Arsenic In Your Food?

The definition of Arsenic from Dictionary.com is “a grayish-white element having a metallic luster, vaporizing when heated, and forming poisonous compounds.” With this being said, why is this in our food supply?

Consumer Reports did some research and has found Arsenic in Apple and Grape Juices. Now they have tested over 200 samples of a variety of rice products and have found an alarming amount of Arsenic in these as well. They found Arsenic in both forms being Inorganic, which is carcinogenic, and organic which is less toxic but still dangerous.

I understand that Arsenic is found naturally in our soil, so therefore we are going to get it in our food supply. But it needs to be strictly regulated!!! The Environmental Protection Agency says that there is no “safe” level of inorganic arsenic but there are no federal regulations or limits on most foods. So my question is, since we know arsenic is a poison why are we not regulating the amounts in food that we are selling to the public?

The Arsenic was even found in Gerber’s Infant Rice Cereal. This is the first thing that infants consume as “real food” and yet there is poison in it? Has anyone ever realized why there is more cancer and other diseases now than there were back in the old days?? Maybe our food supply has something to do with it huh? That is just my opinion anyways. With Gerber’s Rice Cereal they have found inorganic levels 5 times more than in Gerber’s Oatmeal Cereal.

The rice growers in the United States say that this subject is blown out of proportion and that there is no real danger with the levels of Arsenic. They say there is no hard evidence that these products have caused cancer or other diseases. But honestly, isn’t it just common sense? Why would we wait for a 10 year Epidemiologic Study to prove this? Why not do something to prevent these adverse events from happening?! Studies have begun and that is a good thing don’t get me wrong, but something needs to be done before it becomes too late for people. One study was done that said by eating just one half cup of rice the urinary arsenic level was increased substantially. People who eat rice on a regular basis have a higher arsenic level in there body than somebody that only eats it once in a while.

My advice would be to stay away from rice products as much as you can until it is regulated. It is said to consume every once in a while and not to eat it every day. For me, I think I will stay away from all rice products for a while. For more information and to see the full article where I have taken this information from please go to: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm

Formula Lock up: Right or Wrong?

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomburg has a plan to increase the number of women who breastfeed. But is he going about this the right way? He wants all the hospitals to lock up formula and make women breastfeed in the hospitals. Only those who truly need formula will be allowed to have it.

I have mixed feelings about this issue. I understand the importance of breastfeeding and the benefits that come from it. When I was pregnant with my daughter, my plan was to breastfeed for the first year. Well, when she was born I did not get the chance to put her to my breast and feed her. She was transferred to a different hospital and we were not reunited until the next afternoon. I pumped all night long so that she could have something to eat when I got there. Since I was not there to feed her they gave her a glucose drip to satisfy her hunger knowing that I was on the way to breastfeed. But in the meantime they gave her a pacifier. When I got there I put her right to my breast BUT she had nipple confusion. She would not take to my breast at all or maybe she would for only a few sucks. She did not want to work for the milk and became frustrated so she wouldn’t eat.

I pumped as much as I could in the days to follow so that she could eat out of a bottle because she was still not latching. I tried numerous times for her to breastfeed but she just was not latching. Therefore, my breasts ended up not producing much milk and we were forced to use formula so that she would get enough nutrients for development. I was totally fine with this because I knew my baby was getting full at feedings. Today she is a beautiful healthy one year old and we couldn’t be happier.

So for the formula lock up plan, I understand what they are trying to accomplish but if women are having trouble breastfeeding because the baby just doesn’t want to do it then they need to give it formula in the hospital. The baby needs to eat to gain weight and become strong enough to go home. There is nothing wrong with formula. Everyone tries to push breastfeeding because it is the best thing for the baby. By the baby putting its mouth to the breast the saliva (spit) lets the mother’s body know what nutrients the baby needs and it puts those nutrients in the milk. So it is kind of a personalized nutrition plan rather than a generic plan like the formula. But regardless the baby is still getting the right nutrients.

I feel that education on breastfeeding is needed for all women who are pregnant. Some women decide that they don’t want to do it at all even before the baby is born. Women need to know the benefits of their milk for their baby. If you don’t know anything about breastfeeding and would like to know the benefits please contact your OB/GYN or other health care professional that knows about it. And spread the word to all women that you know. Remember, Mother’s milk is the best for baby but there is no shame in supplementing with formula.

So for mother’s who are trying to breastfeed and it is just not working for you, don’t get frustrated. It is ok and you tried. Just pump as much milk as you possible can until you’re not producing much anymore and use formula too. There are also mother’s out there that don’t produce enough milk to satisfy their babies and need to supplement with formula. There is no shame in this either. I know numerous women who have done this. Especially as the baby gets older they eat more. Don’t get discouraged or frustrated. There is nothing wrong with you. I had to tell myself this numerous times. Some babies are easy to breastfeed and some are not. As long as they eat that is all that matters. They will grow up and be healthy beautiful babies in the end!

