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Diet Sodas are Dangerous to Your Health

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DIET SODAThere is no doubt that Diet Soda presents Danger to Your Health. Think twice before you pour that DIET soda: The aspartame (NutraSweet) in diet soda, when left at room temperature, breaks down into formaldehyde, a toxic chemical that can cause cancer and birth defects. At least that is what Jennifer Chen, a 12 year old from New Jersey, found while performing a science experiment for school. Cohen tested three groups of Diet Coke: one that was refrigerated, one that was stored at room temperature, and one that was put in an incubator set at 104 degrees. Two months later independent laboratory tests found that the soda left at room temperature (which it ca be for months before you buy it) had the highest levels of formaldehyde – four times that of the refrigerated cola and three times more than the incubated cola. Large amounts of aspartame have been found to cause headaches, nausea, vision problems, and seizures in laboratory animals. These are very serious symptoms, and especially if they are caused by Diet Soda Consumption. Treasure your health, fresh water will satisfy your thirst just as well and a much better alternative drink, plus it is FREE.

This information was obtained from 1999 publication of unknown magazine that I have discovered at Y-Files Seminar presented by Dr. Denofrio, D.C.

There are lots of articles and videos on the internet that talk about the dangers of Diet Soda and its affect on a health of the consumers. I will list 5 articles that I had the time to review and 3 videos that I have watched. Without farther ado here is a list of great posts about the dangers of diet soda.

DANGERS OF DIET SODA by By Pilar Gerasimo. She provides 10 reasons why not to drink diet sodas. Excellent Article

OK, I am not going to rant. But I need to get this out of my system: I think diet soda is awful. I think all soda is awful, actually (yes, I know there are no “bad” foods, but I hold soda in approximately the same regard as those puffy orange Circus Peanuts — these are not really “foods,” per se). Diet soda, in my view, is especially insidious. READ MORE…

The Dangers of Diet Coke, Pepsi and Other Diet Food by Dr. Whitetaker, M.D.

Artificial sweeteners are marketed with the promise of weight control, and the vast majority of people who consume them do so to either lose or avoid gaining weight. Folks, this is a fraud of gigantic proportions.

From 1960 to l976, there was virtually no change in the number of Americans who were overweight: roughly 24 percent of the population. However, from the mid l980s to the present, this number has more than doubled to 54 percent! This coincides with the massive infusion of noncaloric chemical sweeteners and sugar-free “diet” foods that are eaten by close to three-quarters of the adult population.

Although several factors contribute to these alarming statistics, I am convinced that our blind acceptance of the most popular of these artificial sweeteners, aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful), plays a significant role in our current weight problems. Far from helping us lose weight, aspartame has been proven to increase appetite, especially cravings for sweets. Imagine “diet” products that help you pack on extra pounds! And aspartame’s downside doesn’t end with weight gain: This sweetener is associated with multiple health problems and majority of it comes from Diet Sodas. READ MORE…

The Dangers of Diet Soda by JDROTH on FEBRUARY 12, 2008 · This Post has 49 great comments regarding danger of Diet Soda Products. A Must Read Article about The Dangers of Diet Sodas and Your Health.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Having just one of these conditions — increased blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol levels — isn’t diagnosed as metabolic syndrome, but it does contribute to your risk of serious disease. If more than one of these conditions occur in combination, your risk is even greater. READ MORE…

Sugar Substitutes and the Potential Danger of Splenda

Written by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP Another Great Post about The Dangers of Diet Sodas and How it Can Damage Your Health

Few of us are really aware of how many new Splenda® products there are in the supermarkets. We’ve been told that this artificial sweetener is different from all the past failures — Sweet’N Low®, NutraSweet®, etc. — and according to the claims, that this Splenda is the perfect sugar substitute: as sweet as sugar, but no calories; as sweet as sugar, but no surge in insulin; as sweet as sugar, but no side effects or long-term health damage.

The wave is coming because “low–sugar” or “sugar–free” is the latest fad — a welcome trend, given the health hazards of all the sugar in the average diet. But of the hundreds of new diet foods that will soon appear, most will use Splenda as a sugar substitute. This is important because for tens of millions of women, their diet soda or artificially-sweetened food is a keystone of what they think are healthy nutrition and food choices — both for themselves and for their families.

On the other side of the argument are responsible experts who say that Splenda is unsafe — the latest in a succession of artificial sweeteners that claim at first to be healthy, only later to be proven to be full of side effects. These authorities say that Splenda has more in common with DDT than with food.

What do we believe? We think that our regulatory system doesn’t do a good enough job ensuring our long-term safety. We’re concerned about the bigger picture, too — the dependence on sweets in the American diet to make us feel good — whether those sweets are satisfied by sugar or artificial sweeteners like Splenda. And we are especially sensitive to the women who can benefit from using artificial sweeteners as a bridge to a better life with healthier nutrition.

What should you think about artificial sweeteners? We want you to be fully informed about the dangers of Splenda (which isn’t what food marketers want!) so you can make the best choices for yourself and for your family. So let’s make sure you are. READ MORE…

Soft Drinks – America Written by Judith Valentine, PhD, CNA, CNC A Must Read Article about The Dangers of Diet Sodas and Your Health.

