An apple a day keeps the doctor away

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

Wayne Coghlan, B.Sc., M.A., D.C.M.A. in Counselling Psychology. Anger Management Collingwood. Anger management, Family and Marital Counselling, Stress Management, Personal psychology and counselling, Counseling, Counselling Collingwood, Men's issues As also a Doctor of Chiropractic I have a special appreciation of the mind-body connection.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Dec. 17, 2013 — Prescribing an apple a day to all adults aged 50 and over would prevent or delay around 8,500 vascular deaths such as heart attacks and strokes every year in the UK -- similar to giving statins to everyone over 50 years who is not already taking them -- according to a study in the Christmas edition of The BMJ.

The researchers conclude that the 150 year old public health message: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is able to match more widespread use of modern medicine, and is likely to have fewer side effects. The research takes into account people who are already appropriately taking statins to reduce their risk of vascular disease and therefore the authors stress that no-one currently taking statins should stop, although by all means eat more apples.

In the United Kingdom, lifestyle changes are the recommended first step to prevent heart disease. However, trial data suggest that statins can reduce the risk of vascular events, irrespective of a person's underlying risk of cardiovascular disease. As such, calls are being made for greater use of statins at a population level, particularly for people aged 50 years and over.

Using mathematical models a team of researchers at the University of Oxford set out to test how a 150 year old proverb might compare with the more widespread use of statins in the UK population. They analysed the effect on the most common causes of vascular mortality of prescribing either a statin a day to those not already taking one or an apple a day to everyone aged over 50 years in the UK.

The researchers assumed a 70% compliance rate and that overall calorie intake remained constant.
They estimate that 5.2 million people are currently eligible for statin treatment in the UK and that 17.6 million people who are not currently taking statins would be offered them if they became recommended as a primary prevention measure for everyone over 50.

They calculate that offering a daily statin to 17.6 million more adults would reduce the annual number of vascular deaths by 9,400, while offering a daily apple to 70% of the total UK population aged over 50 years (22 million people) would avert 8,500 vascular deaths.

However, side-effects from statins mean that prescribing statins to everyone over the age of 50 is predicted to lead to over a thousand extra cases of muscle disease (myopathy) and over ten thousand extra diagnoses of diabetes.

Additional modelling showed a further 3% reduction in the annual number of vascular deaths when either apples or statins were prescribed to everybody aged over 30. However the number of adverse events is predicted to double.

"This study shows that small dietary changes as well as increased use of statins at a population level may significantly reduce vascular mortality in the UK," say the authors.

"This research adds weight to calls for the increased use of drugs for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, as well as for persevering with policies aimed at improving the nutritional quality of UK diets," they conclude.

Dr Adam Briggs of the BHF Health Promotion Research Group at Oxford University said: "The Victorians had it about right when they came up with their brilliantly clear and simple public health advice: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." It just shows how effective small changes in diet can be, and that both drugs and healthier living can make a real difference in preventing heart disease and stroke.
While no-one currently prescribed statins should replace them for apples, we could all benefit from simply eating more fruit."

BMJ-British Medical Journal (2013, December 17). An apple a day keeps the doctor away. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 18, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2013/12/131217210549.htm

Aching Back No More - Straw Bale Gardening!

In this post, I’ll discuss two things I enjoy very much: helping you become and stay healthier through chiropractic, and gardening. More specifically, let me introduce you to STRAW BALE GARDENING. Who should plant a Straw Bale Garden? Can't do heavy lifting? If you are less capable or less interested in doing the heavy work of traditional gardening, such as tilling the soil, constant weeding, unending insect battles and persistent disease spraying, Straw Bale Gardening virtually eliminates these challenges. Can't bend over? If you have a physical limitation or handicap that restricts you from getting down on the ground, you will appreciate the easier access to the higher surface of a straw bale, which eliminates the bending to plant and harvest. Poor soil or limited space? If your have a low soil quality, or if you have limited space that you can devote to a garden, you will love Straw Bale...

