Brooklyn Chiropractor – Treatment of Pain – Back Pain – Neck Pain – Nutrition, Brooklyn – Decompression Therapy

For more information regarding nutrition, pain management including: Back pain, neck pain, sciatica, numbness/tingling, chronic stiffness, herniated discs, arthritis, sports injury, sprain/strain, shoulder pain, and all other pain related issues; please visit

http://www.optimumhealthcareny.com/index.html

Please feel free to email Drkuang@myrenewalcenter.com with any questions related to overall health and wellness

Nutritional Myths Revealed, Nutrition & Wellness Brooklyn NY, Weight-loss Brooklyn

So you’ve heard the master cleanse is a great way to lose weight huh? How about that weight-loss plan where you don’t eating anything until you feel like your going to pass out and then you have a piece of cheese? Ok, Ok, I stole that one from The Devil Wears Prada…. but the truth is there are many myths regarding nutrition and weigh-loss out there, lets see if I can shed a the light on a few.

Myth: Frozen vegetables are not as good as fresh ones. Most frozen vegetables are picked when they are at the ripest and then flash frozen. So in terms of nutrient content it ranks right up there with fresh harvested vegetables. Depending on where and when you buy fruits and vegetables they could have been sitting in transport for weeks before reaching the produce section. Now don’t get me wrong there’s most liekly nothing wrong with the veggies/fruits your getting in your supermarket but don’t be afraid to get frozen ones as well.

Myth: English muffins are nutritious. One English muffin has fewer calories then 2 slices of bread but is nearly devoid of fiber, protein, and vitamins. This is an example of empty calories. Try Ezekiel 316 bread or anything made from sprouted grains. This will generally have twice as much fiber, 1/3 more protein, and gluten free.

Myth: Pretzels are a good snack. Although 1 oz. of pretzels only contains about 110 calories, this snack scores a whopping 81 on the glycemic index. This is a higher glycemic index than ice cream and jelly beans. This will spike insulin levels and raise blood sugar, a big NO with both weight-loss and healthy nutrition.

Myth: California rolls are a good choice when trying to lose weight. The best part of this food is the seaweed it is wrapped in and the avocado. This combo contains iodine, omega 3-6, and selenium. The rest of this roll is rice and imitation crab, both of which are high in sugar with no protein. Try sashimi and seaweed salad.

Myth: All yogurts are good for you. This is a huge pitfall! Plain yogurt is beneficial, if the word ‘corn syrup’ or ‘high fructose’ is in the ingredient list- toss it! Its not uncommon to find yogurt with over 45g of sugar!! Stonyfield is a reputable brand; shoot for less then 20g of sugar. I personally love FAGE 0% yogurt, its creamy, has plently of protein, and has a cool name… mix with a few berries a small amount of granola and its unbeatable.

Myth: Fat-Free salad dressing is good for you. Although having less fat is a plus, most companies will make up for the taste by adding more sugar or artificial sweeteners. REMEMBER… if you can’t pronounce the ingredient its probaby not good for you! The removal of fat has also been shown to interfere with vitamin absorption. Ohio state researchers found people who are dressing with fat absorbed 15x more beta-carotene and 5x more lutein- than compared to fat-free dressing. Try balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil (The greener the better).

There are so many pitfalls when trying to lose weight, don’t ever just take anything at face value, read ingredient labels, ask quesitons, complare brands, and stay away from marketing jargon words. Remember that putting together anything is not usually wise without reading the directions so why put something in your body without looking at the ingredients! If your still confused, contact a professional to answer your questions, feel free to contact me!

Set Goals, Setting Nutritional Goals, Brooklyn, How to Succeed

Set Goals.. This is sounds easy but it really one of the more difficult parts of implementing a new medical protocol. Where do you begin when you want to drop a few pounds, gain strength, or simply enhance your overall performance? Start by defining your personal goals. The first step in any successful exercise program is proper identification of your ideal fitness goals. Once set, you can choose the best strategy to meet your own personal objectives.
The most common mistake people make when starting an exercise regimen lies within the approach. Unless properly trained, even when the motivation exists, many people have difficulty meeting their specific goals and eventually give up unsatisfied. Most tend to reuse equipment or rely on classes for direction; although these people are capable of meeting their goals, they fail to see results because their workouts lack the variety the body needs to perform at optimal levels.
Overuse of the same cardiovascular or strength-training equipment also tends to lead to workout fatigue or boredom, and can even lead to serious injury if used incorrectly.