The addict feels low. His body needs a boost. He reaches into his pocket and finds a dollar bill. He slides it into the machine and a can rolls out. He opens the can and guzzles. He feels his energy return. His fix will last a couple of hours, enough to keep him alert for the rest of the morning. The addict is twelve years old and his drug is a soft drink, purchased from a vending machine in his school. This addict and thousands like him will attend special classes, sponsored by his school, to warn him about the dangers of drugs, tobacco and alcohol. But no one will tell him about America’s other drinking problem.

According to the National Soft Drink Association (NSDA), consumption of soft drinks is now over 600 12-ounce servings (12 oz.) per person per year. Since 1978, soda consumption in the us has tripled for boys and doubled for girls. Young males age 12-29 are the biggest consumers at over 160 gallons per year-that’s almost 2 quarts per day. At these levels, the calories from soft drinks contribute as much as 10 percent of the total daily caloric intake for a growing boy. READ MORE…

This Video is Titled: “The Dangers of Aspartame (Artificial Sweeteners Sugarfree Diet Coke Zero No Sugar Added E951)”

This Video is Titled: “Diet Soda Danger”

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Patient Asks and Dr. Burt Answers the Question #19-#24

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PATIENT QUESTIONS AND DR BURT'S ANSWERSQuestion: Are there cures for plantar fasciitis?

Answer: There is a great treatment protocol that I have used on my patients with great success. It takes somewhere between 10-12 sessions in order to get a desirable results. An object with a round edge would be a perfect tool for this task and also a good massage lotion. I direct gliding force is applied along the plantar musculature. Most likely you will feel a lot of pain during the procedure. About 5 minutes would be more than enough. After the procedure your plantar musculature will be very swollen – which is what we want. During this inflammation process macrophage will destroy the calcified particles that were accumulated during the treatment. An ultrasound therapy would be a plus. It is important that you get this done every other day of the week for the best results.

Question: What are the symptoms and treatments for the sciatica nerve?

Answer: Hi, You would probably want to read this post: “Sciatica Pain Relief and Chiropractic Treatment.”

Question: Whiplash injury questions please? I was in a car accident back about 8 years ago and I was wondering what is the proper treatment after the whiplash? Is it possible for the pain to increase many years later like a flare up? I’m experiencing horrible pain and I looked up whiplash injury and those are some of my symptoms

Any advice?

Thank you

Answer: All of your answers are in this post: “What is Whiplash?” Please read related posts below as well as they will provide all of the answers to you question. I hope you find a local doctor who will help you to resolve the complaints after your whiplash injury.

Question: Do the home ultrasound machines really work on torn MCL?

Additional Details: Doctor told me there was nothing he could do for me. I just have to let it heal. He said I should be back to “my normal” around spring time but I have to take care of two puppies and laundry downstairs so I’m looking for something that will help.

Answer: It is better to have Home Ultrasound units and apply it to your injured MCL than not having any therapy at all. The outcome will greatly depend on the severity of the tear. Your doctor should have sent you for MRI and at least physical therapy, instead of just letting it heal on its own till spring. I would highly recommend for you to get a second opinion ASAP.

Question: Do I have a herniated disk? I bent over yesterday and I got sudden pain in my lower back. It continues to hurt today. This has happened to me a couple other times, but over a year ago. I’m only 19 so it’s not like it’s an old age thing. My mom has had the same problem and she called it a slipped disk, or herniated disk. Is that what’s wrong? Why is it happening at my age?

Answer: Pain in your low back does not necessary mean that you have herniated disk. You could simply have a vertebral subluxation in your lumbar spine and that could be the cause of your problems.  Pick up the phone and have your mother pick up the phone have her call your local chiropractor. You can also read this post – “Low Back Pain and the Wonders of Chiropractic.” This article will help you to understand of what is going to happen when you go see your local chiropractor.

Question: What’s wrong with my ankle? I hurt it last night during my basketball game but I do not know exactly what happened. There is little to no swelling and slight bruising. The pain is mostly targeted on the outside top of my ankle. I can slightly put my weight on it.

Answer: If you cannot bear weight on that leg, it could be a significant injury.
You need immediate medical attention. Could be any number of problems, hairline fracture is a possibility. You MUST get X-RAY of your ankle ASAP.

Good Luck.

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Forward Head Posture and Chiropractic Care

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FORWARD NECK POSTUREForward head tilt could be the cause of headaches, shoulder and neck pain. For each extra inch of forward head tilt the cervical spine is experiencing increase load of up to 10 pounds. This results in a paraspinal musculature overload of the cervical spine.

Over a prolonged period of time this overload turns into micro sprain and strain injuries of the neck. Loss of sleep, headaches, fatigues and general muscle pain are the results of the forward head tilt. The causes of the forward head posture could be the following factors: Wrong set up at the computer desk, too many pillows under your head while reading, prolonged and stressful commutes in a car. If problem is not corrected on time, patient could be diagnosed with arthritis, disc herniation, pinched nerves, and muscle strain and ligament sprain. Tension on a spinal cord will affect your general well being.

