Common Sense Says... by Dr. David Perrine

Fifty Is the New Thirty

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 20:47:12 -0700

Fifty Is the New Thirty

This month I had the pleasure to turn fifty. Yes, I did say pleasure. As my father replies when asked how it feels to have another birthday, “It beats NOT having another birthday.” At age eighty five, he continues to inspire me with his dedication to proper diet and exercise.
It has been said that when it comes to disease, genetics loads the gun, but environment pulls the trigger. In other words, your genes may predispose you to certain conditions, but the expression of those genes depends upon how you live your life. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers all have genetic links that are known to be activated through poor diet, stress and physical inactivity.
On the other hand, eating well, thinking well and moving well can all help prevent such diseases from manifesting in the first place. Simple habits can result in significant health benefits. For example, maintaining proper hydration through drinking purified water helps the body remove environmental toxins; daily meditation reduces cortisol levels, which helps keep blood sugar at proper levels; a regular walking program helps achieve optimal body composition and reduces blood pressure.
After living this type of lifestyle for the past thirty years, I can attest to the benefits of practicing good health habits. At fifty, I continue to engage in all of the activities that I enjoyed while in my thirties (although maybe a bit slower!). I realize that I will not live forever and must eventually pass from this earth from one reason or another. My goal is to put the odds in my favor and control the things I can. That way I know whatever lies ahead, I have done my best from the standpoint of prevention.
If you are looking for a program to assist you in your quest for better health—physically, nutritionally, emotionally and spiritually—please visit my book website to learn more about how simple it can be. I spent four years researching and organizing The Common Sense Guide to Healthy Living to provide you with the tools you need to take control of your health.
It is never too late to make positive changes in your life. Start small and simple. That way you will gain momentum, allowing you keep moving forward by adding additional positive habits. “Yard by yard, life is hard, but inch by inch, life’s a cinch.” Take it one step, rather inch at a time!

RAGE!

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:03:54 -0700

RAGE!

Let’s talk about a topic that literally pertains to life and death...RAGE. However, this is not the rage you might assume. This RAGE has nothing to do with anger, but will kill you all the same.
RAGE stands for Receptor for Advanced Glycation Endproducts. Advanced Glycation Endproducts (aptly named AGE’s) are the result of high sugar levels in the blood. These sugars bind with proteins to become a type of sludge in the tissues. These AGE’s attach to Receptors on the cells, triggering an inflammatory response in the DNA that eventually leads to cell death.
The evils of sugar continue to grow, leading towards a never-ending list of health woes. This glycation process can be likened to the heating of sugar. When you heat sugar you end up with a gooey substance called caramel. Imagine that flowing throughout your body! Still not too concerned? Here is a short list of problems associated with AGE’s:

*Cataracts
*Wrinkles
*Heart disease
*Parkinson’s disease
*Alzheimer’s disease
*High blood pressure
*Kidney disease
*Retinopathy (loss of vision)
*Osteoarthritis

As you can see, something as innocent as sugar can have a significant impact upon your health beyond mere weight gain. Sugars are hidden throughout your foods when they are processed. The easiest way to avoid them is to eliminate processed foods and drinks from your diet. It’s simple, but not easy. If you continue to struggle with these facts, simply remember: The whiter your bread, the sooner your dead!

World Series Champions: The Chiropractic Edge

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 21:40:37 -0700

World Series Champions:
The Chiropractic Edge

Since 2005, I have had the wonderful opportunity to provide the chiropractic care for the Kansas City Royals during Spring Training in AZ. It is a privilege to enter the clubhouse and work alongside such an elite staff of highly trained medical professionals. These athletes are in a class by themselves, requiring their body’s to function with the utmost precision in order to reach the pinnacle of performance.
Chiropractic care has played a pivotal role for many baseball players throughout the Major Leagues over the past decade. Nowadays, you will find a chiropractor in virtually every training room. With the tremendous stresses placed upon their physical frames, professional athletes must do everything possible to keep themselves healthy. Regular chiropractic care helps these athletes maintain proper spinal function and balance to reduce the risk of spinal-related injuries, enhance recovery, and improve overall performance. (see our Testimonials page for some examples).
One of my mentors while in chiropractic school, Dr. Ralph Filson, has been providing chiropractic care for the St. Louis Cardinals since 1990. Then manager Joe Torre stated, “Chiropractic care is always available for players of the Cardinals and the visiting team, it is utilized by many. With chiropractic care, players report that they feel better and have better endurance. Body mechanics are significantly improved, enabling better pitching, hitting and throwing.”
In 2006, Dr. Filson was awarded a World Series ring for his role with the Cardinals. This year, he once again played an integral role in St. Louis bringing home another championship: “I am proud to have provided chiropractic care to the Cardinals for so many years, and gratified that chiropractic has contributed to the players’ optimal performance during every game.”
Chiropractic continues to assist the members of every major professional sport as well as help Olympic athletes maintain peak fitness. While chiropractic may help elite athletes perform at their best, it can also improve the quality of life for people of all ages and fitness levels. If you desire to live a full and active life, make chiropractic a regular part of your wellness arsenal.

