Monday, June 29, 2009

Sugar-Free and Spice… Everything Nice

Sugar-Free and Spice and everything nice that’s what little boys and girls are made of. This saying sounds a little bit off, but it is very true in today’s world. When I review an average kids’ diet in my office, it’s terrible. The average kid eats fruit rollups, 1-2 Mountain Dews a day and has a sugar cereal/pop tart for breakfast. Did you know that one can of Mountain Dew (or any other cola) has 17 teaspoons of sugar in it? You wonder why kids are so hyper today. They are consuming massive amounts of sugar on a daily basis. I cannot imagine what all that sugar will do for the up-down insulin levels through all the growing years. Research has shown that sugar will weaken the immune system, which means the kids will get sick more often.
Have you ever looked at the ingredients on a box of cereal? Usually the most popular cereals have either the first and or second ingredient as sugar. Ethan’s cereal isn’t called Buzz Blasts or Lucky Charms; it is a high fiber and protein combination. Little does Buckaroo know that I just empty the Buzz Blast Cereal out and put the “healthy” cereal (from the Health food section at Kroger’s) in the box. Only when he is older, will he figure this out. By that time it will be such a part of his healthy lifestyle that it really won’t matter to him.
Do this sugar test: give your child what he normally eats that has sugar in it and watch what happens. Within 20 minutes, his/her energy will increase and a mood change will occur. Also in the mid afternoon, they will become very sleepy and crave something with sugar in it.
I have a story to tell that will hit home with a lot of you. Several months ago, we received a call from Ethan’s teacher, saying that he had been misbehaving in school. After talking with her, I asked her what he had been eating. She stated that it had been one of his classmates birthday and the parents brought in some cake. I informed her that Ethan is not allowed to eat sugar because it makes him extremely hyper and very aggressive. My wife proceeded to bring healthy snacks and high protein bars for him to eat on those “celebration” days. It has been about 4 months now and we haven’t had a complaint since. But what about juice? Ethan only drinks Northland 100% Juice or something that we have juiced ourselves. Most juices are made of sugar. My best advice is to look on the ingredients and make sure that if you do feed them something that contains sugar, that it’s at least the 3rd or 4th ingredient. Ethan knows that when he eats sugar, it is not healthy or good for him. If he eats sugar, it changes and alters his personality (aggressive, emotional and doesn’t listen), sleeping patterns and digestive habits. We decided that our household would be a sugar free zone. It has made a big difference on his disposition and the family atmosphere.

For additional information, please call Northgate Chiropractic at
(209) 367-2224.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Our Patients Speak-Patient Testimonial

“Our Patients Speak”

I first visited Dr. Lachuta in April of 2009 hoping to improve my quality of life while living with sciatica pain. I chose Northgate Chiropractic because the prices seemed fair and affordable.

I was dealing with pain behind my shoulder, but my most serious pain was in the lower back. It was so bad at times that I was having difficulty tying my own shoe laces. A runner for many, many years, I was afraid to participate in running activities because of the pounding sensation and the force on the knees and back. I turned to chiropractic in desperation.

I had tried many other doctors, specialists, or alternative care providers in the past, going to appointments often. They were all helpful, but I did not see results right away.

My first impression of Dr. Lachuta was one of competence. He has used some new techniques I have not seen before, and I first began to see results after a few weeks. Since seeing him, the pain in my shoulder blade has gone. I am confident enough to continue running, and build up my time spent running. I am beginning to be more active and carefree again. My advice to others would be to give chiropractic a try over a period of several weeks.

~Werner Alber, 06/19/09

Summer Allergies Getting You Down??

A healthy immune system means high resistance to disease and infection, an enhanced ability to deal with environmental stresses, and greater health and well-being. The immune system is one of the most complicated, sensitive, and mysterious systems in the body. It is influenced by our neurological and hormonal systems, by our diet, and even by emotional and mental stress. Science's understanding of it is in its infancy, yet many believe it holds the ultimate key to life and health.

Thus we can see that if the immune system were to malfunction we could be in very serious trouble. The most common disorder of the immune system is one that is a lot less frightening: the allergy.

Substances that cause an allergic reaction are called allergens. An allergic reaction (sensitivity) occurs when the immune system overreacts to an allergen and produces too many neutralizing chemicals (especially histamines) to counteract it. Some examples of allergens are dust; pollen; medicines; dog or cat dander; dairy; soaps; detergents and other kitchen chemicals; and even foods like strawberries or chocolate (heaven forbid!).
A common example of an allergy is hayfever. Although most people who breathe ragweed pollen aren't bothered by the microscopic bits of plants that constitute pollen, some have an immune system that overreacts to it. The runny eyes, irritated mucus membranes, redness, pounding in the head, fullness in the sinuses - are produced by the neutralizing chemicals.

