Week of: Monday Aug 24, 2020

Courtesy of:

John H. Keefe III, D.C.

(918) 663-1111

IN THE NEWS:School social distancing policies (NaturalHealth365) Remember how much you enjoyed making forts out of blankets and cardboard boxes when you were a kid? Sadly, some school districts are making a disturbing twist on this popular childhood game and turning it into a Draconian measure to impose social distancing and purportedly slow the spread of COVID-19. We’re talking about new school reopening restrictions imposed in Thailand. The photos taken of these young children in their classrooms are honestly jaw-dropping – many of them resembling kids housed in plexiglass prisons.  It’s an unnerving testament how far government overreach and complicit herd mentality can take us. In early July, schools in Thailand were given permission to reopen – with what many people are calling oppressive and tone-deaf restrictions. These COVID-19 restrictions include: Clear plastic partitions installed on every student desk-Desks spread out, as well as other space management changes in classrooms and lunch areas to keep children physically separate from their peers-Clear plastic partitions (that look like ominous playpens or kennels) which young children must play in alone-Hand sanitizer and temperature scanners installed at entrances-Mandatory use of face masks for schoolkids – even kindergartners! (Just try to imagine how many times adults touch their masks with unwashed hands … now imagine how distracting and counterproductive these face coverings can be for children)-Some other restrictions, such as capping class sizes at 20 to 25 pupils and regularly sanitizing door knobs and other classroom surfaces, certainly don’t seem quite as unreasonable. But we can only imagine how distracting and fear-inducing it may be for children to see their teachers other school staff members – all clad in masks, of course – obsessively cleaning and wiping down surfaces. What kind of message would this constant cleaning send?  It’s as if to say that touching something without first dousing it with antibacterial agents is dangerous. Let’s not forget, of course, the research indicating that excessive use of antibacterial agents and hand sanitizers may actually contribute to an increased incidence of respiratory issues such as allergies and asthma, especially in children. This is because everyday exposure to common environmental germs is a normal and necessary way to support healthy immune system responses.

WELLNESS:  YOUR BODY’S CRY FOR WATER Your body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because your body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it's important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water. Water does more than just quench your thirst and regulate your body's temperature; it also keeps the tissues in your body moist. You know how it feels when your eyes, nose, or mouth gets dry? Keeping your body hydrated helps it retain optimum levels of moisture in these sensitive areas, as well as in the blood, bones, and the brain. In addition, water helps protect the spinal cord, and it acts as a lubricant and cushion for your joints. Adequate water intake enables your body to excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation. The kidneys and liver use it to help flush out waste, as do your intestines. Water can also keep you from getting constipated by softening your stools and helping move the food you've eaten through your intestinal tract. However, it should be noted that there is no evidence to prove that increasing your fluid intake will cure constipation. Digestion starts with saliva, the basis of which is water. Digestion relies on enzymes that are found in saliva to help break down food and liquid and to dissolve minerals and other nutrients. Proper digestion makes minerals and nutrients more accessible to the body. Water is also necessary to help you digest soluble fiber. With the help of water, this fiber dissolves easily and benefits your bowel health by making well-formed, soft stools that are easy to pass.

CHIROPRACTIC: Chiropractic and DNA Repair: Serum Thiol Can regular Chiropractic care affect you on a genetic level? The answer is yes. But how? DNA is the molecule of life. It contains our genes which make us what we are. DNA makes up our chromosomes which are held in the nucleus of our cells. DNA is very fragile and susceptible to damage from environmental stresses. It is estimated that our cells experience anywhere from 1,000 to 1,000,000 incidences of DNA damage PER DAY. If this DNA damage is left and not repaired, our DNA sequences cannot be read or will not be read properly. This will result in abnormal cell function or expression. Going through life, we experience physical, chemical, and emotional dis-stress. These stresses affect the function of the nervous system. The investigators hypothesized that these disturbances in nerve function could affect oxidative stress and DNA repair on a cellular level. Oxidative stress, metabolically generating free radicals, is now a broadly accepted theory of how we age and develop disease. Oxidative stress results in DNA damage and inhibits DNA repair. DNA repair can be measured through blood tests that measure serum Thiol levels. The serum Thiol level is an indicator of the level of DNA repair. The higher serum Thiol, the more DNA repair, and the better your health and aging. In a landmark study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, chiropractors collaborating with researchers at the University of Lund found that chiropractic care could influence basic physiological processes affecting oxidative stress and DNA repair.  These findings offer a scientific explanation for the positive health benefits reported by patients receiving chiropractic care. Long-term chiropractic care of two or more years was shown to re-establish a normal physiological state independent of age, sex, or nutritional supplements. Symptom-free or primary wellness subjects under chiropractic care demonstrated higher mean serum thiol levels than patients with active disease and produced some values that were higher than normal wellness values in non-chiropractic subjects.