Do You Suffer With Thyroid Symptoms?

Attention Thyroid Sufferers: If you have been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, or if you have any symptoms of thyroid malfunction, then you must attend this free workshop. Some of the topics to be covered: 1. Why do you still have thyroid symptoms when your lab values are normal? 2. Why thyroid tests that are normally ordered by your primary doctor DO NOT give a complete, accurate picture of how your thyroid is functioning 3. The various patterns of thyroid dysfunction (There are more patterns than just hypo- and hyper- thyroid!) 4. How an autoimmune disorder may be killing your thyroid without you even knowing about it 5. How we can easily detect your pattern of thyroid malfunction and support it naturally This workshop will be held on Monday, October 17th at Boggs Chiropractic Center at 1808 Harper Road in Beckley, starting at 6:30 pm.  Please call (304)255-4325 to reserve your seat, as space is limited to 10 attendees.

How Safe Is "Lap Band" Surgery?

Obesity is a major problem in our country.  According to the CDC, Colorado is the only state in the U.S. with an obesity rate under 20%.  Thirty three states have a rate greater than 25%, and nine have an obesity rate over 30%.

This is important because obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease, cancer and diabetes, all of which are life threatening.

Many people turn to laparoscopic gastric band surgery (lap band) for “treatment”.  So, what happens if this “treatment” is actually dangerous?  That might just be the case, according to a study in the Archives of Surgery.  This study found that:

“The bands eroded in almost 1 in 3 patients.  Sixty percent had undergone additional surgery, including 17 percent who went on to have gastric bypass.”

The researchers went on to state that the lap band “appears to result in relatively poor long term outcomes.”

Even more disturbing are the comments from the lead Doctor in the study.  Dr. Jacques Himpens of The European School of Laparoscopic Surgery and St. Pierre Hospital in Brussels stated that “the results are worse than we expected.”  He also warned patients to be aware of the signs of band erosion and infection.

So, here is another example of a surgical alternative being extremely dangerous.  This begs the question….what are the other options?

Well, fortunately, obesity is a disease of lifestyle and choice.  Ouch.  I know that sounds harsh.  But, the fact of the matter is that obesity can only be controlled by making PERMANENT lifestyle changes.  This means changes in the way you eat, even the way you look at food, and making a conscious decision to make exercise a priority in your life.  This might seem like a tough task, but consider the alternative:  Sickness and even death.

Losing weight and getting healthy isn’t easy.  Consider that if you are overweight, it took years to get that way, and you can’t reverse it overnight. 

In my clinic, I take what is essentially a “3-pronged” approach to helping patients lose weight.  This involves detoxification, diet and exercise.  By diet, I don’t mean “fad” dieting. I am talking about teaching a patient how to eat right for the rest of their life.

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired because of your weight, please contact me through my website at www.boggschiro.com. 

In Health,

Dr. Daniel Boggs

"Are You Ready To Lose Weight And Keep It Off?"

Are you sick of being overweight? Are you ready to get rid of belly fat, pain, and feel more healthy and energetic? Dr. Boggs would like to invite you to learn about a BREAKTHROUGH weight loss system that will show you how to finally lose your weight and keep it off.

What this is NOT: You will NOT be given dangerous pills or injections. This is NOT a "fad" diet, magic milkshake, or an unreasonable calorie restriction progra...m. This is NOT a pyramid marketing presentation where we try to convince you to be part of our "down line".

What this IS: This is a comprehensive program that will show you how to address your weight from a nutrition, detoxification and exercise perspective. Dr. Boggs will teach you how to eat the right foods and exercise properly to essentially turn your body into a FAT BURNING MACHINE. Dr. Boggs will be holding your hand through the whole process....there will be no guesswork on your part.

Don't be fooled by fads and gimmicks. If you want to lose weight and keep it off in a healthy way, you must attend this workshop. It is free of charge and there is NO obligation for attending.

This FREE workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, June 7 at 6 pm.  We can only accomodate 12 attendees, so please call (304)255-4325 right away to reserve your spot.

Improve Your Diet Today With These Easy Tips:

Contrary to what we are often told by television hucksters and pyramid marketing companies, there is no nutritionally perfect food.  That being said, there are some foods that stand out above others. One important point to keep in mind when trying to eat healthy is that variety is very important.  So, I want to give you a list of foods that you probably don’t normally eat, that will give you some variety and a nutritional boost.

