Madison AL Chiropractors Talk About the Complexity of the Human Body

By: Dr. Justin Walbom, DC and Dr. Greg Millar, DC CCEP
Millar Chiropractic - Madison Al

Your Partner in Good Health - Chiropractic Care

Good health rarely happens by accident. That is especially true these days, because the typical American diet and lifestyle stacks the odds against us.  A very small number of fortunate people will enjoy good health no matter what they do. Perhaps you know one of these rare birds who do all the "wrong" things and in their advanced years, will tell anyone who will listen how they've never been sick a day even though they smoke, drank, ate fried foods etc. But for the rest of us, we need to make healthy lifestyle choices in order to enjoy long-term health and wellness. Perhaps our goal is simply to be consistently well enough that we can live an active life without chronic aches and pains interfering with it, or constantly worrying about our state of health and what might be going wrong. Dr. Greg Millar and Dr. Justin Walbom of Millar Chiropractic Clinics in Madison, Alabama say that chiropractic care is an important component of healthy lifestyle. Regular chiropractic care can help ensure that we get the most value out of the other healthy lifestyle choices we make. Regular chiropractic care can help us achieve the long-lasting good health and wellness that allows us to get the most out of life.

The concept of complexity is a useful way of helping us better understand the world around us. Complexity theory is a scientific concept that has spread rapidly throughout the collective consciousness during the last several decades. Anyone who watches the television show "The Big Bang Theory" has heard various references to complex systems, chaos theory, and emergent phenomena. Perhaps surprisingly, these fascinating topics from the fields of mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry also have special importance for human health and wellness.

Examples of chaos and complexity are prevalent in the natural world. Weather systems are a good example of complex systems, which is why the weather is so difficult to predict, even in the short-term. This is primarily because the basic structure of a weather pattern can change in an instant. The scientific understanding of chaos theory has been advanced by studying another natural phenomena - avalanches. Another example in the natural world is the flocking behavior of birds, which demonstrates the ever-variable outcomes of a great number of factors.

An emergent phenomenon is one that cannot be predicted from studying the various parts that make up the whole. Emergent phenomena include the flocking behavior of birds in flight, in which large flocks create beautiful, shifting, dynamic patterns as they fly; the structure of beehives; and the World Wide Web. Even human consciousness may, from a certain perspective, be considered an emergent phenomenon.

From an individual health perspective, the relative health and wellness of any particular person is also an emergent phenomenon. For example, fighting off the flu or a common cold is a dynamic process with many complex and chaotic interactions taking place in order to determine the outcome. The individual fighting off the flu or cold may be aware of how things are going in general, based upon how well or sick they are feeling, but they are not aware of each of the specific cellular and sub-cellular activities that are happening in their body.

Are our white blood cells working together effectively to keep us healthy?  Is their behavior organized? Do they know where they need to be in order to battle the invading forces? Or is their behavior uncoordinated and random causing us to end up sick as a result?

Consistent, long-term health and wellness emerge from a variety of prerequisites, including proper nutrition, sufficient rest and regular exercise. These activities are considered healthy lifestyle choices because they promote good health. Because the body's functions and the interactions with its environment are very complex, it is impossible to guarantee a specific outcome. But we can make an educated prediction based on historical data and analyzing the facts. It is clear that the outcomes we want - long-term health and wellness - are most likely to result from a set of healthy lifestyle choices that are made consistently over the long-term. 

Millar Chiropractic - Madison AL
1908 Slaughter Rd. 
Madison, Alabama 35758
(256) 430-2700
http://millarchiro.com/millarchiropractic-madisonal-chiropractor.html

1Koonin EV: Are there laws of genome evolution? PLoS Comput Biol Epub August 25, 2011

2Jayasinghe S: Conceptualising population health: from mechanistic thinking to complexity science. Emerg Themes Epidemiol 8(1):2, 2011

Madison, AL Chiropractors Talk About Staying Connected to Your Loved Ones

By: Dr. Justin Walbom, DC and Dr. Greg Millar, DC CCEP
Millar Chiropractic - Madison Al

A "Clean Restore" for Your Body?

