Top 3 Supplements for Migraines

Migraine headaches are one of the most debilitating things that someone can deal with on a regular basis. It is estimated that over 13% of the population suffers from migraines and many of those people are chronic sufferers.

Everyone who has migraines has different symptoms and different triggers. Research hasn't gotten to the root of what causes migraines and it most likely never will as everyone has different triggers for them.

When it comes to natural treatments there are three main supplements that have been found to help reduce the frequency of migraines and to also help once someone is already suffering from migraines.

Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the most bio-available and required elements in the body. It helps with our metabolism, energy, digestion and also relaxation of muscles. Many research articles have correlated low magnesium levels with increased frequency of migraine headaches.  The relaxation effect of magnesium is thought to relax blood vessels and reduce frequency and intensity of migraines.

400-600 mg of magnesium per day has been found to have the most benefit.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

This supplement is great to help restore energy in your cells and allow the mitochondria to relax. It's also a great anti-oxidant and can help with heart function and circulation as well.

90-120 mg of CoQ10 in the ubiquinol form has been found to have the most benefit for migraine suffers. 

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

This vitamin is vital in creating energy in the body and it also helps to break down protein, carbohydrates and fat for energy. Many studies have show that people who have good levels of Vitamin B2 has less frequent migraines and if they do have one their intensity and duration was decreased.

400 mg of Vitamin B2 per day

For best results try taking all three of the supplements listed above together. If you are only going to take one supplement then I would suggest taking magnesium, as it has many other health benefits besides just preventing migraines.

If you are taking medications, be sure to consult with your doctor before adding in supplements.



Kehres Health & Chiropractic is a wellness facility with locations in Saginaw and Midland, Michigan. We are passionate about changing people's lives through chiropractic, nutrition and teaching true health. We believe that true health is taking all facets of your life into consideration when striving to be healthy - physical, mental, chemical and nutritional.
 

Marketing To Our Sugar Addiction

Walking through the grocery store is typically going to be an emotional roller coaster for most people, especially if they are hungry while doing it. Food companies have done a lot of research on just the right combination of ingredients that will get customers hooked to their products and make them come back for more.

Research has found that there are three types of cravings people have: sugar, fat and salt. Each product on the shelf is going to fall into one of these categories. Beyond that, they also know the exact amount of sugar, fat and salt to put into any products to maximize dopamine release which stimulates pleasure while you are eating the product and also increases your cravings for that product the next time you are hungry.

Sugar is the biggest offender and it's not by mistake. Sugar stimulates the same neuronal pathways and to the same extent as cocaine. Our bodies innately track down sugar based products because before the industrial revolution we didn't have grocery stores lined with processed carbohydrates like we do today. Carbohydrates were only available seasonally for the most part and it was much harder to over eat them.

It's also about product placement. When checking out the from grocery store many people are hungry because they essentially just got done working out physically and mentally. Their bodies blood glucose is going to be a little lower than normal and they walk into the checkout lane where all the candy and processed carbohydrates are.

Marketing companies know exactly what they are doing by getting their product in the checkout line. Stressed out, hungry people are going to have a much harder time resisting a candy bar. Especially when they have to wait in line for 10-15 minutes while the people in front of them are checking out.

Make sure you never go shopping hungry, and if you are going to be shopping for a long time try to bring a healthy snack along with you.

Kehres Health & Chiropractic is a wellness facility with locations in Saginaw and Midland, Michigan. We are passionate about changing people's lives through chiropractic, nutrition and teaching true health. We believe that true health is taking all facets of your life into consideration when striving to be healthy - physical, mental, chemical and nutritional.

Fermented foods and Digestion

You can't be truly healthy until your gut is healthy.

Fermented foods are one of the best ways to normalize gut function and repopulate your digestive system with good bacteria. Many cultures have consumed these for centuries yet today the only fermented food most people consume on a regular basis in yogurt and cheese from unhealthy sources.

Sauerkraut, kimchi, natto, kombucha, pickled vegetables, grass fed kifir, yogurt and cheese are all examples of healthy fermented foods.

Farm or Pharmacy?

We have always heard the phrase, "food is medicine" and it has never been more true.

Food either increases or decreases inflammation inside your body. If you are constantly eating inflammatory foods then you are promoting sickness and disease. Before you know it you are going to be heading to the pharmacy for medications.

Instead of going to the pharmacy start heading to your local farmers market's and load up on fresh local foods. Typically these foods are less expensive, have less chemicals used on them and are more nutrient dense.

Also for healthy recipes, check out our nutrition section on www.drkehres.com

Vitamin D-3 and skin color

The darker your skin the more melanin you have and the more sunlight you require for proper health and production of Vitamin D-3.

You don't want to get burned in sunlight but you want to make sure your skin is getting the right amount of sunlight. Being outside until your skin turns light pink is the amount that you are looking for. 

Depending on your skin tone and location on the earth that could be from a few minutes to a few hours of sun exposure.

