Tuesday, May 5, 2015

What Does Raw Meat Have To Do With A Fever?

Would you eat raw meat? NO! You would cook the meat to get rid of any bacteria that may be in the meat. You essentially created a fever in the meat! Crazy, huh?

What about a fever? What should I do? My Doctor tells me to take Tylenol. When is it too high?

This are the questions that I have been asked a few times this week! Let's take a look at the answers .

Fevers are your body doing exactly what it is suppose to do at the perfect time. What does that even mean, right?

When your body has a fever, it is trying to kill off any bacterias or viruses. It is your immune system burning out the bad things, it is your body HEALing!

Honor your symptoms...We are taught that if you have a fever to lower it with Tylenol! That is just flat out wrong. If you have a fever, you should monitor it but you must understand that your body is doing what it is suppose to do to get you HEALthy.

Here is what can/should you do to when you have fever...
1. Monitor the temp...Monitor to be sure that you or your child do not get lethargic. It is not about how high the number gets, its about what you do with it and how your body responds.

2. Hydrate with 100% Water (not juice, tea, sports drinks, etc.). This means you need to drink water - half your body weight in ounces of water per day. If you are having a hard time getting water into your body, take a warm bath! Your body will actually absorb the fluids to prevent dehydration

3. Do not feed the infection...No sugars or grains!

4. Vitamin C & Vitamin D3 helps the immune system and will help the fever break!

5. Chiropractic Adjustments are essential helping the HEAL!

As you grill your healthy animal meats this summer, remember to let your body cook out the bacteria and viruses in your own body as well.


You Are HEALing,

Dr. Nick Barnes
www.drnickbarnes.com


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Do You Have A Bluetooth System Inside Of You?

I know it sounds like a crazy question but let's dissect this...

Some of you think that I am going to discuss the fact that technology is everywhere and our bodies can't handle it...You are correct! BUT, that is not what this blog is about.

First thing is first...Your body is a fearfully and wonderfully made. It is designed to heal and your body desires to heal. Every single millisecond thousands of chemical reactions are taking place without you being aware of it. YOUR BODY IS AMAZING. You are not broken, you do not have too many organs, you are not sick from a lack of medication, it's not your age or genetics that have gotten you to where you are (good or bad).

What is up with the bluetooth comment? Well, here we go, hold on tight...

Your body, does not have this technology. In my career as a Doctor, I have seen so many people over think their body's design. Although it is amazingly designed by God, it really is quite simple! Do NOT over think your body.

For example, if you have a fever, there is a cause! Your body is trying to burn out a virus or bacteria!

For example, if you have a runny nose/drainage, there is a cause! Your body is trying to remove allergens that have invaded your sinus cavities! 

For example, if you have diarrhea or are vomiting, there is a cause! Your body is trying to remove a virus/bacteria!

It is simple, listen to your body, find the cause, and let the body heal! What controls the HEALing in your body??? Your dial up/wired system...Your Nervous System!

Your brain, spinal cord, and nerves do not operate like a bluetooth! They operate like the old school AOL dial up system - ONLY its super fast! These super fast signals travel from your brain down your spinal cord and across your nerves to every cell, organ and tissue in your body at 300 MPH!

Imagine that! For your stomach to digest food, for your heart to beat, for your lungs to breath, for your body to create a fever when it is suppose to, for your hormones to be balanced, for your bladder to work and to simply LIVE, your NERVE SYSTEM controls everything.

Your skull and spinal column protect this dial up/wired system...If there are any kinks in the dial up/wired system from the spinal column putting pressure/interference on the wires (SUBLUXATION) - the signals from your brain to your organs can not get there at 300 MPH! That is not good...This can cause sickness, symptoms & disease...BUT the worse thing is that 92% of the time, you CAN NOT FEEL SUBLUXATION!

The number one way to see if you have subluxation in your dial up/wired system is to have a corrective care chiropractor due a full exam with x-rays!

Remember, every organ is wired to your nerve system! There is no bluetooth system in your body!

YOU ARE HEALing!

Dr. Nick Barnes

www.HealthFromWithinSTL.com
www.MaximizedLiving.com
www.DrNickBarnes.com

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Chiropractic Kids

CHIROPRACTIC KIDS!
Go ahead and leave your kids at home, so they can have the same problems you have.

