Devine Chiropractic & Rehab Center in Seattle

 

At Devine Chiropractic & Rehab Center, we treat many runners for overuse injuries.

By using gentle, specific manipulations we are able to free stiff joints, restore normal movement, and get you out of pain. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, we use the most cutting-edge therapies such as the Graston Technique and Kinesio-taping to treat running injuries.

 

After you are free from pain, we encourage you to follow a program of rehabilitation exercises to help strengthen the injured area, improve flexibility and prevent a recurrence of the problem.

 

Here is an overview of the most common running injuries treated by Dr. Devine and his associates at Devine Chiropractic Center.

 

Plantar Fasciitis

Cause: stretching or tearing the connective tissue on the bottom of the foot where the tissue attaches to the heel.
Symptoms: Pain in a specific area on the bottom of the foot towards the heel, possibly radiating towards the ball of the foot. The foot feels tender early in the morning and becomes less painful with movement. Plantar Fasciitis is often associated with pronation and a fallen arch.
Prevention: regular stretching of the calf and Achilles tendon. It is important that the feet are assessed for any biomechanical problems. Orthotics or insoles may also be prescribed.

 

Bursitis or Tendonitis

An irritation of fluid filled sac which sits under the tendon.

Cause: friction, trauma, pressure or dysfunction.

Symptoms: Pain and stiffness on movement.

 

Achilles Tendonitis

The Achilles tendon is the connection between the heel and the calf and is a very common site for a disabling injury. If your Achilles tendon is sore, get it treated immediately. It is important that the feet are assessed for any biomechanical problems. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, custom-made orthotics may be prescribed.

 

Shin Splints

Cause: Bad posture, poor shoes, fallen arches, insufficient warm-up, muscle fatigue, exercising on unyielding surfaces or poor running mechanics.
Symptoms: pain or discomfort on the front, the inside and/or the outside surface of the shin bone or directly on the shin bone.
Prevention: Good shoes with shock absorbing features, heel-toe landing for minimum impact and calf stretches. Sports taping will also help.

 

Stress Fractures

These small fractures occur due to excessive stress (overuse of the bone) or an increase in intensity or distance running, resulting in gradual breakdown of the bone.
Symptoms: Pain in the foot and lower leg that increases in intensity with weight bearing activity.

 

Ankle Sprain

Running on uneven terrain or slipping off a curb or stepping into in a pot hole can lead to an ankle sprain.
Treatment: Treat immediately. Rest - Ice - Compression (gentle) and Elevation.

Ice should be applied for about 15 minutes at a time, with 15 minute rests between each application.

 

How to Avoid Running Injuries

• Most running injuries occur from over-training. Evaluate your training schedule and alternate running with other activities, such as swimming, to prevent overusing the same muscles.
• Increases in distance and intensity should be gradual. Distance should only be increased by about 10% per week.
• Alternate the intensity of your workout with hard days and easy days each week and devote one or two days each week to non-running activities to allow your body to recover.
• Stretch regularly to help reduce injuries.
• Replace your running shoes ever 350-550 miles.
• Ask Dr. Devine to assess your running technique and running posture.
• Run on soft surfaces such as dirt paths to lessen the impact.
• When muscles are fatigued they don't absorb as much impact, so stop running before you get tired. 
• Ask Dr. Devine to recommend specific lower-body exercises to strengthen your leg muscles so that they will be able to absorb more of the impact.
• Pain is a warning signal.  To prevent developing a chronic problem, do not run through pain.

 

 

 

 

 

Chiropractic during pregnancy is safe and beneficial for both mother and baby.  Periodic spinal checkups will help you feel better throughout your pregnancy and allow you to have a safer, easier delivery.

Physiological and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy cause the following changes that could result in a misaligned spine or joint:

• Protruding abdomen and increased back curve  - As your pregnancy progresses, the weight of the baby will cause your lower back will sway as your center of gravity moves forward.
• Pelvic changes - Hormone levels increase during pregnancy and cause joints and ligaments to loosen.
• Postural adaptations - Your abdominal muscles become stretched as the baby grows and are less able to keep your lower back in proper alignment.

Establishing pelvic balance and alignment is an important reason to obtain chiropractic care during pregnancy. When the pelvis is misaligned it may reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby. A misaligned pelvis may make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery.

