Drinking Soda: Like eating a tablespoon of toxic chemicals in every glass!

Most people feel they need to avoid sugar at all costs and turn to diet sodas as a substitute. They think they'll get the sweet taste without the calories. Turns out the calories in sugar are probably better than the chemicals in aspartame.

We're not saying drink sugar filled soda instead. In fact, you shouldn't drink soda at all. There are all kinds of chemical additives in sodas that are bad for you. As a general rule, you probably shouldn't eat or drink things that contain ingredients that you can't pronounce without looking in your high school chemistry text book. Let's take a look at exactly what's on the ingredients list for Coke Zero:

"Carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, aspartame, potassium benzoate (to protect taste), natural flavors, potassium citrate, acesulfame potassium, caffeine."

The FDA approved acesulfame potassium for use in 1998. Before that, research indicated that there may be a link between the chemical and cancer. Phosphoric acid is actually more acidic than lemon juice or vinegar and it is commonly used for rust removal. Imagine what it does to your teeth! Caramel color sounds pretty harmless, right. But it's not the caramel you think of in candies and chocolates. To get this "caramel color" soda makers have to mix sugar with ammonia sulfite to create the dark brownish black color you expect from a cola.

If someone asked you to eat a spoonful of phosphoric acid, you'd say "no way!" So why is it okay to consume these chemicals in a glass of pop? Sodas are nutritionally bankrupt foods that don't add anything to improve your health or your life. You don't need to understand chemistry to know that drinking soda of any kind is unhealthy and dangerous. Don't be fooled by the bubbly sweetness!

ARE WE BECOMING A HORDE OF PILL POPPING ZOMBIES?

Don't Be A Zombie When It Comes To Your Health!

When doctors tell patients about research that shows how bad aspartame is for you, the patients often nod their heads in agreement.  People know that artificial sweeteners are horrible for their health.  People will even say they find the research compelling and interesting.  But what do they do next?  They pop open a can of diet soda and drink themselves into a slow death. 

I recently heard a story about a woman diagnosed with breast cancer.  You would think this disease would challenge her to change her lifestyle, yet she continues to put more toxins in her body by drinking diet cola with aspartame.  It’s as if we’ve become walking zombies.  We’re all popping pills and chugging poison hoping that it’ll make us feel better, when the poison is the problem in the first place.   What will it take to get through to people who are making bad choices?  Would it make a difference if God himself parted the heavens and sent a message to his flocks about living a healthier lifestyle?  Probably not.

The problem is that for so many bad choices, the consequences are too far in the future.  Drinking soda today seems harmless, but in 5 or 10 years, you’ll pay the price for consuming that fizzy can of fake sugar.  It would be easier if everyone had an instant reaction to what's bad for them, like nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting.  That immediate feedback would tell us everything we need to know about what we’re putting into our bodies.   But instead, we choose to die a slow death, incrementally adding to the buildup of poison in our systems until something goes horribly wrong. 

We say we want the best for our kids, but so often we’re not willing to give up our junk food, sodas and fast paced way of life.   The whole time we send mixed messages:  Do what I say but not what I do.   

• We tell our kids that soda is bad for them, but we drink it ourselves right in front of them, sending the message that “its okay for me to do it, but not for you.”
• We wonder why our kids are hyperactive when we finally do let them drink sugared sodas and fake juices filled with corn syrup.  
• We feed them McDonalds because it’s faster to drive through instead of waiting in line at Subway for a sandwich with fresh vegetables on it.
• We open up a can of Chef Boyardee noodles filled with preservatives instead of cooking fresh, healthy pasta for our children.
• We reward our children’s successes with candy, cupcakes, and cookies, then wonder how they became addicted to junk food.

