Stress and Toxicity: What's Going On?

I have written a few articles on Nutrition and Chiropractic over the years.  Sometimes I wonder...What's going On?  Why you ask?  Because some days I feel like Poop!  Most of the time it's because I overindulged the day before or even several days in a row.

Airport selfie!

Most of us go through ups and downs both emotionally and physically.  Financial stress and Family stress are probably the most common factors.  As my chiropractor says "There are 3 types of stress: Chemical, Physical and Emotional."

The Physical Stress I can try to manage with regular workouts, chiropractic adjustments and massage therapy.  When I say "regular" workouts I mean 3-4 times per week and incorporating cardio and weight lifting each time.  I'm not a big fan of some of the "fad" kill-yourself workouts mostly because I see the harmful effects of improper training when patients come into the office.

The Emotional Stress can be tough but there is one thing you can try to remember:  "You cannot control the people around you but you can try to control the way you react to them."  A wise women once said that to me and I have repeated it to myself many times.

The Chemical stress is a whole world in itself.  Proper nutrition and supplements are important.  I talked about the Nutrition of SPROUTS  last week and that was a very popular article.

Hydration is also very important.  Drinking adequate amounts of water every day can decrease your risk of weight gain, kidney stones and toxicity.  Not drinking enough water can also decrease digestive efficiency and organ function.
Do you drink filtered water, from the tap or bottled water? Could your water be making you sick?

From Arsenic-Laced Fluoride in Your drinking Water: 

Fertilizer Industry’s Arsenic-Tainted Fluoride Laced into Drinking Water of 150 Million Americans

Think drinking bottled water is the solution?  Studies show that bottled water is simply expensive tap water.

Toxicity can be a slow, silent killer.

The most common signs of toxicity are: 

• Fatigue
• Irregular bowel movements
• Acne
• Increased "belly" or spare tire
• Inflammation
• Headaches
• Constant bloating
• Excessive sweating
• Decreased libido
• Depression
• Reduced Metal Clarity

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it's time to figure out WHY?  
If you're looking for a simple, effective and cost-effective water filter Mary's Heirloom Seeds offers a solution.  Our filtration system is capable of filtering fluoride, arsenic, lead 99.99% Bacteria Removal and 99.9% Virus Reduction.

*Removes 100% of the e. coli in water*

The next step to consider is a 7-day, 14-day or 21-day detox program.  There are many options out there, which can be tailored to fit each lifestyle.

I have shared several detox recipes over at Mary's Kitchen

Detoxifying Smoothie to Fight Inflammation

Simple and Healthy Protein Shakes

 Foods to Fight Inflammation

MORE Foods to Fight Inflammation

SP Complete Shake recipe (part 1)

SP Complete Shake recipe (part 2)

Stay tuned for more health and nutrition info here at 

Back to the Basics and Mary's Kitchen!

This article has been published @ Natural News!!!!!

What is Chiropractic? My Success Story!

If you're newer to my blog you may not know the whole scoop.  My husband is a Chiropractor.  But that's not how I was introduced to chiropractic.  I have been a Chiropractic Assistant for almost 12 years.  Since I was 19!

I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here.  What is Chiropractic?
From ACA:
Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health.  Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.

Doctors of Chiropractic – often referred to as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians – practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.

And the biggest question: WHY should people get adjusted?
My simple answer...Health is wealth.  Your health is truly the only thing you own.  Your central nervous system runs through your spine.  Any disruption in the information going from your brain to the rest of your body may cause a disruption in body function.

My husband tells his patient "Only 10% of your nerves are for pain, 90% are for function.  So once you have pain you might already have significant damage."

I am NOT a doctor.  This is not intended as medical advise.
Are you ready for MY story?

When I was 9 years old I experience my very first Migraine.  This was no ordinary headache.  It started with "aura" (think tunnel vision only the outer area is bright blinding light), followed by light sensitivity, nausea, intense vomiting and a headache that would bring a grown person to their knees.  All of this at age 9!

