Ways You Are Harming Your Immune System

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Your immune system is very important to your health. A strong immune system can prevent you from developing many diseases. When your immune system is compromised you become more susceptible to illness. There are many ways you may be harming your immunity. You can follow many simple guidelines to keep your immunity in top shape.

Food Choices: The foods you choose to eat can have a tremendous impact on your immune system. There are several types of food that you should avoid or definitely limit your consumption of. Sugar: Eating too much sugar can spike insulin levels. It also can affect your body's ability to absorb nutrients, particularly vitamin C. Eat sugary snacks in moderation or special occasions. Stevia is a wonderful, natural sugar that you can use in place of regular sugar. Protein: We need protein for our health. You should eat lean proteins such as chicken, turkey and fish. Avoid fatty beef and pork. If you do consume them eat the white meat pork and leaner cuts of beef. Too much protein will be stored as fat in the body. Over time this can weaken your immunity.

Poor Nutrition: Many people live a fast paced lifestyle and eat their food on the run throughout the day. Often grabbing fast food for breakfast and lunch, this way of eating will not give your body the complete nutrition that it requires for optimal health. Take the time to plan out your meals for the week. You can learn to make quick and nutritious meals and avoid the fast food trap. For example, a simple and easy breakfast can be a plain yogurt with fruit and granola. Lunch can be a premade salad with lean protein such as turkey or chicken added in. Easy snacks to carry with you include nuts and fresh and dried fruit. Dinner can be a simple and easy to make grilled fish with sautéed vegetables. You will begin to feel healthier if you incorporate more nutrition in your diet. Fast food and processed products will wreak havoc on your health if you continue on this path for too long. It will rob you of your energy and cause weight gain.

Bad Fats: There are good and bad fats. Good fats that you want to eat are Omega-3 fatty acids. These can be found in fresh seafood such as tuna and salmon. Enjoy olive oil on your vegetables, salads and rice dishes as this oil is also very healthy to consume. You want to avoid the bad fats which include those found in fatty cuts of beef and pork. Too much bad fat can potentially lead to toxic buildup in the body, including the digestive system and weaken your immunity. Alcohol: Limit your alcohol consumption. Excess alcohol consumption can lead to a weaker immune system as it can suppress white blood cells. Smoking: This goes without saying; smoking will wreak havoc on your health and your immunity. If you are a smoker you should see your medical doctor. He or she will be able to assist you in finding ways to quit this unhealthy habit. Water: You need plenty of fresh clean water on a daily basis. Most people do not drink enough water. Water helps flush your body of toxins helping your immune system to not have to work as hard. Try to limit your intake of sugary soda and fruit juices high in sugar.

Sleep: Getting enough sleep nightly can have a big impact on your overall health. When you sleep your body is in a process of regenerating. When you do not get enough sleep your body cannot repair itself properly and therefore your immune system may suffer. Stress: Stress has deleterious effects on the human body. Continued prolonged stress will deplete your energy and harm your immunity. We must all deal with stress but it is important to incorporate healthy lifestyle choices to reduce your stress levels as much as possible. Lack of exercise: Being sedentary can also weaken immunity. The human body is meant to be physically active. Moderate, consistent exercise is very healthy. You need to find exercise activities that interest you and that you can make a reasonable commitment to stick with.

Aging and Immunity: As we age our bodies naturally decline and of course this includes the immune system. You need to strive to lead as healthy of a lifestyle as you can to compensate for this natural aging process. Aging can also lead to a higher probability of injuries to areas like the knees and hips. If you injure yourself you place stress on your immune system. This is where a good exercise program can help to keep you limber and strong as you age. Remember whenever beginning any dietary or lifestyle changes, always consult with a medical professional, particularly if you are taking prescription drugs or suffer from any disease or ailment.

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If you would like more information regarding the treatments available at The Issels Medical Center in Santa Barbara, California, please call 805-962-2126 or toll free at 888-374-7735. And please visit the website at: http://www.issels.com/Questionaire/questionnaire_IMC.aspx.

By Tina C. Loren

How Electrotherapy Helps Neuropathy Sufferers

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Electrotherapy involves the use of electrical energy in treatment of various diseases. Electrical therapy includes various modalities for a variety of diseases, however in patients with neuropathies, the electrotherapies mainly used are electrical muscle stimulation and electroanalgesia.

The form of electrotherapy, called electroanalgesia specifically deals with use of electricity to provide relief from pain. The nerves carry the pain signals as electrical signals, and electrotherapy provides symptomatic relief by interfering with these electrical currents of the nerve fibers. There are numerous techniques for providing electroanalgesia and the ones most commonly used in treatment of pain associated with peripheral neuropathy are peripheral nerve stimulation, percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). The techniques that can be used in pains associated with neuropathies, like diabetic neuropathy, are Peripheral Nerve Stimulation and TENS. Since the extent of the lesions in the nerve is clearly known, the nerve in peripheral nerve stimulation is stimulated proximal to lesion to provide relief from the pain. Recent research also indicates that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is also effective in painful diabetic neuropathy and is being increasingly used because it is a non invasive procedure that uses conducting gel pads placed directly over the skin.

Another subtype of electrotherapy, called electrical muscle stimulation is widely used for various indications. In neuropathy, it is used in rehabilitation if the peripheral neuropathy has caused loss of motor function, for e.g. as in Guillain-Barre Syndrome. The paralyzed muscles are stimulated electrically at regular intervals to prevent muscle atrophy while the nerve slowly heals. Electrical muscle stimulation during recovery of nerve function helps in faster improvement of strength and muscle control.

Patients with autonomic neuropathy may have urinary and fecal incontinence. Electrotherapy can be tried as a therapeutic option in such patients. Often the treatment provides at least some beneficial effect and may even cause complete continence. Electrotherapy can also speed up the wound healing. This is especially important in diabetic patients, where poor wound healing is a troublesome complication of the long-standing diabetes mellitus. Although more research is still needed, the current research data supports the efficacy of the electrotherapy in wound healing. It is postulated that electrotherapy exerts its beneficial effects on wound healing mainly by enhancing the microcirculation and protein synthesis in the area to which it is applied.

Electrotherapy is associated with few side effects and is very safe in most of the cases. However, it may cause life-threatening complication in patients prone to developing cardiac arrhythmias and patients with electrical devices in their bodies, for e.g. pacemakers and hearing aids.

Dr. Jonathan Berns, D.C. is a Chiropractor serving the Wesley Chapel, FL community. Dr. Berns is a second generation chiropractor and a graduate of the prestigious Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, IA. He received a Bachelor in Science degree from the University of Illinois where he was also a member of the Fighting Illini football team. iPhysicalMedicine.com is an all inclusive functional medicine facility located in Wesley Chapel, just north of Tampa, Florida.