When you do a clean restore or recovery on your computer, you reestablish its initial factory condition. You wipe the slate clean of all the accumulated junk - viruses, spyware, and unnecessary programs you've amassed. This results in a clean, lean machine that runs significantly faster and works much better. Extending the connectivity metaphor, is it possible to do a "clean restore" on your body? In one sense, no you cannot and in many ways that's a good thing. You wouldn't want to erase all the things you've experienced and learned in your lifetime that help make you who you are. These memories are also retained by the cells of your body, and your environmental experiences can significantly impact your DNA. In another sense, though, it is possible to do a "clean restore", on a cell-by-cell basis. As a matter of fact, your body's cells are constantly renewing themselves and in effect doing their own versions of a clean restore. If you provide the appropriate inputs in the form of nutritious and healthy food, plenty of exercise, and get enough sleep, your new cells will be smarter, faster, and even better than the ones they are replacing.

We live in a time when being connected is very important for most people. Have you ever experienced anxiety when you are out and about and realize you've left your cell phone at home? For teenagers, having a cell phone can be considered a status symbol, but it's also a connection to their social network. Cell phones can be lifelines for many people.

And how about the internet?  How many of us begin to experience withdrawal symptoms if we're separated from our Internet connection for even a short while? Have you experienced the angst of suddenly being without access to the web?  Do you tend to check your email or Facebook constantly throughout each day?

Being electronically connected to the the external world may help us to feel secure, but it's even more important to be well connected in the physical world - both physically and socially. In the electronic world we are connected to networks, primarily by our internet connection. In the world of our own physiology, networks are also the crucial element.  In this case we are referring to the neurological networks which comprise our nerve system.

This nerve system consists of the brain, cranial nerves, spinal cord, spinal nerves, and miles of peripheral nerves which connect the spinal cord and spinal nerves to every other cell in the body. In the body, the rules are simple. If there is a problem with a cell's connection to the nerve system, the result is that the cell's activities become disorganized. If the disconnection or interference continues, the cell eventually becomes diseased and may even die.

In a similar scenario a cell may be connected, but because of problems in the nerve system itself, the cell is receiving nerve signals that are inappropriate or inaccurate. The end result is the same - the cell's activities become disorganized until it becomes diseased and eventually dies. If enough cells are affected in this way, the person develops symptoms and becomes sick.

"Problems" within the nerve system are often the result of what we refer to as spinal subluxations. This simply means that there is reduced mobility between one or more pairs of spinal vertebras, with associated spasm or spinal muscle tightness, spinal nerve irritation, and spinal joint inflammation. When this happens, the free flow of information between the nerve system and the rest of the body becomes compromised - causing both ends of the network to receive information that is ineffective and inappropriate. This results in what can be thought of as a "system crash" in the form of symptoms and disease.

Chiropractic health care is especially designed to restore effective connectivity and communication between your nerve system and your other body systems. Dr. Greg Millar and Dr. Justin Walbom of Millar Chiropractic Clinics specialize in identifying the spinal subluxations at the root of the problem, restoring proper balance to your spine and nerve system by applying safe, gentle and affective chiropractic care. As optimal functioning begins to be restored, improved levels of health and well-being naturally result.

Social Connections - Do You Need to "Unplug"?

Are you spending more time communicating with people electronically while your in-person social interactions are diminishing? Human beings are social creatures who evolved over countless millennia interacting with their local "tribe" and other social groupings. Our social interactions remain an important part of our well-being. Research suggests that having at least two or three close friendships significantly improve a person's health, happiness and even longevity.

Taking the time and energy to develop and maintain your close friendships will pay many dividends throughout your lifetime. If you are raising teenagers, encourage them to avoid becoming dependent on electronic social networking, and help them to understand that electronic relationships and accumulating a lot of Facebook "friends" are not good substitutes for real relationships.

Many people who have decided to "unplug" from their electronic lives for a month or longer - by limiting online activities, texting, television, video games, or any other activity that has become too much of a crutch or distraction - are amazed at how much more productive and satisfying their lives become. They report a surprising feeling of relief and freedom, after adjusting to being unplugged from the constant distraction of their smart phones and other devices, along with improvements in their personal relationships and an increased sense of inner peace.