My mom took me to the pediatrician and at some point I was given 800 mg of Ibruprofen for migraines.  THAT was a joke!  A "horsepill" for a kid and it did not "fix" anything.  I had X-rays and MRI at what age I have no idea.  Fast forward to 18 years old and I still get Migraines sometimes weekly, sometimes monthly and we still haven't figured out the "trigger."  I had seen several chiropractors and other doctors but nothing seems to work.  I tried just about every drug on the market at the time.

Fast forward to 24 years old...6 years ago.  I moved cross-country, divorced and the migraines are still coming on strong.  No medication I have taken has "cured" these intense, dibilitating headaches.  I let my boyfriend (now-husband) take a look at my x-rays and medical records.  He says he can help!  At this point I am skeptical because I have been getting adjusted and while it helped it did not "FIX" it.  But I'll try just about anything!
After just 1 of these specific cervical (neck) treatments I stopped having Migraines.

Here I am...6 Years after that first adjustment and I have not had a single migraine since.  Yes, I have had headaches...but no migraines.  I may not be "cured" and I will NEVER stop getting adjusted but I am happy that there is a drug-free, natural alternative for this "condition."

If you struggle with health-related issues Chiropractic might be the answer.  Check out the chart below!

If you are interested or have questions please feel free to contact me.  I am happy to help!!!

What can you Eat and Drink for All Day Energy?

This is a questions I get asked almost every day!  We operate a Chiropractic Wellness Clinic so we offer Nutrition and Weight Loss counseling along with chiropractic care.  I think nutrition is a very important part of our treatments.

So what do you Drink for energy?  NOT energy drinks!  
Here are a few suggestions:
-Water is KEY!  We drink a gallon or more of WATER every day.  Sound like a lot?  A gallon is only 4 - 16 ounce bottles!  A great way to jazz up plain water is to add cucumbers and/or mint.  My favorite addition to plan water is lemon slices.  As a special treat I make Basil Lemonade!

-GREENS from It Works!
**With 8+ servings of fruits and vegetables and a blend of 38 herbs and nutrient-rich superfoods, Greens provides naturally occurring, bioavailable vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and enzymes to give your already well-balanced diet a nutritional boost.**

-Stay away from high calorie, sugary "juice drinks."  This can sabotage your weight-loss goals

-Avoid chemical sweeteners and "calorie free" drinks like diet soda and crystal light.  The chemicals can cause your body to become toxic and bloat.  NOT a good idea!

So what DO you eat for energy?  Here are my suggestions:
-Eat food natural fat foods like oils, nuts and seeds.  These are a great source of Vitamin E
Try my HomeGrown Basil Walnut Pesto or Simple Pesto Pizza

-Potassium: (from Self) It aids in muscle contraction and regulates fluid and mineral balance when you sweat.  Top potassium picks include a baked potato (926mg), white beans (502mg per half cup), and tomato sauce (453mg per half cup)
Try my Smash White Bean Avocado Club

-Magnesium: It's essential for energy production and muscle function.  Just three ounces of halibut supplies 91mg. Don't eat fish? Choose a half cup of All-Bran cereal (110mg), cooked spinach (78mg), or black beans (60mg)
Try my Black Bean Burgers or Black Bean Tostadas with Texas Caviar 

Energy-Boosting snack ideas include:
Organic yogurt with natural cereal (not frosted flakes)
Hummus with carrots or snap peas
1/2 banana and apples slices
Almonds or walnuts
Spinach salad with white beans, walnuts and Creamy Chipotle dressing

That's all for now!
There is still time to enter the 
HUGE Heirloom Seeds Giveaway!  Ends Friday at midnight!

Sharing this healthy post HERE.

Breaking News on Health and Wellness

People who tackle diet and exercise at the same time do better at making healthy changes.

This news is SHOCKING!!!  (yes, this is sarcastic)

After a year of study, researchers state "It comes down to making them both priorities and thinking about both throughout the day," says lead researcher Abby King, professor at the Stanford (University) Prevention Research Center.
This study was posted in an article at USA Today.

Seriously???  
As a wellness-based Chiropractic Clinic we have been staring this groundbreaking information for many years. However, there are many do's and don'ts of both diet and exercise. Where to start might be what's keeping you from your goals.

