BEYOND THE BITE: THE HIDDEN DANGERS IN OUR FOODS AND DRUGS
What do you do when you’re sick? Do you take medicine, or do you use natural remedies? How is your diet? Do you eat healthy foods, or do you prefer processed foods, snacks, and foods high in sugar? Why are we talking about medicine and food in the same blog? In this week’s blog, we will finish up our series on the 3 T’s of chiropractic with toxins. We will discuss what toxins are, identify how we can avoid them, and explain what we can do if there are toxins affecting the nervous system.
What Are Toxins?
Toxins are any components that are absorbed into the body. Toxins can be both drugs and foods, but that doesn’t mean that everything we put into our system is toxic to the body. Many foods we consume aren’t toxic to the body, and in fact, are essential for human function. No drug is should be absorbed in the body, but that doesn’t mean they’re not necessary. Some drugs people need are essential for survival. Does the introduction make more sense now? Let’s breakdown foods and drugs separately for the sake of clarity. We will identify which toxins are bad and how they can be avoided.
What Foods Are Toxic?
Unfortunately, that is a very broad question because there are more toxic foods than there are healthy foods. Even the healthy foods we eat become toxic because of the pesticides that are sprayed to keep foods free of insects and to act as preservative to increase shelf life. Unless we are buying organically, most food encounters a toxic element. Eating organic foods is the healthier option. It tastes the same, but unfortunately, it’s a lot more expensive.
So how do we determine which foods are toxic and which ones are not? The key is to examine the nutrition facts label. Learn about the ingredients that are in the products you are buying. Most of the boxed foods and snacks we consume have refined sugars, added sugars, alcohol sugars, high carbohydrates, high sodium, etc. Take the time to learn about the ingredients you’re ingesting. It will help your body in the long run.
Another key point to remember is don’t be fooled by the foods that say low carb, low sodium, 0% added sugars, or diet products. Although it’s true that when you look on the labels that the product holds true to lower content advertised, doesn’t mean it’s good to consume. In fact, often they are worse than the original product. When one ingredient is reduced or eliminated, another ingredient is doubled or even tripled to increase the desired flavor.
For example, did you know that diet soda is worse than regular soda? In 1965, aspartame, a nutritive sweetener was accidentally discovered by chemist, James Schlatter. In 1981, it was introduced to foods as a sweetener. In 1983, it was introduced in diet soda products. Studies show that aspartame could possibly correlate with cancer but is still added to many food and drink selections on the grocery store shelves. There is a saying, “Aspartame: Putting the ‘die’ in ‘diet’ since 1983.
So next time you are at the store, don’t think you are the weird shopper reading every label on every product. You should be seen as the smart shopper because you care what goes in and on your body and you are trying to keep your body healthy and well.
What Drugs Are Toxic?
This question isn’t as broad as the previous section. All drugs are toxic. Does this mean that chiropractors are against the use of medication? No. Chiropractors understand that there is a time in place for medical intervention beyond our scope of practice such as an infection. What chiropractors don’t like to see is when patients take medications for common ailments when they are sick or for pain relief.
When patients are sick or are in pain, it’s an alert system from the nervous system saying there is something wrong and it needs a permanent solution. Drugs only masks the problem and are only a temporary fix. In fact, taking medicine for a cold or flu prolongs the time someone is sick because it freezes the immune system from doing its job. The same result occurs when taking drugs for pain. They are numbing agents rather than a solution.
Another downfall with drugs is that prolong usage can result in two concerns. First, they can damage essential organs such as the liver and kidneys. Without a liver or both kidneys, we cannot survive. Second, stronger drugs such as opioids can result in addiction and fatality. To learn more about the downside of drugs, refer to both blogs, “Chiroshield: Strengthening the Immune System Through Care”, and “Silent Epidemic: Unmasking the Reality of the Opioid Crisis.”
In our immune support blog, you will learn about the importance of taking Vitamins C, D, and zinc and how they continue to keep the immune system strong even when you’re not sick. In our opioid crisis blog, you will learn how bad opioids are, possible consequences of abuse, and alternative treatments that can manage pain.
What better options are there than taking drugs for pain or illness? Supplements of course! Last year, we did a blog on supplementation. Supplements are natural forms of vitamins and minerals that assist with a variety of conditions such as immune support, pain, inflammation, arthritis, disc health, heart health, nerve health, gut health, etc. To learn more about the benefits of supplements, refer to our blog, “Supercharge Your Health: The Benefits of Strategic Supplementation.”
When looking for supplements, do your research. Not every over-the-counter supplement at the pharmacy or grocery store is equal in quality or standard. Try to investigate labs that specifically make and distribute a variety of supplements. Another thing that is not required but highly recommended is looking for brands that are FDA approved. Supplements are not required to be FDA approved but is those that are show that their products have been studied, tested, and recommended for human consumption.
What Can We Do to Help?
Nobody is perfect at some time or another. We all will eat something we regret the next day. Most people have popped a pill or two when they’re sick or in pain at least once in their lifetime. There is a difference between minimal use and abuse. Someone who rarely eats processed food or who takes a pill occasionally isn’t going to experience the negative effects if at all. Someone who has a poor diet and who always takes pills is more at risk. Engaging in these bad habits puts the nervous system at toxic levels which increases the chance of nerve interference.
Why would eating poorly or medicine usage cause nerve interference? Nerve tissue functions with an abundance of vitamins and minerals. Toxic foods with artificial ingredients don’t have the essential vitamins and minerals to maintain proper nerve function. When medicine is consumed, it blocks the nervous system from doing its job. This forces the nervous system into overdrive, and it will do anything it takes to break the block.
At the end of the day, you are left with nerve interference. Routine chiropractic adjustments will get the job done. There are two parts to the treatment process.
- The doctor’s part.
- The patient’s part.
The doctor’s part is simple. We talked a lot about chiropractic, how it works, and our focus with treating the nervous system by performing spinal manipulation therapy. The patient’s part is a little bit more difficult. If you truly want to get better, you need to refrain from eating toxic foods and consuming medication. We are not saying you can never eat something bad or take a pill ever again. All we are saying is that changing your lifestyle a little bit will show positive results in the coming future.
This concludes our series on the 3 T’s of chiropractic. Over the past few weeks, we threw a lot of information at you. If you have any questions about thoughts, traumas or toxins, please feel free to call us at (724) 547-3377 and check out our website at www.drlarrywilkinsspinalcare.com for more blog content.
Yours In Health,
Larry E. Wilkins, DC
Brian M. Steinert, DC