Setting Realistic Goals
Goals should be realistic and measurable. Begin by identifying your long-term goals. This can be the total number of inches to loose, pounds to lift, or minutes of cardiovascular when endurance-training. Make sure you assign goals that require dedication to obtain but are not “unrealistic.” An unattainable goal only decreases motivation and self-esteem.
After you’ve written down your long-term goals and developed a realistic time frame in which to achieve them, break them down to smaller steps. For example, if you would like to lose 15 pounds to fit into a dress for a special occasion in three months time, set your monthly goal to a net-loss of around 5 pounds per month. Then break the same goal down further to twelve weekly goals of about -1.25 pounds. Try to visualize yourself attaining each step and finally reaching your goal.
Depending on your starting weight, if you’ve made the proper changes in diet and exercise, you will notice the pounds melting away—usually fastest at first then slowly stabilizing as your build muscle. It’s important to realize that your body weight varies slightly throughout the day, and for women, the phases of the menstrual cycle, so don’t get discouraged if the scale moves slightly in the wrong direction occasionally.
When strength training, begin by understanding the motions of the exercises, followed by stabilization and proprioception (balance), then machines with free weights to focus on building Strength. In no time, you will be on the way to benching your goal weight correctly and without risk of injury.

Record Your Progress
Weigh yourself weekly and record your progress in a fitness journal as you go. Goals can always be readjusted once you learn how your body reacts to training; so don’t feel pressured to remain within ironclad restrictions as long as you see positive changes. If you decide to revise your weekly goals, do so only to challenge yourself more rather than lowering the bar or consider expanding the time frame, but do not loose sight of your long-term objective.
Check off each step in your journal once it has been achieved. This will not only foster a sense of accomplishment, it will also ensure that you are focused and on track. If you progress more slowly then you had hoped or would like to learn how to further enhance your personal program, enlist the support of a trained professional. Your journal will serve not only to measure progress towards your goal, but also an accurate reminder of where you began.
In addition to weight loss, you will also notice improvements in REM sleep, energy levels throughout the day and overall sense of well-being.

Also Consider
When setting goals, take the following factors into account. It is important to know that although they will not determine what you can achieve, they are important when deciding on the best way to go about training.
· Starting weight
· Personal and Family History
· Risk Factors
· Age
· Persistent Medical Conditions
· Eating Habits
· Current Activity Level
· Occupation
· Time Constraints
· Other External Limiting Obligations

Checking your body fat percentage is also a good way to determine your body’s current condition. Women should never set weight loss goals below 12% body fat—which the female menses is partially dependent upon. This can be done with a help of a professional. Send questions to http://www.gordonkuang@gmail.com

Dr. G

How to Read Food Labels, Decipher the Jargon, Nutrition Brooklyn, Weightloss Brooklyn

It is essential that you learn and understand how to analyze the foods that you are eating. Educating yourself is the key to long-standing success with any subject, nutrition is no different. Would you put together a piece of electronic equipment without at least glancing at the directions? Probably not, so why would you put something into your body without glancing at what the food is made of? It is not a cliche to say “you are what you eat,” because chemically speaking once everything is broken down to its basic components you really are made up of the food products you consume.

If you can read food labels you are setting yourself up for success because you can decipher total calories, grams of each nutrient, ingredients contained within the product, serving size, how many servings, percentage of recommended daily allowance, vitamins & minerals, and much more. The food label is the blueprint for a particular product and seeing past the marketing jargon will help you avoid the common pitfalls of nutrition. Remember that companies research different marketing techniques to sell their products; they do not try and inform the consumer of the health benefits of their product. The consumer must be aware and avoid the jargon that is present all around you in the supermarket. Words like: Sugar free, fat free, sugarless, real fruit flavor, hydrogenated, light, low calorie, zero calories, just to name a few… when I see these words, red flags are immediately raised and I scrutinize these products even more. Most of the time food products with these catch phrases have artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and tons of chemical junk that you would be better off not consuming.

I teach 2 basic rules when shopping: 1. the rule of pronunciation, if you can’t pronounce it… its probably not good for you 2. The rule of 1 ingredient… always try to get as close to one ingredient as possible in a food product. If you purchase peanut butter it should only contain PEANUTS! There is no reason for peanut butter to have 6 ingredients in it unless its been chemically altered in some way. Take the time to read the ingredients and plan your meals, the first few time you go shopping it might take a few minutes longer but as you familiarize yourself to reading labels and the marketing jargon it will be second nature while shopping. Do You Really Need To Supplement Your Diet Or Is It All Just Marketing Hype?

