At Westlake, we are set up to optimize your wellness strategy. Only a couple labs in the entire country have the ability to test Telomere length from a blood test. As discussed on Dr. Oz and other media outlets, the Telomere is the end piece of your DNA. As we age, it shortens in response to stress, nutrition, diet, exercise and more. Getting tested can tell you your biological age in relation to your chronological age and give you an idea if what you are doing or not doing to stay healthy is helping or hurting you.

 For example, a triathlete may have a low score if they are exercising too heavily on a regular basis and not doing everything possible to reduce the oxidation damage via nutrition and diet. Just like a car engine running on nitrous to get a burst of speed, running your body hard creates more free radicals and those can shorten Telomeres.

Cancer and other chronic diseases also can shorten your DNA. In some case examples, those with a very good score (80%) were being tested a year later as a wellness exam and were found to be down at (30%) comparatively. This was a sign of a very serious problem and ended up being the screen that found their early stage disease.

Along with Omega-3 Index, fasting glucose and Hba1c, telomere testing is fast becoming a standard for assessing your health. Interested in getting tested? We offer the test through our clinic and can navigate you through your results and help you understand how to improve your score.

DOCTORS SCORE: 9 OUT OF 10, TAKE DAILY, VERY BENEFICIAL

What is the big deal about WHEY PROTEIN and what are your options? The options are Nondenatured whey protein or whey protein isolate.

 Whey is a bi-product of cheese production. Previously, the excess whey was discarded or fed back to cows due to its healthy components until it was discovered to be a super food filled with immune boosting elements. Whey protein is a complete protein source that also contains metabolically friendly compounds - even small amounts of healthy fats. Whey comes from cows, and thus you want to know your whey isn't laced with antibiotics and growth hormones. However, 98% of the whey out there is the bad version, known as 'protein isolate' and likely contains many things you didn't pay for. Even though the FDA just recently (2012) ruled that these large companies can no longer blanket boost their cattle with antibiotics, it will take years to have that policy enforced, and those chemicals aren't the only issue when you go with ISOLATE from grain fed cattle. When cattle are sick, their milk is not healthy either.

 The alternative is whey protein derived from grass fed, hormone free, antibiotic free pasture raised cattle. This whey contains vital components and micronutrients that are also present in mother's milk in other mammals like humans. Not only do you get the complete protein, you get one of the best known immune stimulants available. Remember, mother's milk in its raw form should impart immunity to the growing baby. Whey Protein ISOLATE does not benefit from these things because the heat applied during processing destroys the complete proteins and the immune molecules. Trust me when I say you can taste the difference. Isolate tastes artificial because the denatured protein fragments are not something our body recognizes. The non-denatured whey, when blended, tastes delicious and the energy and boost is immediate. It also gets extra frothy like a latte in a normal blender, isolate does not.

 Body builders and gyms will try and sell you the isolate because they say it still contains all the protein building blocks called amino acids. What does it matter that the proteins are all broken down to their basic building blocks? A lot, actually. Once you feel and taste the difference, you'll never eat isolate ever again. In fact, isolate can cause some people to feel sick or upset. Those with lactose intolerance can eat both versions, but may do better on the healthy version.

 I have scoured the internet for a good source of this new and properly processed whey and have found some for wholesale distribution. If you are serious about the benefits of nondenatured whey, contact my office. As always, I believe in optimizing your health so you can live as long as possible with as much energy as ever. This product is one of my TOP 3 recommended daily supplements along with Omega-3 and Vitamin D.

When it comes to heart disease and cancers, the two leading causes of early death in our great nation, one thing is a huge marker for the prediction of these diseases. That thing is: INFLAMMATION. Signs of excess inflammation of the body or brain include: chronic fatigue, chronic tiredness, lack of motivation, extra weight, depression, migraines and more.

 Let's think about this from the perspective of your brain. Dementia and other degenerative diseases of the brain are going to be at epic highs as the baby boomers reach old age. Is this normal for humans? It is not. What we are finding now is that the oxidative damage from free radicals is the direct cause of aging in our brain and in our organs. This can occur from direct physical trauma, which causes an inflammation cascade, or it can be caused chemically. The diet is the primary cause of chemical trauma in humans. Other environmental factors definitely count, such as BPA in plastic containers, but research is now showing brain cells are injured by many of the things we eat daily. For example, tap water contains copper, which crosses the blood brain barrier and oxidizes our brain cells, causing damage. Drinking water after reverse osmosis (most bottled water) is the best way to assure purity, but most filters are a good first step in reducing excess copper.