We have over 100 kids under care in the office!
My daughter has been adjusted since she was 5 minutes old! I NEVER want to have to CORRECT her spine I just want it to stay well. Don't wait for your kids to get sick before helping them.
When would you want to know if your kid had damage on their nervous system?
When would you want to know if your child had damage on a nerve going to their heart?
Should we wait for kids to get SICK and then help them?
WE DON'T SEE KIDS BECAUSE SOMETHING IS WRONG BUT BECAUSE WE WANT THEM
TO REACH THEIR GREATEST POTENTIAL, THEIR GOD GIVEN POTENTIAL!
Adelyn Grace Barnes

Chiropractic is the solution to get kids well, though. In the last month we've seen ADD/ADHD reversed, digestive problems improve, allergies go away, sleep improve, asthma go away, ear infections healed, and so much more!  What's the only way to know if you have damage in your nervous system? Get a scan or x-ray. If your kids haven't been checked, then schedule them an appointment! There is no excuse! If you can't afford it, I'll pay for their x-rays to get checked. Every child deserves to reach their full health potential, let's get them checked!

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

The Best Doctor In The World

Who is the best doctor in the world? I know many of you who read the title are curious to know the answer. So often we are looking for answers to health questions, when really, the answer is right in front of us. We seem to over complicate our body, health, and our healthcare model.

It is as simple as this. As Americans, we are more sick and tired than we have ever been before. We are more medicated than ever before. There are more surgeries and expensive testing than ever before. Oh ya, we have more "access" to "healthcare" than ever before. What our family, neighbors, work colleagues, and our church friends are doing with their health is most likely wrong! Look around you...

We have gone down this wide path with every other America, on a quest to find the best doctor in the world, the most specialized testing, the miracle drugs and advanced surgeries. We are running into a dead end. We are smashing into the barricades without any explanation, except for 2 excuses...Your age and your genetics! This is what we are told to believe from our media and people in our lives. It must be your age and your parents fault, sounds familiar right?! STOP making excuses and take responsibility for your health. Where you are today is because you have done things in the past to neglect your health and it has caught up to you, BUT it is okay! Why? Because your an overcomer, you are fearfully and wonderfully made, your body is designed to heal, it wants to heal, all we have to do is remove the interferences!

I guess I should get back to the original question...the best doctor in the world is YOU! The best doctor in the world resides in your body! Every single millisecond your body is striving to heal and function at 100%. Every decision you make or lifestyle change that you make will impact your body's ability to heal!

There is an incredible healing power that resides in your body, science proves it, faith states it, now we just have to honor it!

You are NOT broken, you were not born with a lack of medication, or too many organs...You were born with the best doctor in the world already inside of you!

NOW, let's do our part and honor our bodies...Let's listen to what the doctor says.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Stop Wasting Your Workouts: The Best Way to Recover



 Healthy woman
Image courtesy of iStockphoto / Thinkstock
After an intense workout, our bodies experience significant depletion of key nutrients, water and energy. For many, this loss is seldom replenished and bodies are left running on little fuel until the next meal.
The hard work of a particularly grueling workout will hardly be worth it if you're not refueling your body properly. Choosing the right food and beverage sources may help prevent injury and attain those long-awaited results.
To better understand what your body needs, you need to know what your body loses during a workout.

What You Lose

When you're hitting the gym (or doing MaxT3 in your living room), your body loses energy it expends as you increase your activity level from a resting state. Also lost is "a severe depletion of carbohydrate stores and dehydration." 1 Continually as the body sweats, it loses water and electrolytes. Basically, you're beating yourself up to reach your bikini goals.
The loss of these nutrients isn't  immediately detrimental, but it  can be if not replenished.  Once you leave the gym your body goes into recovery mode to fix the sudden loss of energy and nutrients. Thanks to a nutrition market that is saturated with conflicting information, sometimes it's hard to determine what you need and what you can skip.

What You Don’t Need

  • Nothing.  Skipping a post workout "meal" is like skipping a night of sleep. It doesn't benefit you in any way and only adds to your exhausted feeling. Your body is running on low fuel and needs something to help it bounce back from the beating you put it through.
     
  • A Spoonful of Sugar.  Many sports drinks or recovery drinks boast magical properties but are loaded with sugar.  "After a workout, sugar from soft drinks and fructose from fruit juice set your metabolism back to slow." 2 You just exhausted yourself to boost your energy levels and metabolism. Don't negate it by downing a sugar-loaded sports drink, or--gulp!--a soda.
     
  • Loads of Fat. A high-fat meal post-workout hinders recovery. It's recommended that your diet have a good balance of fat but that does not include scarfing a cheeseburger directly after your workout (not to mention the refined carbs in the bun). Your workout aimed to reduce your total body fat and refilling it with bad, damaged fats will keep you on that plateau.