It is good to know that a food simply labeled organic does not necessarily mean it is a good product, by law a food must only have to be at least 51% organic to be labeled organic. Just recently laws were passed that a food could also be labeled as organic even if it was treated by inorganic pesticides. That is why brand recognition and the place where you purchase your food will play a role in the credibility of food choices. Meat that is bought from grass fed cows will always be a higher quality than those fed by corn or other less optimal feed, some are actually fed ground up pieces of other animals! The best rules are to stick with antibiotic free, hormone free, free range animals. All fish should be wild caught and not farm raised, those fish that are farm raised have been found to contain higher amounts of PCB’s within them. The effects of PCB’s have been extensively documented. You may end up paying a few extra bucks but in the end its worth the quality of food you receive, you will pay for it one way or another… either you pay now for higher quality food or pay later for bad blood chemistry. “All natural” is also a commonly used jargon word that doesn’t mean anything objectively, the best way to check to see if the food product is natural is to look at the ingredient list. If the first few ingredients contain: Enriched white/wheat flour, white flour, modified corn starch, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, autolyzed yeast extract, MSG, and/or hydrolyzed vegetable protein; then the words “all natural” mean nothing because none of those ingredients are close to anything from nature. These common ingredients are man made, synthetic alterations of food products. For example, High fructose corn syrup is a man made form of very cheap sugar (Glucose), it’s made specifically for the purposes of saving money during food production but consuming large amounts has been linked to obesity and metabolic disorders.

When you are in the supermarket always remember that the businesses are set up to sell food products and not to ensure you buy healthy foods. It is up to you as a consumer to do your research and read food labels so you are making healthy purchases. I recommend to always make a list before shopping and think about your meals and how to plan for them. For example, a dozen eggs with celery and cucumbers to make eggwhite salad, a rotisserie chicken to make chicken salad with, cans of salmon for salmon salad, and my favorite salad: diced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and avocado’s with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. These are just a few examples of how you can plan what you are planning to buy at the supermarket by thinking about what you are planning to eat.

Once you go over the jargon a few times, you will always know what words will raise red flags… learning to read the labels will help you estimate calories, which will help you lose weight or gain lean muscle mass depending on your goals. Making healthy lifestyle choices starts with the ingredients you choose to put into your body… know that whole foods are the best types of foods to be eating and supplementation should only add to a solid, healthy foundation of eating habits. Stick to the perimeter of the supermarket and buy foods that don’t have ton’s of ingredients which will automatically decrease the amount of ‘garbage’ you consume. Contact me if you are interested in getting more specific information including food lists, menu plans, a lifestyle workbook that goes over basic physiology and nutrition (Fats, carbs, proteins, vitamins & minerals, and much more), and comprehensive evaluation of your current lifestyle and past history. I focus on teaching you how to live healthy and why certain foods are good for you, just being ’spoon fed’ what to eat may help you reach your goals temporarily but in the end if you don’t know what or why you made these choices you will always revert back to your old habits. Remember…. LIFESTYLE CHANGES are what create permanent changes, not a “diet” or 3 months of food restrictions.

These suggestions are made to focus on maintaining overall health, which in turn should help your immune system and body become stronger and hopefully more resistant to developing disease. Nobody truly knows the exact type of “diet” that will keep your from developing certain diseases such as cancer. The suggestions above in conjunction with exercise, proper sleep, and stress reduction can only help your body, so why not at least insure your body has the best chances for survival in a toxic planet? Every little bit helps and its all cumulative! Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Dr. Gordon

Toxicity in the Environment, Detoxification, Brooklyn, New York

Crazy report… although Reuters is not a source I consider a reference for medical knowledge… but from this report along with what I have researched about environmental toxicity and the effect it has on the human body it was a topic worth mentioning.

The original article was titled “Unborn Babies Soaked in Chemicals, Survey Finds” written by Maggie Fox on Thursday, July 14th 2005. The words that grabs peoples attention are: “Washington – Unborn U.S. babies are soaking in a stew of chemicals, including mercury, gasoline byproducts and pesticides, according to a report to be released Thursday.”