Prenatal Chiropractic Care

The postural changes caused by a woman’s protruding abdomen throughout pregnancy places a significant amount of stress on the muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the low back and pelvis. These stresses can lead to the pelvis becoming torqued or twisted, a condition known as intrauterine constraint, which can compromise the space of the developing baby. Chiropractors certified in the Webster Technique have the ability to restore a state of balance in the pelvic joints, musculature, and ligaments to create an environment that allows for a much more natural delivery process.

The Webster Technique as defined by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) is “a Chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces nervous system stress and potential intrauterine constraint by improving pelvic muscle and ligament function which can reduce torsion to the uterus and allow the baby to get into the best possible position for birth.” This also maximizes uterine space allowing for optimal baby development thereby decreasing the restriction on developing structures such as the cranium, spine, and extremities. Having the maximum space available also allows the baby to move into the best possible position for birth decreasing the chance of breech presentation which subsequently decreases the need for C-section or other medical interventions. This in no way means that chiropractors are turning breech babies. They are simply providing a state of pelvic balance and therefore increasing the opportunity for the mother to give her child a natural and less traumatic birthing process and achieved in a very gentle non-invasive way.

Specially designed pillows which protect the mother’s belly are placed on the treatment table so that range of motion in her sacrum (tailbone) can be assessed. The side lacking proper motion is adjusted using an apparatus on the table that enhances the very slight mobilizing pressure applied to the restricted joint. It is a very quick and simple adjustment and in no way harms the mother or her baby. The mother then lies on her back so an assessment of the round ligament can be performed. This structure is found to be under a significant amount of stress during pregnancy and a massage type technique is then applied to decrease this tension. While this is the primary form of treatment used in prenatal chiropractic care, other therapies that can be utilized in conjunction with this to enhance the expectant mother’s overall range of motion.

An article published in the 2002 edition of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics demonstrates the effectiveness of this technique. One hundred and twelve expectant mothers in their third trimester took part in the study. 87.5% of those in their seventh month (14 of 16), 98% of those in their eighth month (50 of 51), and 84.4% of those in their ninth month (38 of 45) experienced resolution of breech presentation after application of the Webster Technique. While chiropractic care throughout pregnancy would be most beneficial this study showed an overall success rate of 82% when applied at various times during the final trimester of pregnancy.

Increasing the public’s awareness of such forms of complementary care can help decrease the need for cesarean interventions and give mothers the natural childbirth that they have always dreamed of.

What Is Kinesio Taping?

Kinesio Taping has been around for about 30 years but it really hit the main stream during the 2008 Summer Olympics. Kerri Walsh, who was on the USA women’s beach volleyball team had a number of people talking about this "magic tape" when she had it applied to her shoulder. The mechanism of what Kinesio Tape actually did was not well understood by the general public but it seemed like everyone wanted it applied to them because it looked "cool" and seemed to be helping various sports injuries. To this day many athletes specifically find Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioners to help aid in their recovery from an injury or to even prevent one from happening.

What is it?

Dr. Kenzo Kase, a chiropractor and the inventor of the Kinesio Taping method, believed that when injured, the many soft tissue layers of the body (i.e. skin, fascia, muscle, blood vessels) needed a mechanical advantage in order to decrease the pressure that occurs between them when trauma is induced. In applying this concept, he believed he could enhance the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Using an elastic tape and applying it to the skin in various tensions and patterns, he discovered that it had a beneficial effect for certain injuries

Kinesio Tape has no medicinal properties and is latex free, waterproof, heat activated, and due to its elastic properties gives support and stability to the joints and muscles of the body without affecting normal range of motion and exhibits its efficacy through the activation of the neurological and circulatory systems. This tape can be worn for 3-5 days and can be used to reduce edema, enhance sports performance, for pain management, or even for preventative maintenance.

What does it do?

The method stems from the science of Kinesiology, which is the study of movement, and the active and passive structures involved. The muscles of the body are not only used in movement but also control (via contraction) the circulation of venous and lymph flows. Hence, failure of muscles to function properly can induce various kinds of symptoms in the body. The application of Kinesio Tape induces a biomechanical advantage to the area of physiologic dysfunction thereby giving free range of motion to the body’s musculoskeletal system and enhances its ability to heal itself.

Muscles of the human body are constantly contracting and relaxing within a normal range. However, when a muscle over-extends or, for that matter, over-contracts it cannot recover properly and becomes inflamed. This process fatigues the muscle and it becomes swollen, rigid, and subsequently the space between the skin and the muscle decreases thereby impairing lymphatic flow. This impairment applies pressure to the pain receptors beneath the skins surface and sends “discomfort signals” to the brain and in turn elicits pain. By applying Kinesio Tape to these areas proper physiologic function can be restored and the patient’s pain is subsequently palliated.