May 2009 Issue
Your Chiropractic Newsletter
CHIROPRACTIC OFFICES OF
GONSTEAD & STANGL
431 E. Clairemont Ave.  Eau Claire, WI  54701
715-832-2223  www.TogetherForYou.com
From the Moms in our office
to the Moms that you know,
Happy Mother’s Day!
We hope everyone has a safe
and happy Memorial Day!
“May the wreaths they
have won never wither
Nor the star of their
Glory grow dim”
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Community Health Events
 Aww Sugar
 Allergies going Neti
 7 Secrets to Health and Better Healing
 Things you don’t have to worry about
 Lyme Time
 Exercising with Osteoporosis
 Recipe of the Month
Community Health Events
The events noted below are community health events going on in the Chippewa Valley during the month of May. They’re a healthy way
to add a bit of variety and excitement to your typical workout routine and/or health education!
SATURDAY MAY 16TH
WEDNESDAY MAY 20TH
SATURDAY MAY 30TH
Fido & Friends Fun Run
Bring your dog to Carson Parkfor this
1, 2 or 3 mile walk/run, proceeds go to
the Eau Claire County Humane
Association. Registration cost is $20
which includes a t-shirt, pet tag and
refreshments. Fun run/walk will start
at the Oak Pavilion (9am – noon)
Exercising with Osteoporosis
Dr. Melissa Stangl is going to be at the
L.E. Phillips Senior Center at noon on
Wednesday May 20th giving a free
presentation on exercising with
osteoporosis. If you or someone you
know is interested in attending, please
contact the Senior Center to pre-register
Bird Walk
Beaver Creek Reserve Bird Club will
host bird walks this spring around the
Chippewa Valley. The walks are open
to bird watchers of all abilities.
Hikers meet at the site and wear
comfortable clothing. Don’t forget
your binoculars! FREE
715-839-4747
715-839-4909
715-877-2212
Pre-register by May 12 and collect
pledges for a chance to win prizes!
See the article in this newsletter for a
glimpse at what’s to come!
Walks begin at 6:30am, call Beaver
Creek Reserve for site locations.
Awww Sugar!
There are a lot of old wives tales in our culture; gum takes 7 years to digest, touching toads gives you warts and chocolate will give you
acne. Most of these wives tales are folklore rather than fact. A factual old wives tale you may have heard is
that eating sugar while sick will make you sick longer!
Research indicates that consuming sugars like glucose and other simple carbohydrates alter the function of
phagocytes. Phagocytes are white blood cells with the ability to ingest and destroy microorganisms, cell
debris, and other particles in the blood or tissues that may cause sickness. One group of subjects in this
study was subjected to glucose loading (eating lots of sugar) and another group of subjects was subjected to
fasting (eating little to no sugar). Statistical analysis of the data showed that those who loaded with sugars
impaired the ability of their white blood cells to engulf bacteria by 50% 2 hours following their meal! That
phagocytic activity remained significantly lower even 5 hours after the sugar-loading meal. In contrast, those
test subjects that fasted for 36 to 60 hours were found to have enhanced the phagocytic capacity of white
blood cells.
What does this mean? Diet may play a key role in the control of resistance to infection! Eating sugars and
simple carbohydrates while sick or fighting off an illness can decrease your body’s natural immune resistance.
A healthy diet is an important part of your health!
Allergies Going Neti!
Allergy sufferers beware, pollen forecasters are predicting a heavy season this year! This means itchy eyes, sniffling noses, stuffy
heads and sneezes, sneezes, SNEEZES! Maybe not….
One independent study in 2008 examined a group of children with severe allergies. They found that regular nasal irrigation with a mild
saline solution significantly eased symptoms and helped reduce the need for steroid nasal sprays. A 2007 study at the University of
Michigan looks at adults with chronic nasal and sinus problems. They found that those treated with nasal irrigation reported greater
improvements than those treated with a spray.