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Is good posture worth a year’s supply of prozac?

Posture vs: Prozac In this article, I am comparing the effects of improved posture on relieving a mild to moderately depressed mood, a condition that may otherwise be medically managed by pharmaceuticals such as Prozac. This is for reader's information and not intended as a guide to treatment. Respectfully submitted for your evaluation. As you are sitting now at your computer station, allow yourself to slump in your chair… if you aren’t already. Computer Posture Give it a minute or so to give it time to sink in. Answer a few more emails if you wish. As you are now sitting slumped, take notice of how you feel in your chest….try taking a deep breath. You will likely be feeling constricted and the deep breath will be less than satisfying. Notice the feeling in your shoulders, the heaviness in your arms.. .. perhaps tension or fatigue in the back of your neck.... that load in your neck and shoulders get transferred to the lower back and add...

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Miracle Mediterranean Diet

Olive Oil, Fresh Vegetables, and Wine are part of the Mediterranean Diet. People who have scanned my blog will appreciate that I promote doing the basic things well, and most of the other problems we have tend to diminish. I do promote a diet with more fruit, vegetable, whole grains, and less meat, dairy, and egg. Alcohol, if at all, in moderation. How much more fruit, veggies and grains? More than you are eating now. How much less meat, dairy, and egg? Less than you are eating now. No drastic changes.. just whatever you are doing…keep tweaking and you’ll get it right. Here is a well written article that gives some more information how the simple things are often the best. Dr. Wayne Coghlan. drwaynecoghlan.blogspot.ca Get ’em to the Greek (diet) LESLIE BECK , Globe and Mail, Mar. 22, 2011 It’s arguably the healthiest diet in the world. The Mediterranean diet – which emphasizes fruit and vegetables, grains, nuts and olive oil – is recognized as the...

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An investment that pays you now, and in the years to come.

Health Investment: Pays you now... and in the years to come. New house in good shape It takes very little investment in dollars and effort to move into a new house ...and let it fall apart. Ignore the loose shingles, and water gets into the walls and footings. Ignore the moisture on the window sills and eventually , the windows rot out. Neglect the crack in the foundation wall and the frame starts to shift. Without any effort, bit by bit, the house deteriorates until it is no longer fit to live in. Derilect house In the same way, it takes very little investment and effort to neglect your health. Every time you overdo the body becomes distorted. Every time you underdo , the body weakens. Bit by bit, you deteriorate until your body is no longer fit to live in. The trouble is, you are stuck in it. With the house you live in, fixing little problems and keeping the place in order does take the investment of some time, and effort, and yes....money. Yet, the house stays c...

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Collingwood Chiropractor, Frequently Asked Questions, FAQ

Dr. Wayne Coghlan Collingwood Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic Are you looking for a Re-Evolutionary experience? Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC? Chiropractic, at least how I do it, is a systematic approach to assessing and correcting the structural integrity of the body. Basically, I use hands on methods to restore the alignment and movement of your joints and muscles. HOW AM I DIFFERENT? Some chiropractors rely on outdated theories in an effort to rationalize their treatments, and use patient management techniques rather than seeking to serve the needs of their patients to justify over extended treatment plans. I make every effort to incorporate EVIDENCE BASED treatment protocols into my practice, and where evidence is forthcoming, use more contemporary and scientific theories to guide my treatment approach. Rather than trying to coerce you into a treatment plan, I will explain your options and offer my guidance. Yo...

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aspartame

Dear Reader: I've had several conversations with people that have started off something like..."What is healthier, regular (sugar) pop, or pop with aspartame?" The question is dumb ass really, because the premise is one or the other is healthy. Unless one is near starvation, and desperately in need of the sugar boost, neither product is healthy. The question then ought to be, "Which is less unhealthy?" The basic argument is that sugar is natural and aspartame is artificial and inherently more toxic. The basic reply is that if we consumed teaspoon for teaspoon sugar and aspartame, aspartame may well be toxic beyond what the body can compensate for. However, only a lab rat or a person with pathological intent would do such a thing. A person drinking diet pop consumes ~140 milligrams of aspartame, which the body can easily contend with, compared with the tables spoons of sugar in the same amount of beverage. Which then is more toxic to the body, aspartame o...