1.  Fresh, organic foods.  Our lifestyle makes it hard to find time to prepare fresh food.  The reason it is important is because fresh, locally grown organic food is often the healthiest food choice available.  Processed foods are often robbed of the nutrients that are so important.  So, whenever you can, look for fresh food choices.

2.  Beets.  Beets are packed with antioxidant phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and fiber.

3.  Organic Berries.  Adding healthy doses of berries to your diet will provide support for your arteries, mental function, decrease inflammation and support healthy vision.  Again, buy organic whenever possible and always rinse your berries well because they retain pesticide residue.

4.  Fermented foods.  The human body needs “good” bacteria (probiotics) to have healthy gut function.  Look for foods like yogurt, miso and sauerkraut to support your body’s normal bacteria colonies.

5.  Legumes.  Foods such as beans, lentils or peas are great low fat, no cholesterol sources of  protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.

6.  Cruciferous vegetables.  Broccoli, radishes, brussel sprouts and cabbage have been shown to lower the incidence of some cancers and aid in the body’s detoxification processes.

7.  Organic figs.  Figs are high in fiber, potassium and manganese.  They support heart health and are great for weight management programs.

8.  Fatty fish.  Cold water fish like salmon and sardines contain high concentrations of health omega-3 fatty acids.  Be sure to research where your fish originate from, as some fish will contain high levels of mercury if they are not raised properly.

9. Just….something different.  Variety is important.  It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, especially if you are counting calories.  Try substituting a different fruit or vegetable in one of your normal dishes.  Another hint is to buy fruits and vegetables that are different colors.  Whatever you can do to add variety to your diet will help assure that you are getting the proper array of vitamins and minerals.

I hope you find these tips helpful.  As always, “be well”.

Dr. Daniel Boggs

www.boggschiro.com

Combating The Effects of Toxicity On Your Health

One major influence over our health is something that is often overlooked.  I’m referring to the amount of toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis.  This is called our “toxic load”.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Human Monitoring Program studied human exposure to toxic substances. The EPA Agency studies concluded that all humans have chemicals (toxins) stored in the adipose (fat) tissue. Chemicals such as, PCBs, xylene, styrene, dioxins and pesticides were found, as well as many others.

The bottom line is this:   we are all carrying toxins in our bodies, and these toxins are dangerous.  Most people simply aren’t informed about the toxins they are exposed to and why they are bad.  So, I want to give you a little information that will help you decrease your toxic load.   

But first, why is this even important?  According to the National Cancer Institute’s 2005 – 2007 survey, there is a 40.77 percent lifetime risk of being diagnosed with cancer. The lifetime risk of being diagnosed with cancer in the 1975 – 1977 survey was about 33 percent.  Cancer is one of the 3 leading causes of death in America.  So, it’s important that you do whatever you can to help swing the percentages more toward your favor.

Toxins cause a wide array of problems in addition to cancer.  Chemical compounds found in your food, air and water build up in your body.  The accumulation of these compounds can lead to a wide variety of metabolic dysfunctions.  It can even cause outright disease states. 

The body systems that are most commonly affected by these toxic compounds are the immune system, the neurological system and the endocrine system.  Some examples of disease states associated with toxicity include:  immune dysfunction, autoimmunity, asthma, allergies, cancer, mental deficit, mood changes, neurological disease, libido/sexual problems, reproductive dysfunction and blood sugar irregularities.

The toxins in your body come from a wide variety of sources. These sources include environmental exposure such as: the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, and medications.  Internal (or “endogenous”) sources include:  the products produced by digestion, energy metabolism, tissue regeneration, end products from the metabolism of hormones, bacterial by-products and other complex molecules. 

So, what can you do to help decrease your toxic load, and improve your body’s ability to detoxify?

First, I think it will be beneficial to identify some sources of toxins.  These would include:

1.   Infectious organisms – bacteria, viruses, yeast, parasites

2.  Allergens  - food, mold, dust, pollen

3.  Medications

4.  Heavy metals – lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, aluminum

5.   Metabolic by-products  - nitrogen, bile, urea, ammonium, bacteria by-products

6.  Anti-nutrients – high fructose corn syrup, trans-fatty acids, alcohol, processed foods

7.  Stress – toxic emotions

8.  Water, air, and other environmental sources

As you can see, it is easy for us to be exposed to toxins without even realizing it.  Fortunately, we do have mechanisms within our body to combat toxicity.  The major systems for detoxification within our body include the liver and gallbladder, kidneys, GI system, skin, lungs, lymphatic system and the circulatory system.  It is important to support these systems and to keep the body healthy so that these systems can do their job.  The functions of these systems are used to prevent toxin entry and to modify toxins for removal.   Proper nutrition plays a key role in the management of toxins.  Patients with nutrient deficiencies have reduced toxicant clearance.  Dietary habits also influence the detoxification. For example, low protein diets will decrease clearance of toxicants.  