How exactly do I irrigate my sinuses you might ask…. Many use the neti pot. The neti pot is a
nasal irrigator that resembles a small teapot. Nasal irrigation with a neti pot is a relatively
comfortable procedure that you can do at home and can be used as an inexpensive alternative
or adjuct to medication; most neti pots cost about $10. One benefit of irrigation is that it can
clear nasal passages without dryness or “rebound” congestion, which often occurs when
overuse of decongestants leads to dependence and irritated tissue. Click on the following link
to see a demo of nasal irrigation using a neti pot… www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8sDIbRAXlg
7 Secrets to ndHealth and Better Healing
On Thursday April 2 the Chippewa Valley Chiropractic Alliance (CVCA – www.CVCA.info) hosted Dr. Patrick Gentempo for a hour
long lecture on the “7 Steps to Health and Better Healing.” A resounding crowd joined us at the Ramada Inn Convention Center as we
were all inspired by Dr. Gentempo and his ability to communicate better health and healing into our lives! See below to join in and
accelerate changes in your life that can create wellness and/or check out www.creatingwellness.com for more!
1. Health Care = Sick Care/Crisis Care
The trend of “healthcare” in our society has been one more focused on sick care or crisis care then actual health. We wait to
counsel with a health care professional until we are ill, have symptoms or have created a difficult state of ill-health for ourselves.
We blame genetics on things that are able to be controlled by environment and behaviors and we spend millions of dollars on
things that do not make us healthy.
FACT: 25% of illness is do to genetics, the other 75% is do to environmental factors or behaviors that we have control over.
(ie) diet, smoking, exercise, stress, chemicals, relationships, etc etc etc
FACT: 2 Trillion dollars are spent on illness in our country and 50% of personal bankruptcies are related to health.
2. Truth About Pain
More often then not our outlook on pain is a negative one… pain is bad. Sure pain is uncomfortable but it has its purpose!
Imagine your life without pain. Nothing to notify you when you’ve burnt your hand, nothing to let you know you’ve stepped on a
nail, nothing to indicate the presence of a broken bone and nothing to point to illness or injury. Life without pain would be difficult.
Pain is an essential communication function of your body. It is there to notify your body of stress (physical, chemical or
psychological) and is a quintessential component to your health. Having a headache, stomach cramps or a fever are all varying
aspects of pain and yet they indicate that your body is working correctly and effectively on the cause of a problem. Three cheers
for pain! Hip Hip Horrray! Okay… maybe pain isn’t quite cheer worthy but it definitely has its purpose.
3. Role of the Nervous System
FACT 1: The body is self-healing and self-regulating
FACT 2: The nervous system is the master system and controller of body functions
THEREFORE: If you interfere with the nervous system you interfere with healing and regulation!
Please read #3 again! Absorb it… Digest it… Toss it around a bit… Use that think tank on
top of your shoulders!
4. Understanding Subluxation
Vertebral Subluxations are serious! In simplest terms, a subluxation is when one or more of the
bones of your spine (or other joints) move out of position and create negative effects on spinal
nerves and surrounding muscles, tissues, cells and biochemistry. However, the most important
aspect of a subluxation is its effect on your nervous system. Compromising the way your nervous
system controls and regulates your body can have grave consequences. Distorted
communications between your brain and your body can cause all kinds of health problems beyond
just headaches and backaches!
5. Role of Stress
There are three dimensions of life style stresses and positive and negative stresses in each
dimension.
Each dimension of stress can and does cause subluxation.
1. Physical Stress (Positive: exercise, Negative: accident/injury)
2. Biochemical Stress (Positive: normal digestion, Negative: smoking)
3. Psychological Stress (Positive: Planning a wedding; Negative: Death in the family)
Life is DYNAMIC! Utilizing the dimension of stress you are always moving along a paradigm of health, either toward wellness or
toward sickness. Which direction are you moving? Are you creating a positive ripple effect within your family and/or community?
6. The Chiropractic Vision
Educate each individual, community and country to live healthy and with less subluxation. Every individual is born to be healthy!
In order to move toward wellness on the healthcare paradigm we need to move away from symptomatic pathology, improve nonsymptomatic pathology and thrive in wellness by enhancing our body’s innate ability to self-heal and self-regulate.
Your doctor of chiropractic is the only licensed health care professional dedicated to the detection, reduction and prevention of
spinal subluxations. You’re in good hands!
7. Taking Responsibility
Sometimes accepting that you and you alone are the one sole individual responsible for your health is a hard truth to swallow.
Your friends, your family members, your personal trainer, your nutritionist, your pharmacist, your medical doctor, your chiropractor
and anyone else you seek health care and information from all have your best interest in mind but thus they are there to council
and YOU are the one using YOUR body.