This was article was some time ago.. but WOW! In a world where there is an actual debate in congress on whether climate change exists and some questioning if humans as a whole are causing environmental problems as a result of pollution and over-consumption of a finite amount of resources; this takes the cake. Since when did survival and our planets health become a partisan issue? Because it requires money to study? Absolutely ridiculous… anyone that does not believe that due to the limited supply or resources such as oil, and exponential population growth is causing our world and the people within it to suffer is completely out of touch with reality. I am not going to discuss the politics, but I will discuss the dangerous and absurd consequences we as humans have created for future generations.

“The report by the Environmental Working Group is based on tests of 10 samples of umbilical cord blood taken by the American Red Cross. They found an average of 287 contaminants in the blood, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and the Teflon chemical PFOA.”

“Of the 287 chemicals we detected in umbilical cord blood, we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests,” the report said. “Blood tests did not show how the chemicals got into the mothers’ bodies.”

That is ridiculous… its absolutely mind blowing… These kids aren’t even out of the womb yet and they are being bombarded with chemicals that are causing possible long term detrimental diseases. No wonder there has been a spike of those children afflicted with disorders such as autism, ADD (“the real kind),” inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and although diabetes is mostly how they are raised by their family nutritionally there are strong genetic and general body health issues that play a role into this. It can be acknowledged that we are sending these kids into the world with a handicap in the game of life.

Among the chemicals found in the cord blood were methylmercury, produced by coal-fired power plants and certain industrial processes. People can breathe it in or eat it in seafood and it causes brain and nerve damage in large amounts. “Today, chemicals are being used to make baby bottles, food packaging and other products that have never been fully evaluated for their health effects on children – and some of these chemicals are turning up in our blood,” said New Jersey Democrat Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who plans to co-sponsor a bill to require more testing of toxic chemicals. Way to go Frank! Living in the Tri-State area, I can attest to never planning on eating any fish caught from this part of the Atlantic. Add onto that that testing the water in “upscale” neighborhoods in Long Island revealed trace amounts of antibiotics, hormones (Most likely from birth control pills), Viagra, and a slew of other chemicals that adults should not be consuming regularly let alone a child!

The same group analyzed the breast milk of mothers across the United States in 2003 and found varying levels of chemicals, including flame retardants known as PBDEs. What the mother ingests will be passed onto the fetus and child during feeding. It is safe to say that even without long term studies to back up allegations of the effects of toxicity on the body, no amount of toxins is a safe amount of toxins. People tend to forget that many toxins are also cumulative, meaning they build up within your body as time goes on, eventually leading to serious pathological disease. Those who are looking to lose weight, sleep better, decrease stress, increase muscle mass, strengthening they’re immune system, and improving blood markers are starting off on an unbalanced playing field when in such a toxic environment.

The worst toxins fall into a category of “metabolic disruptor’s,” one of the most commonly found food disruptor is MSG (Monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and autolyzed yeast extract) which causes havoc in the body and ultimately unbalancing a sensitive energy cycle in the body such as the Kreb’s cycle which is responsible for producing energy in the form of ATP in our bodies. One of the common methods to combat these metabolic disruptor’s and/or free radicals is the consumption of foods containing a large amount of anti-oxidants. This is not enough, but a great place to start. The top ten whole foods that have the most anti-oxidant punch are: All berries (Blueberries, Strawberries, Blackberries, etc…), broccoli, tomatoes, red grapes, garlic, spinach, herbal tea (Green tea), carrots, Legumes (Red beans, pinto, black, etc…), artichokes, and apples. These foods contain the most TAC (Total Anti-oxidant Capacity).

You cannot lose weight, gain lean muscle mass, increase energy, aid digestion, or any other bodily process if your organs are not functioning correctly. Toxins have been medically proven to decrease the ability of your body organs to achieve optimal function. A good example would be an adrenal gland that has been overloaded by toxins and stress; if the adrenals do not function correctly then you will not effectively produce catecholamines, cortisol, and effect the production of other important hormones indirectly such as estrogen and testosterone. This is a prime example how something as simple as the water you are drinking and the food you are consuming can have disastrous end results if you are not careful about making sure what the product contains.

