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Sugar is Bad! Athletics and the Chiropractor

Dr. J’s Health Tip of the Week:  Sugar consumption is at an all-time record high.  At the same time, obesity and diabetes rates have skyrocketed worldwide. For the first time in history, obese people outnumber those who are underweight, and prediabetes affects half of the adults in the USA.  According to a 2014 study, 10 percent of Americans consume 25 percent or more of their daily calories in the form of added sugars. Most adults (71.4 percent) get at least 10 percent of their daily calories from added sugar. The ramifications of this are significant.  People who consumed 21 percent or more of their daily calories in the form of sugar were TWICE as likely to die from heart disease compared to those who got 7 percent or less or their daily calories from added sugar. The risk was nearly TRIPLED among those who consumed 25 percent or more of their daily calories from added sugar. That means at least 10 percent of the adult population in the U.S. are in this tripled-risk category.  The average American consumes around 20 teaspoons of added sugar a day. This is more than three times the recommended amount, and the evidence clearly indicates that this dietary trend goes hand in hand with our current epidemics of obesity and chronic disease.  Four grams of sugar is equivalent to about 1 teaspoon.  So, when you read your food labels and the sugar contents (for example), says 20 grams, that is equal to 5 teaspoons of sugar.  And then think of all the different packaged foods (breakfast cereals, snacks, candy, soft drinks, deserts) you eat in a day.  The sugar intake can easily add up to 15-20 teaspoons of sugar!!  According to Dr. Robert Lustig, a neuroendocrinologist who has done extensive research on the role of sugar in your body, your liver can safely metabolize only about 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day. Any excess gets metabolized into body fat.  Cancer cells need glucose (sugar) to thrive, and carbohydrates turn into glucose in your body. In order to starve the cancer cells, you have to eliminate its primary food source, i.e. the sugars, which include all non-vegetable carbohydrates. Physiologist Dr. Otto Warburg received a Nobel Prize back in 1934 for his research identifying cancer’s primary fuel was from anaerobic fermentation of glucose. He clearly demonstrated that cancer cells require sugar to thrive. More recent research has also concluded that sugar appears to initiate cancer growth.  One of the most important  ways to dramatically cut down on your sugar and fructose consumption is to simply eat real food, as most of the added sugar you end up with comes from processed fare: not from adding a teaspoon of sugar to your tea or coffee. Another way to cut down on the sugar in your diet is eliminating sugar you personally add to your food and drink or consume in the form of processed foods.

Chiropractic Thought for the Week:  The most concrete sure fire way of knowing for sure that chiropractic is an effective tool for improving the body’s performance is to look to the world of athletics and competitive sports. Chiropractors are an extremely important part of the sports world. Almost every professional sports team has a chiropractor on staff.  This includes the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL.  Most professional golfers, tennis players, bowlers and race car drivers all have chiropractors. In addition, chiropractors are on staff at the Olympic training facility and almost all of the Olympic sports utilize a chiropractor.  Even the WWE professional wrestlers have chiropractors.  So, the question is, if chiropractic wasn’t helpful or of benefit to the human body, would athletes use a chiropractor?  Professional athletes are some of the highest paid people in the US.  If chiropractic care did not help them to perform better or help their body recover from injuries there would not be such a thing as a team chiropractor.  Chiropractic works.  Ask an athlete.

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My name is Dr. J. Zimmerman and I am a chiropractor.  I have been in practice for 27 years.  My chiropractic practice uses many different chiropractic techniques to improve bodily function and restore health. My chiropractic office is located in Galloway Township (the Smithville section) of Atlantic County, NJ.  You can contact me for more chiropractic information at Health First Chiropractic Clinics,  609-652-6363

Author
Dr J. Zimmerman, Chiropractor Dr. Zimmerman is a practicing chiropractor from Galloway, NJ with 30 years of chiropractic practice.

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