How do you combat this damage? Namely, specific antioxidants and Omega-3 oils. When taken in large doses, clinical trials are showing dramatic improvements in brain regeneration whether the trauma was a concussion, or chemically induced.

In response to the overwhelming need from my patients to know where the holes in their antioxidant protection are, I will be putting together a program which includes blood testing. These tests examine up to 300 different indicators of micronutrient deficiency and can also test the length of your DNA directly, the most cutting edge observation of how 'aged' you are at the cellular level. Once we get your results, we can recommend a personalized strategy for filling in the biggest nutrient gaps.

Until then, it is crucial you reduce your intake of sugars and grains, both of which promote inflammation. Grains contain a poor balance of oils, so do many vegetable oils. Olive oil is still very good. So is canola oil. The rest, like cottonseed oils and such, should be avoided. Too many of the wrong fats and not enough Omega-3s has been linked to double digit risks of heart disease and cancer. So take that flax seed or those fish oil supplements, but make them good ones, you don't need extra mercury in your diet!

 It comes up so often now, I can't help but continue to write blogs about it to help my patients. The Paleo Diet, an ancestral way of eating, is actually very easy to do. By consuming more fat (also a better balance of types of fat) you never have to feel like you are starving. You can reduce your carbohydrates to a much smaller portion of your daily calories and you lose weight so fast it will make your head spin. If I had not done the research and seen the animal and human studies to prove it, I would not have believed that we are meant to eat fat, not sugar and starches as our primary fuel source. So great are the immediate energy gains, I regularly talk about this way of living in reference to having a more Happy and Energetic Life with better sleep and better day time focus. This way of eating dramatically alters how you feel, the benefits are immediate and obvious. Critical to this, however, is removing sugars and starches to very low levels so your body can normalize and get used to consuming fats instead of sugars. It can take a few days up to a couple weeks. I usually ask those who take it on to stop exercising so they have less caloric need to fulfill, otherwise they might think they should eat more carbs to satisfy their built up sugar addiction. The truth is, once your body starts eating fat permanently, you can cheat on sugars occasionally without having huge setbacks. Below is the new age, research supported food pyramid. This pyramid isn't based on Wheat and dairy lobby or government and institutional opinions that are old and hard to change. I pulled this from Mark's Daily Apple, an excellent source for all things Paleo.

Well, the short answer is LOTS of things.

 After the media filters and spits out various health stories, many of them not true, we the consumer are left with "take your Emergen-C and feel better". Reality is, most Vitamin needs are met by a balanced diet. If you want to spend money on what really matters, lengthening your life and looking younger, bet on antioxidants both internally and externally.

Oxygen is critical to our energy pathways. That's why we breathe after all. However, the side effect is aging. Oxygen is damaging and so are many of the chemicals we are exposed to via diet and environment.

I read a recent study that put a free radical scavenger (antioxidant) in large doses into the meals of mice. This particular substance, known as C60, lengthened the lifespan of the mice by up to 75% with no extra caloric restrictions. That's important, because the fewer calories you eat, the longer you live as well. (so sad, I know) It would appear that this is possibly the most potent experimental antioxidant tested in organic life forms. However, it has yet to be deemed safe for human consumption. That being said, there are some old school very powerful antioxidants available today at any natural food store. If taken consistently, these will improve all aspects of health and "preserve" you against damage.

 My favorites are

- Asthaxanthin (maybe one of the most powerful) Make sure it comes with some type of oil so that it is readily absorbed.

- Resveratrol (wine extract)

- CoQ10 - this is also vital for metabolic function and brain function.

Taking all these at least 5 days a week for many years could greatly lengthen your life and prevent cellular aging and damage.

The Primal Blueprint and its sister manual the 21 day meal plan.

The Paleo Diet by Loran Cordain (the godfather of research in this movement)

For the science geeks out there: Good Calories, Bad Calories by Taubes

Read all those and you are on your way.

http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/07/07/the-china-study-fact-or-fallac/

 This one is for the real food nerds. But the summary is that a huge epidemiological study known as the China Study suggests that the correlation of meat to cancers is completely bogus. However, just as many attempt to use these studies to prove that protein and fat do cause cancer and disease, we can't just take this study at face value.

