body. In 2004, Time magazine published a special issue about inflammation. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic pain, thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions, even brain conditions like depression and Alzheimer’s disease have all been linked to chronic inflammation.

Why is chronic inflammation bad? It damages your cells. Chemical signals created during the inflammatory process are called cytokines. When cytokines are elevated, they interfere with normal cellular communication. They can go even further and damage your cellular membranes, which starts you down the path to organ dysfunction and illness.

Would it surprise you to know that what we think of as a “healthy diet” is pro-inflammatory? Doctors, magazines, and websites typically recommend avoiding saturated fat and cholesterol, eating pro-inflammatory polyunsaturated seed oils, and eating grains. Grains, even “heart-healthy” whole grains, contain the pro-inflammatory sugar amylose. In fact, an excess of sugar drives inflammation, which plays a part in developing type 2 diabetes. Sugar is known to feed cancer cells, and it is the damage from high levels of sugar in blood that causes plaque to form in the arteries. So we should really get the message to focus on eating low-sugar, not low-fat!

About the author: Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP, is a wellness-certified family chiropractor at Vital Life Chiropractic in Eagan, Minnesota.


Cholesterol, Statin Drugs, and Heart Disease

January 18, 2012 Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP Aging, Balanced living, Brain, Digestive Health, Healing, Hormonal Balance, Immune System, Medicine, Nutrition, Research, Supplements, Wellness 1

In 2004, the National Cholesterol Education Program issued guidelines calling for Americans to lower their LDL cholesterol to less than 130 mg/dL. In 2006, a review of the literature found that there was no strong evidence to support the NCEP recommendations. The review noted that dropping LDL cholesterol below 130 mg/dL showed no decreased risk of cardiovascular death in elderly people, and that having high HDL was protective when LDL was around 130 mg/dL.

Every cell in the body needs cholesterol to make the cell membrane flexible and waterproof. Cholesterol is needed for tissue repair. It is the main building block of vitamin D and several hormones which are essential for normal body function. Cholesterol is also a powerful antioxidant.

Statin drugs interfere with the liver’s ability to synthesize cholesterol. There is a sequence of 32 distinct biochemical reactions to produce cholesterol, and statin drugs stop this sequence at the third step. The tenth step produces CoQ10 (ubiquinone), which is an antioxidant that all cells need to produce energy from glucose. The heart, since it beats constantly, has the highest requirements for CoQ10. Heart failure is one of the side effects of CoQ10 deficiency. CoQ10 also maintains the integrity of the cellular membrane, which has recently become known as the true brain of the cell. To offset for this side effect, studies indicate 200-600 mg/day of CoQ10 should be taken with a statin drug. Step 30 of the cholesterol synthesis sequence produces a compound that synthesizes vitamin D from sunlight, so statin drugs keep your body from making its own vitamin D. Statin drugs also inhibit nuclear factor kappa B (NFKB), which is a part of the immune system that helps fight infection and cancer.

There are no studies that prove significant improvements in overall mortality for women, or for people over age 65, who take statin drugs. The statin drug companies distort the statistics on mortality. In a study where 100 patients take statin drugs, 2 will have a fatal heart attack, while 3 of 100 people taking a placebo will die of a heart attack. To prevent a single heart attack, 100 people must be treated with statin drugs. The absolute risk reduction is an unimpressive 1%. The drug companies, however, promote statin drugs according to the relative risk reduction, which is a 33% reduction.

In studies on rodents consuming a similar relative dose of statin drugs prescribed to humans, the rodents developed cancer. Statin drugs raise a person’s risk of polyneuropathy (nerve damage) by 1600%. Signs of polyneuropathy include pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, and difficulty walking. The degree of symptoms is proportional to the duration of statin drug usage. Statin drugs are also known to cause myopathy (muscle damage) which is characterized by muscle wasting, weakness, and fatigue.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be 44% more effective than statin drugs in reducing death from heart attack and stroke. Omega-3 fatty acids have also been shown to be 32% more effective than statin drugs in reducing all causes of death.

These facts have been brought to you by the world’s leading medical journals. You want references? We’ve got ‘em!

About the author: Dr. Barbara Kaiser, DC, CCWP, is a wellness-certified family chiropractor at Vital Life Chiropractic in Eagan, Minnesota.


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