Produce with the highest level of pesticides

Highlights of Dirty Dozen™ 2014

EWG's Dirty Dozen™ list of produce includes apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, imported nectarines, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas and potatoes. Each of these foods contained a number of different pesticide residues and showed high concentrations of pesticides relative to other produce items.
In particular:

• Every sample of imported nectarines and 99 percent of apple samples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.
• The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other food.
• A single grape sample contained 15 pesticides. Single samples of celery, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas and strawberries showed 13 different pesticides apiece. 

www.ewg.org

Watch Out for Distracted Drivers!

A new study finds that distracted drivers in the US are killing an increasing number of pedestrians and bicyclists. From 2005 to 2010, the number of bicyclists killed by distracted drivers has increased by 30%, while pedestrians killed by distracted drivers increased by nearly 50% over the same period. Study author Dr. Fernando Wilson states, “We’re constantly exposed to distracted drivers. I don’t think there’s a day that I don’t see someone driving and using their cell phone. A lot of time they’re texting… It’s something that’s pervasive in society. That’s one of the reasons it’s so difficult to deal with.” University of Nebraska Medical Center, November 2103

How Does Chiropractic Care Benefit Pregancy?

Why should I have chiropractic care during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, there are several physiological and endocrinological changes that occur in preparation for creating the environment for the developing baby. The following changes could result in a misaligned spine or joint:

* Protruding abdomen and increased back curve
* Pelvic changes
* Postural adaptations

Establishing pelvic balance and alignment is another reason to obtain chiropractic care during pregnancy. When the pelvis is misaligned it may reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby. This restriction is called intrauterine constraint. A misaligned pelvis may also make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery.

The nervous system is the master communication system to all the body systems including the reproductive system. Keeping the spine aligned helps the entire body work more effectively.
What are the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy?

Chiropractic care during pregnancy may provide benefits for women who are pregnant. Potential benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy include:

* Maintaining a healthier pregnancy
* Controlling symptoms of nausea
* Reducing the time of labor and delivery
* Relieving back, neck or joint pain
* Prevent a potential cesarean section

The most common referral from a Medical Doctor to our clinic comes from the ob/gyn. These M.D.'s and D.O.'s don't want to put the expecting mothers on serious pain meds because of the risk with pregnancy. Becuase of this, these doctors elect to send their patients to our clinic. The expecting moms soon thank them for it.

Call the office at 610-361-9531 to schedule an appointment of speak with one of our Chiropractors about Chiropractic care for pregnant women.

The Best Nutritional Supplement for Acute or Chronic Pain

Want to know more about a nutritional supplement powerful enough to treat acute or chronic pain....read on.

I have used this product for years on and off. Since I have been training much more and trying new sports / activities, my incidence of joint pain has been a little more frequent. Not that I have been injured, but I have felt more of the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) than in the past. I supplement with Wobenzm PS and feel my recovery time shorten and the aches and pains diminish. I would never take OTC for pain and i do not agree with managing pain with anti-inflammatories. Wobenzm is my nutritional natural supplemement of choice. After a hard workout at CrossFit Kennett Square I may take a few Wobenzme to speed up the recovery process. Find out more about CrossFit training here or watch a video here.

For years athletes and those who know have been using Wobenzym to treat acute and chronic pain. Backed by decades of clinical research and published studies, Wobenzym™ PS supplies specific enzymes to the body to support immune function, joint, muscle and tendon health, as well as normal wound healing. Compared to Wobenzym® N, Wobenzym® PS provides health professionals with a unique blend of enzymes in an enhanced formula with twice the strength of active ingredients Bromelain, Trypsin, and Rutoside. Wobenzm come in "N" ans "PS" forms. The "PS" is stronger and more effective.

Here's a little more about Wobenzm from http://www.wobenzyme.org/:

"Some of the Olympic athletics who have consumed Wobenzym notice that it’s able to minimize the accidents about 50 percent as well as to speed up the recovery process when the injury happens. The reason this can happen is partly because the bioflavonoids characteristic in this systemic enzymes that also takes part to prevent discoloration as well as local pain related to traumatic injury. That’s why, nowadays some top surgeons recommend Wobenzym to avoid edema and bruising along with the related pain for the post-surgical patients.

Other benefits of Wobenzym that has been discovered and reported by the user:

• Lowering the occurrence of the blood clots.
• Decreasing the occurrence of the strokes, and heart attacks due to its anti-spasmodic, anti-arrhythmic, anti-thrombotic and the ability to lower the cholesterol.
• Reducing the inflammation that takes part in allergies and also ease the symptoms related to this condition.
• Dealing with rheumatic and autoimmune disorder or diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, muscle and join pain) as well as sports injury, and traumatic injury.
• Treating sinus infection, fungal and viral infection, herpes simplex infection, bacterial yeast, pelvic conditions caused by inflammation, elevated triglyceride and cholesterol levels, cardiovascular obstruction and related conditions, digestive problems, edema, even only general colds and flu.
• Enhancing someone feeling of the well-being because of the effects from its antioxidant characteristic"

If you want Wobenzm PS (professional strength), call my office at 610-361-9531 or email us at info@b2hc.com.

