Learning Library Blog

Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad, and the Whole Picture

All this talk about cholesterol, lipids, and “good” and “bad” can be so confusing! Cholesterol and fat were things that we thought were always unhealthy, but research has shown that there are different types, some that increase the risk of heart disease and some that are actually protective! To check your risk of heart disease, your doctor may order a lipid profile test. This checks the levels of at least four lipid – fat – components in your blood: – Total Cholesterol: This is the total amount of cholesterol floating in your blood stream, some of which may offer protection against heart disease, and some of which may increase your risk. Your total cholesterol level should be less than 200 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter). – LDL Cholesterol: LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol, usually labeled “bad,” tends to adhere to the inside of blood vessel walls, building up blockages that can cause a heart attack. You want your LDL level to be low – ideally less than 100 mg/dl, according to the American Heart Association. Between 100 and 129 is considered “near optimal,” 130 to 159 is considered “borderline high,” 160 to 189 is considered “high,” and 190 and above is considered “very high.” – HDL Cholesterol: This type of cholesterol is the one many people think of as “good” cholesterol. Instead of sticking to the lining of blood vessels, HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is brough to the liver to be removed from the body – so, it reduces your risk of heart disease. Your want your HDL level to be high – at least 60 mg/dl or higher. A low HDL level (less than 40 mg/dl for men, 50 mg/dl for women) increases the risk of heart disease. – Triglycerides: These fats are included in a lipid profile. Although it’s not clear whether high triglyceride levels are a risk factor for heart disease by themselves, they usually go hand in hand with orther risk factors, such as high total cholesterol or low HDL. If you are obese inactive, drink a lot of alcohol, or follow a diet very high in carbohydrates, you may have high triglycerides. Yout triglyceride level should be less than 150 mg/dl. Have you gotten your lipid profile? If not, make an appointment with a specialist and commit to getting one soon. If you’ve already gotten the results and your lipid profile is good, that’s excellent, but it doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want! You need to continue eating healthfully so those lipid levels can stay great. Strelcheck Chiropractic specializes in drug-free natural healthcare, give us a call!

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Adrenal fatigue?

Tired of being tired? Adrenal fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms known as a syndrome that results when the adrenal glands function below the necessary level. Most commonly associated with intense or prolonged stress, it can also start during or after acute or chronic infections, especially respiratory infections such as influenza, bronchitis, or pneumonia. Adrenal fatigue is not a new condition. People have been experiencing this condition for years, but recently there was not the knowledge or awareness as to what it was or how to help to treat it. Take the quite Adrenal Fatigue Quiz to see if any, or all, of the symptoms fit your life: Tired for no reason? Having trouble getting up in the morning? Need coffee, colas, salty or sweet snacks, crave high protein foods such as meat and cheese to keep you going during the day? Feeling run down and stressed? Can’t bounce back from stress or illness? Struggling to keep up with life’s daily demands? Just not having fun anymore? Tendency to gain weight and unable to lose it, especially around the waist? Unable to remember things? Pain in the upper back or neck for no apparent reason? Lightheaded, especially when rising from a laying down position? Mild depression? Decreased sex drive? None of these sings or symptoms by themselves can determine adrenal fatigue, but when taken as a group, they form the big picture of a “syndrome” – a person under stress. To really understand how this all happens, we need to take a look at where it starts. Your adrenals are two small glands weighing 3 to 5 grams, located above the kidneys in your mid back. Don’t let their size fool you; these powerful little endocrine glands manufacture and secrete steroid hormones that are essential for life, health, and vitality. They “oversee” the functioning of each and every tissue, organ, and gland in your body to maintain balance during stress and keep you alive. They also have important effects on the way you think and feel. They have the highest content of vitamin C per gram of any tissue and one of the highest blood flow per gram of any tissue in the body. They are about the size of a walnut, but can shrink down to the size of a small grape when exhausted. The main purpose of the adrenals is to enable your body to deal with stress from every possible source and to determine the energy of your body’s response to this stress. Whether they signal attack, retreat, or surrender, every cell responds accordingly, and you feel the results. As you can see by the signs and symptoms, these tiny glands effect everything you do: your sleep patterns, your eating habits, your emotional and physical status, and you r ability to function and lead a healthy and happy life. Our specialists at the clinic now offers specialized simple, non-evasive testing for adrenal fatigue and suggestions for ways to modify your daily routine through specific nutritional supplements, changes in eating and slipping habits, stress modification, increase in exercise, and chiropractic and massage therapy treatments. Don’t be content to feel bad and let life pass you by. Feel good again, be active, and enjoy a healthy, happy lifestyle! Call our clinic for an appointment today. We are always here for you!

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The Chiropractic Key to Health

Keeping your spinal column free from vertebral subluxations helps keep your natural immunity high. Whatever else you do for yourself, it is necessary if you are suffering from the flu, colds, and respiratory problems, or sinus and allergy trouble, that your spinal column be healthy. It could make the difference between a quick recovery or a lingering illness! Chiropractic care can help raise your natural resistance to disease by removing a serious interference to your proper body functions: vertebral subluxations. Natural resistance is the only reason why your cold “goes away” rather than lasting for weeks. It is not usual to have our patients tell us that since they have been under chiropractic care, “I haven’t had a cold, or if I get a cold, I get over it so much faster.” Vertebral subluxations are misaligned vertebrae in your spine that interfere with your nerves and the flow of information and energy between your brain and the rest of your body. These subluxations lower your natural resistance to disease by unbalancing your nervous system. Chiropractors perform detailed spinal examinations to detect and locate these subluxations in your body, and then correct them by spinal adjustments. Keeping your spinal column free from vertebral subluxations helps your natural immunity high – the best defense against colds and flu, and sinus problems. If your body is working properly, your resistance to germs, dust, temperature changes, and other stresses is high. Also, by relieving stress on the nervous system, your body works more efficiently and helps ensure that the skill bones “breathe,” permitting the body fluids to drain without interference. We treat many sinus sufferers, and have found that the combination of chiropractic adjustments and our natural Standard Process supplements is very effective. One patient states, “I had one sinus infection after another, and one antibiotic after another, month after month, all year around. Chiropractic care and the supplement, Thymex, have been the answer for me. I’m not saying that my sinuses never bother me – sure I still have some bad days especially with weather changes. But, I no longer need antibiotics, and the sinus headaches usually only last for a day, and are immediately relieved by and adjustment.” Once the subluxations re corrected and the immune system is built up, the body can do what it does best: heal itself naturally! Chiropractic really works!

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Patient of the Month, Jenn L.

Daniel: Hi, I am Dr. Daniel Strelcheck with Strelcheck Chiropractic Clinic. Welcome to our patient of the month Jenn Lachel. Jenn: Hi, I am Jenn Lachel. I have unfortunately been dealing with severe headaches, migraines, upper neck pain, shoulder pain for most of my adult life. It has not only affected me physically but emotionally as well. And I heard through word-of-mouth a friend of mine recommended me Dr. Daniel and I started seeing him last summer and I was well skeptical at first and I could not be happier with the decision I made to start seeing Dr. Daniel. Since last summer my headaches and migraines have reduced significantly. My upper neck pain and shoulder pain has also reduced significantly. I honestly feel great and it sounds kind of cheesy but my emotional state has also changed enormously. My daily attitude is 10 times better than it was and so I owe a huge thank you to Dr. Daniel and the whole office; the massage therapist and the great staff for just taking the time to help me. Thank you very much! Daniel: For a healthy and happy life, I am Dr. Daniel Strelcheck. Jenn: And I am Jenn Lachel.

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