Chiropractic care during pregnancy provides many benefits for women including:

• Maintaining a healthier pregnancy
• Controlling symptoms of nausea
• Reducing the time of labor and delivery
• Relieving back, neck or joint pain
• Preventing unneeded cesarean section

It is not difficult to be adjusted while you are pregnant. Chiropractors are trained to adjust the spines of pregnant women and use special techniques that will not put pressure on your abdomen.

I have even adjusted patients even during labor, which is when a lot of shifting happens in the mother’s pelvic area.

Dr. Devine practices in downtown Seattle at Devine Chiropractic & Rehab Center.  He has been helping patients for 20 years and has helped hundreds of women have a more comfortable pregnancy.  Call 206-623-2225 today and schedule a free evaluation, exam and treatment.

Give us the next 12 weeks to partner with you as you:

• Lose weight
• Increase muscle tissue
• Increase mental alertness and calmness
• Lower your blood pressure and cholesterol
• Reduce your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses
• Decrease your joint pains
• Decrease your panic attacks
• Decrease your emotional breakdowns

A joint scientific statement in 2004 from the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association asserted that: Cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes account for nearly two of every three deaths in the United States. These are largely diseases of diet. These organizations all state boldly that the first line of therapy is diet and exercise. Yet neither these organizations nor the medical establishment have been able to provide people with a successful means to treat the cause of their health problems or incorporate good health practices in their lifestyle.

Our FirstLineTherapy™ does both. It really works. It’s like a lifeline with supportive people helping you get on board. And it actually addresses the underlying causes of chronic disease.

FirstLineTherapy™ is based on scientific research. It was created from the desire to prevent disease, rather than “manage the disease,” with drugs and expensive medical procedures.

This is not a diet. We will show you how to embrace a lifestyle modification so you feel better now and have a higher quality of life in the future. Give us 12 weeks and we will:

• Show you how to make healthy choices when you go to restaurants and to friends’ houses (that one is a little trickier).
• Show you a social structure for nutritional and lifestyle change, so that it is easier to stay “on the wagon” of health.
• Improve your body composition by reducing the total fat and increasing the total amount of muscle in your body, so that your shape changes – you lose the spare tire, the abdominal fat, and gain shapeliness.
• Address symptoms of chronic inflammation:
• Allergy symptoms typically improve or disappear
• High blood sugar and high insulin levels typically become normalized
• Joint pain lessens
• Help you get started on an exercise program.

The average time frame for successful modification of a habit occurs at about 45 days. Between weeks 3 and 6 people will struggle with change. Our bodies seem to release toxicity in a 21-day cycle, which coincides with the times of struggle. Once you get as far as the 7th or 8th week, you will do well, because your habits will be modified. The first six weeks are crucial times for forming new habits of lifestyle. That’s why it takes teamwork to be successful.

So, how does FirstLineTherapy™ work and what do you do?

Week 1:

• Comprehensive Clinical Tests
• Initial consultation to review test results, determine your health goals and establish your course of lifestyle therapy
• You’ll receive a guidebook, instructions, and advice about nutritional supplements
• Begin your program

Weeks 2-5

• Weekly visits for lifestyle counseling

Week 6

• Re-testing to evaluate your progress and identify any needed program adjustments

Weeks 7-11

• Bi-weekly visits for lifestyle counseling

Week 12

• Re-testing to evaluate your progress
• If your goals have been achieved, a maintenance program may be prescribed to ensure that your health improvements are maintained

During the comprehensive clinical tests which include medical history we also perform a bioimpedance analysis (BIA). This measures body composition, including both percentage of body fat and lean body mass. This test allows us to track your progress over time because it gives us a reading on many aspects of your body including your lean body mass, phase angle (which indicates health on a cellular level), body cell mass and intracellular water (which measure the water inside your cells), extracellular cell mass ( to measure amount of water found outside your cells) fat mass, basal metabolic rate and body capacitance (the ability of nutrients to move into the cell and waste to move out).

We will work with you to balance your blood sugar levels. As you feast on sugary foods, your blood sugar zooms up. Alarms go off. Your body releases a hormone called insulin to bring your blood sugar back into the acceptable range. Insulin then stores excess calories as fat in the event of a future famine. And high levels of insulin suppress two other important hormones – glucagon and growth hormone – that burn fat and promote muscle development.