Strength Training Secret #42: Complexes

Training Complexes: Barbell / Kettlebell / Dumbbell


If you've never heard of "complexes" before, the basic concept is that instead of repeating the same exercise for multiple reps to complete a "set", you sequence one rep of several different exercises right after one another and repeat the sequence several times to complete a "set". It's basically like performing a routine, instead of just mindlessly performing a typical "set".

This type of training is excellent to work a huge amount of musculature in a short amount of time, and definitely takes your workouts to a whole new level of intensity. The conditioning aspect of this type of training is amazing, as you'll find yourself huffing and puffing after repeating a sequence a mere two or three times. This workout may not seem difficult when you read it but you will soon be surprised. If you are not familiar with the exercises or movements, find a coach and learn how to perform them. You can get coaching with us at Advanced Fitness and shorten up your learning curve.

This type of training elicits an excellent growth hormone response as well, due to the large amount of full body work completed in a given time period. When you couple this with 1-2 times per week of strength training with heavier weights you will get a testosterone response as well.

I like to incorporate about 5 exercises into my complexes. Any more than that and you might start to forget what's next in the sequence. Here's an awesome barbell complex that really gets it done:

Example Barbell Complex

1. high pull from floor (explosive deadlift right into upright row in one motion);

2. barbell back to thighs, then hang clean (explosively pull bar from knees and "catch" the bar at shoulders);

3. barbell back to floor, then clean & jerk;

4. barbell back to thighs, bend over, then bent over row;

5. barbell back to thighs, then finish with Romanian deadlift

Use a weight that you can still handle for your weakest lift of the bunch, but keep it heavy enough to challenge you. Try to repeat the sequence 2-3 times without resting... That's 1 set. You could progress over time on this routine by increasing the amount of times you repeat the sequence in each set, or by adding sets on subsequent workouts before eventually increasing the weight.

For example, say you completed the above complex with 155-lbs for 3 sequences per set for 3 sets in today's workout. Next time you perform the workout, try to do 155-lbs for 3 sequences per set for 4 sets. Once you successfully complete 5 sets with 155, increase the weight 5 or 10 lbs next time, and drop back to 3 sets. This is a great way to make improvements over time, while cycling your training volume.


Now I'm going to show you a great kettlebell complex that really kicks my butt. If you don't have a kettlebell, you can use a dumbbell, but I'd highly recommend picking yourself up a kettlebell... very convenient to have around when you want to bang out a quick intense workout at home without going to the gym.


I've been training with kettlebells for a little over 2 years now, and can definitely say that they've dramatically improved my strength, body composition, and overall physical capabilities. If you're not familiar with kettlebells, they are an old eastern European training secret that has just started to take the US by storm over the last few years. Many elite athletes are using kettlebells as their preferred training tool for serious results.

I'd recommend just starting off with one kettlebell and learn all of the single kettlebell drills first, before delving into the double-bell drills. Just one kettlebell coupled with some bodyweight exercises can literally be enough to comprise your own home gym, without any other equipment necessary. Or a kettlebell can just be a great alternative workout to incorporate into your routines once or twice a week. Either way, it opens up a whole new world of training for you.

Example Kettlebell Complex

1. one arm swing

2. one arm snatch, keep the bell over head;

3. one arm overhead squat;

4. bell back down to bottom, then one arm high pull;

5. bell back down to bottom, then one arm clean & press

As with the barbell complex, repeat the sequence (without rest) 2-3 times with each arm. That's one set...and one hell of a killer set at that! Try increasing from 3 to 4 to 5 sets on subsequent workouts with a given weight before increasing your sequence reps. If you're not drenched in sweat with your heart beating out of your chest after that complex, you either went too light, or you are a mutant freak!

Since dumbbells are more accessible to most people than kettlebells, now I'll show you how to put together a good dumbbell complex.

Example Dumbbell Complex

1. upright row with each arm separately then both together

2. front lunge with one leg, then the other

3. back lunge with one leg, then the other

4. curl to overhead press

5. keep dumbbells at shoulders and squat

Again, the same type of sequencing and progressions explained with the barbell complexes work great with the dumbbell complexes. I think a great strategy is to alternate barbell complexes on one day with kettlebell or dumbbell complexes on alternative training days.

For example, you could do barbell complexes Monday, K-bell or D-bell complexes Wednesday, and back to barbell complexes on Friday. Maybe hit some sprints and bodyweight drills on Saturday; then Monday would be K-bell or D-bell complexes again, Wednesday would be barbells again, and so on. Give this program a try for a month (if you dare), and you will be one hardened mofo!