 It’s so much easier to complain about what’s wrong with our kids and our lives than to do something meaningful to fix it.  We blame our problems on bad genes.  We make important decisions based on what’s convenient instead of what’s healthy.  We label our children “special” and give them drugs to calm them down or wake them up.  We depend on science and technology to fix everything.  That’s how we’re turning into a horde of pill popping zombie junkies looking for some quick rush to relieve our pain.  Guess what.  The pain only goes away when you make hard choices.  Let’s stop blaming the world and look inside ourselves for the solution. 

The secret to a long healthy life isn’t a secret at all.  It’s a series of simple healthy choices.  Start making better decisions today, because you are NOT a zombie.  You have a choice.  

Go to Sarasota Physical Medicine's website for more information about a healthy lifestyle.  Or call (941) 922-9312 for an appointment.

A Fender Bender for Your Car can be a Major Injury for Your Body

Let's say you're in a car accident.  Someone rear ends you at a stoplight.  When you look at the damage to your car's back end, it's pretty minor.  A pushed in bumper, maybe some dings and paint scrapes.  "Great news," says your insurance agent.  "That means you weren't badly hurt either!"  Wrong.

Don't assume there's a relationship between vehicle damage and bodily injury in an accident.  A car is built out of solid materials. It absorbs the energy of an impact in a different way than your body.  You may have serious head and neck injuries even though your car only shows a dented fender.  It really doesn't matter which way you hit a car.  The damage you can expect is pretty much based on physics.  But when you're sitting in the car and moving about, the position of your head, the direction of the impact, the forces on your spine all affect how badly you'll be hurt.    

Don't underestimate your injuries in a car accident.  Often people in fender benders refuse medical treatment because they feel fine in the minutes after a crash.  That feeling often goes away as the hours count down and the pain sets in.  Never ever assume that you can predict how badly you're hurt from how badly your car is damaged.

For more information on the impact of vehicle accidents on your body and how physical therapy can help you recover faster, contact Sarasota Physical Medicine or call us at (941) 922-9312.

Why You Should Worry More About Everyday Exposure to Radiation and Less About Japan's Nuclear Crisis. & Iodine.

How Iodine Protects from Radiation

Recent non-stop news of the Japanese nuclear accident can cause even the most sensible people to react irrationally when it comes to their health.  Worries about nuclear fallout and radiation poisoning make most of us think "what would we do if it happened here?"  Well guess what.  You're exposed to radiation every day.  Here's what you should know about it. 

Radiation is a naturally occurring thing.  We take in doses of radiation every day from the sun, the soil, the water we drink, the food we eat and the electronics we use.  In most cases, our bodies process and handle these low doses pretty well, but the one area of our body most susceptible to radiation is the thyroid.  This gland can be more susceptible to cancers because of how it regulates metabolic rates.  Exposure to high levels of radiation causes this glad to go haywire.  But there's a natural supplement that can help:  Iodine.

Your thyroid needs natural iodine to create hormones. When you're exposed to high levels of radioactive iodine, that's when you have a problem.  One treatment is to supplement your body with stable, non-radioactive iodine.  When your thyroid has high levels of this good iodine, it doesn't store any of the radioactive iodine, basically letting it pass through your body.  So once again, nature provides our bodies with something to help sustain and regulate our systems and fight off harmful toxins.   In fact many doctors recommend patients take iodine supplements to keep your thyroid healthy. 

So as you watch the news reports about radiation contamination in Japan, be rational about what's really a threat to your health.  Make sensible decisions and live a life of peace with the things you do everyday. You’ll be way ahead of the people who react irrationally out of fear.

Go to the Sarasota Physical Medicine for more information and videos about how we can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

LOSE WEIGHT IN ONLY 3 EASY STEPS! SAVE MONEY TOO! FREE WEIGHT LOSS PLAN!