Insulin is the key to the vast majority of chronic illness. Fortunately, insulin is most easily influenced by diet and exercise. In fact, some diabetics are able to avoid medication with a steady exercise regimen.

With FirstLineTherapy™ we are able to decrease insulin stimulation through dietary changes, and to increase the responsiveness of the cells to insulin through specific supplements.

With FirstLineTherapy™, our nutrition and lifestyle educator Patrick Martin, Jr., will work one-on-one with you, as your coach. Patrick will monitor your cholesterol and BIA frequently to monitor progress.

He’ll show you what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and snacks in between.

He’ll meet with you every week so you can really, truly, reach for your goals and obtain them.

Let us do what we do best so you can be your best.

Introducing, Patrick Martin, Jr., our Lifestyle Educator.

Patrick Martin, Jr. was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest by a family oriented in health care. Over time, Patrick developed a profound interest in health and wellness; more specifically nutrition and clinical counseling. In 2008 Patrick Completed the Holistic Health Counselor Certification program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition / Teachers College Columbia University in Manhattan, New York, the largest and most comprehensive school of Integrative Nutrition. Patrick is certified as a Lifestyle Educator for Metagenics First Line Therapy program. Patrick is recognized as an expert in his field and continues to assist people in achieving optimal health and overall wellbeing.

When Patrick is not consulting, he works on continuing education, works with homeless and/or displaced youth, and enjoys the outdoors, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. Patrick has a sincere interest in personal fitness and is continually working toward his goal of improved flexibility & strength.

Call (206) 623- 2225 or see the front desk for a sign up sheet to reserve your complimentary consultation; a $25.00 value

Because I believe that prevention is the best cure, I have never taken a flu shot and I have not caught the flu in over three decades.  By being adjusted regularly and following these simple guidelines you will keep your immune system in optimal working order and be far less likely to acquire the infection.  – Dr. Devine

Summer is over and the question I am being asked most frequently in my practice is, "What do I do about Swine flu?" My patients are wondering whether or not they should get vaccinated and the simple answer I give most of the time is ..NO!

From what you may have read, you might think that the swine flu vaccine is the answer to swine flu. Unfortunately this is not true and until we know that the vaccine is safe, I cannot in good conscience recommend it to most of my patients. This is why am I not recommending the swine flu vaccine.

Here are my top 10 recommendations:

1) Optimize your vitamin D level

Adequate levels of Vitamin D are essential for our immune systems to function optimally. Unfortunately there are no significant dietary sources of Vitamin D. Most of our intake comes from exposure to sunlight. If you live far from the equator, you simply don't get enough sun through Fall and Winter to make all the vitamin D you need. So unless you supplement during this period, your innate immunity will be compromised. Vitamin D plays such a crucial role in so many aspects of your body's functioning, that supplementing with it makes sense whether you decide to get the flu shot or not.

We know that influenza always gets worse during the winter months. Now there is good evidence to suggest that this is because as sunlight hours lessen during the winter, the people living in the northern hemisphere become vitamin D deficient and are susceptible to influenza infections of all kinds. There is also some evidence that supplementation with a sufficient amount of vitamin D can help to prevent the onset of a flu or cold. The current recommendations from the Food and Nutrition Board of the U.S. Institute of Medicine: from 200 to 600 IU/day depending on one's age, are way too low. To optimize your vitamin D levels, you will need to take 2,000 IU of a Vitamin D3 supplement daily.

2) Get adequate sleep, this is an indispensable requirement for a strong immune system.

3) Get adequate exercise, this keeps you robust.

4) Take actions to lower your stress levels.

Do breathing exercises, meditate, practice yoga, spend time doing something that makes you happy. Feeling spent, overwhelmed, and/or mentally run down has a causal relationship to your physical health.

5) Wash your hands frequently.

It decreases your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don't use antibacterial soap because of the risk of creating resistant bacteria.

6) Avoid sugar and processed foods as they decrease your immune function dramatically.

7) Eat phytonutrient rich meals (lots of colorful salads and dark greens).

8) Eat lots of garlic, it works as a broad spectrum antibiotic.

9) Take a probiotic daily (look for one with 10-20 billion organisms).

A strong immune system relies heavily on having a strong foundation in the gut.

