Author: drahiggdc

Good Fats vs. Bad Fats

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Non-fat, reduced fat, and fat-free are all things we tend to see a lot of on our food labels.   Fat, when it’s the right kind, is very important for your body to function properly.  Most of the time when you see the above labels they are being altered by some form of chemical or processed sugar to make them that way.  It is extremely important to be getting enough fat in your diet, especially when you are trying to get pregnant, are pregnant, or are breast feeding.  The reason being that good fat is essential for brain and eye development and health.  For the mom’s to be and breast feeding mom’s, instead of supplementing you can eat one avocado and 3 tablespoons of coconut oil a day to get the fat your body needs.  Another popular way to get your good fats are by supplementing with omega 3’s, flax seed or fish oil; it is recommended that you take 1-3 grams/day.  Other natural sources of good fats are walnuts, olives, hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, sesame seeds, salmon, cod, halibut, and olive oil to name a few. Another good tip is when cooking with oil it is best to use coconut oil, and for cooler temperatures like salads you olive oils are the best!

The main difference between good fats and bad fats is how the body responds and digests them.  Good fats are recognized by the body and are properly processed and digested, where bad fats, like trans fats, end up stimulating the bodies defense mechanisms causing and or leading to inflammation, increased blood pressure, pain, and heart disease.  On a more positive note, even though this may sound strange, good fats can even help you lose weight by stimulating your metabolism!  One common mistake people tend to make is to buy margarine, Smart Balance, or other similar products instead of going for just plain butter (especially grass fed).  Smart Balance and other brands are made chemically, and have little to no real ingredients in them.  Look at the attached pictures of the labels of real butter, margarine, and smart balance.  You go from 2 ingredients (cream and salt) in real butter to around 16 different ingredients in the other two!

kerrygold tumblr_m55qonzEJc1qajs3co1_1280 2013-03-18-SmartBalanceFrontBack

Easy Morning Smoothie Recipe

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Smoothies are one of the easiest ways to get in more fruits and vegetables to  your day.  One of the smoothies my husband likes to make has the following ingredients:

  • 2 banana (frozen)
  • A handful of kale
  • 1 apple
  • 1 carrot
  • walnuts or almonds or almond butter (1/2 cup)
  • 1/4 cup of raw beets (add more to taste)
  • A handful of Frozen blueberries/mixed berries
  • 2 scoops of Hemp Protein or Pea Protein (Trader Joe’s has it in stock)
  • 1 tsp of cinnamon
  • 1 cup Coconut Milk/Almond Milk/Rice Milk/ Hemp Milk (any of these will work, just not cows milk)
  • Fill water to top of mixture (not to the top of blender)

We use a Vitamix, but any blender should work.  You can always add ice or put in fridge for it to cool more. This mixture make 4-5 8 ounce glasses of smoothie, which lasts us about 2 mornings.

Why do Children need Chiropractic?

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Even a natural birthing process can be traumatic for your precious newborn. Dr. Ashley will gently check your baby, making sure that there are no effects from labor and delivery on your child’s heath. We feel it’s imperative for all children to be checked by a chiropractor throughout their childhood to ensure that the child’s nervous system and immune system are functioning optimally.

As your child continues to grow, we want to make sure they can develop properly. Birth trauma, improperly carrying your baby and excessive time in seats (car seats, bouncers, bumbos, jumpers, etc.) can cause spinal misalignments. These problems often present themselves as common childhood health complaints that include the ear, nose, throat, digestive issues, sleeping difficulty, and irritability. Learning to walk, repeated bumps and falls, sports, dance, texting and carrying heavy backpacks can all lead to spinal misalignments in children. Through chiropractic care, we can help your child feel great and function optimally so they can enjoy each year as they grow.

Children receive chiropractic care that is completely different than that of an adult. Our light, gentle adjustments are safe for babies and children. If you’ve seen us during your pregnancy, we’re happy to check your baby after they’re born to make sure their spines are in proper alignment.

Here are some benefits to pediatric chiropractic care:

1.) Improved Sleeping

2.) Improved behavior and attitude

3.) Improved Immune system function

4.) Some conditions proven to be alleviated by Chiropractic: ADHD, Colic, Asthma, Ear Infections, Bed Wetting, Falls, Acid and Silent Reflux

Your baby deserves to have the healthiest start.  Contact our office today to find out how we can help ensure their best future.  “If the twig is bent, so grows the tree.”

