What foods should I buy organic?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by askdrjames
Organic food mela

Organic food mela (Photo credit: Hari Prasad Nadig)

Many people who visit our clinic are very health conscious and try to eat organic fruits and vegatables as much as possible. And with good reason: organic food is richer in nutrients, better tasting, as well as void of chemicals and pesticides.

Many will agree, however, that eating organic can be costly. Luckily, there is compromise where you can enjoy the health benefits of eating organic food, without hurting your grocery budget. Some foods are exposed to more pesticides and chemicals than others, so it’s more important to choose organic in those cases. Here is a list of organic food recommendations: (see the full list)

Dirty Dozen Plus (buy these organic)               Clean Fifteen (these are cleanest)

  1. apples                                                                Avocados
  2. celery                                                                 Sweet Corn
  3. strawberries                                                    Pineapples
  4. peaches                                                             Cabbage
  5. spinach/Lettuce                                              Sweet Peas-Frozen
  6. nectarines                                                        Onion
  7. grapes                                                               Asparagus
  8. sweet bell peppers                                         Mangoes
  9. potatoes                                                           Papayas
  10. snap peas                                                         Kiwi
  11. hot peppers                                                     Eggplant
  12. kale/collard greens                                        Grapefruit
  13. Cucumbers                                                      Cantaloupe
  14. Cherry Tomatoes                                           Cauliflower
  15. Blue Berries                                                    Sweet Potatoes
Posted in Nutrition | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Is it possible to take TOO MUCH calcium?

Posted on January 31, 2012 by askdrjames
500 mg calcium supplement tablets, with vitami...

Image via Wikipedia

As a chiropractor, patients often ask me bone or joint-related questions. One concern that often comes up is, “Am I taking enough calcium?” or “Am I taking too much?”

For many years, the common public perception was the more calcium you took the better. However, in recent years, increasing evidence indicates that more calcium is not better. Assuming that many women will get about 700 mg a day from dietary sources alone, many women may require no more than an additional 500-600 mg a day from calcium supplements. In contrast, many women are taking a very high dose of calcium, often 1200-1500 mg a day just from the supplements alone, and this could lead to very high total intake. (see full article)

Recommended Daily Amounts of Calcium

Age Male Female Pregnant Lactating
0-6 months* 200mg 200mg
7-12 months* 260mg 260mg
1-3 years 700mg 700mg
4-8 years 1000mg 1000mg
9-13 years 1300mg 1300mg
14-18 years 1300mg 1300mg 1300mg 1300mg
19-50 years 1000mg 1000mg 1000mg 1000mg
51-70 years 1000mg 1200mg
71+ years 1200mg 1200mg

Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (formerly National Academy of Sciences)

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Nutrition plays a vital role in post-surgical recovery

Posted on January 17, 2012 by askdrjames
Surgery, Etc

Image by heymrlady via Flickr

A common question often posed to me is, “Should I do any preparation before my surgery or should I wait to start my rehab therapy until a few months after surgery? and is there anything i should be eating before or after the surgery?”

Many therapists would recommend on the importance of strengthening prior to surgery (pre-hab). Meanwhile, nutrition also plays a vital role in recovery. Your body recovery rate is determined in part by the available nutrients in your body. One of the best things you can do is to focus on whole foods. For example, an orange would be a whole food whereas orange juice would be a more processed version. Other dietary supplements can also play an important role in increasing  recovery time. According to a study published in Clinical Nutrition Journal, dietary supplements given to post-operative patients undergoing moderate to major gastrointestinal surgery results in clinically significant benefits and improved recovery.  Specific nutrients are vital in recovery and wound healing.

Zinc: helps with wound healing and boosts immune function to reduce infection. Topical zinc ointments, also inhibits bacteria growth on the surface of skin.

Vitamin C: is required to make collagen, the connective tissue. According to the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, levels of vitamin C actually drop in post-op patients and those with physical trauma.

Bromelain: is an enzyme found in the stem of pineapples and is useful for reducing post-op swelling when taken on an empty stomach..

Oligomeric proanthocyandins (OPC) : it is a powerful antioxidant (20x more powerful than vitamin C and 50x more potent than vitamin E) and has excellent anti-inflammatory properties.

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