September 6, 2016
Interest in the role stress plays with the dynamics of health has resulted in a proliferation of strategies designed to minimise or “manage” stress. [1] To many people, the very term “stress” elicits a negative response. Yet, the notion that stress is an enemy we must resist or manage betrays a widespread misunderstanding of the nature of stress and how it affects our lives. Indeed, it is adaptation to changes in the environment that differentiates the living from the non-living. Hans Selye Hans Selye pioneered investigations of the biological effects of stress in 1936 with the publication of his […]
September 6, 2016
Story at a glance Coffee is a highly complex beverage with hundreds of compounds; caffeine only makes up 2% of the coffee bean. Cholorogenic Acid (CGA) is a phenolic compound found in coffee that makes up about 12% of the bean. CGA has been shown to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes as well as having antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. Caffeine is the drug of choice for anyone wanting to get out of bed in the morning without feeling like Grumpy from The Seven Dwarfs. It’s the nectar that makes our mornings worthwhile and our mid-morning slump […]
September 1, 2016
Cesarean births have long been the subject of debate and concern, from the potential complications in the mother to the long-term health outcomes of the child. The C-section birth can’t always be avoided, with medical emergencies often making such deliveries life-or-death necessities in many cases. However, the data points to decreased health outcomes for Cesarean babies, who are more likely to have respiratory complications in those critical first days. Later on in life, they are more at risk of developing asthma and Type 1 diabetes, and are more likely to suffer from obesity than vaginal births [1]. The big question […]
August 30, 2016
Dr Mark Charrette (chiropractor) has been a busy man. Over the course of his chiropractic career, he has notched up nearly 1,800 seminar speaking appearances. It’s an impressive number, all in service of an area of chiropractic that he is passionate about – extremity adjusting. According to Dr. Mark, it’s an area that shouldn’t be an add on or an extra. Rather, it should be part of the everyday protocol for chiropractors. Since the mid-1990’s, Dr. Mark Charrette has been immersed in the research, neurology and teaching of extremity adjusting. This has lead him to a firm, research-based conclusion on […]
August 30, 2016
The neuroskeleton is a unique chiropractic model developed by DD Palmer. In 1995, Gaucher, Wiese, and Donahue acknowledged that Palmer was one of chiropractic’s greatest theorists and yet the profession has never made use of his concept of the neuroskeleton as a regulator of tension and of the subluxation as “a mishap that interferes with such regulation and requires an adjustment.”[1] Few chiropractors have read Palmer’s writings and fewer understand his central ideas. Thus, we should probably assume the profession doesn’t really know what he meant by the term. Chiropractors today could easily include Palmer’s model of the neuroskeleton. This […]
August 25, 2016
The concept of adaptation is one that is central to health and indeed to the chiropractic profession. We know the human body adapts to survive on a daily basis. We see this when we encounter a virus and the body adapts to shut it down. It also occurs when we have a fever and the body adapts to take care of it, thus returning the system to homeostasis. We even adapt when we eat, by extracting the nutrients from our food and expelling the toxins and waste products. When the body is unable to adapt to both the internal and […]
August 23, 2016
Story at a glance New studies suggest fidgeting is actually good for us. Fidgeting while sitting can protect the veins in the leg and possibly help in the prevention of vascular disease. Keeping in mind that fidgeting, whilst enormously valuable if you can’t walk around, is no substitute for standing or walking which produce a more overall cardiovascular benefit. We’ve all done it, tapped our toe in frustration, eager to be gone and off doing something more interesting. We’ve crossed our legs and moved our foot in timing with the music appreciating the beat as tho through the sole […]
August 23, 2016
Story at a glance 1. New advances in MRI scanning reveal the level of intelligence in the brain. 2. The more that different parts of the brain frequently connect with each other the higher the person’s level of IQ and creatively is. 3. This has the capacity to markedly advance the technology of Artificial Intelligence. It used to be that the only way you could work out if you qualified for a MENSA membership was by filling out a complicated IQ test, but not anymore. These days there’s a far more effective and simpler way of working out if you’ve […]
August 18, 2016
