August 31, 2012

Inspiration: Work Hard & Be Nice to People


Work hard & be nice to people. It takes hard work and dedication to improve your health. If you don't put in the effort toward being healthy, then what else matters? 

Make your health a priority. It is worth working hard for. 

And it doesn't hurt to be nice to people either. 

August 30, 2012

To Sunscreen or Not to Sunscreen

Shorts, check. Flip flops, check. Sunscreen, leave at home?

While we are constantly told that the sun causes cancer and sunscreen prevents it, research is proving otherwise.

When you take a step back and think, the sun has been around forever. Our ancestors worked and played outside in the sun and probably spent most of their lives outdoors. Suntan lotion didn’t even come into play until around the 1940’s.

When the sun hits your skin it produces Vitamin D3 which has many health benefits. According to DrMercola.com, sunscreens can reduce Vitamin D production by as much as 97.5 to 99.9% greatly increasing your risk of diseases caused by Vitamin D deficiency.

The more melanin you have in your skin the more sunlight you need to get adequate amounts of Vitamin D-3. Melanin absorbs UV radiation from the sun and the pigments change color giving you a tan. For example, African American people have more melanin and are going to need a lot more sunlight than light skinned Irish people who have much less melanin.

Is there a time and place for sunscreen? Potentially.

Sunburn is not healthy for you, so if there is a risk of getting a sunburn from being outside for extended periods of time, then healthy sunscreen can be a good option. A better option is using a hat and clothing that covers your skin. When summer comes the best thing you can do is ease into the sun and build your suntan slowly and evenly until you can handle a lot of sun without the risk of sunburn.

A simple rule when it comes to sunscreen is if you wouldn’t eat it don’t put it on your skin. Whatever you put on your skin absorbs right into your cells and blood stream, potentially leading to many health problems including cancer.

Any sunscreens that contain these chemicals are ones you want to stay away from:
•    Para amino benzoic acid
•    Octyl salicyclate
•    Avobenzone
•    Oxybenzone
•    Cinoxate
•    Padimate O
•    Dioxybenzone
•    Phenylbenzimidazole
•    Homosalate
•    Sulisobenzone
•    Menthyl anthranilate
•    Trolamine salicyclate
•    Octocrylene

When searching for a non-toxic sunscreen look for ones that contain titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as they offer natural sun protection against both UVA and UVB rays.

Look for sunscreen that instead contains coconut oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, shea butter, Vitamin E and/or eucalyptus oil.

At Environmental Working Group's website you can search sunscreens and their rating. The EWG's Hall of Shame includes Coppertone Water Babies and Banana Boat Baby Tear Free Sunblock Lotion. Their best sunscreens include sunscreen by Burt's Bees, Seventh Generation and Alba.

Sunlight has many crucial health benefits that we need to take advantage of. Remember to prevent and avoid a sunburn by using cover ups when outside for extended periods of time and to keep a healthy sunscreen on hand!

Safely soak up the sun!

August 27, 2012

Inspiration: You Create Your Own Opportunities



You create your own opportunities. For your health, career and personal life. 

Are you putting yourself in a position to be healthy?

Avoid Sugary Breakfast Foods for Kids

Morning health tip with Liz MacFarland of NBC 25, Michelle Mersy of Great Lakes Bay Moms and Dr. Dan Kehres of DrKehres.com

Do you know how much sugar you are feeding your kids for breakfast? Whether it be in their cereal, in their juice or in a snack you give them as they run out the door. 

Dr. Dan Kehres, a wellness physician in Saginaw says most kids are taking in too much sugar in the morning at breakfast time and it is causing them to crash in the middle of their day. Dr. Kehres suggests whipping up a healthy shake in the morning for your kids. It may be difficult for kids to eat their veggies, but if they are whipped up together with some fruit, most kids are more likely to indulge.

 

Great Lakes Bay Moms featured our veggie shake recipe and some other tips in this article, Shake it Up For Breakfast

Look for a breakfast that includes healthy protein, healthy fats and fruits and veggies if possible. Eggs, veggie shakes and whey protein shakes are all healthy options for kids and adults, without the sugar of Pop Tarts and breakfast cereals. 

August 14, 2012

7 Major Health Benefits of Vitamin D

Vitamin D3also known as the sunshine vitamin, is crucial to your health. Hundreds of studies have show that it is essential in preventing a variety of diseases, including depression, bone fractures and multiple sclerosis.

Unfortunately, as humans spend more time indoors, we get less Vitamin D. Add sunscreen and protective clothing, and chances are that you are getting very little sunshine during the day. It is estimated that 85% of the American public and 95% of senior citizens are Vitamin D deficient.

