Dr. Adnan Raihan

Diversity in our diet is 🔑 to better health and well-being!

“You Are What You Eat” Is literally True.
Nutrients from the foods you eat provide the foundation of the structure, function, and integrity of every little cell in your body, from your skin and hair to your muscles, bones, digestive and immune systems. You may not feel it, but you’re constantly repairing, healing and rebuilding your body.

As one participates in physical activity the benefits will likely pour over into a better mood, better sleep, better memory and possibly improved success via enhanced discipline. These benefits are possible because dopamine, the brain chemical of the "runners high" goes up with exercise. Dopamine is also the brain chemical of long term memory as well as for joy and happiness. Cardiovascular exercise as calculated in yesterdays post stabilizes hormones primarily through enhancing insulin (blood sugar). With more stable blood sugar one may enjoy improved focus with fewer ADD-like symptoms while the brain chemical noreadrenaline (NA) stabilizes. NA is the brain chemical of learning, meaning it is responsible for getting the info into your brain while Dopamine stores the files.

We make resolutions, year in year out, never lasting for more than a few days ending up lost and in the same place you started. Here are few resolution-maintenance tips suggestions from the world of psychology that may help you.
1. Tell others about the resolution.
2. Choose a measurable and specific resolution.
3. Build in a reward system.
4. Create resolution visual aids.
5. Start with a ceremony.
#2021

Wishing you all health and many blessings for 2021.

With the New Year just around the corner, now’s the time to start thinking about how you can make meaningful changes to your life for better health. Here are few steps you can take to improve the health of your spine and your overall wellness.
1. Get at least 30 minutes of daily exercise.
2. Deep breathing.
3. Laugh more often.
4. Eat your greens.
5. Lose weight.
6. See a chiropractor. The spine plays an important role in your overall health by ensuring that your nervous system is functioning smoothly. As spinal specialists, chiropractors do not only relieve pain from spinal conditions, they can also assist in improving your overall health. Research has shown that chiropractic adjustments reduce the stress hormone cortisol and boost the presence of infection-fighting antibodies in the body.
See your chiropractor for ways to have a healthier, happier new year. #2021

Now that the holidays are over, it's time to kick those sugar cravings 👊🏼 Are you ready to make 2021 your healthiest year yet? ⁠
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To help kick your sugar cravings, follow these simple tips:⁠
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1. Eat balanced meals (including protein, fat, and veggies) to regulate blood sugar. ⁠
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2. Get daily movement, preferably in the outdoors. Go for a walk, run, or bike ride.⁠
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3. Drink water with a sprinkle of sea salt for proper absorption. Aim for at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces!⁠
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4. Eat every 3-4 hours to keep your body energized and fueled. Skipping meals puts the body into survival mode and creates a chronic state of stress.⁠
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These 4 easy tips will help keep your sugar cravings at bay, so that you can be the healthiest version of you 🥰⁠
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Pick one tip to start TODAY and share below! 👇🏽⁠

May your holidays sparkle with joy and laughter! Merry Christmas from the Raihan family!

Some of the many benefits of exercise on mental health

Sleep is imperative to our ability to cope with emotional stressors. Science has revealed that REM sleep is a central promoter of healthy emotional regulation. Looking to improve your sleep quality? Try this.

Could cutting back on meat and other animal products alleviate symptoms in people with Crohn's disease?
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A 2010 study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology found that 94% of people with Crohn's disease who followed a semi-vegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet remained in remission after 2 years, compared to only 33% of patients who ate more animal products.
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Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation of any part of the digestive tract. Symptoms, which can be debilitating, including bloating, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and fatigue. Remission simply means that the disease is no longer active and no symptoms are occurring.
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In this small study, a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet was recommended to patients diagnosed with Crohn's disease and included white and brown rice, miso (fermented bean paste) soup, vegetables, fruits, legumes, potatoes, pickled vegetables, and plain yogurt served daily, along with small servings of fish and meat one to two times per week. Patients who maintained this diet, in addition to taking prescription medications such as infliximab, had normal levels of inflammation (as measured by a blood marker called C-reactive protein) and were almost entirely free of symptoms at 1 and 2 years.
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The researchers conclude that cutting back on animal products is "highly effective" for alleviating symptoms of Crohn's disease.