What You Do Need

Since you lose electrolytes, water, carbohydrates and fat, it would make sense to replace them. While it's discouraged to do so by feasting like it's Thanksgiving, you can replace these nutrients in a healthy and productive way.
  • Water. Most people sweat profusely when they workout because their bodies are working to regulate a fluctuating temperature. You'll hardly need a reminder to drink up because of the thirst you experience, but you should aim to drink 16-24 ounces of h2o immediately after and continually for the remainder of your day.
     
  • Complex Carbohydrates. "Carbohydrates are essential in rebuilding muscle cells."  A small bowl of spinach, kale or some mix of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) is actually an ideal post-workout snack. You could also try snacking on some organic almond butter (most nutritious when raw) and slices of a Granny Smith apple (low-glycemic index). The carbohydrates found in these snacks will aid your recovery and promote muscle growth.
     
  • Protein. "During intense workouts, muscle protein is damaged, which leaves an athlete with a net loss of muscle protein." Many athletes tend to consume protein drinks or supplements immediately following a workout.  Liquid protein is more quickly absorbed into the body. They also tend to contain an ideal blend of calories, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and various minerals necessary for rebuilding. However, soy protein and A1 casein should be avoided as they've been linked to various health risks. Whey is the way to go.
     
  • Electrolytes/Vitamins/Minerals. After a sweat session, you lose essential electrolytes, vitamins and minerals that are equally important to replace. Bananas offer a great source of potassium, which is one of the main electrolytes you lose. Other fruits like apples and even vegetables can also boost energy levels. If you're on the Advanced Plan, be sure to reference the Maximized Living Nutrition Plans to see what fruits are cleared for limited use. Coconut water works wonders for rehydration and it has the ideal pH balance and perfect blend of electrolytes.
Finding a snack or drink that balances all of these is ideal and convenient. Unfortunately, many drinks or supplements claim a list of benefits but are loaded with artificial ingredients and sugars that yield little benefit.

The Ideal Solution

Combine the benefits of clean, all-natural protein with healthy fats and organic fruit, and you get a delicious after-exercise snack. Best of all, this solution is quick and easy: the Perfect Protein Smoothie.
Simply mix a large handful of berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries--you choose!), with full-fat coconut milk and a scoop of our Perfect Protein, and you're refueling yourself with the perfect blend of carbs, fats and proteins. This simple smoothie does it all:
  • Provides amino acids for muscle building and repair.
  • Provides healthy fats to reduce inflammation and restore your natural fuel.
  • Replenishes lost carbohydrate stores.
  • Alkalizes to improve your body’s pH.
  • Rehydrates.
  • Replaces electrolyte stores.
  • Does not overload you with sugar because it is low-glycemic.

Was This Article Helpful?

If you enjoyed the above information on post-workout recovery, then be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter, which is packed with the latest health research, nutritional tips and even the occasional free goodies. Go to www.HealthFromWithinSTL.com.

References

  1. Josephson, Scott. "Recovery Nutrition." NSCA's Performance Training Journal 2, no. 5 (2003): 16-17.
  2. "4 Post Workout Foods to Avoid / Nutrition / Healthy Eating." FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal. http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/4-post-workout-foods-to-avoid.html (accessed May 28, 2013).
  3. http://www.stamantnjrotc.org/WeightLifting/Articles/RecoveryNutrition.pdf (accessed May 28, 2013).

Monday, July 8, 2013

Blasted Cauliflower



Vegetables are often thought of as boring, bland, or tasteless. This is far from the truth!
Veggies can offer a great source of variety. Cauliflower is especially versatile, and this is just another example of how it can be used. Consider yourself warned: They are addictive!

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 1/8 cup of olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast  (not to be confused with brewer’s yeast – this is a highly nutritious condiment)
  • Optional (To add spice):  1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Wash and clean the cauliflower. Cut off and discard the stems.
  3. Cut the cauliflower florets into small pieces.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, salt and nutritional yeast.
  5. Add the cauliflower pieces and thoroughly coat each piece.
  6. Place cauliflower pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  7. Bake for one hour turning a few times during cooking. You will want them to look browned.
Go to www.HealthFromWithinSTL.com for more awesome recipes!

Dr. Nick Barnes

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Top 10 Food Additives to Avoid!

Food additives have become very common in the modern-day diet plan but do they really add any value to the food we eat? The answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT. Used mostly to boost shelf-life, improve flavor, and to maintain color, (all to increase profits), most artificial additives are extremely harmful to our health. The simplest way to avoid exposure to these kinds of chemical substances is to understand the most common additives and also which foods they're quite often found in. Here's a list of the top 10 food additives to avoid.