More About Sunscreens....Advertising Rules, Cancer and "Best & Worst" List

The federal Food and Drug Administration’s new sunscreen rules seem likely to do away with the worst hype in ads and on labels. The agency has barred the claims “waterproof,” “sweatproof” and “sunblock,” boasts that were never achievable. The FDA has, for the first time, set a minimum performance standard for sunscreens that use the term “broad spectrum” to denote that they provide a measure of protection from ultraviolet-A rays.

New Rules for Advertising Sunscreen Products

But the rules issued June 14, to take effect in the summer of 2012, address what’s on the outside of the bottle, not what’s in it. Nearly 33 years after it began considering regulation of sunscreen products, the FDA has yet to review or certify the safety of chemicals formulated into sunscreen products.

A particularly troublesome regulatory gap involves a vitamin A derivative called retinyl palmitate, often found in sunscreens and other products used on the skin. For some years, government and independent scientists have been investigating this chemical as a possible photocarcinogen – meaning that it may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions on sun-exposed skin.

Scientific Study Reveals that Common Sunscreen Chemical Gives Mice Skin Cancer….and Humans too!

The most recent government scientific study, made public last January by the National Toxicology Program, an interagency group housed within the National Institutes of Health, has demonstrated that retinyl palmitate speeds photo-carcinogenic effects on test animals. The study, entitled Photococarcinogenesis Study Of Retinoic Acid And Retinyl Palmitate and conducted at a federal research center co-hosted by the FDA and NTP, found that mice treated with small doses of retinyl palmitate and ultraviolet light developed skin tumors faster than untreated, light-exposed mice or those treated only with a control cream. There were more numerous tumors on every animal treated with retinyl palmitate.

This means that the sunscreen additive Retinyl Palmitate increases the rate of cancer formation in mice. That doesn't exactly sound like what we want in a Sunscreen.

Go to this website for more: www.ewg.org. Your family’s health is at risk.

Click here to go to our favorite Sunscreen Guide

Click here to see the Best Sunscreens for your family.

Click here to see the Worst Sunscreens for your family.

Pesticides in Your Produce

Everybody knows that you should eat your fruits and vegetables. But do you also know which ones could contain dangerous levels of pesticides? The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables far outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure. Use EWG's (Environmental Working Group)Shopper's Guide to Pesticides  (a download from our weekly newsletter)  to reduce your exposures as much as possible, but eating conventionally-grown produce is far better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all. 


The Environmental Working Group  (EWG) is an American environmental organization that specializes in research and advocacy in the areas of toxic chemicals, environmental studies and corporate accountability.
 
The Shopper's Guide to Pesticide in Produce will help you determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and are the most important to buy organic. You can and should lower your pesticide intake substantially by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated produce. 


If you get our Email Newsletter, you can download a guide to print out and fold for your wallet or purse. Get on our email newsletter list from our website www.b2hc.com. A recent CNN article also addressed this growing concern. Check it out here. Oh and if you wonder whether pesticides are bad for you...just ask the bugs.

There is an interesting relationship between most produce farmers and the pesticide industry. Read the EWG article here for more about that.

The Dirty Dozen: The Produce with the Highest Level of Pesticide Content

Buy these fruits and veggies organic (1. = Highest Pesticide Content)

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Imported Nectarines
7. Imported Grapes
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Domestic Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale / Collard Greens

Clean 15

Lowest fruits and veggies in pesticide content (1. = Lowest Pesticide Content)

1. Onion
2. Sweet Corn (Buy Organic if you are concerned about GMO Corn)
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet Peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Domestic Cantaloupe
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

Chiropractic Found to be Cost-Effectiove....Again!

An important 2010 study evaluated low back pain care for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee’s intermediate and large group fully insured population over a two-year period. 

The 85,000 BCBS subscribers in the insured study population had open access to MDs and DCs through self-referral, and there were no limits applied to the number of MD/DC visits allowed and no differences in co-pays. Thus, the data from this study reflect what happens when chiropractic and medical services compete on a level playing field.

The researchers, led by an actuary, compared the costs of low back pain care initiated with a doctor of chiropractic with care initiated through a medical doctor or osteopathic physician. They found that costs for the chiropractic group were 40 percent lower. Even after factoring in the severity of the conditions with which patients presented, costs when initiating care with a DC rather than an MD/DO were 20 percent lower. The researchers concluded that insurance companies that restrict access to chiropractic care for low back pain treatment may inadvertently pay more for care than they would if they removed such restrictions. According to this analysis, had all of the low back cases initiated care with a DC, this would have led to an annual cost savings of $2.3 million for BCBS of Tennessee.