10) Keep a supply of antiviral herbal supplements on hand.

Antiviral herbs do not cause resistant strains because they are multifaceted and contain literally thousands of different medicinal compounds. They are able to attack viruses with a full spectrum of synergistic substances. Andrographis, Olive leaf extract, Grapefruit seed extract and Elderberry extract, all have antiviral properties. Use them as a prophylactic measure, whenever you travel (airports) or enter a potentially compromised environment such as a large office, auditorium, stadium, theater etc.

And if you really want to go all out, here are 4 more tips:

11) Take 1-2 grams of fish oils daily, its beneficial for immune function.

12) Take 2 grams of Vitamin C daily, yes it does help.

13) Stock your home pharmacy with an immune building formula.

Look for one that contains Cordyceps and Astragulus. Take it throughout the flu season.

14) Keep homeopathic Oscillococcinum on hand Take it at the earliest sign of a cold or flu. Early intervention is essential. If you are exposed to someone with the flu directly, you can take one dose twice a day for two days. You can also take one vial once a week throughout the winter, and two or three times a week during flu season, as a preventative measure.

Stress is a normal physical response when you sense danger, real or imagined.  The automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, or stress response, is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert.

In emergency situations, stress can save your life.  It can give you strength to defend yourself or enable you to react quickly enough to avoid an accident. Stress can also help you rise to meet challenges. Beyond a certain point, though, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, mood, productivity, relationships, and your quality of life. In our fast paced world, stress is so common that many of us live with it on a daily basis.

The body doesn’t distinguish between physical and psychological threats. When you’re stressed over a busy schedule, an argument with a spouse, traffic, or bills, your body reacts just as strongly as if you were facing a life-or-death situation.

Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. Healthy muscles contract and relax as you move. But when muscles tense in response to stress, they can't relax fully. If stress persists, the muscles become tight, like knots in a rope. Tight muscles can pull joints out of alignment, irritating nerves and causing pain. If your spine is misaligned, the rest of your body becomes even more prone to stress and disease.

Spinal misalignment caused by chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.

Stress management involves changing the stressful situation when you can, changing your reaction when you can’t, taking care of yourself, and making time for rest and relaxation.

• A strong support network is your greatest protection against stress. If you have a network of friends and family members you can count on, life’s pressures don’t seem as overwhelming. Make it a priority to build strong and meaningful relationships and schedule time to hang out with friends.
• Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body’s relaxation response, which is the opposite of stress. When practiced regularly, these activities lead to a reduction in your everyday stress levels and a boost in your feelings of joy and serenity. They increase your ability to stay calm and collected under pressure. When you feel a stressful situation arising, take a moment to breathe in deeply allowing oxygen to flow throughout your body, and then exhale slowly. Focus on your calm breathing and relaxing your muscles.
• The more you put in to building your emotional health, the stronger it will be. People with good emotional health have an ability to bounce back from stress and adversity. They remain focused, flexible, and positive in bad times as well as good. Invest in your emotional health by doing things that challenge your creativity. Find ways to relax, exercise, spend time with animals, or engage in work that ignites your creative energy.
• Recognize when a stressful situation is about to occur or when you are in one. Acknowledge it for what it is. Then calmly determine how you are going to handle the situation. This may mean taking a step back and reevaluating how to progress forward or it may mean taking a time out to listen to your favorite song (one that will pump you up and let you know you can handle it).
• Be adjusted regularly. When spinal bones lose their normal position and motion from stress, this disturbance to the spinal cord can profoundly affect delicate nerve tissue. The resulting interference with normal nerve flow starts a degenerative chain reaction that can affect the health and function of virtually every other cell, tissue, organ and system of the body. This is vertebral subluxation complex. It is one of the most damaging stresses you can experience. Untreated, it can limit your ability to react and adapt to other stresses you encounter in everyday life.

Aside from the fact that organic food contains higher levels of vital nutrients, organic foods are also lower in other residues and compounds that are seriously detrimental to your health, such as herbicide and pesticide residues, so buying or growing as much organic food as possible is not only best for your health, but for the health of the entire planet.

With food prices rising, many of us are looking for ways to buy the healthiest foods possible at the lowest cost. One way would be to focus on purchasing certain organic items, while “settling” for others that are conventionally-grown.