If you want to learn more about detoxification and how to make sure you know how to choose foods properly and avoid subjecting your body to our toxic environment more then it needs to be, contact me via email or click here. Remember, you cannot win every battle but learn to pick which ones are most important and you will see a difference in your overall health

Dr. Gordon

Burn Fat Effectively Brooklyn, Weightloss Brooklyn, Nutrition Programs Brooklyn

So what’s the most effective way to burn fat during exercise? Some say to do cardio before lifting weights others, say the opposite. Ask many “weight-lifters” in the gym what kind of work out schedule they have, and many will answer one body part per day. This can be a very effective workout for a male looking to compete in bodybuilding but not necessarily so for a female looking to lose a few pounds and add some extra tone to the body. Obviously this type of regimen is also not geared for sports specific performance enhancement. What does this mean? Workouts are specific to the individual and their goals, but there are helpful guidelines to reach these goals.

As a general rule for beginners or someone who is looking to maximize weight loss, strength requiring exercises should ALWAYS be done before cardiovascular and aerobic activity. The reason behind this is quite simple. Carbohydrates are stored in your muscles in the form of glycogen (long chains of carbohydrates) and are used for energy first when exercising. If you start your workout with long aerobic activity you must burn off this muscle glycogen first before reaching your fat storage’s. When you start to strength train your body moves to an anaerobic state of exercise (little or no oxygen), therefore limiting the total amount of fat you burn. Remember, to burn fat optimally you need oxygen! Your intensity level will also naturally be decreased because you have used up energy during aerobic activity, which will affect how quickly you gain strength and produce Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption E.P.O.C. (E.P.O.C. is what makes weight bearing exercises a great fat burner, studies show you continue to burn calories after you lift weights for up to 72 hours). See how Resting Metabolic Rate testing and VO2 Max testing can help optimize your workouts

If you perform strength training before aerobic activity you burn off all the muscle glycogen stores and circulating carb’s in your blood during training. This sets your body up to be a strictly fat burning machine during the time you devote to aerobic exercise (oxygen required activity) because there is nothing left to burn except fat. This is taking into account you know what heart rate zone you should be exercising in to optimize fat loss. In addition, your workouts will be more intense because your energy levels are higher creating even greater E.P.O.C.

Once you have the basics mastered you can learn about high interval intensity training, plyometrics, and other advanced multi-functional exercises… The important point in all of this is that even though there are a plethora of different ways to burn calories while exercising, none of the methods will be effective without implementing proper nutrition. If I placed a random percentage on importance of nutrition versus exercise I would say eating right is 70% of your ability to effectively lose weight. A person can exercise very little but if they follow sensible eating patterns they will lose weight, while someone can exercise vigorously everyday but if they don’t watch what they eat its possible they won’t lose a pound. There is a reason why there is always fine print on any supplement and exercise equipment that says “with proper diet and exercise.”

Learn not to eat less but to eat smarter! Learn that food does not have to elicit a negative reaction when trying to lose weight! Most importantly, the word “diet” is a horrible word, it indicates a beginning and an end. Whenever someone says “diet” most people cringe because it already has a negative connotation to it. Losing weight is about permanent lifestyle changes, not brief 3 month crash dieting. If you crash diet you will probably gain the lost weight back (yo-yo’ing) which is much worse then just staying overweight. I set the goal to be 2 pounds a week, its steady, its safe, and the weight will stay off because you are losing fat mass not water. If your interested in learning more contact my office to make an appointment and learn the tools to educate yourself on how to lose weight effectively and permanently!

Dr. Gordon

Nutrition to Help Manage Body Pain Brooklyn, Back Pain Brooklyn, Pain Management Brooklyn

Back pain and neck pain affect millions of people worldwide and it is estimated that 85% of all people will suffer from low back pain or neck pain in they’re lifetime.  You would be surprised how much of an affect proper nutrition will help decrease any body pain whether its from a herniated disc or from a systemic problem such as lupus.

Pain can manifest itself in many different ways, some of the most common descriptions of pain include:  Sharp, dull achey, numbness/tingling, pins & needles, and even extreme debilitating pain that prevents one from walking or moving.  Obviously the most important thing to do first and foremost is to get examined by a qualified health practitioner to find out hat the root cause of your problem is.  Please remember that even though massages, heart, and electric muscle stimulation feel really good they often do not address the key factor in body pain.  Generally speaking, body pain is a consequence of bad bio mechanics, repetitive stress/injury, and/or congenital defects such as scoliosis. Your practitioner should have concrete goals for you to be trying to achieve and re-evaluating you after a set period of time.

