Wow! Here we are at the end of the year. Amidst the shopping, gathering with friends and family, closing out your year end, making a trip to play in the snow, and trying to stay warm; take the time to enjoy each moment. Even the stuck in traffic or in line at your favorite super store moments. Smile, take a breath and change your perspective.

Over eating and low back pain: I know it sounds weird but yes, your low back can react with pain when you over eat. The stomach and the intestines have smooth muscles that move the food along and these muscles can pull the back out of alignment. Not to mention the slouching on the couch trying to digest massive amounts of food after sitting for hours at the table.

What to do: Moderate your eating amounts. Eat slowly so you will know when you are full and you will eat less. Go for a leisurely walk after your meal. Use Zypan, Multizyme and AF Beta food supplements to help digest foods, emulsify fats and improve your digestion. (Supplements available here in the office) Intermittent fast before and after your big meals.

Zypan: increases your stomach acid and decreases the ph. A low ph is necessary to close the sphincter at the top of your stomach. The low ph also stimulates the pancreases and liver to secrete the digestive enzymes and salts needed to digest food.

Multizyme: during the holidays: many of us stop eating raw fresh fruits and vegetable. Who wants something cold when it is cold out side? So we eat a lot more cooked stuff. This isn’t all bad as cooking does unlock more nutrients from things like broccoli and Brussels sprouts. The problem is cooking denatures enzymes. Enzymes that are denatured don’t work. Meaning your food can’t fully digest. This means the food isn’t broken down into small enough molecules for your body to absorb. Sometimes cramps can be a result of this lack of absorption.

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Probiotics and your gut environment: A big part of digestion is done by good bacteria. These bacteria thrive in a good environment created by fermented cabbage like sauerkraut and Kim chi, kambucha, green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, beet greens as well as fiber.

A few foods high in prebiotics:

• Lentils, chickpeas and beans

• Oats

• Bananas

• Jerusalem artichokes

• Asparagus

• Garlic

• Leeks

• Onions

• Nuts

What ruins the digestive environment and allows bad bacteria to thrive are:

• Emulsifiers found in highly processed food. (Keeps processed foods moist so found in breads, cakes, doughnuts, cookies)

• Alcohol of any kind

• Lack of sleep

• Lack of physical activity

• Stress that is uninspiring

So avoid those immediately above.

Some other good for your gut stuff is dark chocolate, especially for the colon.

Researchers have found that healthy gut bacteria also improves your mood!

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Some things I can do with chiropractic to help:

• Adjust the nerves that control digestion and back pain that are found in the neck mid and low back.
• Use the vibracusser on your abdomen to stimulate the colon to move the food along.
• Sometimes the illiosecal valve gets stuck opened or closed leading to back pain which can be released through organ manipulation.

With Warm Wishes,
Dr Ken

Photo by Gor Davtyan on Unsplash