Want to maximize your brain function and protect yourself against Alzheimer's disease? Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil onto your salads. A recent animal study published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology reveals that consuming extra virgin olive oil supports learning and memory while also protecting against key markers of Alzheimer's disease, including amyloid plaque and tau tangles formation in the brain.
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The researchers of this 2017 study showed that olive oil, which is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, reduces brain inflammation and also activates a "cellular clean-up" process known as autophagy. Autophagy is the body's way of getting rid of old and damaged cells, toxins, and debris—including amyloid plaque and tau tangles.
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This neuroprotective effect of olive oil may help clarify why the Mediterranean diet (which famously features a lot of olives and olive oil) has been shown to lower the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment in human populations.

We eat fiber (prebiotics). Fiber feeds probiotics. Then probiotics make postbiotics. Postbiotics are the beneficial vitamins we gain from the good bacteria. These include legendary vitamins like B12, K, melatonin and CoQ10. Therefore, healthy bacteria in our guts help us make energy (B12), heal wounds and bones (K), and protects the heart (Q10). These beneficial bacteria also then create a protective barrier between the gut lining and the blood. When this barrier breaks down one would have brain fog and the predisposition to arthritis and other autoimmune conditions. Healthy gut=Vitality... And you want vitality.

Is your “soil” healthy. Probiotics need good “soil” to grow. Probiotics are the nutrients necessary to keep the health inducing probiotics flourishing. If one took a probiotic and didn’t nourish the soil there would be no value. Like a good garden, the better the soil (prebiotics) the healthier the plant (probiotics/health/immune function) Eat organic and minimize sugar and there is no viral threat.

Acne, depression, fatigue, erratic heart rate, poor sleep, eczema, headaches, excess weight, bloating, abdominal pain or low back pain?? You may have a gut problem. The good bacteria in the gut is now considered an organ. This bacteria then give feedback to the vagus nerve which effects virtually every other organ, including the heart. Taking the right probiotic may be helpful, but we NEED to feed the good bacteria (probiotics) with proper fiber.

Probiotics: Pro=good, Biota=bugs, basically bacteria. We have good/beneficial bugs in our colon as a large part of our immune system and energy production. The trick is to feed the good bugs and not the bad bugs. Sugar feed the bad bugs, fiber as in vegetables feeds the good bugs. Feed the good, starve the bad... To flourish.

Poor sleep? Over reactive? Obstinate child? Say things you shouldn't? Skin rashes? You may have a parasite... Or maybe you just need a simple B6 supplement. Our primary inhibitory brain chemical GABA goes down when we are fighting parasites or even if we are low in B6. We need to convert the stimulating glutamate to GABA to sleep. GABA also gives one the ability to think before they speak, like a good husband 🤔

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already warned people to not use nine certain hand sanitizers that are manufactured in Mexico, now it is listing five more sanitizers it considers "toxic," meaning they should not absorbed through the skin or digested.

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitzers-methanol

FDA Updates on Hand Sanitzers with Methanol FDA Warns consumers and healthcare professionals of Hand Sanitizers contaminated with Methanol

What you do to your body, you do to your brain. Treat your body and you treat your brain.

When we balance our meals, or protein shakes in this case with appropriate minerals from veggies and good fats (omega 3 EFA's) then we help cause the body to be more alkaline. This is a very good thing in that an alkaline body more efficiently burns fat for energy and is less prone to inflammation and infection. Eating simple sugars causes the body to be more acidic which leads to burning sugar for energy, thus leading to sugar cravings, inflammation and consequently infection. No beuno! All this, combined with the fact that I can get good, solid nutrition in about 30 seconds is why I am a huge fan of veggie, fruit, EFA and protein smoothies.

On the attached chart, notice the rapid increase of insulin with sugar. Interestingly, with the sharp rise comes fat storage (40%) mostly as triglycerides. Then when you see the line dip below the base line, this is where one would get cranky and crave more sweets or stimulants. Avoid this viscous cycle by including veggies, protein and good fat with each meal. Doing so will train your body to burn fat for energy and drastically reduce cravings while increasing will power. You are worth it.

The thyroid uses and has some role in the activation of folic acid in the production of its hormone T4. So when there is thyroid compromise there is usually a need for folic acid as well. Folic acid in its various active and inactive forms has gotten a lot of press in the last few years. Some sources are stating that as much as 50% of the Caucasian population is missing the gene to convert to the active MTHFR source. Deficiency symptoms of folic acid can manifest as liver detoxification problems (brown spots, poor toxic metal clearing, gene mutations or glitches), hair loss, weight gain and sluggish metabolism, knee pains, and even some types of anemia. Folic acid is water soluble so there is nearly 0 risk of over dose.