Chiropractors should be one of the first stops with these types of spinal and body pain disorders. In the event you’re not a chiropractic candidate resorting to drugs or other minimally invasive procedures may be a reasonable second option. Remember, though, it’s always best to take the least invasive route first. If you don’t and you use up your options prematurely you may be left with none – other then spinal surgery which in most cases is only around 50% successful long term.   I recommend getting examined by more then one practitioner so you can be sure that 2 separate people have looked at your complaint and given you matching and hopefully not conflicting reports.  I usually do not send out for diagnostic imaging (X-ray, MRI’s) right away unless there is trauma involved, severe neurological problems, or the patient is over the age of 50.

The reason why nutrition plays an integral role in pain management is because in order to heal properly your body needs the proper nutrients and the only way to achieve this is by eating correctly.  It is also commonly overlooked that just losing weight will help decrease any pain from a joint that relies on the weight of your body  (ex..  Hip joint, ankle or foot).  Any weight a person can loose during the acute or chronic stage of a musculoskeletal injury is beneficial for the patient in decreasing pain.  It’s very simple, less weight on the joint equals less pressure and stress being placed on that joint therefore helping speed up the healing process and causing less physical pain.

Another main reason why your eating habits play an important role in treating your pain is because your goal with all pain management treatment is to decrease inflammation.  I put all patients  on an anti-inflammatory nutritional protocol to decrease inflammation systemically through smart food choices.  Decreasing your intake of refined white sugar, white flour, processed foods, high fructose corn syrup, Mono-sodium glutamate, hydrogenated fats, artificial colorings, red meat, caffeine, dairy, and artificial sweeteners are all part of a list of ingredients to avoid while you are in pain.

Good fruit choices include pineapples, mango’s, papayas, peaches, pears, prunes, apples, bananas, and other sub-acid fruits. Pineappes, and papaya’s contain a natural anti-inflammatory called Bromelain and can help decrease inflammation naturally. Use discretion if you have blood sugar problems although fruit often does not cause a problem if the diet is low saturated/trans fat and high fiber. Good vegetables include asparagus, spinach, zucchini, parsley, artichoke (without the butter), kelp and other sea-veggies, okra, snow peas and many more. Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower as well as onions, chives, and peppers are very nutritious but may create digestive difficulties for some people. The solution is often simply chewing the food better, cooking the food, and possibly adding supplemental digestive enzymes such as proteolytic and lipolytic enzymes. Spices such as garlic, tumeric, etc. are also very healthy and should be used regularly if well tolerated.
For snacks, consider raw vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds (Please ensure you are not allergic to peanuts and other nutrs). The fruits and veggies contain many helpful enzymes, bioflavonoids, and other phytochemicals, while the raw nuts and seeds are rich in essential fatty acids (Omega 6 and omega 3), especially grounded up flax seeds, pumpkin and sunflower seed, walnuts and almonds. Raw seeds like sesame and flax need to be ground for proper digestion (chew very thoroughly). I also make avocado’s and organic, free range chicken eggs a weekly staple to buy at the supermarket. An electric coffee grinder also works well to pre-grind you food (Ground up flax seeds). I run a hands-on supermarket class once a month to teach you how to properly shop and decipher all the marketing jargon that is focused around the US food nation. I teach you everything from how to read food ingredient labels, counting calories quickly, or how to plan to go to the supermarket. The Spa and Wellness Center helps schedule all my appointments for this monthly, hands-on class. Learn everything hands-on an in a perfect environment, the supermarket. Feel free to call the Spa to set up a time to discuss your health goals.

When you start to watch your nutritional lifestyle change you will start to feel better and have more energy. In order to heal properly your body needs the energy to direct toward the healing process and enough nutrients to ensure an optimal recovery. Most of my comprehensive pain management programs include basic nutritional counseling, especially if the patient already has BMI of over 25. Your insurance can cover your services, and even if I can’t help you I promise I will help you find someone that can.

Dr. Gordon C.S.C.S.

Cold Laser Therapy Brooklyn, Stop Cravings Brooklyn, Weightloss Brooklyn

Cold laser therapy has many documented benefits.  It uses a low level laser wavelength to increase energy production by stimulating the mitochondria.  It can be compared to the way the human body absorbs vitamin D from the sunlight.  Your body absorbs the light energy and converts it to chemical energy to assist in the production of energy in the body.  The most common ailments I have treated are musculo-skeletal complaints.  The following conditions have been shown to respond very well to cold laser therapy:

*Herniated Discs

*TMJ

*Chronic Neck Pain

*Myofascial Pain Syndromes

*Shoulder Pain

*Epicondylitis (tennis/golfer’s elbow)

*Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

*Low Back Pain

*Arthritis

*Sports Injury

*Achilles Tendonitis

*Sprains/Strains

*Plantar Fasciatis

One of the benefits that are being explored not listed above regarding cold laser treatment, is the stimulation of acupuncture points to facilitate systemic reactions and attack issues such as carbohydrate craving control.  The laser stimulates points that produce a chemical effect throughout the body, which in turn decreases a patients craving for sweets or nicotine.  This type of therapy has been utilized by acupuncture for hundreds of years.  The Cold Laser brings a new age solution to an old school concept.