To prove this point… Every one of us can think this very instant of three things that we could be doing to improve our health that
we currently are not doing. Why are we not taking action? What’s our excuse? How much is our health worth to us? Most of us
THINK our health is our most important asset but do we ACT that way? It is time to take responsibility for our health. Do what you
think and know is healthy for your body. Things that are going to give you the very best quality and quantity of life. Things that will
allow you to thrive not just survive.
Things you don’t have to worry about when you breastfeed.
Recent reports of chemicals being found in baby formulas are a scary truth. Scientists at the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention looked for the chemical, perchlorate, in different brands of powdered baby formula and found it! Perchlorate is a chemical
found in rocket fuel and significant amounts of the chemical can affect thyroid function. During the end of last year the US Food and
Drug Administration found trace amounts of melamine in samples of US infant formula. Melamine is chemical widely used in plastics,
adhesives, countertops, dishware and whiteboards. Government authorities state that the presence of these chemicals has been found
in very trace amounts and that no tests have ever shown these chemicals cause health
problems at such trace amounts. They also note that the extent of the risk is hard to assess.
One thing that is not hard to assess is that the risk of finding either perchlorate or melamine in
breast milk is non-existant! Two more things you don’t have to worry about when you choose to
breastfeed and yet another benefit of the all-natural bonding experience. Read below for more
benefits of breastfeeding provided by www.womenshealth.gov.
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Breastfeeding is normal and healthy for infants and moms
Breast milk has disease-fighting cells called antibodies that help protect infants from
germs, illness and even SIDS
Breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of ear infections, stomach viruses, diarrhea, respiratory infections, asthma, obesity,
diabetes, SIDS, childhood leukemia and enterobolitis in infants
Breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, breast & ovarian cancer, and postpartum depression in moms.
Breast milk, at first, contains colostrums that provides rich nutrients and antibodies to baby as the first start life.
Breast milk changes over time to meet your baby’ needs with just the right amount of fats, sugar, water and protein!
For most babies, breast milk is easier to digest than formula.
There is a lower risk for contamination when breast milk is fed direct from the breast.
Breastfeeding can save between $1160 and $3915 per year
Baby’s hunger can be satisfied immediately
Breastfeeding is priceless bonding time for mom and baby!
It’s Lyme Time!
It’s that time again! In the state of Wisconsin along with warmer days comes an increased risk for Lyme Disease. Connecticut,
Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and
Wisconsin account for 95% of Lyme Disease cases reported. Patients were most likely to have illness in May (7%), June (28%), July
(31%) or August (12%). Lyme Disease is an illness caused by a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, that is transmitted by deer ticks. Ticks
may also carry other germs that can cause co-infection with Lyme disease that include; anaplasma, babesia, bartonella, mycoplasma
and viruses. In order to contract Lyme Disease you much be bit by an infected tick that has been attached to your skin for about 24
hours before it can transmit the bacterium. The bite of the tick is usually painless, making it difficult to detect. Lyme disease may cause
symptoms affecting the skin, nervous system, heart and/or joints of an infected individual. Early symptoms of Lyme disease usually
begin within a month of exposure. The later arthritic, cardiac, and neurologic problems can take weeks to months to appear. If left
untreated, within a few weeks to months after the rash onset, complications such as meningitis, facial palsy, heart abnormalities and
arthritis may occur. The disease is most commonly treated with oral or injectable antibiotics. Past infection does provide some
immunity, but that protection is relatively short-lived and it is possible for a person to get infected more than once.
As with EVERY aspect of our health we need to be pro-active. Take precautions when you’re exploring tick infested environments and
if you find a tick after inspecting your body, remove it properly as soon as it is discovered.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
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Ticks do not travel far
Ticks do no survive in sunny places
Ticks often live in wood piles, leaf litter, edge of yard,
birdbaths, birdfeeders
Pets can bring ticks indoors!
FOR YOUR PROTECTION
1.
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Walk in the middle of trails, away from tall grass and
bushes.
Wear a long-sleeved shirt
Wear white or light-colored clothing to make it easier to
see ticks.
Wear a hat
Spray tick repellent, DEET, on clothes and shoes before
entering the woods.
Wear long pants tucked into high socks.
Wear shoes – no bare feet or sandals
Exercising with Osteoporosis
th
Dr. Melissa Stangl is going to be at the L.E. Phillips Senior Center at noon on Wednesday May 20 for a FREE presentation
entitled Exercising with Osteoporosis! If you or someone you know is interested in attending, please contact the senior
center by calling 715-839-4909 to pre-register for the class.