My goal for this article is to give you some basic steps to reduce your toxic load.  This is basically done through nutrition and through some general housekeeping tips.  I will discuss nutrition later, but today, I want to give you some tips that you can implement immediately to help reduce your toxic exposure.

Steps to Reduce Toxic Exposure and Load:

1.  Do not wear shoes indoors.  You will track external toxins into your house from your shoes.  Check them at the door.

2.  Replace the furnace filters every 6 weeks with a high quality pleated filter rated at MERV 7-9 (The higher the MERV-minimum efficiency reporting value- rating, the fewer  dust particles and other airborne contaminants can pass through)Most hospitals use a 9-10.

3.  Have dry-cleaning air out in the garage or car trunk for a week before bringing it into the house

4. Do not smoke indoors. (How about not smoking at all?  Really, people.)

5.  Consider replacing carpet with tile or stone flooring

6.  Use non-scented laundry detergent and fabric softener

7.  Consider using an air purifier system. Make sure that the system is able to clean the entire air room every 20 to 30 minute. (You will need to know the cubic feet of the area you are filtering and match it to the units capacity- cubic feet is length time width time height)

8.  Consider using a home water filtration system – (Ionizer Plus Water Electrolyer can clean the water as well as alkalize it.)

9.  Avoid toxic exposure present in foods (visit www.foodnews.org for more info)

10. Use organic for all dairy consumption (especially butter)

11.  Do not eat any farm raised or Atlantic salmon. Freely eat Alaskan wild caught salmon

12.  Avoid the fish with the highest mercury content: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tuna, orange roughy, marlin, Chilean bass, lobster, halibut and snapper,

13.  Freely eat the fish with the lower mercury content: clams, ocean perch, Alaskan salmon, flounder, sole and catfish

Basic methods to help increase your body’s ability to detoxify:

1.   Exercise, sauna, and massage - Increases circulation

 2.  Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables:  broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, rutabaga, turnips, bok choy, arugala, horse radish, wasabi, watercress  (caution:  if you are hypothyroid, remember that cruciferous vegetables are goiterogenic)

3.  Stay hydrated.  You need to drink at least 2 liters of filtered water per day.

4.  Eat fiber to stay regular.  The recommended daily intake is 30-35 grams per day

I hope you found this article useful and will implement some steps to reduce your toxic load and to improve your health.  If you have any questions, you can contact me through www.boggschiro.com.

Dr. Daniel A. Boggs

Chiropractic Physician

Certified Acupuncturist

Functional Medicine

Death By Numbers: Gambling With Your Health

Where is the outrage?  A recent editorial in the November 11 issue of USA Today brought up a subject that you would think would cause shock and public outrage.  Let me ask you this:  What if an everyday practice was responsible for one death every 3 minutes?  Would you be shocked?  Scared? What if one person died every 3 minutes from texting while driving?  What if one person died every 3 minutes from a firearm at home?  Don’t you think there would be a national campaign to stamp out such a practice?  However, this particular practice receives no scrutiny, and the public doesn’t even seem to notice or care.

                Citing a survey from the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services, the USA Today piece questioned the public’s “blasé’” reaction to the fact that an estimated 180,000 patient die every year from medical “adverse events”.   That’s 493 deaths per day, 20 deaths per hour, and one death every 3 minutes.  What’s even more concerning is that the HHS survey estimated that 80,000 of these deaths could be prevented.   Some examples cited were letting infections develop, giving the patient the wrong medication or giving an excess dose of the right drug.

                If 500 people per day died from not wearing seatbelts, there would be national uproar and legislative action passed to force people to wear seatbelts.  Locally, one person was injured by a motorist who drove through a red light, and the state issued a “Target Red” campaign to remind drivers to stop at red lights.

                So, why is there no consumer outrage over medical care? 