With patients becoming increasingly educated and more involved in their medical care they are opting for safer, non-invasive and drug free alternatives to treatment of pain.

The clinical results and patient benefits of cold laser, also known as low level laser therapy, are only realized when the proper laser equipment and parameter is used.  Don’t be fooled by inferior laser therapy equipment.  At Optimum Healthcare NY we are dedicated to integrating our unique manual therapy approaches to patient care with cutting edge technologies in rehabilitative medicine and nutritional sciences.  We use Cold Laser technology, decompression therapy, and advanced nutritional evaluation to determine a specific treatment protocol for each new patient.

Nutrition plays a much larger role in pain management then most people realize.  All the pain modulators are controlled chemically and food you put into your mouth can have a direct impact on how you feel and your level of body pain. It is not a cliché to say, ‘you are what you eat.’  As more research shows that low-grade inflammation is the root cause of almost all disease; it is important to arm yourself with the knowledge to counteract this dangerous cascade of chemical events within your body.

Please feel free to contact me regarding cold laser therapy and find out how this cutting edge technology can help you!

Dr. G

The Danger of Artificial Sweeteners! Nutrition, Brooklyn

How many times do you drink diet soda a week?  How often do you put equal, splenda, or sweet n low in your coffee?  If you are consuming any of these food items its imperative you read on! Artificial sweeteners can cause significant health risks.  Some of those risks which were discovered in a 1994 Department of Health and Human Services study are as follows: seizures, chest pains, insomnia, weight gain, tremors, vertigo, arthritis, asthma, and migraine headaches.  Think to yourself…. In what types of products do we see a lot of artificial sweeteners?

If you answered diet products, you got it!  Does anything here seem a bit fishy?  Many of our diet products contain artificial sweeteners yet one of the side effects is weight gain. Artificial sweeteners may actually increase appetite including carbohydrate cravings.  The reason for this is because artificial sweeteners decrease the production of serotonin in your body.  How is this done?  Well eating sugar and other foods that are sweet has been shown to increase the natural production of serotonin, thats part of the reason why eating chocolate feels so good and actually can put people into a good mood.   Through time excess production of this brain chemical causes a decrease in the overeall natural production of this neurotransmmitter.  Think about it the same way a person’s pancreas becomes insulin resistant from ingesting too many sweets too often.

Serotonin is also a neurotransmitter that controls mood and sleep.  Mood has a direct effect on our appetite and therefore can cause weight gain and lack of sleep will sabotage any weight-loss since sleep is important recovery time and helps burn calories.

If you thought that was bad, it gets worse!!  Are you aware of what formaldehyde is?  It is a fluid that is used in embalming.  When our bodies enzymes break down certain artificial sweeteners in our small intestine, it breaks down into formaldehyde.  That formaldehyde gets broken down into formic acid.    That formic acid byproduct that is created can cross the blood brain barrier and is considered a neurotoxin. Don’t believe me? Click HERE for a YouTube interview with Dr. Mercola, a doctor of osteopathy and best selling author on health and wellness.

They have found that large doses of artificial sweeteners in laboratory rats has actually caused neurologic damage! Genotoxicity testing of artificial sweeteners have been disturbing to say the least! Notably aspartame, acesulfame-K, and saccharin.

I know what you are thinking.  If all of this is true why isn’t the FDA doing anything about it?  Its very simple, what does the world revolve around?  MONEY!!!  If you walk through the supermarket you will see that billions of dollars are made from products containing artificial sweeteners.  I urge you to be careful when making “healthy” choices.  If you ever have questions or concerns I’m here to help! I offer everything from an hour’s worth of nutritional counseling to full comprehensive 12-week wellness programs.  In conjunction with nutritional counseling I offer pain management and exercise to help fulfill to complete approach to health care – Chemical, emotional, and structural.

Don’t sabatoge your health, learn to read ingredients and know what you are putting into your body!