 What we need is to take these results and test them in a more controlled way. Oh wait! They have! Hands down, Atkins style high fat and meat diets rank better for reducing heart disease risk and diabetes in major university studies. Get on the band wagon, grass fed, properly processed meats are essential like taking your fish oil and vitamins. Can you survive without them? Sure, but you won't thrive.

I'm happy to report that in the next few weeks we will be upgrading not only our software and computers to better help our patients, but also remodeling our space!

 The new software will allow finger scan check in, online form fill out for new patient paperwork that automatically populates into our charts at the office, and other conveniences that will make your visit as a patient more seamless and relaxing. We will also have iPad integration for forms and updates that some special cases must fill out to track progress under care. 

 As the owner and doctor at Westlake Chiropractic, I have been caught saying more than once that the "Aquafresh" scrubs color on our walls may be leaving as well very soon. All together, we hope to engage our trusting patients from a new perspective, one of a caring, natural spa like environment. We hope our established patients enjoy the changes and that any of you out there who consider us in the future have the best first impression possible.

 This is going to be a lot of fun and even more surprises are on the way, such as a NEW WEBSITE! Stay tuned for videos, an updated blog/newsletter and helpful resources you can check in on whether you are a patient or not. We look forward to better serving our community through our new design and function changes!

This is a great example of a walking desk environment. Keep in mind you aren't jogging, or even walking at a standard stride. You are taking a step every second or less. It's more of a mild way of not standing static in one place. So, if you feel like trying this at work isn't worth the fuss, remember these motivating facts:

- Your heart works twice as hard because your legs are being used. This will dramatically reduce your chance of future heart attack and extend your life.

- You will burn 500 calories average more per day. That's like walking hills for an hour at the gym. Maybe you won't go to the gym anymore if you have a walking desk. That's good enough!

- You will have MORE energy at the end of the day because your circulation is keeping you fresh. Sitting all day stagnates your body and creates drowsiness. You might save yourself some money on coffee this way!

Recently, my receptionist Georgia, whom many of you know, had been diagnosed with fluid in the ears my her primary care medical doctor. Not a fan of taking antibiotics for mild issues, Georgia asked me if there was anything chiropractic could do. The answer was YES.

 There is an easy procedure we do that involves taking a gloved finger through the mouth to push softly and quickly on the place where your inner ear canal drains into the back of your throat. The push takes only a split second and the finger is withdrawn. By pushing on that tube opening, then quickly releasing, a suction is created that unclogs the canal. It worked wonders and she could feel the fluids draining out almost immediately. This can be attempted on children as well, since they most typically have fluid in the ears that antibiotics may not be effective for. In fact the AMA is attempting to get MDs to stop prescribing antibiotics so often because research shows the prescription does not reduce the number of days that infection exists for many kids. Possibly, performing this maneuver more regularly would prevent the overuse of antibiotics. On adults, the distance from mouth to Eustachian Tube opening is a bit longer, and so it is more difficult to reach, but still tolerable for such an immediate benefit.

Low back pain in young athletes is much more common than you think. Disc herniation is rare before the 18-30 group, so this is not typically on our short list of possible issues. However, when the student is tumbling, dancing or cheer-leading these are the main possibilities:

1. Facet Syndrome: Basically, too much pressure between the face to face contact inside a joint. After adjustment, an air gap protects these two faces for 24 hours so they can calm down. After multiple adjustments, the effect is compounded. Return to activity is almost immediate, even if treatment continues to completion afterwards. Can be pinching, tight, or just achy.

2. Trapped tissue: We have lots of soft tissue. When you are as flexible as the young, you can stretch outside of your comfortable range. When the bones come back together, they can pinch down on tissues, not unlike trapping a finger in a door. Then, each time they move in the wrong plane, it is not unlike someone leaning on that door with the finger still trapped - it hurts! These are usually sharp and very tender. Massage can even make them worse. Once the adjustment releases the tissue, it can take 24-48 hours for relief as the inflammation goes down. Then the rest resolves within a week or two. There is a critical window of continued care on these. While the tissue is inflammed, it is easily "caught" again because it is swollen. Imagine this is like when you've bitten your cheek on the inside and because it sticks out more, you keep irritating it.