                The numbers don’t lie.   Let’s put this into perspective.  A recent study in the medical journal SPINE revealed that patients who are treated by chiropractic adjustments have no more of a risk to have a stroke than they would if they were to go to their medical doctor for a routine visit.  The “risk” associated with chiropractic neck adjustments is as low as 1 in 5,000,000 manipulations performed.  However, a group in Connecticut tried to get chiropractic adjustments outlawed based upon these numbers.

                To further put this into perspective, the U.S. military death toll in Iraq from 2003-2009 is somewhere around 4,300 deaths.  That means that 250 times more people de every day from medical errors than soldiers in Iraq.  Yet, people are outraged when they hear of a soldier dying in combat.  (I‘m not minimizing the sacrifices that our soldiers make for our country.    I’m just using this as an illustration).

                Firearm deaths n the US from the years 2000-2007 totaled 240,997.  That makes the number of deaths from guns about 20% of that caused by medicine.  But, we have nationwide campaigns to stamp out gun use. 

                There is no national campaign for “Target Hospitals” or “Guns don’t kill people, medicine does.” 

                So, what is the average person to do?  First of all, there is absolutely NO REASON for any person to be ignorant of the options surrounding their health.  You are reading this article because you have internet access.  Start using the internet to become educated about your health, instead of relying on television commercials urging you to ask your doctor about the latest medication.  Honestly, are you really going to let a “dancing mucous” or an animated bumblebee educate you about your health?  Take some responsibility!  There is NOBODY that will care about your body more than you do.  No doctor, hospital, minister, family member will be able to take care of YOU more than you are willing to take care of yourself.

                You need to get out your brown bag, see what medications you are on, and start looking for alternatives.  Get off your duff and start exercising.  Stop eating garbage and fuel your body properly.

                I’m tired of seeing people with so much potential losing all of their vitality to illness.  I’m tired of seeing 30 year old driving motorized carts in Wal-Mart.

                The bottom line is this:  We all need to be better stewards with our health.  If you decide to put your health in someone else’s hands, you might just become a statistic.

Dr. Daniel Boggs' Health Blog: Death By Numbers: Gambling With Your Health

Dr. Daniel Boggs' Health Blog: Death By Numbers: Gambling With Your Health: "Where is the outrage? A recent editorial in the November 11 issue of USA Today brought up a subject that you would think would cause s..."

Natural Remedies for Kidney Stones

Hi folks.  I just wanted to pass along a couple of natural remedies to help you if you ever suffer from kidney stones.

The first, and preferred method is to make the following concoction and drink it throughout the day:
1) Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar (about a shot glass full)
2) 20 ounces of water
3) Honey (to taste)

The second method works but I have a hard time recommending that you drink this much Coke.  But, if you are suffering, drinking it for one day isn't such a bad thing.  So, this is what you do:

Buy a case of Coke and some asparagus.  Drink about half a can of Coke (regular, not diet, and not Pepsi) every half hour.  Once you get through 5 or 6 Cokes, puree about 4 ounces of asparagus mixed with water and drink it.

I know these both sound a little off the wall, but it works.  Of course, my disclaimer is that consult with a doctor before attempting any time of remedy for any problem, including stones.

Consciencious Cleaning: Resources for Organic Grooming Products

Aubrey Organics (soap): aubrey-organics.com
Certain Dri (antiperspirant):  dsehealthcare.com
Periopaste (toothpaste): docharrison.com
Avalon Organices (shampoo):  avalonorganics.com
Burts Bees (shave cream):  burtsbees.com

Happy Bathing!

Eating Right, Part 2: How to Figure Out Your Body Mass Index

Another valuable calculation we will use is the Body Mass Index (BMI).  The BMI is calculated from a person's weight and height. It is a fairly reliable indicator of body fatness for most people, but it does not measure body fat directly.  The gold standards for calculating body fat are methods such as underwater weighting and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry.  However, research as shown BMI to be an acceptable and accurate way of measuring body fat.

BMI is a screening too only, not a diagnostic tool. For example, a person may have a high BMI. However, to determine if excess weight is a health risk, a healthcare provider would need to perform further assessments like  skin fold thickness measurements, evaluations of diet, physical activity, family history, and other appropriate health screenings.

To caclulate BMI, the following method is used:

Formula: weight (pounds) / [height (in)]² x 703

(divide weight in pounds (lbs) by height in inches (in) squared and multiplying by a conversion factor of 703.)

