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| More than 1 in 10 American adults has diabetes. Diabetes patients spend an average of $6,000 annually on costs for treating their disease, according to a recent survey conducted by Consumer Reports Health. But the total doesn’t include the costs of medical complications that often result from Type 2 diabetes, such as heart disease, strokes, liver and kidney damage, eye damage and a susceptibility to infections and poor healing that can lead to amputations. The C.D.C. estimates that diabetic patients on average pay twice as much as those without the illness for health care.
The multi-billion dollar drugs marketed as treatment for diabetes have not been successful against the biggest cause of death related to it: heart disease. Four new studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine are a wake-up call to diabetics who rely on drugs to lower their risk of heart attacks and strokes.
One of the studies found that using antihypertensives to lower systolic blood does nothing to lower risk of heart complications. Another study found that adding a drug to raise HDL ("good") cholesterol was of no benefit. And no heart benefits were associated with two drugs given to lower high blood sugar levels.
Evidence is accumulating that diabetics may not benefit -- and may even be worse off -- when they're treated with a number of diabetes medications. Most health care professions realize the need for a dynamic change in the way diabetes is treated. The reality is that those with diabetes must look to other means, such as lifestyle changes, to lower their risk of heart disease and even reverse their diabetes.
That gnawing, burning, aching pain in your chest after a large meal or right before bed is a common symptom known as acid indigestion or acid reflux. It affects 1 out of 4, or 60 million people at least once a month.6 The burning pain of heartburn is the result of stomach acid moving upward into the back of the throat, causing inflammation. Most often, heartburn occurs during or right after eating or when you lie down too soon after eating.
One of the most commonly prescribed drugs for heartburn and acid reflux are proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or drugs that VERY effectively block your stomach’s ability to produce acid. While that may sound like a good thing, in most cases it is the absolute worst approach possible for the problem as typically your stomach is producing too little stomach acid. It’s important to understand that acid reflux is NOT a disease of too much acid being produced, but rather it’s a condition related more commonly to hiatal hernia – a condition in which the acid is coming out of your stomach, where it’s supposed to remain. The burning feeling comes from the acid coming in contact with the delicate lining of the esophagus which lacks the protective layer of tissue that the stomach has.
Here, a recent study on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) indicates that drugs like Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid are severely overprescribed and misused and hurt far more people than they’re helping.7 Treating symptoms instead of cause allows the disease culprit to continue and for your health to only further decline. You don’t have a lack of Nexium in your body. So adding it won’t get you well even if it temporarily improves symptoms.
So what do the world’s top diseases have in common – the drugs for them rarely work and often make matters worse.
While not common, the clear solution to these conditions are addressing the 5 Essentials of Maximized Living. For all of these problems, starting with the Advanced ML nutrition plan, following the interval exercise programs, and maximizing the function of the organs involved through spinal correction would address the vast majority of causes related to these conditions.
The Advanced plan eliminates grains and sugars until the problems subside. With gut conditions like acid-reflux, we see phenomenal improvements in our offices with this problem alone. That same nutritional plan, is exactly what the doctor orders for the prevention and elimination of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. If you’re not following the Maximized Living Nutrition Plans book now, then you should consider it. It works, there are no side-effects, and life gets better and not worse as with a drug you have to be on the rest of your life.
The choice is yours, and Maximized Living is here to make the right choices easy to make and to make them last. Don’t miss the Maximized Living MAKEOVER this fall, October 8th. Early bird registration starts next week at your local Maximized Living doctor’s office!
1.U.S. News & World Report March 15, 2010
2.New England Journal of Medicine March 18, 2010. Effects of Combination Lipid Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
3.New England Journal of Medicine March 18, 2010. Effect of Valsartan on the Incidence of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Events
4.New England Journal of Medicine March 18, 2010. Effect of Nateglinide on the Incidence of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Events
5.New England Journal of Medicine March 18, 2010. Effects of Intensive Blood-Pressure Control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
6.ehealthMD, 2011
7.Arch Intern Med. 2010 May 10;170(9):747-8. |
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A spinal disc can slip on the drop of a dime, whether it’s from an unexpected fall or heavy lifting. More often than not, however, herniated discs are not the problem. The root of the issue is in the spine’s structure. Unaware of this fact, many people turn to surgeons for help, who then scrape off the bulging part of the disc to stop it from irritating the nerve(s). Unfortunately that doesn’t fix the problem. This quick patchwork is the reason behind 50-90% of back surgery failures. Within five years, it’s likely that the same patchwork will need to be repeated!1
People seek this invasive medical treatment because they are desperately seeking relief from their suffering. At times, the pain is so debilitating that many feel the only solution is to cut. Yet surgery is not the answer, especially considering that the majority of back surgeries fail.2 Sadly, back pain reoccurrence after surgery is so common that it’s been termed Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS). It often entails chronic pain, sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, and de-conditioning.3 Additionally, it also increases one’s risk for developing peripheral artery disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders. These helpless patients are left with a further damaged spine, more pain, less money, and the original unresolved problem. Most devastating of all, if not properly addressed, disc herniations prevent people from doing the things they enjoy with those they love.
Too many people in herniated disc agony learn about it the hard way after the suffering has already begun. At that point, the answer is not surgery, but to address the misalignment and the cause of herniation. Maximized Living doctors are trained to check the back’s natural curves and prevent long-term suffering. Find the nearest Maximized Living doctor today to get your spine checked, as well as those you love.
1http://www.emaxhealth.com/2/45/28350/unnecessary-spinal-surgery-will-waste-billions-2009.html
2Groopman J. A knife in the back (Is surgery the best approach to chronic pain?). The New Yorker. April 8, 2002.