3. Worst case scenario: A Pars fracture: Two "bridges" of bone connect the vertebra round body to the back part of the spine. There is one bridge on each side and the spinal cord is between. Hyper extension, such as with gymnastics can cause these to fracture. Treatment is not chiropractic and requires a thin, but plastic brace be worn around the torso for many months to brace for the healing. These are rare, but not uncommon. If the athlete fell hard on the butt, which happens in snowboarding a lot, axial pressure straight up through the spine can cause vertebral body crush fractures. These are usually not dangerous, but do cause a lot of pain. These also usually cause scar tissue that starts to be annoying 1-2 years after the injury. Chiropractic during the early phase may prevent this, but it can also be very helpful later after healing has completed.

I was recently talking with some of my fellow doctors about treatment plans and how often we see patients when they first present a new issue. One of the younger doctors could not imagine seeing someone every single day during an entire week. He was wondering why that would be necessary.

 Case example: If you have a disc herniation, it is terribly debilitating. You may have to use a bowl for the bathroom because you can't move or get out of bed you are in that much pain when you even roll over. When that kind of case somehow walks in your office, it is every day for a week until it gets under control. This is an extreme case of course.

 So what about average back pain? We typically start with 3 times a week, even though most chiropractors would rather see you every day, maybe at least for the first three days to get things moving. We are literally altering how your body works and moves, so spreading out the appointments may be convenient for the patient, but it can often set things back or lead to slower progression toward better health. I consider myself an ethical doctor, only prescribing what my patient's really need. Unfortunately, the population is used to seeing doctors once, or twice for a followup, getting a medication, and then never coming back.

Chiropractors are different. Imagine each treatment we give is like a pill. Would you stop taking your antibiotics every other day so you could finish them SLOWER? No, you'd take them every day until you beat that infection. This is a better perspective to keep.

 I recently had my own acute low back pain. I started doing as much treatment as I could give myself and realized that I was doing it every day, sometimes twice a day so I could feel better and get this issue over with. Even my 'bad problem' patients getting only 3 times a week suddenly felt like I was shorting them from getting better more quickly. The irony being, even with bad pain, my patients find it very hard to prioritize their health. They just live with it, even if it means seeing me only 3 times a week to start and working our way down to once a week.

Everything you need to know cut down to the basics based on evidence in the literature.

 Nutrition

Eat anti-inflammatory diet. Eat many veggies and fruit, uncooked as much as possible. Nuts and olive products. High quality protein, wild, grass-fed, range-fed red meat, fish. Avoid caffeine and refined sugars.

Exercise

At least 4 days a week. Interval training in 20 minutes. bursts of 30-60 seconds of maximum heart rate, followed by 60% rate for a couple minutes, then repeat. Could be biking, swimming, treadmill, rowing, running. Faster workout, better health benefits and fat burns much faster. Trainers use this technique frequently. Use resistance exercise almost daily if you can, up to one hour. Does not have to be super intense, just make sure you keep muscles strong, which improves insulin resistance. Too much exercise at high intensity over a lifetime is actually proven to shorten lifespan. Moderation is good here, but most exercising at their max are really only in the moderate level.

Vitamins and Supplements

trans-Resveratrol 250mg or more a day - mimics biological effects of starvation, which works at DNA level on rejuvenation of cells. One of the best anti-aging effects known so far, extending the life of yeast cells by up to 80%.

 Use ginger, turmeric, curcumin in both cooking and as supplements. Major anti-inflammatory. Curcumin is so good big pharma tried to patent it as an anti-inflammatory medication.

Vitamin D at least 2000 IU a day both men and women. Selenium, B vitamins, Coenzyme Q10, Omega-3 fatty acids.

 These have all been shown to increase life expectancy in rat and animal studies.

Once again, we are reminded through research that the old concept of fat being bad is completely wrong. Here is a link to Dr. Mercola's (D.O.) blog, his assertions are the same advice I give all my patients with unexplained metabolic disorders, depression, heart disease risk factors, diabetes and weight loss issues. EVERYONE should hear this message and change behavior. Often, the most insidious of problems are in some of the healthiest bodies I see.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/12/the-big-fat-lie.aspx?e_cid=20111012_DNL_art_1