Inflammation and pain. Living healthy and eating well. Obesity and neurodegenerative disease. These are some combos!
Manahawkin Chiropractic Center sees these every day in our
Manahawkin chiropractic practice, describes the
connections, and encourages the exploration of new and
different-to-you approaches to enhance health via nutrition like the
Mediterranean diet to manage obesity and neurodegenerative
disease.
NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES AND OBESITY
The the beneficial aspects of a Mediterranean
diet for patients with neurodegenerative diseases are just getting
clearer…as are indicators they share like
inflammation (which also impacts back pain sufferers). Such a
diet of natural products delivering antioxidants, fiber, and
omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids could avert cell death and even
bring back function to damaged neurons. (1) Neurodegenerative
diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s and obesity
are linked to low grade inflammation leading
to issues like neuronal inflammation, brain atrophy and
cognitive decline. With obesity affecting nearly
30% of people globally, any connections that can affect
inflammation and fight obesity like diet and physical activity are encouraging.
(2) We can all find prasie for that!
“WHAT CAN I EAT WITH THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET?”
US News & World Report ranked the
Mediterranean Diet as the #1 Best Heart-Healthy Diet, Best Diet for Bone
and Joint Health, Best Diet for Diabetes and Best Diet for Healthy Eating in
2024.
Core foods are plain: fruits, veggies, whole
grains, beans, herbs, spices, nuts, and healthy fats. (Think: olive
oil, avocado oil.) Incorporate fish and seafood a
couple times weekly with dairy, eggs, and poultry occasional. Skip the red meats and sweet goodies except for special occasions. The Mediterranean Diet
Pyramid
(Think of it as a re-organized USDA food pyramid so
many of us might recall from years ago.)
includes red wine (in moderation) and water
(lots of that!).
It also incorporates dining with friends, dancing,
exercising, being physically active!
(3) These are the fun
things that make life happy!
PRAISE FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET
Mediterranean diet researchers and advocates
record multiple benefits: improved
brain function, longer life, certain kinds of cancer
prevention, heart disease/high blood pressure/”bad” cholesterol decrease,
diabetes protection, weight loss/management support, depression deterence,
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s deterrence, rheumatoid
arthritis and eye health enhancement, improved
breathing, improved infertility, healthier babies, and more!
(3) Most everyone may benefit from the Mediterranean diet! Neurodegenerative diseases experience
a loss of neuronal structure and function as well as
progressive dysfunction. Neurodegeneration incorporates many
different pathological processes that natural products – particularly
the ones that contain bioactive compounds that have the ability to cross the blood brain barrier - are important as
neuroprotectors. Some such natural products are better known
than others: quercetin (green tea, tomato, capers,
black and red wine), luteolin, Reservatol (grapes,
nuts, fruits), apigenin (flavonoids), genistein (isoflavone), Hesperidin
(grapes/citrus), etc. (4) Our Manahawkin chiropractic patients are often
prescribed anti-inflammatory medications, so our back pain patients
may also benefit from this type of low
inflammation diet. The Mediterranean Diet offers such an array of natural goods!
CONTACT Manahawkin Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. James Cox about the role of inflammation in back pain and spine pain
and neck pain on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
describes the benefits of
The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Make your Manahawkin chiropractic
appointment today. Eating well isn’t that hard and
is so good for our Manahawkin chiropractic friends, especially those carrying
a few extra pounds and/or dealing with neurodegeneration-related
issues.