Dr. Kehres, SVSU team chiropractor, featured in Training & Conditioning Magazine

Dr. Dan Kehres, DC was featured in the March 2016 issue of Training & Conditioning, the leading trade publication for athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and other sports medicine professionals. Head Athletic Trainer at SVSU Jeremy Glaser, MS, ATC was interviewed for the article. 

Dr. Kehres was the first chiropractor added to SVSU Sports Medicine staff and as the article states, SVSU is likely the first Division II school to offer on-campus chiropractic care. 


At Saginaw Valley State University, the most popular addition to the school’s athletic training room is not a fancy new whirlpool or high-tech wearable—it’s chiropractor Dan Kehres, DC. By including Kehres on its sports medicine team in the fall of 2015, SVSU is likely the first school in NCAA Division II to offer on-campus chiropractic care. 

For Jeremy Glaser, MS, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer at SVSU, the hire has paid off already. “The kids all really like Dr. Kehres, and we’ve seen great outcomes,” says Glaser. “He has helped us with some of our chronic injuries, especially low-back pain. We’ve seen much quicker results getting kids pain-free and back on the field following those types of injuries.” 

Glaser first got to know Kehres through his work with SVSU athletes at his private practice, including a former football player who’s now in the NFL. “Dr. Kehres has two offices in the Saginaw Valley region, and we’d been sending athletes to him who were looking for local chiropractic care,” says Glaser. “One of those athletes was Jeff Janis, who now plays for the Green Bay Packers. Jeff regularly saw Dr. Kehres during the season and while preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine and spoke very highly of those experiences.” 

After receiving similar feedback from other SVSU athletes, Glaser wanted to make chiropractic services more accessible. He approached Kehres this past summer about the possibility of holding office hours in the athletic training room. “I liked what I heard, and he liked what I had to say,” says Glaser. “We both knew immediately that the relationship would work—and it has.” 

Once a week, Kehres sets up two adjustment tables in the SVSU athletic training room for two hours, treating around 10 athletes per session. When signing up for his services, athletes first meet with Glaser, who writes up injury evaluations for them and shares them with Kehres. “He uses the evaluations to guide his pre-treatment questioning for each athlete,” says Glaser. “Having that information ahead of time keeps him from doing a full evaluation on every kid, which can take a lot of time.” 

Payment for the chiropractic services is facilitated by SVSU’s insurance provider. Kehres bills the athletic department for each athlete, and the claims are submitted accordingly. So far, Glaser says the process has been affordable and issue-free. 

Along with Kehres’ passion for treating athletes, Glaser says he is impressed by how chiropractic care complements athletic training. “He’s not just doing spinal adjustments,” says Glaser. “He’s also big into foam rolling, core strengthening work, and manual therapy—all things athletic trainers are very familiar with. What he does meshes nicely with the modalities we’re using in the athletic training room.” 

Kehres has also become an asset to the SVSU athletic training education program. “The athletic training students can observe him when he’s treating our student-athletes to satisfy their physician hours,” says Glaser. “He’s great at explaining what he’s doing and why, and our students get a great deal out of those interactions.” 

Calling the relationship win-win, Glaser believes chiropractic care can help round out a comprehensive sports medicine approach. “The best part about adding Dr. Kehres is that he has become another resource in our quest to provide holistic health care,” Glaser says. “Having another expert here to help us take care of our athletes has made our lives easier and given them a better experience.”



Learn more:

• Training & Conditioning Magazine: training-conditioning.com
• SVSU Athletic Training: svsucardinals.com
• Kehres Health & Chiropractic: KehresHealth.com

Real butter is better butter

I get asked about the best kind of butter you can get at the grocery store frequently. 

Unless you have access to someone making local butter from grass-fed cows then Kerrygold USA is probably the best option. 

Most stores are carrying it now and the price has been dropping over the past year. 

Grains are inflammatory for cows, if they eat them then the inflammatory fats will also be found in the butter or milk produced by that cow. Grass fed is a much better and more natural choice.

Fix the system

Why is it that our medical system is so backwards when it comes to getting people healthy? It's no wonder we have one of the worst in the world when it comes to treatment of chronic conditions vs. the cost per person.

Instead of trying exercise, nutrition, supplementation, chiropractic or other natural treatments the system typically jumps right to medication or surgery. After all it is called the "Medical" system, so what do you expect?

Don't get me wrong, there is definitely a time and place for surgery and medicine but most of the time it should never be the first option.

Natural treatments have "NATURAL" in the name, but they are looked at as if it's witch craft. These treatments have been around much longer than our medical system has been, so why isn't this the first thing we look to?

I hear on a regular basis that an MD tells their patient that they definitely SHOULD NOT see a chiropractor, they should just take the prescribed medication and "wait it out." That's like me looking at someone with a broken leg and saying, nope don't go to the ER, just wait it out and it will take care of itself...

Until we fix the system we will never fix the chronic disease health crisis we are dealing with. 

How do we fix the system? Create the public demand and awareness.