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Rheumatoid Arthritis, Inflammation, and Diet

Can changing your diet ease rheumatoid arthritis pain? Credit to LESLIE BECK , The Globe and Mail, Sep. 10 2012 . The question: I have rheumatoid arthritis. Should I avoid certain foods? And can certain foods reduce my symptoms? The answer: Yes, certain types of diets, foods and supplements may help ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis as well as the side of effects of certain medications used to treat the autoimmune disease. The diet and nutrition strategies I am about to describe, however, should not be considered a replacement for any medication you might be taking. You might have heard that people with arthritis should avoid nightshade vegetables such as bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes. These foods were once thought to aggravate joint pain. However, not one study has proven this connection and it’s no longer believed to be true. Studies have found, however, that adopting a Mediterranean-style diet – one that’s rich in fruits, vegetables,...

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Short leg syndrome

Standing straight when one leg is shorter is the equivalent of standing sideways on a hill. The person cannot help but lean to the shorter side. The spine may compensate by tilting the upper body in the opposite direction. This produces a "scoliosis" or sideways deviation of the spine. It also concentrates gravitational and kinetic stress on the area where the spine transitions to the sacrum and pelvis... the lumbo-sacral junction.... NOT GOOD. Often a person will try to compensate for a short leg by perching on short leg, usually with the longer leg bent at the knee and turned out...effectively shortening the long leg. NOT GOOD. Rather than balancing the pelvis, fatigue and strain usually causes the pelvis to over compensate. In either case, the distortion of the spine unevenly loads the joints and muscles, and promotes faster wear and tear, and injury. If you, or someone you care about, is persistently perching on one leg, or complaining of back pain, this need...

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Lumber Disc Injury, Herniated Disc, Bulging Disc, Low Back Pain, Sciatica, Spinal Traction Therapy

Lumber Disc Injury, Herniated Disc, Bulging Disc, Low Back Pain, Sciatica, Spinal Traction Therapy Lumbar disc injuries range from strained tissue, to a bulging disc, to complete herniation. The pain and disability is usually proportional to the degree of injury and complications, especially if a bulging or herniated disc is pressing on a nerve. At times, a disc can herniate with minimal pain or disability. It is usually the tissues around the disc that cause the most pain. Similarly, there can be much pain with even a relatively minor disc injury. A lumbar disc injury, as with a broken ankle or sprained knee, needs to be respected lest it becomes a chronic if not permanent disability. The problem is because we can't actually see the injured tissue and many people just try to tough their way through the injury ... or fail to recognize what they are doing to aggravate it.... and make it worse. An indication that a disc is pressing on a nerve is typic...

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Awake through the night? Might be entirely natural: Divided - Segmented Sleep Theory

Dr. Wayne Coghlan: Chiropractor: https://www.drwaynecoghlan.com Trouble sleeping? Consider the Divided / Segmented Sleep Theory. Divided Sleep Theory There is an idea gaining traction that our modern idea of eight or so hours of uninterrupted sleep is more an unnatural accommodation to the demands of commerce. Segment / Divided Sleep Theory In pre -industrial Europe, people would typically go to bed as it became too dark to work, would have a period of deep sleep for a few hours, be wakeful though the wee hours of the night, and then enjoy a second lighter sleep until dawn. The wakeful time at night was occupied by meditation, prayer, stoking the fire, perhaps making love. During the full moon, people would be more active doing chores, visiting with neighbours, maybe pillaging. Perhaps this is the root of the perception that behaviours become more extreme during the time of the full moon. As most people worked near their home farmin...

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Dr. Wayne Coghlan: Chiropractor

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