Hello everyone! This month's newsletter is a little later due to technical difficulties. What kind of technical difficulties? Well, I just bought a digital camera and was trying to figure out how to use it. Mine has a lot of little buttons that do things of which I'm still not sure what, but I hope to provide you with more pictures of articles in the future newsletters. Sorry for the delay.  

The SARS problem has not gone away and will continue to be in the news for some time I suspect. My last newsletter provided some steps and precautions and nothing has really changed there. Please continue to check with Health Canada for updates and the April newsletter for steps to take if you suspect you have any symptoms of SARS.

Osteoarthritis affects nearly 12% of the population. Among people older than 70 years, the prevalence is nearly 35%. Incidences such as motor vehicle accidents or other trauma can cause early degeneration as well. Certain studies have shown that Glucosamine can be effective in decreasing pain and increase mobility in patients with osteoarthritis. So what happens if the patient is a diabetic? Find out more in the "Research News" section.

So spring is here! Well, at least it is in Vancouver. Some poor folks in Calgary had 30 cm of snow the last week of April! Do you all feel lucky to be in Vancouver now? For the most part, we all have something we enjoy doing outdoors when the sun is shining. Some of us have even taken to the old Scottish invention of hitting little white balls into holes in the ground. As we all found out, last month, Mike Weir a Canadian won the most sought after "Green Jacket" in Augusta, GA. I thought it would be appropriate now to offer some stretching and strengthening tips from a chiropractic perspective. I borrowed this tips from the BC Chiropractic Association to share with you.

Registered Dietitian, Ali Chernoff has contributed an article with regards to "Fad Diets". This will be a 2-part article with the conclusion posted in next month's newsletter. Ali will discuss diets from some diet gurus such as Atkins and Ornish. You'll find out about her article in the "Professional Advisor" section.

Katrina Lewis, our physical fitness trainer will share some "Fat Burning" tips this month. Everything in moderation, but the key here is of course, consistency. You however do get a to have a nice breakfast as a reward later. Read all about it in the "Professional Advisor" section.

Congratulations to Laura Simonen who is our contest winner for the exercise ball draw we had last month! Using the ball properly for your stretches and workouts will bring superior results to your workouts. Ask me how if you have any questions

We are having another exercise ball contest this month. As before, to enter, all you have to do is click onto the link below and email your name and telephone#. The winner will be picked at random on May 26th. Only one entry per email address. Good luck!

Click Here to Enter The Contest!

To your health!

Dr. Andrew Chin.

Osteoarthritis is generally described as a progressive destruction of particular cartilage. This means that the effected joint or joints will have an increase in the degradation of proteoglycan molecules, which constitute a major component of joint or synovial fluid. The result is pain and decrease mobility. In the last decade, Glucosamine has been popular with patients suffering from osteoarthritis. So much so that in 1998, more than a billion capsules were sold in the US.

Glucosamine is a substance that occurs naturally in the human body. It provides strength, flexibility, and elasticity to cartilage and connective tissue by stimulating the production of glycosaminoglycans, molecules that hold joint tissue together. The rationale of glucosamine is that the consumption would increase the availability of this precursor to replenish synovial fluid and perhaps to also encourage cartilage synthesis. Adverse effects are mild and include, heartburn, diarrhea and sometimes nausea. However, a few clinical reports have suggested side effects that even health practitioners were initially unaware of. One woman reported that her diabetes symptoms worsened after taking glucosamine.

The theory is that glucosamine may increase blood glucose levels by decreasing insulin sensitivity. Researchers at Johns Hopkins recently found that activation of this pathway, called the hexosamine pathway, causes proteins to be coated in sugar, preventing them from passing along insulin's message to regulate blood glucose. However, not all diabetic patients report an increase in diabetes symptoms.

GOLFER'S TIPS from the BC Chiropractic Association

1. Stretch before and after you do any strengthening exercises. Here are some recommended stretches:

• Side bending works the muscles on the sides of your back and hips
• Hip rotation stretches several muscles in your hip, pelvis and thigh region
• The hamstring stretch works the large muscles at the back of your thighs
• Back extension helps the muscles that bend your spine backward, while back rotation stretches the muscles that rotate your spine and shoulder muscle
• The shoulder stretch works shoulders and upper arms

2. Muscle-strengthening exercises can make your body stronger and more flexible

• Wrist strength is very important during the impact phase of a golf game
• Strength in rotating the upper arms in either direction is important throughout the golf swing
• To improve form and strength in your golf swing, practice good posture by concentrating on using your abdominal and back muscles.
• Rowing strengthens the muscles of your upper back and shoulders.
• Pull-downs also work the shoulder and upper-back muscles.

3. When taking clubs out of your vehicle, bend your knees, slightly curve your spine, and gently lift the golf bag out of the vehicle.

4. 'The clubs before the cart' - Research shows that after one season of weekly golf games that involved walking the golf course, males over fifty significantly decreased their cholesterol count. [Source: October 1990 issue of The Physician and Sports medicine]

5. Warm up for your first swing. Make sure you stretch.

6. Bend your knees and use a golf club for support before stooping for the ball, or when preparing to tee off.

7. Ensure that you use correct posture and spinal angles when driving and putting.

8. Stretch to cool down after your game.

For more information, consult with your family chiropractor.

References
BC Chiropractic Association.

Fighting the "Fad" in Your "Diet"? (Part one)

I sigh when I hear my friends discussing fad diets. It's a touchy subject, as everyone has an opinion. But what is the truth? It's often difficult to discern. Confusion prevails because of information overload. Diet advice is everywhere, from newspapers to women's magazines to afternoon talk shows. Consumers are hit with new diet book after new diet book.

Yet most of the popular diet books are not based on scientific evidence but on the often unscientific and well-marketed opinions of the authors.

The media adds another twist to the information by focusing on some unimportant but flashy detail of the research or controversy surrounding this "new" weight loss phenomenon. This approach will fuel more interest but not necessarily offer useful facts to the uninformed. Writers and publishers have their own interests to further the sale of their products or books. All of this makes the facts pretty difficult to sift out of the vast amount of reading material available.

A good way to weed out "fad" diets is to watch for statements like "weight loss is effortless," or, "you will keep the weight off forever" and "these foods are bad for you." These promises often can't be substantiated. Beware also of diets that recommend you eliminate an entire food group, are advertised late at night on television, or demonstrate results with "before" and "after" pictures. The New York Times Magazine had an article called What if Fat Doesn't Make You Fat? basically promoting the Atkin's Diet. (July 7 2002) This is a prime example of how certain facts are often left out. The writer of the article appears to have cobbled together loose facts to made it sound as if high-carbohydrate intake is the problem--but that's only half the story. The writer interviewed many credible physicians who specialize in heart disease, cancer and obesity. They agreed the research shows saturated fat has adverse effects on cholesterol levels, promotes blood clots, raises insulin levels and damages blood vessels. Thus, their recommendations are to cut back on saturated fat.

Yet the writer writes "saturated fats will elevate your bad cholesterol but they will also raise your good cholesterol. In other words, it's a virtual wash." He is stating if you raise both your good and bad cholesterol it balances out the bad cholesterol. So, by his logic, if we raise our HDL (good cholesterol) this will protect us, but there is no scientific evidence on this subject.

(Part 2 will continue in the June Newsletter next month.)

Ali J. Chernoff can be reached at 604-676-0200 or via email, ali@nutritionatitsbest.com. More information is also available on her Web site, http://www.nutritionatitsbest.com/