Here are a variety of the benefits of Vitamin D and how it affects your body:




While the best source of Vitamin D is free (from the sun!), it is also available as a supplement. 

A blood test to measure your Vitamin D levels is the best way to determine how much you need. 

Read more about improving your health at drkehres.com


sources:
Uceyler N et al. Reduced levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines in patients with chronic widespread pain. Arth Rheum 2006; 54:2656-64
American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: December 2006 - Volume 14 - Issue 12 - pp 1032-1040
Grassrootshealth.org

August 9, 2012

Local Health: Great Lakes Bay Moms

Whether you are looking for swim classes for your kids or necessary items for your newborn, Great Lakes Bay Moms has what you need. 

A new website made by moms, for moms, GreatLakesBayMoms.com has great information for local moms and families.  

Recently, Great Lakes Bay Moms featured my article, Blueberries: Nature's Super Food, on their website encouraging families to eat more blueberries for their many health benefits. 

Their directory has listings of local resources and ratings, including Kehres Health & Chiropractic in the physicians category.

Be sure to check them out of Facebook too!

August 7, 2012

"You can not out train a bad diet"



While both are crucial to your success, focus on food first, then fitness. Creating healthy eating habits before starting a workout routine can be the key to success

August 5, 2012

Health Classes & Running Clinics


This weekend, Dr. Kehres taught a proper running form class at CrossFit Macomb. There was a great turnout as he taught tips such as proper arm swing and how to run with a mid-foot stride instead of heel striking. 

Learning proper running form now, will help prevent injuries down the road and it is the same for other aspects of your health. If you learn how to eat healthier now, you will help prevent illness. 

Click here for an upcoming schedule of free health classes at Kehres Health & Chiropractic in Saginaw throughout August and September. Dr. Kehres is also available to come to your business or upcoming event.

Classes include
  • Eat More, Exercise Less
  • Grains: The Real Truth
  • Make Your Health a Priority (basic nutrition)
  • Nature's Nutrients (a new class about the most important nutrients you probably aren't getting enough of and the best ways to get them)

August 1, 2012

New Month's Health Resolution: August

Soak up the sun

Food, water, air, sunlight -- the basic items every living thing needs to survive.

Our stomach growls when we need more food, we become thirsty when we need more water, we know very quickly when we need more air... but what alerts us when we need more sunlight?

The Environmental Protection Agency found that the average North American spends 90% of their time indoors.  

That leaves very little time to get one of the most crucial nutrients - Vitamin D3 from the sun.

It is estimated that 85% of the American public and 95% of senior citizens are Vitamin D deficient. This deficiency has been linked to almost every health condition known -- from heart disease to cancer to multiple sclerosis.  

Optimizing your Vitamin D levels is one of the most powerful things you can do naturally to protect your health and boost your immune system.

For this month's health resolution, focus on getting Vitamin D from the sun, a natural and free source, as much as possible.

As different parts of the country get varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year and everyone's skin pigment is different, the best rule of thumb is to go outside and get some sun (without suntan lotion, as it prevents 95% of Vitamin D production) until your skin turns light pink -- not red. In sunny Florida, this may be only ten minutes, but in Michigan in the winter, it could be 45 minutes. And if you don't get a chance to get outside, you can supplement with Vitamin D.

Most people need between 2,000 IU to 10,000 IU of Vitamin D a day to achieve beneficial levels. However, the average American only gets approximately 300 IU a day from their diet -- which is why deficiency and disease linked to low Vitamin D levels is so prevalent.

When a plant is sick, the first thing we do is
water it and move it into the sun. These should be the first steps humans take as well to prevent sickness and promote wellness.   

Kehres Health & Chiropractic in Saginaw, MI carries a GMP-certified Vitamin D3 supplement
available in 2,000 IU and 5,000 IU. Contact us at 989-607-4322 or drkehres@kehreshealth.com to order. 


Note: most tanning beds have minimal UVB rays which is what produces Vitamin D. Getting a sun burn is not healthy. 

Veggie Shake Contest Winners!

Congratulations Jeff and Shauna, of Phoenix, Ariz., you won the Cuisinart Smoothie Blender for the July Veggie Shake contest!

Jeff and Shauna submitted six recipes!
(Our personal favorites of theirs were the shakes in Michigan State glasses!)

Thank you to everyone who shared their recipe, we had many kids who shared their veggie shake recipe too!

Visit our Veggie Shakers album for more great recipes! 

See Dr. Kehres' original veggie shake recipe here


The winner was chosen randomly through random.org.