When the thyroid is challenged, there is a potential to cause pain in the back of the head. The chances of the thyroid as the cause go up significantly if the pain in the back of the head comes on in the morning. Low thyroid seems to also have the potential to inhibit enzyme production which is the other common cause of pain in the back of the head and neck. Thyroid can be inhibited by blood sugar, hormonal, or stress tolerance problems as well as the nutrient deficiencies we will discuss tomorrow

The thyroid is dependent on several nutrients. It's primary mineral need is iodine, though iodine is contraindicated if there is ANY autoimmune activity on the thyroid. The amino acid it depends on is tyrosine. Tyrosine with 4 iodine molecules bound to it is the T4 then eventually T3 that you may have seen on thyroid lab tests.

If there are thyroid issues, hormonal issues like PMS, frequent menstruation, pain in the upper gluteal/hip area and/or stomach issues there is a very good chance that one would do well to consume a good source of thiamine (B1). Thiamine helps the thyroid make its T4, helps the stomach make stomach acid (HCL), and helps break down estrogen. Therefore if there is a deficiency, there could be symptoms in any or all of these systems. Unfortunately the best source of thiamine use to be grains, but as most of you know most grains are not such a good food anymore.

Try few of these foods to help build your immunity.
1. Fermented foods: The friendly bacteria in fermented foods help re-build the probiotic bacteria in our intestinal tract, which acts as our first line of defense against foreign invasion. Fermented foods also aid in the production of antibodies. Try foods like Kefir, Kombucha & UN-pasturized sauerkraut, olives or pickles.
2. Berries: Particularly blueberries and raspberries. They are very high in antioxidants and vitamin C. Since they are lower in sugar than most other fruits, you can eat them in abundance. They are very powerful immune boosters.
3. Zinc rich foods: Zinc is a trace mineral naturally found in the human body that is needed to support healthy growth. Zinc helps wounds heal faster and assists the body with creating and repairing cells damaged by illness. Most animal products as well as plant-based foods like spinach, pumpkin seeds, and cashews are high in zinc.
4. Selenium rich foods: can be found in lean meats, garlic, and broccoli. It's an antioxidant which helps our body with getting rid of harmful free radicals and other foreign organisms. Selenium also has anti-inflammatory properties which can be soothing during an infection. Too much selenium is bad, however, so if you take a supplement only do so in moderation.

Fats that are essential to life are primarily omega 3, 6, or 9's. Omega 9's are typically in conjunction with other's in foods like olive oil. Omega 6's are a bit more common in the American diet and therefore less commonly needed to supplement. They are good for keeping the blood thin, have anti-inflammatory properties. They are found primarily in nuts and seeds and may be helpful in reducing the inflammatory effects of sugar. Common supplements in this family are Black Currant Seed oil, Sesame Seed oil, or Wheatgerm Oil. Each has unique clinical benefits.

Fish oil and flax seed oil are the most common sources of the most commonly needed omega 3 EFA's. These can be helpful in supporting hormone balance, balancing cholesterol (especially the "bad" LDL's), stabilizing blood sugar, supporting brain and nerve health, reducing the risk of osteoporosis as well as keeping your skin looking youthful :) Yes, with all these dreamy benefits, a source of omega 3 fatty acids is probably the most commonly recommended supplement in my office. Most people seem to need 2-3 capsules per day, but could be as high as 6. Enjoy some fish and reap the healthful rewards!

For those of us in Riverside county where wearing mask at any public area is mandatory, this article might be useful for some due to shortages of masks.

https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-homemade-mask-material-DIY-face-mask-ppe.html

What’s the Best Material for a Mask? Scientists are testing everyday items to find the best protection from coronavirus. Pillow cases, flannel pajamas and origami vacuum bags are all candidates.

Worried about human contact? Trying to practice “social distancing?” First off we are uber sanitized and safe at the clinic. We are able to treat and ship those supplements you need. Out of necessity we are offering remote treatment options. We can video chat to determine your best course of action and still provide many of the therapeutic options remotely. Then appropriate supplements can be shipped or placed for pick up. There are limited hours for this service. Call or message to schedule your remote treatment.