For example: Weight = 150 lbs, Height = 5'5" (65")
Calculation: [150 ÷ (65)²] x 703

                     [150 ÷ 4225] x 703

                     = 24.96

So, what does this calculation mean?

BMI	Weight Status
Below 18.5	Underweight
18.5 – 24.9	Normal
25.0 – 29.9	Overweight
30.0 and Above	Obese

There is a strong correlation between the BMI number and body fatness; however the correlation varies by sex, race, and age. Also, highly trained athletes have a higher BMI because they have a lot more muscle than the average person.

It is also important to remember that BMI is only one factor related to risk for disease. Two other important predictors are:

·         The individual's waist circumference (because abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related diseases).

·         Risk factors the individual has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity).

Being overweight has numerous detrimental affects on your health, inlcuding hypertension, abnormal lipid counts, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, and cancer.

As you can see, it is important for you to keep track of your BMI.  So, you need to calculate this number now and write it down for reference.

Eating Right: How Much Should You Be Eating?

Over the next several days, I want to show you how to eat properly.  I'm not necessarily going to discuss meal plans and specific foods.  Intead, I am going to give you some basic information on how to plan your meals in terms of how many calories you should consume, what food groups to choose from, etc.  So let's get started....

How much should you eat?

In order to decide how much you need to eat to fuel your body, we need to determine your basal metabolic rate, or BMR.  Your BMR is the minimum amount of calories required to sustain the body’s functions and processes, when the body is at rest.  Your BMR is responsible for burning up to 70% of the total calories you use during the day.  Essentially, your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs just to function.  Every function of your body requires calories/energy for fuel.  Functions such as breathing, maintaining your body temperature, and breathing all require energy. Obviously, you will burn more calories on top of what is used for your BMR depending on various factors.

The following factors will influence your BMR:

·         Genetics

·         Gender:  Men generally have more muscle and less body fat than women, which makes them have a higher BMR

·         Age:  Your BMR will drop about 2% per decade after the age of 20

·         Weight:  The more you weight, the higher your BMR

·         Height:  The taller you are, the greater your BMR

·         Body Fat:  The lower your body fat percentage, the higher your BMR

·         Diet:  Very low calorie and restrictive diets will drastically reduce your BMR by up to 30 percent.  This is why it is counter-produce to excessively restrict calories in order to lose weight.

·         Exercise:  exercise not only influences body weight by burning calories, it also raises  your BMR.  Exercise causes you to have more lean tissue and muscle so that you burn more calories when at rest

There are also some short term and transient factors that will affect your BMR.  High fevers, stress and temperature increase will increase your BMR.

How to calculate your BMR

The first step in designing a personal nutrition plan is to calculate your BMR so that you know how many calories you will burn per day at rest.  We need to know what your “total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)” is.  TDEE is the amount of calories your body expends per day, including all activities.  (BMR is how many calories, your body burns at rest.  TDEE is the TOTAL of calories burned factoring in all activity).

A quick and easy way to determine calorie needs is to use total current body weight times a multiplier.

For fat loss = you will need 12-13 calories per pound of body weight

To maintaine your current status (TDEE) = consume 15-16 calories per pound of bodyweight

For weight gain = consume 18-19 calories per pound of bodyweight

This is an easy method to estimate caloric needs, but there are drawbacks to this method, mainly that it doesn't take into account activity levels or body composition.

Highly active individuals will require  more calories than this formula indicates. In addition, the more lean body mass one has, the higher the TDEE will be. Because body fat levels are not accounted for, this formula may greatly overestimate the caloric needs if someone is extremely overfat. For example, a lightly active 50 year old woman who weighs 235 pounds and has 34% body fat will not lose weight on 3000 calories per day (235 X 13 as per the "quick" formula for fat loss).

A commonly used formula to figure out BMR is using the Harris-Benedict principle.  This formula can be a bit more accurate, and this is the formula that I recommend you use:

Women:  655 + (4.3 x your weight in pounds) + (4.7 x your height in inches) – (4.7 x your age in years)

Men:  66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in years)

For example:  To figure the BMR for a 5’ 4”, 150 pound, 30 year old  woman:  655 +(4.3x 150) + (4.7 x 64) – (4.7 x 30) which equals to 1459

This equation will be very accurate for most people, except for those who are either very  muscular or very over-fat.

So, at this point, go ahead and figure out your BMR.  You should write it down for reference, as this will be your starting point in figuring out your meal plans. 

Tomorrow, we will discuss the Body Mass Index.  See you then.