The big worries on the reported releases of radioactive material in Japan focus on radioactive iodine and cesium. Iodine-131 has a half-life of eight days (half as radioactive as in the beginning) and is quite dangerous to human health. If absorbed through contaminated food, especially milk and milk products, it will accumulate in the thyroid and cause cancer. Over the long term, the big threat to human health is cesium-137, which has a half-life of 30 years.  Potassium iodide and iodine is not going to do anything for Cesium radiation, so just taking huge amount of these without an immediate threat won’t help.

“Scientists lack complete answers on radiation risk.”

However there is no doubt in the scientific world, that radiation does increase risk of cancer. Still I believe the bigger problem is not the radiation which may or may not hit the United States but the toxins that are all around us all the time. People are all too eager to begin panicking about a current danger presented to us in the news.

How many of these people have cancer due to radiation?

With that being said, there are options out there to help prevent and deal with any exposure we may be subject to on our shores.

Treatment options for Radiation Exposure

• Iodine, potassium or ammonium iodide

The use of iodine or various products such as potassium or ammonium iodide will saturate the thyroid with non-radioactive iodine and can therefore limit the risk that the thyroid will absorb radioactive Iodine 131.

The iodine should not be taken before there is an actual threat!! Only 3-4 days before significant radiation is going to reach us, is enough time to start this medication. It is important to note that iodine or iodide only protects the thyroid gland and does not provide protection from any other radiation.

• Detoxifying Baths

Epson Salt bath formula is used for for detoxifying the body from general radiation exposure, such as from Cobalt-60 irradiated food, X-rays, or air flights where you are subjected to high levels of ionizing radiation.

• Omega 3-fatty acids

Mice exposed to large doses of radiation survived 50-100% longer than normal if fed cod liver oil. It is important to restore the proper fatty acid balance in the body with cod liver oil, flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil and olive oil.

This is just to name a few things. If you have more questions or concerns on this topic, please let me know and I will forward you as much information as you can handle.

I came to Dr. Yaeger to head off all the symptoms that my older friends were having with menopause. They all said they wished they knew to get healthier before it’s onset. I was starting to experience sleeping difficulties and didn’t like the grogginess that even low doses of over-the-counter sleep aids caused. I just assumed this was my “early signs.” Little did I know, my adrenal system was extremely off balance. After about a three weeks of natural supplements to support my body’s self-healing, I began sleeping like a rock. Even if I wake in the night, I can go right back to sleep now.

Additionally, I always thought that stress was “who I am” and it couldn’t be avoided running my own business and a busy family. Getting my over-active adrenal system under control has been eye-opening. Now, I wonder how long it’s been this way. While I still have a very busy life and growing business, I can weather unexpected challenges a lot better.

If you are “stressed out” or “not sleeping” you need to see Dr. Gary.

Paula

I had a patient today ask me the difference between PCP and SCP on her insurance card, besides the extra amount in the copay. PCP stands for primary care physician and SCP stands for specialist care physician. We as Chiropractors are now considered to be a SPECIALIST. It wasn’t long ago that Chiropractors were not being treated as real doctors. We were considered “alternative care”. In other words, if a medical doctor couldn’t help with medications then you might as well try Chiropractic care. We were lumped in with Massage Therapy as an either-or scenario. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good deep tissue massage and they have great therapeutic benefits when used properly, but massage therapists are not doctors and can not diagnosis a person’s condition.

Chiropractors have now become known as the “back specialists”. While we are, we are more then that. Chiropractors are really more specialists of the nervous system as we work on relieving the pressure on the nerves that are causing you the pain that you feel. We also work on more then just the lowback and neck. So next time you are experiencing pain in the neck, lowback or any other joint you might want to seek out a Chiropractor first instead of waiting till other things have failed.

You should also know that Chiropractors can’t fix everything like some like to believe and if it is something we shouldn’t be treating or is out of our scope of practice we will make sure to get you to the appropriate doctor.

I am constantly being asked if sugar is really that bad for you. The answer is YES! It is up there in the top 10 problems affecting the overall health of our country. There are so many adverse effects associated with sugar that we need to break it down into different categories on what it does to the body.

141 Reasons Why – For a really complete list you can check out the full list here compiled by Nancy Appleton, PhD. Today, lets focus on sugar and your IMMUNE system since we are in the cold and flu season and I have definitely seen an increase in the number of patients that I have been performing Chiropractic and Nutrition Response Therapy work for in need of help to get over their sugar addictions.

Sugar raises insulin levels and reduces growth hormone levels, which in turn depresses the immune system equaling an increase risk of bacterial infection. Oh and by the way, Emergen-C is not the route to go. If you look at the first ingredient under total carbohydrates it is sugar – 6g per packet. So eliminate the sugar and help fight and prevent those “bugs”.

“In 2005 I began to feel very tired for no apparent reason; at least nothing was apparent to me.  I didn’t notice my fatigue until I started training for my first marathon.  After each training session, I would go home exhausted and take a nap.  My naps would last for 3+ hours!  I would wake up feeling fatigued and often take another nap.  Also, I noticed that I was gaining weight!  The gain in weight made no sense; after all I was training for a marathon and since when does Marathon = weight gain?