The highest concentration of pesticides is in non-organic butter. If you can only buy one organic food item it should be butter. The next priority would be meats and once those are addressed; you will want to focus on the fruit and vegetable list below.

The Dirty Dozen - These 12 fruits and vegetables have the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organic (listed in order from highest pesticide load)

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet bell pepper
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Lettuce
• Grapes
• Pears
• Spinach
• Potatoes

Locally-grown organics are your absolute best bet, but many times buying locally-grown food is your best choice even if it’s grown conventionally, since the environmental impact of shipping organic produce across the globe can cancel out many of its benefits.

Watch Out For Genetically Engineered Varieties by checking PLU codes:

A conventionally grown product carries a 4-digit PLU code (Ex: conventionally grown banana: 4011)

An organic product carries a 5-digit code, starting with the number 9: (Ex: organic banana: 94011)

A genetically engineered (GE or GMO) product has a 5-digit code, starting with the number 8: (Ex: GE banana: 84011)

Avocados, bananas, pineapples and kiwis are LOW in pesticide residue, and good candidates to purchase conventionally-grown, just double-check to make sure you’re not buying a GMO variety.

Saving Money While Buying Organic

organicgrocerydeals.com has a coupon database to find organic coupons that are out in the stores and the Sunday paper, as well as online printable coupons.

www.mambosprouts.com has printable organic food coupons for healthy, natural and organic foods and products. Sign up for their mailer and have organic coupons delivered to your door!

You may be surprised to learn that you have a 75 percent chance of picking a food with genetically modified (GM) ingredients when you’re at the supermarket. This is because at least seven out of every 10 items have been genetically modified.

 

There is an incredibly important documentary, called The Future of Food, on this topic that I urge you to watch yourself and then pass on to ALL of your friends and family. This documentary will help you understand the very real threat that ALL future generations face as a result of genetic engineering. It is one of the most important videos I have ever viewed. View The Future of Food, at

 

http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food

Your GM Food Probably Contains Roundup Pesticide Residues

For starters, 85 percent of all GM seeds are engineered for herbicide tolerance, most of these being Monsanto’s “Roundup Ready” cotton, corn, soy, and canola seeds. This allows plants to withstand the significant amounts of pesticides being sprayed on them, in effect promoting pesticide use. Since the introduction of GM crops in the United States, more than 120 million pounds of additional pesticides were used.

This particular variety of GM crop (Roundup Ready) became so popular because it allows farmers to spray Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide directly onto their fields without harming the crops. As you might imagine, the use of Roundup herbicide has increased dramatically since the GM Roundup Ready crops were introduced -- a double win for Monsanto.

But while it’s widely known that GM Roundup Ready crops contain Roundup residues (how could they not with how much is poured on them?), a recent study showed, for the first time, just how toxic these residues may be to your health.

Even when researchers tested formulations of Roundup that were highly diluted (up to 100,000 times or more) on human cells, the cells died within 24 hours. They also found damage to cell membranes and DNA, along with an inhibition of cell respiration.

 

At Least 65 Serious Health Risks Have Been Discovered

GM crops routinely create unintended proteins, alter existing protein levels, or even change the components and shape of the protein that is created by the inserted gene. This results in new proteins that have never before existed in food, some of which may be causing severe allergic reactions.

Creating a GM crop can also produce massive changes in the natural functioning of the plant‘s DNA. Native genes can be mutated, deleted, permanently turned on or off, or change their levels of protein expression. Jeffrey Smith. a leading spokesperson on the dangers of GM foods, has documented at least 65 serious health risks related to GM foods.

 

Just last year a long-term feeding study commissioned by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety confirmed GM corn seriously affects reproductive health in mice.
The results were so worrisome that GM opponents called for an immediate ban of all GM foods and GM crops in order to protect the health of humankind and the fertility of women around the world.

 

 

Are You Willing to Play Russian Roulette With Your Food?

When you pick up seven out of 10 foods in your grocery store, you’re picking up a food that contains GM ingredients. Yet, it likely won’t be labeled as such.

Particularly in the United States, the GMO giants have been very effective in eliminating legislation that would require them to clearly label GM products and, as a result, most grocery stores in the United States do not post signs next to produce to let you know it’s been genetically modified.