Liliedahl RL, Finch MD, Axene DV, Goertz CM. Cost of Care for Common Back Pain Conditions Initiated With Chiropractic Doctor vs Medical Doctor/Doctor of Osteopathy as First Physician: Experience of One Tennessee-Based General Health Insurer. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. November - December 2010;33(9):640-643.

Can Your Sunscreen Give You Cancer?

Sunscreens prevent sunburns, but beyond that simple fact surprisingly little is known about the safety and efficacy of these ubiquitous creams and sprays. 

FDA’s failure to finalize its 1978 sunscreen safety standards both epitomizes and perpetuates this state of confusion. 

EWG’s review of the latest research unearthed troubling facts that might tempt you to give up on sunscreens altogether. That’s not the right answer – despite the unknowns about their efficacy, public health agencies still recommend using sunscreens, just not as your first line of defense against the sun.

There’s no consensus on whether sunscreens prevent skin cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration’s 2007 draft sunscreen safety regulations say: “FDA is not aware of data demonstrating that sunscreen use alone helps prevent skin cancer” (FDA 2007). The International Agency for Research on Cancer agrees. IARC recommends clothing, hats and shade as primary barriers to UV radiation and writes that “sunscreens should not be the first choice for skin cancer prevention and should not be used as the sole agent for protection against the sun” (IARC 2001a).

Download one of our Sunscreen papers to find out more from our weekly newsletter. Sign up to receive our newsletter at our home page, www.b2hc.com.

What’s the deal with all these Laser Back Surgery Ads on the Internet?

If you have wondered about the new technology in back pain treatment. Read this below and check out the link to the Bloomberg business article.

The “deal” is a huge advertising scheme that has created a higher profit percentage than Google.  Between 2006 and 2009, Laser Spine profited $99 million performing spinal surgeries in their clinics. That’s a lot of money! If they are that successful financially, wouldn’t you think their surgeries are incredibly successful, restoring their patient to full, active lives? Read the Bloomberg Business article to find out…

For decades there have been studies published warning that the outcomes with back surgery are not as good as advertised. This appears to be another new technology that will cause more harm than good. Sometimes there is no "quick fix" to your back pain. Take a look at this spine-health post on FBBS (Failed back surgery syndrome).

Everyday Pollution Solutions

Your Guide to Going Green

1	Use cast iron pans instead of nonstick. Read about Teflon health concerns.
2	To avoid chemicals leaching into food, go easy on processed, canned or fast foods and never microwave plastic. Read about Bisphenol A, a toxic food-can lining ingredient associated with birth defects.
3	Buy organic, or eat vegetables and fruit from the "Clean 15" list. Find out more about the "Dirty Dozen."
4	Pregnant women should use iodized salt to combat chemical interference from the thyroid. Read about rocket fuel's effect on the thyroid.
5	Seal outdoor wooden structures. Order a test kit to find out if your wooden deck, picnic table, or playset is leaching arsenic.
6	Leave your shoes at the door. This cuts down on dust-bound pollutants in the home.
7	Avoid perfume, cologne and products with added fragrance. Search for personal care products that are fragrance-free, or check the products you're already using.
8	Buy products with natural fibers, like cotton and wool, that are naturally fire resistant. Use our list of products and manufacturers to avoid the chemical flame retardant PBDE.
9	Eat low-mercury fish like tilapia & pollock, rather than high-mercury choices like tuna & swordfish. Check our Safe Fish List to see which fish to avoid and what's safe to eat.
10	Filter your water for drinking and cooking. How does your tap water stack up? Search our tap water database to see what you're drinking.
11	Learn your personal body burden. Take a step-by-step tour of your home to learn the toxic truth about how household products contribute to your body burden of industrial chemicals.

Paleo Diet Food Pyramid

Adventure Race for Cancer

On April 16^th, Dr. John Wilkins and 2 of his friends will be competing in The Savage Adventure Sprint Race at Marsh Creek State Park: Downingtown, PA. 

The Race will consist of 5+ miles of wilderness running, 10+ miles of mountain biking and 5+/- miles of Canoeing. 

The Savage Adventure Race requires that the participants navigate by map through the State Park to find specifically marked points or landmarks. The race can take up to 6 hours to complete and may cover as much as 20 miles. Wilderness survival gear is required.

If you would like to donate to the cause, you can make your tax deductible donation to the American Cancer Society through us. You can drop off a check or mail one in made out to American Cancer Society.

Welcome to Back to Health Chiropractic

Drug-Related Poisonings Flood Emergency Rooms across America

"Some 700,000 Americans are taken to the hospital each year after ingesting drugs, both legal and illegal, a new study reports. And the care costs nearly $1.4 billion in emergency room charges alone." (NY Times Online March 3, 2011)

Wow! I am always looking for info regarding health care spending. This article in the New York Times caught my eye. Go to the NY Times Online by clicking the title to check it out.

JW