Here is a great website to read more:

http://icpa4kids.org/About-the-ICPA/why-chiropractic-for-children.html

Dirty Dozen & Clean 15

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Dirty Dozen (test higher in pesticides, buy organic)

  • Apples
  • Peaches
  • Nectarines
  • Strawberries
  • Grapes
  • Celery
  • Spinach
  • Sweet Bell Peppers
  • Cucumbers
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Imported Snap Peas
  • Potatoes

Clean 15 (do not have to buy organic)

  • Avocado
  • Sweet Corn
  • Pineapple
  • Cabbage
  • Frozen Sweet Peas
  • Onions
  • Asparagus
  • Mango
  • Papaya
  • Kiwi
  • Eggplant
  • Grapefruit
  • Cantalope
  • Cauliflower
  • Sweet Potatoes

Organic vs. Inorganic

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If you are one of those people who are still on the fence about going organic, here are a few facts that will help push you over to the organic side.

  • Pesticides and Herbicides have been linked to a wide range of human health effects, including immune suppression, hormone disruption, diminished intelligence, reproductive abnormalities, neurological and behavioral disorders, and cancer.
  • Woman with Breast cancer are 5-9x more likely to have significant levels of pesticide residue in their blood.
  • Pesticides and Herbicides are also potent endocrine hormone disruptors and can be passed easily through the placenta to the unborn infant, which is extremely vulnerable to toxins that disrupt the development process.
  • Children are particularly susceptible to pesticides because of a higher level of food intake for their body weight and a still maturing immune system.
  • Some studies reveal organic crops are higher in vitamin C, iron, natural sugars, magnesium, and phosphorus, and lower in harmful nitrates than non organic conventional crops.
  • Organic crops had markedly higher levels of nutrients for all 21 nutrients.
  • Organically grown spinach, lettuce, cabbage and potatoes expressed particularly high levels of minerals.
  • Organic practices are shown to stimulate the plants’ oxidative defense mechanisms, leading to enhanced production of important phytonutrients.
  • It is precisely because organic crops are not protected by pesticides that their fruits contain high levels of flavonoids and polyphenols than conventional non organic fruits, including up to 50% more antioxidants.

Let’s Start with the Basics

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How much water should you be drinking on a daily basis?  What do you consider water?  After practicing for almost 7 years, it already has come to my attention that most people are not drinking enough WATER.  I am not talking about juice or tea, but just plain water.  Did you know that our bodies are made up of approximately 75% water?  The adult body contains 32-42 quarts of fluid, and only 4-5 quarts of that number is blood.  What does that mean to you?  Adequate water intake is imperative for our bodies to function properly.  What is adequate water intake you might ask?  You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces on a daily basis.  Another common complaint is people hate drinking water.  One of the things about being in good health is that you are going to have to make some changes in order to insure that your body can function the way it is supposed to.  Don’t like the taste of water?  Add some lemon or even some cucumbers, blueberries, or strawberries.  All will naturally flavor your water to help you quench your thirst with the water your body needs.

Welcome to my Blog!

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My name is Dr. Ashley Higgins, and I have been practicing Chiropractic for just about 7 years in Brick, NJ.  I work with my husband and father in a home office on Drum Point Road called the Chiropractic Family Center.  I am the proud Mom of Harper Rose, who just turned 2 on Friday.

This website has been created to help moms to be and new moms to have another source of information to go to find answers to their unanswered questions.  It has come to my attention that the United States is dead last on maternal health rate.  Additionally, more and more of our children are becoming obese.  We are the first generation to not outlive our parents in life expectancy, EVER.  Cancer is now the leading cause of childhood death in the United States, with 13,500 new diagnosis each year according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology.   From my own personal experience I have found there are not a lot of resources out there about how to have a healthy and natural pregnancy or how to raise healthy kids.  I will be posting articles on nutrition, exercise, chiropractic’s role in health, pregnancy, immunity, recipes, along with other research or topics I find relevant.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.  My main goal is to get you thinking, and I hope I can do just that!