Soda - - It's Worse Than You Thought

Ingredients in Assorted Sodas

Coca Cola

Carbonated Water – the result – tooth decay hundreds of times faster than sparkling water

Caramel Coloring – Not certified by the FDA (considered exempt)

Same toxicological properties as caramel produced by heating

sucrose.

Caramel is burnt white sugar – sugar on top of sugar

Aspartame – Approx. 200 times sweeter than table sugar

92 side effects are possible results on consumption ex: headaches, vision

loss, seizures, neurological problems, cardiovascular problems, and death.

Converts to formaldehyde at a temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit –

The human body’s natural temp is 98.6

Phosphoric Acid—linked to lower bone density in epidemiological studies

Used to remove rust from metal

Kills brain cells

Damages skeletal system and greatly disturbs the body calcium-

Phosphorus ratio

Potassium Benzoate –

In combination with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), sodium and

potassium benzoate may form benzene, a known carcinogen.

Heat, light and shelf life can affect the rate at which benzene is formed.

Caffeine –

acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects eating plants

A psychoactive drug – crosses the blood-brain barrier and effects mostly the

central nervous system where it alters brain function, causing changes in

perception, mood, consciousness, cognition and behavior.

In healthy adults, caffeine’s half life is approximately 4.9 hours

Half life = the time required for the activity of a substance taken into the

body to lose one half its initial effectiveness.

Overuse

Caffeinism – caffeine dependency with a wide range of unpleasant physical and

mental conditions including nervousness, irritability, anxiety, tremulousness,

muscle twitching, insomnia, headaches, respiratory alkalosis, heart palpitations, peptic ulcers, erosive esophagitis, and gastroesophageal flux disease.

Long term consumption of low dose caffeine slows hippocampus-dependent learning and impairs long-term memory.

Linked to hyperactivity

A 2008 study showed that women who consume 200 milligrams or more caffeine per day have about twice the miscarriage risk as women who consume none.

20-30 % of American adults consume more than 500 milligrams of caffeine per day – twice the amount doctors consider a large “drug dose”.

Caffeine has diuretic properties (increases the flow of urine). These properties put extra stress on the kidneys and have a dehydrating effect on the body. Various studies also link caffeine to birth defects and research shows that it interferes with DNA replication and robs the body of vital nutrients, especially B-vitamins, vitamin C, zinc, and potassium and prevents the absorption of iron.

SUGAR: The average can of soda is equivalent to 11 tablespoons of sugar.

No wonder soda plays a role in diabetes, kidney failure and anxiety

Random Concerning Facts:

Our bodies were made to have a natural pH balance of 7.3 which is slightly alkaline. A pH of 2 is 100,000 times more acidic than a pH of 7. Each can of soda has a pH of 2. A pH of 2 means that a person would have to drink 32 eight ounce glasses of alkaline water just to neutralize the effect of one can of soda.

Some mechanics use soda to remove rust from batteries and cables.

Soda originated in pharmacies – coke was supposed to relieve indigestion

Police use coke to remove blood from the streets

Sprite: contains all the ingredients that coke does except the caramel coloring, however, it has acesulfame potassium which is yet another artificial sweetener and high fructose corn syrup – more sugar!

Orange Soda: high fructose corn syrup, glycerol ester of wood rosin (a stabilizer that tries to keep a chemical reaction from occurring), food starch-modified (buffer against excessive heat), yellow 6 (a sulfonated version of Sudan I, a possible carcinogen), red 40 (originally made from coal tar, now made from petroleum)

Tips for replacing scary problems with simple solutions:

If carbonation has to happen, only give your kids sparkling water, mineral water (add juice for a taste similar to soda), or sparkling cider. Cider is better because it doesn’t have the high level of carbon dioxide that sparkling water does.

Sparkling Water Ingredients:

Carbonated water is like regular water only pressurized heavily with carbon dioxide.

Martinelli’s Cider Ingredients:

Pasteurized 100% Pure Carbonated Apple Juice from U.S. Grown Fresh Apples, Vitamin C, No Water or Alcohol, No Concentrates, No Sweeteners or Preservatives.

Sources:

www.wikipedia.com

www.caringmedical.com

www.organicconsumers.org

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9ndG76q4og&p=4F0B5262345A19F9&playnext=1&index=12

http://www.dherbs.com/articles/dangers-drinking-soda-127.html

Tips For Picky Eaters

1. Remain Calm. If you child picks up on your stress about their eating it can sometimes end up escalating into a battle of wills and can even become a control issue.

2. Serve Small Portions. Their little stomachs do not need much to get full and especially when trying a new food it can be far less intimidating for them to see just a small amount on their plate!

3. Respect their Hunger Levels. It’s best not to force your child to eat past where they feel full. Children tend to eat when they are hunger and stop when they are full…trust that they know their bodies.

4. Serve a new food with a Favorite. This way they can feel comfortable knowing there is something that they like on their plate to enjoy. They can mix up the two items if it helps. I still do that myself sometimes with food that isn’t my favorite but I know is good for me, I’ll only eat asparagus if I can mix it with rice!

5. Offer fruit or vegetables for snacks. In between meals let them snack all they want on healthy fruit and vegetable slices.

6. Watch the clock. Make sure to stop all snacks about one hour before your meal. That way they’ll be hungry when they come to the table.

7. Make it tasty! Serve vegetables with a yummy dip or fruit with some yogurt. Little ones love to dip their food! Try serving veggies raw and steamed – they may have a preference!