Finally when I went to see PCP (primary care physician), I mentioned the unusual weight gain (and we aren’t talking about one or two pounds, try 15 to 20) and that I was tired all the time.  His solution: exercise more and get to bed early!  I bought into it and didn’t press the issue any further because he was my doctor.  Unfortunately, I only continued to suffer from fatigue, weight gain, and abnormal menses well into the next year.  I wasn’t until I saw my nurse practitioner at my gynecologist’s office that I felt heard!  She ordered the appropriate blood tests and the results were that I had hypothyroidism!  I was relived because I knew that I could finally get a drug to make me feel better.

When I told Gary, he mentioned that there were other solutions that were safer and healthier.  I started taking my prescribed medication and did notice a difference; however it wasn’t until I started treatments with Gary that I began to feel great! I admit the whole hold your arm up and apply pressure muscle/organ stress test is a little weird but it works!

Gone are the days marathon naps, waking in the middle of the night to polish off a couple of bottles of water, and absent menses!  My naps are no longer than an hour and – the best part – I wake up feeling rested and awake!  My hair is softer, and I’m starting to lose the weight!!!!!!!  There was a period of time while I was first taking the medication that I thought I’d never lose the weight and I’d continue to be tired; however taking the organic supplements Gary has suggested is actually working!

As my body heals the amount of supplements I need reduces.  The supplements enable your body to be self sufficient without drugs.  As children we instinctively knew when we weren’t feeling well and as adults, we tend to let our bodies and health suffer.  Not anymore, thanks to Gary I feel like me again!”

Tabitha

“Some people call it colic, fussy baby, GERD, acid reflux or any number of things.  Regardless of what it was referred to- I knew Cailyn was in pain.  Even after going to a specialist, she was still miserable, arching her back, crying all the time and unable to keep food down.  Dr. Yaeger was able to pinpoint the source of the pain for Cailyn and prescribe a treatment plan for us to follow.  She quickly showed signs of relief from her discomfort and we were finally able to see our baby smile!

Thank you!!!”

Curtis, Stacie and Cailyn

“Before I began the Nutrition Response Testing program, I had gained weight over the last five years and was very unhappy about it.  Nothing seemed to work, I wasn’t seeing enough results with exercise alone.  I am now three and a half months into the Nutrition Response Testing program and I have lost half of the amount of weight I wanted to lose.  I feel better about myself (self-esteem) and I know my body is healthier, due to supplements I take.  Dr. Yaeger put me on a diet, which did take some getting used to, but has worked very well and is not hard to stay on.  I now shop at a local farmers market each week and in general I buy healthier foods and spend more time in the produce section of the supermarket.  It just takes determination.  I am very grateful for Dr. Yaeger’s helpful advice and enthusiasm.”

Cheryl

“My doctor recommended that I start medication for high blood pressure, why I asked?  I was already on medication for cholesterol!  In 2002 my blood pressure was 196/108; the cholesterol medicine had caused my levels to go from 235 to 265.  I decided to change my medication.  By doing so, I started having severe muscle aches.  I refused to take my cholesterol medication any longer as I was at 217.  I always felt extremely tired in the early afternoons and needed naps!

I started the Nutrition Response Testing program and my cholesterol level has dropped to 195 and seems to be staying there!  I no longer take high blood pressure medications and my blood pressure has dropped to 105/72 – 118/81.  I no longer feel the need to take an afternoon nap.  I have also lost several unwanted pounds and I have started eating healthier!”

Tony

“I began to see Dr. Yaeger for Nutrition Response Testing after receiving a diagnosis of Hypothyroidism. Even though I was taking medication for my slow thyroid, I was still experiencing constant fatigue, weight gain, inability to concentrate and many other symptoms that I was not even aware were related to my thyroid.

The doctor that diagnosed me with hypothyroidism also broke the news to me that I would have to try a number of different medications to try and get pregnant and that it might not even work so he prepared me for the possibility that I would need to seek help from a fertility specialist and do IVF.

After taking the supplements Dr. Yaeger prescribed for me in only three days, I began to notice drastic changes!  I had slept through the night for the first time in years.  I had energy and better yet I quickly walked up two flights of stairs and was not winded!  I didn’t even realize that any of these nuances that I grew accustomed to were related to my thyroid.

The best news of all… the first month of treatment I GOT PREGNANT!  No change to medications, no IVF, nothing except for the help that Dr. Yaeger blessed me with and now in April of 2008 we will have our first beautiful baby!!!

THANK YOU!!!”

Stacie

“We came to see Dr. Yaeger because my daughter Mia’s face was consistently breaking out in a bright red rash localized around her mouth. Her face would be extremely irritated and she would scratch it until it bled. It was obviously a food allergy, so we went to Dr. Yaeger for a nutritional analysis. We heard from a friend how much he had helped their infant.

After Dr. Yaeger’s first analysis and implementation of nutritional supplements, Mia’s face has never looked better. Her cheeks are pink like a baby’s skin should be, not red and flaky and irritated. Dr. Yaeger’s Nutrition Response Testing program has made our little 9 month old a very happy camper! As you can see from the before and after photos…the results speak for themselves!”

Lauren Simpson (Mom)