In our office we offer weight loss and nutritional "health talks."  They include information on healthy eating, nutritional supplementation as well as proper stretching and exercise tips geared toward specific "conditions."

I have 3 tips today to share that should help you boost your results to help you acheive those goals.

1.  Check out the Awesome Abs video.  It's 8 specific ab exercises that can be done all at once or added one at a time gradually.  They are all on 1 short video.

2.  Protein Shake recipes.  Mary's Kitchen contains quite a few healthy recipes to get you started. 

source

3.  It Works!  Natural products like The Ultimate Body Applicator, Fat-Fighter, Greens and so much more.  If you are looking to tone, tighten and firm up this is a great opportunity!  If you are interested weight loss this might be for you!  Check out MY results after just 8 days! 
*After almost 2 months my results are even better!*

If you have questions about any of these just send me an email to mari_backtonature@yahoo.com 
I HIGHLY recommend It Works! to help boost your goals.  It helped get me motivated! 


Happy Earth Day!!! 

Rare form of Meningitis and Why I choose Chiropractic!

I'm taking a break from the Health Benefits of Herbs series to talk about a very important topic.

We sent out a newsletter alert to our friends, family and Chiropractic patients this week due to the recent outbreak of a rare form of Meningitis.  This is Meningitis is not contagious but instead caused by contaminated steroid injections.  Below is the newsletter.  PLEASE feel free to share this on facebook, your own blog or with your friends and family!!!

We don't normally send out multiple newsletters in a single month but this is just too important.

ALERT!

You may have already seen in the news that there has been a recent outbreak of a rare form of Meningitis.  What you may not have heard is that hundreds, potentially thousands of people may be at risk possibly due to contaminated steroid injections.  

"So far, 35 people have fallen ill with fungal meningitis and five have died after receiving shots in the spine."

You need to understand, that these shots are going into the same envelope that surrounds your brain. At this time, illnesses have been reported in Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Maryland and Indiana.

Many patients who choose to receive steroid injections for back pain are at their whit's end.  They feel that it is their last option and that if all else fails there is always surgery.  This is not true.  Chiropractic should be your first choice.  Statistics prove that less than 40% of back surgeries are successful.

Back pain is a serious issue. 

One we understand completely.

From the ACA, "Although chiropractors care for more than just back pain, many patients visit chiropractors looking for relief from this pervasive condition. In fact, 31 million Americans experience low-back pain at any given time.

• One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.
• Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work.  In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor's office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.

Chiropractic is a safe and cost effective alternative to pharmaceutical or surgical intervention.  If you or someone you know suffers from headaches, back or neck pain we encourage you to find out what Chiropractic can do for you!

Do you have pain due to an Injury?  I tell patients just about every day, "Pain is what brings people to the Chiropractor but we are about wellness." Chiropractic care provides relief for many people with a great number of health conditions.  I have had patients report increased energy, better sleep, improved golf game and less instances of headaches and migraines.  That's just the beginning! Has your child been injured? According to the CDC and AOSSM High school athletes account for an estimated 2 million injuries and 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations each year. More than 3.5 million kids under age 14 receive medical treatment for sports injuries each year. Children ages 5 to 14 account for nearly 40 percent of all sports-related injuries treated in hospitals. On average the rate and severity of injury increases with a child's age. Overuse injuries are responsible for nearly half of all sports injuries to middle and high school students

Remember, you don't have to live with pain.  We are here to help in any way we can.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You may or may not know that my hubby is a Chiropractor...No, he's an AMAZING Chiropractor.  He has helped me loose weight, feel better and I am pleased to report that I have not had a migraine in over 4 years!!!  If you have never seen a (good) Chiropractor you have no idea what you are missing.  If you have any questions about Chiropractic please feel free to ask.  

Chiropractic is safe for pregnant women, children and elderly.  The only side effects that I can report (for me) are increased energy, better sleep, NO migraines and less pain.  I'll take chiropractic over potentially deadly "modern medicine" such as injections, pharmaceuticals and surgery Thank you very much!

There is still time left to enter the Mary's Salsa Garden Pack Giveaway!

If you missed the Health Benefits of Herbs series so far, check it out HERE.

Linking up HERE.