The “Spine” Journal stated in one of the articles that prolonged forward head posture will cause the loss of cervical lordosis – which is the normal curvature of the cervical spine.  Straining the neck ligament, joints, bones and muscles is speeding up their deterioration process. As a result arthritis is inevitable and health problems like fibromyalgia, TMJ and shoulder problems will accompany it.

Another study from “American Journal of Pain Management” provides evidence that there is a direct relationship between a good posture and physiological function of the organism. Back pain, neck related headaches, and shoulder pain are few of the many symptoms that mentioned in this study. The greatest affect of a bad posture is the lung breathing capacity, blood pressure, moods and pulse frequency alteration.

Forward head posture can lead to impaired breathing. The chest becomes sunken and starts constricting the lungs. Think of it as the body slowly undergoing strangulation because of insufficient oxygen. Deterioration of body functions is simply the beginning, as other complications like anxiety attacks can also take place. Incorrect breathing upsets normal body functioning and chemistry. Blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels start fluctuating under the stressful condition. Many of the organ systems are likewise affected, manifesting in panic, stress and anxiety episodes.

You can very easy to check your posture in a comfort of your home. All you need is digital photo camera on your phone or camera by itself. Set your camera up on timer for 10 seconds. Close your eyes and march in one place. Move your head to the left and to the right while marching. Stop at about 8th second and continue to keep your eyes closed. Have the camera make a photo shot. Look at your picture and pay attention to the level of you ears, shoulders and hips. You can do the same thing with your side posture.

Proper exercises can help strengthen paraspinal musculature of the cervical spine and lumbar spine. A good back support will also help to keep you cervical lordosis healthy. Good backpack will help equally distribute weight and will allow distributing the weight equally. A great pillow will help to provide proper support and a good night sleep.

A regular chiropractic care will help to maintain the posture at its best. The spine is a biomechanical structure. Therefore, just like everything mechanical it eventually will require maintenance. A combination of good deep tissue massage and chiropractic adjustment will do wonders to your posture. Posture is the window to your spine, is your spine aligned?

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7 Major Causes of Lower Back Pain?

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INTERVERTEBRAL DISCMillions of people are affected with lower back pain all over the world. It could be a minor and temporary pain and it could be as extensive as referring pain into upper and lower extremities. There are different factors and causes of lower back pain. Below is the list of 7 major causes of lower back pain.

SPRAIN AND STRAIN:

A deconditioned lower back and the one with previous injuries is more prone to soft tissue injuries like sprains and strains. An overstretched muscle is a definition of a sprain injury. An overstretched tendon is definition of a strain injury. Both injuries result in fibrotic tissue which is extremely painful if not properly and timely rehabilitated.

DISC PROBLEMS:

The IVD or intervertebral discs (look at the main picture) are serving a function in our spine as shocks or struts in a vehicle. Their job is to prevent the vertebral bodies of the spine from degeneration which in medical term is called osteoarthritis.  Lack of mobility between vertebral bodies will cause the IVD to dehydrate and eventually shrink in height. IVD does not have any blood supply and the only way it gets the nutrients is by the process called imbibition. In plain English – when two adjacent vertebras move they help to pump liquids with nutrients into the IVD. Common disc complaints involve the disc protrusion or bulging (which can be prolapsed or sequestrated) the later is a very bad one. Make sure that you schedule your appointment with your local chiropractor at least once a month. Our body just like the vehicle we drive, it requires maintenance.

MUSCLE IMBALANCE:

Muscle imbalance is the cause of a poor posture. Over the time certain muscles loose their function under overworking conditions or when they are under utilized. If this happens the inevitable result will lead to problems such as neck pain, shoulder pain, and lower back pain or even frozen shoulder.

EMOTIONAL:

Emotional problems linked together with neuromuscular system. Stress or emotional trauma would lead to muscular tension. Muscles such Upper Trapezius and SCM (Sternocleidomastoid) are innervated by cranial nerves (which are the nerves that are connected directly to the brain).

STRACTUAL PROBLEMS:

Scoliosis – an excessive sideways curve of either the upper or lower regions of the spine. Kyphosis – sometimes referred to as “hunchback”, this is an excessive outward curve of the upper back.

DISEASE:

Ankylosing spondylitis – a disease that causes inflammation in spinal joints and limb joints potentially leading to fusion of vertebrae Arthritis – especially osteoarthritis, involves cartilage that normally cushions joints breaking down. Osteoporosis – is a condition involving thinning of the bones. It commonly occurs in women after the menopause but can also affect men.

SCIATICA:

Sciatica is a nerve pain from the sciatic nerve, a nerve that runs from the spine through the buttock and down the back of the leg. Sciatica is often caused by a disc bulge or prolapse pressing on the spinal nerve. Other causes can include a narrowing of the nerve tunnel between the discs as a result of osteoarthritis. If you would like to discover how to completely cure sciatica naturally without drugs, surgery, physical therapy, exercise, or change of diet you might want to take a look at this report “Stop Sciatica.” (affiliate link)

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