Leaky Gut - As Bad As It Sounds

Tue, 6 Dec 2011 14:17:41 -0700

Leaky Gut - As Bad As It Sounds

“Get people back into the kitchen and combat the trend toward processed food and fast food.” - Andrew Weil, M.D.

Our diets are killing us. Processed foods that are high in refined sugars, low in fiber, nutrient deficient, and high in omega-6 fatty acids are the staple of many families. These foods are doing more than increasing our calories and making us fatter. They are causing chronic inflammation within the body, particularly the GI tract. This chronic inflammation is leading to increasing levels of chronic disease.
Many of these conditions may be familiar to you: osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, Celiac disease, Type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis to name a few. What might not be familiar is the fact these conditions may be related to the health of your gut.
The GI tract has two main functions⎯absorb the essential nutrients necessary for life and keep foreign substances such as undigested proteins and bacteria out of the body. When inflammation arises in the GI tract due to stress and diet, both of these functions become compromised. This results in what is known as intestinal permeability or leaky gut syndrome.
How does inflammation lead to chronic disease? As unfamiliar substances enter the circulation, the immune system reacts with a vengeance. This immune reaction can begin to rage out of control as the body begins to assault normal tissue leading to an autoimmune condition.
If you or someone you know is suffering from an autoimmune disease, advanced laboratory testing of the GI system is essential to finding the cause. Unfortunately, this testing is not typically ordered in traditional medicine. Instead, the focus lies on treating symptoms with medications rather than digging deeper to find the cause.
Two such tests are the Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA) and the Intestinal Permeability Test (IPT). The CDSA will evaluate with great accuracy the overall health of the GI tract while the IPT will examine for leaky gut. With this information, a physician trained in functional medicine can provide a proper treatment plan to allow the body to return to balance and do what it is designed to do...heal itself.
By removing offending substances and providing the body with optimal nutritional support, health can be restored. If you suffer from chronic disease, functional medicine can help find the true cause, and thereby help you transform your life.

The Candy Covenant

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:23:42 -0700

The Candy Covenant

“Too much sugar is bitter.” - Nepalese Proverb

You are about to enter what I call the “Holiday Danger Zone.” This time of year can wreck havoc on both your mental and physical health. Beginning with Halloween, the temptations that food exerts become more and more powerful as we roll into the holidays.

It is easy to be lulled into the mindset of accepting that the year is generally over and once the new year begins, THEN you can return to those goals of eating well and exercising regularly. Now is the time to take a stand, draw that line, commit to excellence!

Our CrossFit Chaparral gym has decided to do just that. The harmful effects of sugar and processed foods on the body are well known. Yet knowing the way is not going the way. This is the reason we are creating The Candy Covenant. During the period between November 1st and Thanksgiving Eve, we are agreeing to eliminate sweets from our diets. When we form an agreement with ourselves and others, the likelihood to follow through and complete our mission increases dramatically.

The Candy Covenant involves eliminating the sweets that infiltrate your diet on a regular basis. A candy bar here, a soda there... These foods quietly increase your blood sugar, which stimulates insulin secretion that tells your body to create FAT! Along with body fat accumulation comes inflammation. Inflammation has been shown to be responsible for the increasing rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis, as well as many other chronic illnesses.

Dietary sugar also suppresses your immune system. I believe one of the reasons we see an increase in colds and flu during the holidays is the result of the increasing sugar burden placed upon our bodies. Consuming 100 grams of simple carbohydrates (such as cookies, doughnuts, or soda) can reduce the ability of your white blood cells to destroy invading bacteria and viruses. This presents a significant opportunity for illness take hold.

So what are we including in our covenant? Let’s make it simple: any sugary baked goods (cakes, doughnuts, brownies...), candy, and soda. Now don’t confuse simple with easy. I realize this may present a challenge for many of you. That is why we are doing this together. I encourage you to print out the covenant agreement by clicking here. Sign the agreement and have someone witness it for you as well. This simple physical act creates a deeper level of commitment within your sub-conscious mind. Making a friend or family member aware of your decision also helps when it comes to encouragement and accountability.

Take a stand for your health. Remember that all good things are upstream and require effort to get there. Rise up to the challenge and take it one day at a time. That way it will be as easy as pie (my mistake, no pie permitted either!). Let me know how you are doing and if there is anyway we can help you. We are all in this together!