1. Sodium Nitrite (or) Sodium Nitrate

Sodium nitrate/nitrite is used as a coloring, flavoring, and preservative agent in ham, bacon, hotdogs, corned beef, lunch meats, and other packaged foods. This harmful ingredient has been observed to create 'nitrosamines', most of which are human carcinogens. Several studies have revealed that consumption of food items containing nitrates/nitrites may result in a greater risk of esophageal, gastric, and rectal cancers.

2. Sodium Sulfite

This chemical is used in wine making and also in some other processed foods such as pastries, margarine, cheese, sausage, fish, and ground beef. According to the Food and Drug Administration, around 1 in 100 individuals is sensitive to sodium sulfites found in wine. People who are 'sulfite' sensitive may suffer from headaches, difficulty in breathing, and rashes. In extreme cases, sulfites can even cause death by shutting down the air passage completely, resulting in cardiac arrest.

3. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

MSG is an amino-acid mainly used as a flavor booster in soups, chips, salad dressings, seasonings, lunch meats and most restaurant food. An animal test linked MSG to damaging brain cells of infant mice. Also, other studies show that frequent consumption of MSG might cause damaging side effects, such as depressive disorders, disorientation, damage to the eyes, fatigue, severe headaches, and weight problems.

4. High Fructose Corn Syrup

High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a refined synthetic sweetener. It has become the top source of calories in the United States. It is found in almost all processed and ready-made foods. Consuming HFCS boosts your bad cholesterol level and leads to the development of type 2 diabetes as well as tissue damage - a few among other dangerous effects. HFCS is mostly found in processed foods, bread, candy, canned fruits and vegetables, flavored yogurts, soft drinks, and cereals.

5. Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are usually found in sugar-free or diet sodas, sugar-free gums, baking goods, drink mixes, breath mints, table-top sweeteners, pudding, ice tea, and even in toothpaste. It is cleverly disguised in many "health foods" as Acesulfame Potassium (Sunnett, Sweet One), Aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal), Neotame, Saccharin (Sweet 'N Low, Sweet Twin, Sugar Twin), Sucralose (Splenda). Packaging with artificial sweeteners will advertise "low or reduced sugar", "no added sugars", "low fat", "sugar-free", etc. Some of the reported results of consuming artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes are behavioral problems in kids, hyperactivity, allergic reactions, and perchance carcinogenic effects also.

6. BHA & BHT
BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) are chemical preservatives found in cereal products, potato chips, chewing gum, and vegetable oils. These popular additives keep foods from changing flavor and color, or getting rancid. It's been proven to have an impact on the central nervous system, cause behavior changes, and also has the potential to cause some types of cancer.

7. Propyl Gallate

Propyl gallate is a chemical used in vegetable oil, chicken soup, meat products, and mayonnaise. It slows down the spoilage of oils and fats but can bring about stomach problems or skin complications for asthma sufferers and aspirin sensitive individuals. Scientific tests on mice claim that this preservative could potentially cause cancer as well.

8. Trans Fat/Hydrogenated Fats

Hydrogenated oils are widely used to boost the shelf life of many food products. They're found in 'deep-fried' junk food and specific processed foods made with margarine or moderately hydrogenated oils (trans-fats are produced by a process known as hydrogenation). Several research has shown that trans fat boosts bad cholesterol levels while minimizing good cholesterol; leads to higher risk of cardiac arrest, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular events; and contributes to diabetes, inflammation, and other health issues. Always look at ingredients list to make sure that the product doesn't contain any hydrogenated oil.

9. Sodium Benzoate
Sodium benzoate is a food preservative and also used as additive. It is used in a number of highly processed foods and soft drink beverages. It's suspected that sodium benzoate, along with other artificial food coloring agents, may cause attention deficit disorder (ADD) in some young children. Sodium benzoate present in carbonated drinks could also react with included vitamin-C to create benzene, a cancer causing compound.

10. Food Dyes and Artificial coloring agents

Nowadays, most of the food items are often laden with food dyes and coloring agents like Sunset Yellow S, Blue 1 and 2, Ponceau 4R, Conchineal Red A, Tartrazine, FCF, and much more. These chemical substances are mostly found in variety of products like soda, salad dressings, sports drinks, fruit juices, fruit cocktail, cherry pie mix, ice cream, bakery products, candies and more. Studies show these artificial colorings may lead to behavioral problems in kids and result in a significant decrease in their IQ level. They are also proven to cause adrenal gland and kidney tumors as well as allergic reactions in many people.

Attention Shoppers: Read the label carefully, then stay away from these harmful food additives.

Go to www.HealthFromWithinSTL.com for more tips on how to avoid toxic foods!

- Dr. Nick Barnes