We've uncovered the secret to guaranteed weight loss.  In only 3 easy steps you'll shed pounds, feel better and probably live longer.  No need to buy any expensive equipment.  No pre-packaged foods to pay for.  No diet books to read.  This is the easiest most common sense weight loss system you've ever heard of.  We learned the secrets to this plan and now want to share it with YOU!  Are you ready for it?  Because this will change your life.  Okay, here it is: 

1.  Eat Less
2.  Exercise More
3.  Mentally commit to eating less and exercising more.

Okay.  I know that's not the answer you were looking for.  You were probably hoping for a short cut, a DIY diet plan, or an exercise fad that promises to make you leaner and stronger in just 5 minutes a day.  There is NO SUCH THING!  Loosing weight is not rocket science.  Everyone knows how to do it.  Eating less and exercising more are the easy part.  It's step 3 that gets you every single time.  No matter how much exercise you do, you won't loose a pound on your hips and thighs until you workout your mind first. 

The 3 "easy steps" to my magic weight loss plan above are really in the wrong order.  The first step in EVERY weight loss plan starts with a decision and a commitment.  Diets are just a list of instructions and rules to follow.  They won't work unless you DECIDE to follow them.  Every time you put food in your mouth, you're making a series of decisions leading up to the moment of chew.  It doesn't really matter WHY you're reaching for a bag of chips.  Maybe you're hungry or have a salt craving.  Maybe you're eating to punish yourself for something or because you feel out of control.  Whatever the reason, it is YOUR decision that gets the food from the fridge into your mouth and onto your hips.  Once you DECIDE to make a change, you've taken the first step.  The next step is to COMMIT to the change no matter how uncomfortable it makes you feel.

Being hungry, cranky, and irritable are side effects of making healthier choices at first.  Yes, it really sucks.  But there is no "easy" way around it, no matter what the diet industry tells you.  Nothing about changing your addictions is easy.  And that's exactly what food is to most people.  We eat for pleasure, not nutrition.  And pleasure seeking is one of the most primal urges in the human condition.  That's where the powerful mind comes in.  You CAN override these impulses to eat too much if you are COMMITTED to making better DECISIONS. 

The real secret to loosing weight is found between your ears.  No matter how many carbs you cut, or diet books and DVDs you buy, none of it will work until your mind catches up with your mouth.  

For help and advice on living a healthier life, contact us at Sarasota Physical Medicine (941) 922-9312.

A New Year, A New Medicare Deductible. Do You Know Your Coverage Levels?

Okay everyone; It's time to hit the reset button.  The new year means a new start.  Time to begin new healthy habits like eating well, exercising and managing your medicare budget.  Making sure you have the health coverage you need for the coming year is something most people don't think about.  Here's what you need to know:

The Medicare deductible that you'll pay out of pocket for 2011 is $162.  The good news is that there's no limit to Medicare coverage for chiropractic treatment, so you can see us at Sarasota Physical Medicine throughout the year as often as you medically need to.

Medicare also covers physical therapy, but there is a limit to how much.   For 2011 the PT limit is $1,860 for the entire year.  Once you've used your annual coverage amount, Medicare will only pay above that for physical therapy when your doctor shows you need additional treatment and we request an extension.  So if you do need additional physical therapy, Sarasota Physical Medicine will handle that paperwork for you, so you can focus on getting better.

Here's a warning to patients who were converted from Medicare to an HMO: Not all plans are accepted by hospitals and doctors offices.  Check with your doctors to see which HMO plans they accept.  Be careful, because once you choose a plan, you're stuck with it for the entire year.  If you choose wrong, then you won't be able to see the doctor you know and trust for a whole year of your health care. Names of some of the larger HMOs are Freedom, Universal, and Medicare Complete.

If you have any questions about your coverage, call Sarasota Physical Medicine and we'll help you navigate through the Medicare/HMO paperwork.  We're experienced at dealing with all the red tape, rules and regulations, so you don't have to go through this alone.

So this year, let Sarasota Physical Medicine help you get a healthy start to 2011. Get back to doing the things you love: golfing, gardening, walking, swimming, playing with your grandchildren.  These are the moments that make life meaningful.  Let us help you make life less painful so you can enjoy them.   Happy New Year everyone!

For more information, contact us at (941) 922-9312 or go to srqchiro.com