Osteoporosis is a loss of bone mass throughout the skeleton that predisposes the patient to
fractures. Osteopenia is any decrease in the amount of bone tissue a person has and a
person with osteopenia is at risk for getting osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a major cause of
disability in the older population. Often along with osteoporosis comes a fear of falling due to
the increased risk of breaking already brittle bone. Sometimes there also comes a fear of
exercise assuming that it will lead to fracture. In fact, using muscles helps protect the bone
that you have and may help increase bone density!
Active individuals, even though they may lose some density as they age, are less likely to
have bones that become brittle enough to break if they slip and fall. It is never too late to start
exercising! Even later in life or after menopause participating in an exercise program will
increase your muscle strength, improve your balance and help you avoid falls – and it may
help your bones from getting weaker.
Before beginning an exercise program, consult with your healthcare professional. You may
need a bone density test and fitness assessment first. In the meantime, think about what
type of activities you enjoy because if you choose an activity you like you’ll be more likely to
do it over a long period of time.
It is important for someone with osteoporosis or osteopenia to choose the right form of exercise. Some exercises provide greater
benefit, improve balance, increase strength and flexibility, decrease bone loss or improve bone density all while being lower risk. Other
exercises are less effective and/or prove to be at larger risk for fracture, balance difficulty, slip or fall.
It is important to know the things you should and shouldn’t do when you have or are at risk for osteoporosis. If you are unsure of the
best exercises for you and/or are not sure how healthy your bones are, talk to your doctor!
Don’t let fear of fractures keep you from having fun and being active.
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Please join Dr. Melissa Stangl on Wednesday May 20 at noon for a comprehensive look at exercising with osteoporosis!
Kathy is one of our
friendly office staff. She
also has a degree in
nutrition. Kathy enjoys
cooking for her friends
and family and often
brings us yummy healthy
recipes to try! She has
decided to add her
expertise to the
newsletter by including a
healthy recipe each
month using key in
season ingredients!
This month’s
ingredients are
Asparagus &
Pea Pods
Chicken Pasta with Spring Vegetables – 4 servings
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
2 Tblsp margarine or olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 c fresh asparagus, cut into 2” pieces
1 c thinly sliced carrots
2 c diced, cooked chicken
1 c fresh pea pods OR
¼ c diced onion
6 oz. frozen pea pods,
1 c water
2 Tblsp cooking sherry
2 tsp chicken bouillon
¼ tsp dried tarragon
1-2 Tblsp water
1-2 Tblsp cornstarch
5 oz dried uncooked spaghetti noodles
Parmesan cheese
In large skillet, sauté onion and garlic in margarine or oil 1 minute.
Add asparagus and carrots; stir fry 5 minutes.
Add chicken, pea pods, 1 c water, sherry, bouillon, and tarragon. Simmer covered for 5 minutes
until vegetables are tender crisp.
Combine cornstarch and remaining water, blend well. Add to chicken vegetable mixture; cook
until thickened.
Cook spaghetti to desired doneness. Drain. Serve chicken vegetable mixture over cooked
spaghetti. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
We hope you enjoyed May’s issue of your Healthy Times Chiropractic Newsletter
THANK YOU FOR REFERRING YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO OUR OFFICE!
CHIROPRACTIC OFFICES OF
GONSTEAD & STANGL
431. E. Clairemont Ave  Eau Claire, WI  715-832-2223
References
1. Sanchez, A. Reeser H. Lau P. et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. The American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition. Nov 1973. p1180-1184
2. O’Connor A. The Claim: Nasal Irrigation Can Ease Allergy Symptoms. The New York Times. April 14, 2009
nd
3. Dr. Patrick Gentempo. 7 Steps to Health and Better Healing. April 2 2009.
4. Center for Disease Control. Melamine in Chinese-Manufactured Infant Formula. April 3 2009
5. Stobbe M. CDC: Rocket Fuel chemical found in baby formula. Associated Press. April 3 2009
6. Elizabeth Maloney MD. Lyme Disease: The Great Imitator. Wisconsin Chiropractic Association Seminar
7. Thompson M. The Do’s and Don’ts for exercising with osteoporosis.
http://womenshealth.suite101.com/article.cfm/osteoporosis_exercise
8. The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. Bone Building Activities for the prevention of osteoporosis