What’s in your food? Nutrition Brooklyn, Weighloss Brooklyn, Burn Fat Brooklyn

NYC is a city where everyone wants everything done yesterday, in the fast paced world of “eat and run” there has been a trend for the food industry companies to make foods that require little effort or time.

Most of these prepared or semi- prepared meals in a box contain preservatives, colorings and other additives that make things like ‘macaroni and cheese’ taste better and last for years in the cupboard. Unfortunately many of these additives may have serious side effects that consumers should be aware of. Here is a summary of some of the more common preservatives in foods.

The majority of foods produced and sold at supermarkets these days lack the proper nutrients for a healthy lifestyle and can contribute to obesity, weight gain, type II diabetes, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, and many more diseases.  It is better to completely eliminate these following ingredients from your nutritional habits and substitute with fiber and whole foods such as fruits and vegetables.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Is a cheaper form of sugar and found in the majority of food products made in the USA.  There is a direct link from obesity to the over-consumption of this chemical (Food Additive).  This compound raises your blood glucose higher then regular sugar and has been shown to increase systemic inflammation leading to a variety of heath issues. Research on High Fructose Corn Syrup in the past 10 years have not been positive.

Aspartame (artificial sweetener, Equal or Nutra-Sweet)

Aspartame is used as a sugar substitute in many “diet” drinks and sweets. Its made of amino acids, methanol (a known poison) and phenylalanine.

Check my upcoming blog on artificial sweeteners and the effects these chemicals have on the body such as contributing to obesity, type II diabetes, and increasing the inflammatory process

BHA and BHT (Butylated Hydroyandisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene)

BHA and BHT keep foods containing oils and fats from going rancid. The WHO World Heath Organization considers them carcinogens. BHA and BHT are not necessary in foods and can be avoided by safer chemicals like Vitamin E. These additives are found in potato chips, cereal, crackers and Quaker Granola Bars to name a few.

Colorings (Blue 1 and 2; Red 2,3 and 40; Yellow 5 and 6)

Red 3 has caused thyroid tumors in rats, according to the FDA, which has recommended that the coloring be BANNED. Yellow 5 has been known to cause mild allergies in aspirin sensitive people. Yellow 6 may have links to cancer and tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney and may also cause allergic reaction. Most food dyes are found in junk food, candies, Kraft Dinner and soft drinks. Maraschino cherries, found in fruit cocktails, contain Red 3.  Food colorings have been proven to be carcinogenic and should be avoided whenever possible.

MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)

MSG is an amino acid that brings out the flavor by activating taste buds, allowing food producers to reduce the amount of real flavorings or ingredients, making it cheaper to produce.

• Reactions can include headaches, nausea, burning sensations in the back of the neck, wheezing and difficulty breathing, all of which are increased in the situation of an allergy. MSG is not hard to find. Many Asian and non-Asian restaurants use it!  Is that why dim sum is sooo good?  It’s also commonly found in soups (Campbell’s uses it frequently), salad dressings, chips, frozen dinners, and HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein).   MSG has been proven to be a NEUROTOXIN:  That means that is causes NERVE DEATH when used for long periods of time.

Studies have linked MSG to be an exacerbant of chronic idiopathic urticaria (A kind of skin rash notable for dark red, raised, itchy bumps).

Nutrition is about compromise and learning what battles you need to fight and which battles are better left alone to help keep you morivated.  It is not measured in days but months and years of lifestyle choices.  No matter what your ultimate goal is there are many different paths you can choose to follow to bring you to the same end result, a healthier you! Looking at the alarming health statistics of today, it’s never too early to start paying attention to what you are consuming.

Being able to read a food ingredient label is the foundation to making the correct choices in the supermarket, at the restaurant, or meal planning.  Would you build a house on an unstable foundation?  Then why would you decide to address your nutrition without the proper education on the guiding principles of healthy nutrition.

Schedule a time to meet one-on-one with Dr. Gordon to go over your health goals.  He will teach you how to meal plan, read food labels, shop for food, and much more.  The objective is to learn how your losing weight so you understand the principle and can then apply it whenever you want.  Just like a wise person once said, why continue to buy fish when you can have someone teach you how to become a fisherman and sustain yourself.  At Optimumhealthcare NY we just don’t help you lose weight or get rid of your pain, we show you how to recreate and maintain your health so you never have to be treated over and over for the same problem

Dr. Gordon Kuang C.S.C.S.