3Fritsch EW, Heisel J, Rupp S (Mar 1996). "The failed back surgery syndrome: reasons, intraoperative findings, and long-term results: a report of 182 operative treatments". Spine 21 (5): 626–33.
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Does your back feel stiff when you get out of bed in the morning or after sitting for prolonged periods of time? Have you ever felt discomfort when bending down to tie your shoes or picking something up from the floor? Do you feel pain or hear clicking and popping when turning or stretching your neck? If you answered yes to any of these questions, heed this warning: these are signs of serious and debilitating conditions, such as a herniated disc.
Millions of people suffer from disc problems every day. Many endure the associated pain or take medication to numb lower back pain, sciatic discomfort, as well as numbness and tingling. A herniated disc is a spinal disc pushed out of alignment, putting pressure on nerves outside of the spine. Rarely do people know what causes herniation in the first place, other than a fall or injury. There is much more, however, occurring internally after a back accident.
From a side view, your spine should have three 45-degree curves – one in the neck, one in the mid back, and one in the lower back. The three perfectly symmetric curves help to support your body and absorb everyday impacts. Your spine becomes unstable without these curves, causing most herniations to occur in the lower back. Straightening a 45-degree curve in your back is like straightening a banana with the peel on. What becomes of the banana? It mashes. That is exactly what happens to the discs that are placed between every vertebra in your spine. A bad fall, constant poor posture, or too much improper lifting decreases the lower back curve. As the curve straightens, increased pressure is placed on the discs. The continuous pressure eventually causes a disc to slip from between the vertebrae, bulging like a squeezed balloon. This bulging presses into nearby nerves causing extreme irritation and pain.
The good news is that Maximized Living doctors have an excellent track record with herniated disc sufferers. Rather than applying a band-aid to numb the symptoms, we address the root cause – subluxation. Therefore, our Maximized Living doctors are able to save patients from the bleak prospect of spinal surgery. |
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Did you know that treating a child’s ear infection is more dangerous than the infection itself? Most parents don’t and continue to seek medical help for the second most common diagnosis in children. In fact, 75% of children will be treated for an ear infection before the age of three.1 Any parent who has watched their child suffer from an ear infection knows how painful it can be. Yet fighting that pain could result in long-term problems for children.
The majority of ear infections before age two are viral.2 The most common treatment for kids’ ear infections is antibiotics. The biggest problem with this method is that antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses. Constant widespread use of antibiotics is creating super bacteria that are resistant to current antibiotics. “Super bugs” are becoming rampant due to chronic overuse of antibiotics. We’re gradually treating more mutated bacteria that are simply immune to the drugs.
Improper immune system development is another less obvious problem caused by antibiotic overuse. Children can incur immune system damage as a result of continually taking antibiotics. Pediatricians who have realized this now recommend “keeping an eye on the infection” without medical intervention. This gives the child’s immune system a chance to fight off infection and grow stronger as a result. Common childhood illnesses occur for a reason – to give the body the tools it needs to stave off illness and disease for the rest of their lives!
What, then, is the best course of action for children who suffer chronic, painful ear infections?
Get spinal adjustments for your child from a Maximized Living Chiropractor, which helps to remove obstacles in healing. Supplement their diets with Vitamin D3 PRO, as vitamin D has been shown to increase immune function.
If you know a child who suffers from chronic ear infections, refer them into your local Maximized Living doctor’s office. Maximized Living is for everyone and is dedicated to changing how people view and manage health. Visit Maximized Living at http://MaximizedLiving.com for more information.
1http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/ear/otitis_media.html
2http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/ear-infections-childhood-ear-infections-a-multibilliondollar-industry.html
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Do you feel tightness in your chest or have difficulty breathing? Are you coughing and wheezing at the same time? These are common signs of asthma, a chronic disorder affecting the lungs. Over 34 million Americans have been diagnosed with this condition, and the numbers continue to grow daily. This amounts to a lot of dollars being spent. Asthma costs approximately $19.7 billion annually!1 Due to its economic standing and the sheer numbers affected by this disease, asthma has been the target of much research, including the medications used to treat it.
Xolair, a drug prescribed to asthma patients, is an injection that “controls” the attacks by targeting an antibody, IgE, responsible for allergic reactions. IgE, however, is an important part of our immune system’s defense against viruses and parasites.2 This is a point often missed while advertising the medication, yet is mentioned in its safety warning that states increased viral infections are possible due to the body’s impaired ability to fight viruses.
Not only can Xolair weaken the body’s defense against viruses, but it can also increase chances of developing cancer.3 Most people would take their chances with asthma rather than cancer. Furthermore, there is risk of severe allergic reactions with symptoms that mirror an asthma attack.3 In this case, how would you know whether to get treated for a drug reaction or an asthma attack?
In addition to outside environmental pollutants contributing to asthma, hundreds of household cleaners inside have also been linked to the disease. Maximized Living doctors can teach you about safer alternatives to conventional cleaning supplies. Not using toxic cleaners is a great way to reduce respiratory issues.
Maximized Living also offers a supplement that removes accumulated toxins in the body’s cells. Help your body fight off viruses and purge toxins with Maximized Living’s Daily Detox. It can be found at your local Maximized Living doctor’s office or at www.maximizedliving.com.
1http://www.aaaai.org/media/statistics/asthma-statistics.asp
2http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/03/18/adult-asthma-drug-nearly-eliminates-seasonal-attacks-kids/
3http://www.xolair.com/important_safety_information.html
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