8. Get them Involved. Getting your picky eater to help you purchase food and help prepare it can be fun for them. Of course this isn’t possible all the time but occasionally make the whole process an experience they can be a part of, it can be really fun!

9. Keep it Separate. Sometimes it’s all about food touching! If this is an issue for your picky eater then when possible keep ingredients separated (think, salads, stir fry etc) Maybe like me, they don’t like their cool salad touching their warm rice or potato. This makes perfect sense to me! Those divider plates are fantastic, for some picky eaters that’s all they need to be able to enjoy their meal!

10. Food Talk. When you’re talking to your child about food try to avoid using taste as an indicator of whether a food is good or not. Instead talk about how healthy it is, it’s color, shape and texture.

11. Role Model. If you want your children to eat healthy foods then you need to as well. This isn’t easy for a recovering picky eater but it definitely works in encouraging your child to eat healthy food!

All information found at:
www.todayiatearainbow.blogspot.com

Kids with Ear infections? Wellness options?

I just recently had a question sent to me by email concerning Ear Infections, Chiropractic, and how to help a child with ear infections without drugs/surgery.

The basic premise is how do you help the body heal itself? Is there a way to help an ear infection, an ear inflammation or sinus related issues without antibiotics, or over the counter remedies?

The answer is an emphatic yes. One must assess the situation with a competent pediatrician (chiropractic pediatrician, osteopathic or medical). If the pediatrician's response is 'drugs first' then the child often doesn't have a chance to 'fight the infection or inflammation' with the incredible arsenal of healing responses that the body has.

If the pediatrician is more wellness oriented, then things such as sinus and eustachian tube massage, increased vitamin C, oil and garlic drops for the ears, chiropractic adjustments, etc can all help the body overcome the healing crisis on its own.

In almost 30 years of Pediatric Chiropractic practice, I have seen hundreds of children with ear infections and inflammations. In only a very small % of the time, less than 5% did the child need to have medical intervention.

How does it work? That's a rather long explanation, but I would invite your specific questions and refer you to the ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatric Assoc) website: icpa4kids.com.

Trust the body more and medicines less.

Nutrition Workshop Highlights

We recently had a workshop on Nutrition here at our office and would like to share it with those who couldn't make it. In posts to come (today) will be:

Healthy recipes
Healthy substitutions (making your favorites healthier)
Tips for feeding picky eaters (from www.todayiatearainblow.blogspot.com)
Info about soda
Simple improvements in the diet (white vs brown)

To see comments about the workshop from patients, please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/topic.php?uid=147163951990549&topic=1055

For more information about our office and services, please visit:

http://www.mychiro4kids.com/index.php?p=107684

Constipated no longer!

Whew, long time no update Dr. Bill!

Okay, here we go with a new, good story:

My almost 4 year old grandson Eli just moved into our house, he and his family are in transit...on the way to Bejing, China...but that's another story, and two days ago, he was in a lot of pain from not being able to go potty.

Some of you know the pain personally, or know of loved ones who have suffered from such a condition. Not fun, no 'joy in mudville' and thing can just sort of get worse.

Well, Eli's bright Mommy, my eldest daughter Becca, suggested that Gramps give Eli an adjustment. I did just that.

I adjusted his lower back, L4-5 area that is directly connected to the spinal nerves that go to the intestines, the poop area and what not. I then did a gentle (sort of) massage on his descending large intestine (where the poop often gets kind of stuck), and went on my way to work.

By the end of the day, the boy had visited the toilet with significant contributions no less than 6 times...

Moral of the story: constipation might be linked to a nerve system blockage that can be helped by a chiropractic adjustment. See a pediatric chiropractor in your area, and get things 'flowing' again! (visit icpa4kids.com to find a pediatric chiro near you).

Dr. Bill

Neurosensory Deficits, Disorders, and Challenges:

Dr. Bill just attended a seminar called: Neurosensory Integration. It was all about helping children develop more normally and specifically those with:

-learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, low energy, decreased coordination, developmental delays, etc.

While neither chiropractic nor this neurosensory integration 'treat' any of the above conditions, many of the above the conditions have responded very nicely to a combination of chiropractic adjustments and improving one's neurosensory functions.

It may mean a young boy can't figure out how to do simple scholastic things because he's just not 'wired' exactly right, or there is too much confusion going on in his nervous system. Or that a young girl lacks coordination because her nervous system set up is overloaded or understimulated.

Check out the icpa4kids.com website for more information, or give us a call or an email to see if we can be of help to you or your children.

9 week old with colic-made happier!

Picture a cute little 9 week old girl. She looks cute, but something from the tired look in the mother's eyes tells the observer that all is not well.

The mother explains that the little 'angel' basically never sleeps. She will take a short nap for 10 minutes and then wake up screaming.

In my office, the wee one cried as hard as I have ever seen a child cry and her face turned a bright red at the least movement or touch.

We checked her out for subluxations (spinal misalignments that can interfere with the body's normal energy and healing abilities). No surprise, she had a bunch of them.

After a very gentle touch to the neck, and a few other areas: (interspersed with the little girl's full throated-red-faced screaming), all of a sudden, she calmed down and started to yawn.

The Mom called later to say that for the first time in this little girl's 9 week existence, she laid down for a nap for 90 mins. and when she woke up she was happy!

Chiropractic helps little bodies and big ones to work better!!!

Check out the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association's website at: www.icpa4kids.com.