Story at a glance By combining four different scanning technologies researchers have been able to ascertain an unprecedented level of precision in identifying areas of the brain Whilst different scanning techniques show different sections, say connectivity or specialisation, what we haven’t been able to do up until now is to accurately compare the scans This mapping has allowed these scientists to increase the number of known areas in the cortex from 83 to 180, enabling them to add different areas to the brain that we previously thought had already been classified This means that we now have the opportunity […]
August 18, 2016
Story at a glance 1. Extracurricular activities may be depriving your children of using their innate imagination and intelligence. 2. Psychologists are suggesting that over scheduling kids is unnecessary and ultimately a disservice to them. 3. Boredom is crucial for developing internal stimulus, which then allows for true creativity. “Mum I’m bored!” It’s probably the catch cry of the school holidays, not to mention the weekends and anytime after school that your kids are not booked into some sort of extracurricular class. Particularly in our middle class world, there’s a propensity towards over committing our children to a rigorous engagement […]
August 16, 2016
Story at a glance Scientists at Yale University have been studying the effects of the rhinovirus, the common cold virus. The rhinovirus multiply far more aggressively in colder temperatures than they do at higher temperatures. Our antiviral response system is lower in colder temperatures and more robust at higher ones. Winter has well and truly set in and as we rug up against the cold. Those common signs of sneezing and sniffling are all around us, so is it true, does the cold weather make us more susceptible to catching colds? Or is it just an old wives’ tale? Turns […]
August 11, 2016
Story at a glance The gut has a diverse range of bacteria, called gut micorbiota. A healthy gut is full of balanced micorbiota. Dysbiosis is the shift away from normal micorbiota, which may cause some diseases. Scientists are studying microbiota to help understand the nature of gastrointestinal, autoimmune and even brain disorders. The health of your gut influences mental health and vice versa. In our previous blog we discussed the scientific discovery of the second brain, not located in your noggin where you’ll find your first brain, but oddly, in your gut. The lining of the gut with its complex […]
August 9, 2016
Story at a glance The human gut has a brain of its own. Scientist are now calling it the ‘second brain.’ Gut instinct is a biological function of the ‘second brain.’ 90% of your body’s serotonin lies in your gut. We’ve heard it a dozen times if not a million. Trust your gut instincts; listen to your gut feelings. Why do we keep referring to our gut as a source of wisdom and insight? Well science might have something to say about that. We all know that connection between our brain and our gut. It can be as heavy as […]
August 9, 2016
Story at a glance Denmark rated happiest place to live by UN World Happiness report after rating highest in seven categories. They have strong economic growth that is harnessed by paying high taxes that are used to support the general community at large. They have a national word Hygge that means self-care, cosiness and enjoying life, which underpins their social fabric. No small task to be the happiest place on earth but the Danes seemed to have romped it in, coming first on the UN World Happiness Report for 2016. So what’s so special about Denmark that has all […]
August 4, 2016
Think of BDNF as a high performance protein powder that helps you build muscles at the gym, but for your brain cells. Instead of it influencing the size of your biceps it influences the quality and quantity of your brain cells. Your brain pumps out a series of neurotrophins. Neurotrophins are a family of proteins that are involved in making neurons. Whilst there are a variety of neurotrophins at work in your brain, BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is regarded as the most active and the most important protein in your body. Without it you cannot make new brain cells. And […]
August 2, 2016
Story at a glance: Walking through doorways does really cause us to forget Events are processed one at a time and concentrating on something takes up most of our thought processes Different parts of memory compete with each other Ever had that moment where you walk into a room to get something only to completely forget why you’re there? You’ve probably done it so many times you might even start wondering if you’ve got a dodgy memory! Well there’s two pieces of good news, one, you don’t. Your memory is fine! And two, you’re not alone! In fact you’re […]
August 2, 2016
The quest for health and wellness has many of us heading down the road of the organic or low chemical. It’s a smart choice, as pesticides and herbicides are thought to have some very real effects on health. But often, it’s the little things that sabotage our organic efforts. Ground zero can be cosmetics – the chemical soups that we put on our skin in order to ‘get cute’ of a morning. First up, know beauty comes from the inside. Therefore you’re cute already (insert other beauty-related platitudes here). If you’re still not keen on quitting cosmetics (and we don’t […]
July 29, 2016
Click here to read more about this published study.