Millar Chiropractic - Madison AL
1908 Slaughter Rd. 
Madison, Alabama 35758
(256) 430-2700
http://millarchiro.com/millarchiropractic-madisonal-chiropractor.html

1Coward LA: The hippocampal system as the cortical resource manager: a model connecting psychology, anatomy and physiology. Adv Exp Med Biol 657:315-364, 2010

2Taylor HH, Murphy B: Altered central integration of dual somatosensory input after cervical spine manipulation. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 33(3):178-188, 2010

Don't Forget to Eat Your Vegetables!: Madison, AL Chiropractors Discuss How Eating Vegetables Is Beneficial to Your Health

By: Dr. Justin Walbom, DC and Dr. Greg Millar, DC CCEP
Millar Chiropractic - Madison Al

The Benefits of Fruit

The familiar saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is actually quite accurate. Red Delicious, Gaia and Granny Smith apples all have high concentrations of flavonoids - phytochemicals that are powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants protects against free radical damage thereby assisting in the fight against aging, heart disease, atherosclerosis, inflammation and cancer. Other enticing sources of flavonoids are red grapes, raisins, oranges, figs, plums, and berries such as blueberries, blackberries, cranberries and raspberries.  Flavonoids are even found in avocados and walnuts, which are also high in healthy fats. Try adding some organic berries to some whole milk organic yogurt for a delicious snack or light meal. The phytochemicals provided by vegetables and fruits can enhance your health and longevity.

Most kids are not very fond of vegetables. Some will go through the motions, pushing broccoli spears and lima beans around their plate a few times, while very little actually makes it into their mouth.

And yet, we would love to have our children eat their vegetables on a regular basis. The best way to accomplish this is to prepare fresh veggies each day, and to set a good example by eating the veggies on our own plates!

Why is making this a priority worth your time and effort?  Mainly because vegetables contain a plethora of very powerful ingredients that help keep us healthy and help us ward off a wide range of serious illnesses. These amazing substances that we call phytochemicals give vegetables and fruits their big nutritional kick!  Brightly colored vegetables and fruits contain both the most nutrients and the most phytochemicals.

Some of the phytochemicals you may have heard of include the flavonoids, found in colorful fruits such as cranberries and blueberries, and lycopene which is found in tomatoes. Phytochemicals can have many varied effects - some are powerful antioxidants, while others may stimulate enzyme activity or produce a positive hormonal reaction. What they all have in common however is the ability to promote health and well-being and to enhance the performance of those who regularly consume these powerful ingredients.

Why are antioxidants so important? They protect the cells of your body from the free radicals that are a byproduct of normal metabolic activities. Eating a well-balanced diet with plenty of colorful vegetables and fruits can provide the necessary antioxidants to neutralize destructive free radicals.

If we fail to consume our daily requirement of vegetables and fruits, our antioxidant reserves eventually become depleted, leaving free radicals to damage cells and cause disease. Certain types of cancer, for example, are linked to free radical damage.

It is important to realize that vegetables, like those broccoli spears your Mom used to make you eat, are much more than meets the eye. (Or taste bud in this case.) Broccoli is in fact a superfood which is loaded with antioxidants and cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

Carrots are another superfood with health-enhancing effects. They contain beta-carotene which is another important antioxidant. A portion of the beta-carotene you consume is converted by your body into into Vitamin A, which  can bolster your immune system and help to protect your digestive tract.

Tomatoes are another top super-vegetable. They contain abundant lycopene which is a very powerful antioxidant that is responsible for their bright red color. Lycopene offers proven health benefits in the areas of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and cancer.

Consuming vegetables each day provides tremendous benefit for people of all ages.  For optimal nutrition, make an effort to enjoy five to nine portions of vegetables and fruits each day.  The most ideal ratio would be to eat slightly more veggies than fruits, if you can.

Dr. Greg Millar and Dr. Justin Walbom of Millar Chiropractic Clinics in Madison, Alabama have had extensive training in nutrition and will be happy to assist you in designing food plans that will work for you and your entire family.

Millar Chiropractic - Madison AL
1908 Slaughter Rd. 
Madison, Alabama 35758
(256) 430-2700
http://millarchiro.com/millarchiropractic-madisonal-chiropractor.html

1Hayes JD, et al: The cancer chemopreventive actions of phytochemicals derived from glucosinolates. Eur J Nutr 47(Suppl 2):73-88, 2008
2Nair S, et al: Natural dietary anti-cancer chemopreventive compounds: redox-mediated differential signaling mechanisms in cytoprotection of normal cells versus cytotoxicity in tumor cells. Acta Pharmacol Sin 28(4):459-472, 2007
3Vinson JA, et al: Cranberries and cranberry products: Powerful in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo sources of antioxidants. J Agric Food Chem June 2008 (in press)