Protein: It's Not Just For The Hardcore Carnivore

Chiropractic medicine encompasses more than just bone and joint manipulation. Chiropractors realize that the whole body is a single entity, and that self-healing comes from the inside out. A proper diet is an important factor in anyone's search for wellness.

So, one of the things our practice discusses quite a bit is protein. Maybe, for your heart's sake, you are cutting back on red meat, or maybe on meat altogether. So, you are out of luck when it comes to protein, right? Not at all!

Protein, which is composed of amino acids, is vital for the proper growth and function of the human body. It is also essential for losing weight and keeping it off. Meat is the richest source of protein, but vegetarians can still get all they need of this essential nutrient.

Dairy and eggs are a great way to include protein in the diet. Vegans who choose to eschew dairy will have a harder time getting enough of the amino acids that they need, but with a little care, they too will be able to complete their protein requirements. The recommended daily amount of protein is 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men.
Here are some great non-meat sources for protein:

• Cheese. Low-fat mozzarella or cottage cheese provides the most protein of all the cheeses. Each has 32 grams of protein per 150 calorie serving.
• Tofu. A 50 calorie (3 ounce) serving of Tofu has around 7 grams of protein
• Beans. You can expect to get around 15 grams of protein from each half cup serving of beans. Mature soy beans, kidney beans and white beans are the best source.
• Spinach. Over 7 grams of protein are in one cup of spinach. Here's the odd part - cooked frozen spinach is your best source of protein. Raw spinach contains around 3.5 grams or half as much as the frozen.
• Eggs. There are 6 grams of protein in one large egg. Two thirds of that is contained in the white.
• Milk. Whole milk has about 14 grams of protein per cup. Skim and Soy milk can provide about 8 grams per cup.
• Broccoli. This nutritional powerhouse won't let you down when it comes to protein. It contains about 4.4 grams per one cup serving.
• Nuts and seeds. The most popular and readily available are sunflower seeds and peanuts which both contain 7 grams per ounce. Are you a fan of mixed nuts? They’re not all created equal, protein-wise, and come in at about 4 grams per ounce.

Looking for more ways to get more protein? Just ask on your next visit. We’re always here to help.

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Acai: Miraculous Weight Loss Miracle, Or Just Hype?

Acai. You see it everywhere – cleanses, weight-loss supplements, infomercials and talk shows.

The blueberry-like fruit from Brazil's acai palm certainly is trendy the past few years. You hear a lot about its antioxidant properties and positive impact on your health, but is it really the miracle cure those Internet weight-loss gurus want you to believe?

Maybe.

Acai berries, while high in antioxidants, may or may not be the weight-loss miracle the world has been awaiting. Any diet that incorporates daily balanced servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and protein promotes wellness and may help you lose weight. But the truth is, most of the research on acai has centered on its antioxidant properties and not on its ability to aid in weight loss. So, if this fruit has any sort of “miracle” weight-loss properties, science has yet to prove it.

Researchers have reached preliminary conclusions on the wellness properties of acai. Most are attributable to its high level of antioxidants:

• Research conducted at the University of Florida suggests that acai might be beneficial in destroying cancerous cells associated with leukemia.
• Acai aids in preventing serious conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
• The properties in acai help to heal and repair skin cell damage and to fight inflammation, making it a popular additive to skin creams and oils in the fight against aging.
• A single serving of acai has almost double the recommended daily allowance of fiber -- meaning it's beneficial in preventing constipation and in regulating digestion.
• Unlike most fruits, acai is high in monounsaturated fats. Foods high in these fats make you feel fuller for longer periods of time.

While clinical nutrition is the backbone of a good chiropractic treatment program and your overall wellness, that is not to say that you should necessarily count on acai as a booster for your weight loss plan. However, science has proven it to be a part of a healthy diet.

For weight loss, it’s better to focus less on hype surrounding one particular food or compound, and more on watching meals and portions and getting regular exercise. After all, those methods are backed by science.

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Easy There, Caffaholics... Put the Cup Down

For some people, especially in an office setting, those one to two cups of coffee a day can be a ritual. It might even be a habit. Caffeine is a part of some people's lives. Co-workers with stashes of “K-Cups” for the machine in the break room… that guy in the next cube with the stash of high-test caffeinated pop.

In a culture in which we see ads on TV for hyper-caffeinated drinks – "five-hour" this, "game fuel" that -- how much is too much?

This guy might have a problem

Caffeine is arguably the most massively-consumed drug in our entire history. No drug is as imposing, or as openly received. Though this certainly makes caffeine accessible, it does not make it free of side effects. Even proper consumption warrants a few more mild issues.

Organically, caffeine blocks a chemical known as adenosine from telling the brain that it needs or wants to relax. Aside from that, caffeine has two other side effects that impede you body from reaching its peak performance: 1) It dehydrates you, drying up water your body needs to process food. 2) It also hinders your body’s ability to absorb magnesium, which supports a healthy gastrointestinal tract, and helps your body metabolize carbs.

Caffeine affects people differently. Some may be able to consume 200 to 300 milligrams a day and face few of the side effects. This is not necessarily a recommended amount, but it is an amount which correlates with wellness, and lessened caffeine dependency.

Unfortunately, many people consume closer to 500 to 600 milligrams a day. The major issues with this intake amount are muscle tremors, restlessness, insomnia, and consistent nervousness including a faster steady heartbeat. Many chiropractic offices find these issues arising more and more in patients as the caffeine standard daily intake increases in our culture.

The most sinister side effect to caffeine consumption is cardiac arrhythmia, where the heart undergoes sporadic palpitations. This is essentially a caffeine overdose. Though it is not quite common considering the amount of people addicted to caffeine, it is still a major issue and intensely lessens your overall wellness.

Caffeine is sneaky, and available in much more than coffee – a list we found on Prevention’s website showed you can find it in Excedrin pain reliever (130 mg in a two-tablet dose), Ben and Jerry’s No Fat Fudge Frozen Yogurt (85 mg in one cup) and even a Hershey bar (12 mg). Now if you keep in mind that a chiropractor might recommend keeping your caffeine intake down to 100-200 milligrams a day (which equates to about 1 cup of coffee)… are you surprised?

Keep in mind that caffeine can affect different people in different ways, and building a tolerance to it may lessen the severity some of the side effects. However, if you consider the dehydration and nutritional consequences we’ve discussed here, it can’t hurt to consider looking at your caffeine intake more closely.

Maybe try it out for a couple weeks. See if you feel a difference. And feel free to let us know in the comments.

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