How to avoid GM Food

Visit http://truefoodnow.org/genetically-engineered-foods/shoppers-guide/ to download a portable pocket shoppers’ guide to help you find and avoid GE ingredients. The shoppers guide includes valuable information on common GE ingredients, brands to look for, and look out for, and common sense tips to keep you in the know.

If you want to avoid potentially dangerous Frankenfoods, you need to avoid an ever-growing number of ingredients, or choose ORGANIC versions of them. This is not an easy task, especially if you eat processed food. However, the four most prevalent GM ingredients to look out for are:

1. Soy
2. Corn
3. Cottonseed
4. Canola

You’ll also want to avoid the offspring of these products, which includes items like maltodextrin, and high fructose corn syrup.

Buy Organic - Examining the produce stickers on the fruits and vegetables you buy is another way to detect GM foods. The PLU code for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers; organically grown fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number nine; and GM fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number eight.

You can vote with your pocketbook by avoiding everything that contains GM ingredients, and ask your local supermarket to stock their shelves with more natural organic foods.

Large portions of Europe have already succeeded in removing GM foods from their food supply, forcing food manufacturers to use real ingredients in their European product lines. But here in the United States we’re still stuck with it to a very large degree.

It all starts with you and the choices you make when buying your food. So please spread the word. If more of us begin to refuse GM foods, food manufacturers will have no choice but to listen.

 

What is Detox?

Over time, our body builds up toxins and natural waste products. Detox is the process of cleansing the internal system, to help rid the body of harmful chemicals that may be contributing to fatigue, illness, pain, and poor digestion. Some toxins are produced by our body during normal functions (such as the ammonia produced during the breakdown of protein), but most are chemicals that we are bombarded by on a daily basis, such as pesticides, household cleaners, food additives, drugs, pollution, cigarette smoke, and heavy metals like lead that enter our body when we ingest or inhale them.  During “detox”, toxin-laden foods are removed from your diet. The body’s resources are freed up to remove toxins that have been building up in the body, often for many years, by chemically transforming built-up toxins to less harmful compounds and eliminating them the same way it always does, through the skin, bowel, urinary tract, etc.

There are many different ways to detox. Generally, a detox is a short-term diet that:

• Minimizes the amount of chemicals ingested (for example, by the use of organic food).
• Emphasizes foods that provide the vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants that the body needs for detoxification.
• Contains foods, such as high fiber foods and water, which draw out and eliminate toxins by increasing the frequency of bowel movements and urination.

Why detox?

Each year over 6 billion pounds of chemical pollutants are released into the environment in which we eat, breathe, and live. Many of the these chemicals become deposited in fat cells in our bodies. A diet that lacks certain nutrients may also impair our natural ability to detoxify chemicals, which further leads to their build-up in the body.

The cumulative load, called the “body burden”, is thought to lead to illness and has been linked to hormonal imbalance, impaired immune function, nutritional deficiency, and an inefficient metabolism. It is no wonder your internal cleansing system (i.e., the kidneys, liver, and intestines) become overwhelmed and therefore sluggish and less efficient. In the long run, this may cause more pathological conditions to arise. Listed below are some common symptoms and conditions associated with metabolic toxicity:

• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Arthritis
• Weight gain
• Headaches
• Eczema
• Allergies
• Gastrointestinal conditions
• Alcohol & chemical dependency

And the list continues—but now there is natural support that can reduce the symptoms associated with toxicity. A leader in natural health sciences has developed a healthy and easy way to assist in full-body rejuvenation. Metagenic’s UltraClear 10-day Express Detox Program is scientifically formulated to nutritionally support people suffering from symptoms or conditions associated with toxicity.

Benefits of a detox

People often report improved energy, clearer skin, regular bowel movements, improved digestion, and increased concentration and clarity after a detox diet. Many people will lose a significant amount of weight when detoxifying.

Who Shouldn’t Detox

Anyone considering a detox diet should consult a qualified health professional or their medical doctor first. Pregnant or nursing women or children shouldn’t detox diet. People with anemia, eating disorders, diabetes, kidney disease, thyroid disease, autoimmune disease, cancer, terminal illness, and other chronic conditions should detox only under the supervision of their primary care provider.