The cause of allergies and immune system disease has not been conclusively determined. However, there are those who attribute the proliferation of allergies and other immune system diseases to the mass vaccination campaigns of the past few decades.

Medicine has no cure for allergies, only treatment. According to Robert Mendelsohn, M.D “You can depend on most doctors to largely ignore the cause and instead rush madly to treatment.” Unfortunately, the treatment is often worse than the disease, especially since the relatively safe folk-measures of yesteryear have been replaced by the sophisticated, dangerous drugs of modern medicine.

Overreaction to allergens causes the body to release the chemical histamine (as well as other chemicals) that cause inflammation and other symptoms. Antihistamines are often prescribed to counter these effects. In most cases the antihistamines dry up the nasal passages and decrease the discomfort from itching, but do not correct the immune system overreaction.

Antihistamines, steroid hormones, and long-term desensitization all carry significant negative side effects.

Regarding allergy shots (desensitization), Dr. Mendelsohn states, "Although millions of patients have received the shots over the past 60 years, there are no, good, long-term studies to determine possible neurologic or other consequences of this treatment." Also mentioned was "a striking incidence of positive 'rheumatoid factors' in allergic children receiving shots.” Clinical studies have shown that breast fed babies have fewer allergy problems than formula-fed babies. Although chiropractic is not a treatment for diseases, allergies included, it does, by permitting the nervous system to function with less stress, permit the immune system to function more effectively - and this is something all allergy sufferers need.

Many studies have revealed the effect of a healthy nervous system on immune system health. Ronald Pero, Ph.D., chief of cancer prevention research at New York's Preventive Medicine Institute and professor of medicine at New York University, measured the immune systems of people under chiropractic care as compared to those in the general population and those with cancer and other serious diseases.

His study found that chiropractic patients have a 200% greater immune competence than people who had not received chiropractic care. Allergies can make people's lives miserable. The standard medical approach may give short-term relief but is controversial and dangerous, and its long-term effects are untested. Common sense tells us to explore the safest, most natural means of dealing with problems before resorting to more extreme measures. A two-fold approach to allergies is often recommended: first, the avoidance of those substances that cause severe reactions and, second, correction of the basic cause - a malfunctioning immune system.

As one authority states, “A healthy body is capable of neutralizing these toxic substances and a body which has malfunctioning defense mechanisms cannot. The emphasis on allergies must be on building a healthy body, not on trying to use evasive tactics by eliminating all the allergens."




For additional information, please call Northgate Chiropractic at
(206) 367-2224.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Auto Accident????

Crash, bang, boom…It sounds all too familiar. People are involved in all types of accidents from minor fender benders to severe spinal “whiplash” injuries. I have found, in my nine years experience in auto accidents, that whether you were involved in an accident at 10 mph or 65 mph, you can still have damage to your spine. Cars are manufactured differently than they were 40 years ago. Today, they are made out of plastics and aluminum, not steel. That 2,000-pound car that hit you from behind won’t injure your car as easily as it will damage YOU. All that force travels somewhere...and that somewhere is your delicate spine. Ouch! National statistics estimate that an average person is involved in an accident every seven years. I was involved in three within three months. That is a tremendous amount of trauma over a lifetime, multiplied with falls, stress and bad habits.
Research shows that within a two-week period, the body will form permanent scar tissue in the injured area. This scar tissue is formed as a result of muscle spasms, poor flexibility of the bones, poor blood supply in joints and nerve interference. I have found in adult X-rays, years after the accident, that the patient will have permanent arthritis and degeneration (if the misalignment is not corrected immediately).
In my experience, the major causes of severe injuries are: rear end collisions, head turned to the left or right during the time of impact, tightening up before you get hit or arthritis in your spine already (this degeneration makes your spine weak and unstable).
It is extremely important that you have your spine checked after every accident, no matter how minor it may seem. Research shows that it only takes the pressure of a dime to take away 60% of the nerves’ ability to function properly. Remember that pain is always the last symptom that will occur. Your nervous system controls every function in your body from breathing, digesting, smiling to running. In the nervous system, 90% controls function and ONLY 10% controls pain. It would be a terrible thing to have you live your life for the next 25 years with a SUBLUXATION, until one day he would develop a headache or neck pain, but lived the last 25 years with less than 100% nerve function to every part of your body. I have found that immediate attention to any injury will speed the healing process and decrease the chances of permanent injury.

I look forward to re-aligning you and your family. - Dr. Lachuta

For additional information, please call Northgate Chiropractic at
(206) 367-2224.