Side Effects

Fasting often produces the most dramatic detoxification effects, as the body is finally able to cleanse its digestive tract from years of toxin and mucous build-up. Beginning a detox diet is often initially accompanied by cold or allergy-like symptoms, particularly the production of phlegm. This is temporary. The mucus your body is expelling is literally garbage that you’ve been carrying around in your tissue for a long time. Once it’s out, it’s out, leaving your detoxified body in a much healthier, cleaner, efficient state.

Other side effects of detox range from bad breath, to a pasty, white coating of the tongue, to scary-looking things in your bowel movement. Nasty, to be sure, but that’s precisely why we want to get this gunk out of our systems. When the detox symptoms disappear, your body is clean.

Another common side effect of detoxifying is a headache within the first few days of starting the detox diet, often due to caffeine withdrawal. For this reason, I suggest that you gradually decrease the amount of caffeine prior to starting a detox diet. Other side effects might include diarrhea or constipation (if you consume excess fiber without increasing your fluid intake), tiredness, irritability, acne, weight loss, and hunger. Any worsening of symptoms or new symptoms that occur during a detox diet should prompt a visit to a qualified health professional.

When it comes to bone health, many people immediately think of vitamin D and calcium. While these two nutrients are important for strong bones, exercise—especially weight-bearing and resistance-training exercises—are just as essential.
                                                                                                                                           
Weight-bearing exercises require the bones to support your body’s weight, which bolsters bone growth, bone density and bone strength. Interestingly, these types of exercises can also increase your calcium absorption and stimulate osteoblasts—the cells that contribute to normal bone re-mineralization. Common weight-bearing exercises include walking, hiking, dancing, climbing stairs, and elliptical training.

Resistance training exercises are forms of strength training that develop the size and strength of your musculoskeletal system. Regular resistance training, including weights, water exercises, resistance bands and medicine balls can strengthen and tone muscles, while increasing bone mass, slowing down bone mineral loss, and maintaining bone density.

Dancing. This weight-bearing exercise is one fun way to keep your bones strong and healthy. Whether it’s aerobic dancing, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), swing, salsa or Jazzercise—there’s likely a bone-strengthening dance that’s right for you.                                                                                               

Resistance bands.  They’re compact, inexpensive, portable, and can add variety to your resistance training exercises. By their very nature, resistance bands create tension for specific muscle groups, resulting in strength for your muscles and your bones. Dr. Devine has resistance bands as well as specific exercises designed to tone and strengthen your neck and back. “Ask for a demonstration at your next visit!”

Hiking. It’s walking at its finest and the ideal way to enjoy the great outdoors and support bone health.

Some of my favorite local hikes are:

• Washington Park Arboretum – One mile of easy walking in marshland and gardens.
• Seward Park –Nearly two miles of easy trails with natural shoreline and forest.
• Discovery Park Nature Loop - Eight miles of easy hiking right in Seattle.
• Burke Gilman Trail - 14 miles of paved trail from Fremont to Kenmore.
• Tiger Mountain- a very busy 3,000' hill. One to twelve miles of easy to moderate trails.
• Little Si - Five miles round trip of easy to moderate hiking.
• Big Si- Eight miles round trip of difficult hiking on the state's most popular trail. Spectacular views!

For directions to these hikes and a complete list of the best day hikes within an hour of Seattle, visit www.washington-hiking-advisor.com/seattle.hikes.

Banana Peach Smoothie                                                                   
Yield: 2 8-ounce servings
Ingredients:
10 oz. of nonfat yogurt, kefir, or coconut milk
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin coconut oil**
1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil or hemp seed oil
1-2 tablespoons unheated honey
1 tablespoon of Perfect ProteinÒ powder
½-1 cup fresh or frozen peaches
1 fresh or frozen banana
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Berry Smoothie
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
10 oz. of nonfat yogurt, kefir or coconut milk
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin coconut oil **
1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil or hemp seed oil
1-2 tablespoons of raw honey
1 tablespoon of Perfect ProteinÒ powder
½-1 cup of fresh or frozen berries
vanilla extract (optional)

Creamsicle Smoothie                        
Yield: 2 8oz. servings
Ingredients:
6 oz. of nonfat yogurt or kefir                                                                  
4 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil or hemp seed oil
1-2 tablespoons unheated honey
1 tablespoon of Perfect ProteinÒ powder
1-2 fresh or frozen bananas
vanilla extract (optional)

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

**optional