Okay, you ate it. Now what?

What’s the remedy for that McDonald’s Sausage Biscuit you put down for breakfast this morning or that Big Mac you swore you wouldn’t eat last week but did it anyway?

Nothing.

You could pray all you want for an antidote for this one, but I’m afraid the gods of evil grease are just too powerful to completely reverse fast food induced damage. Think about that the next time you “forget” to make yourself a healthy sandwich or “don’t have time” to prepare a fresh salad.

The simplest way to put it is like this: There is absolutely zero nutritional value in most fast foods, so you’re better off skipping lunch or finding a speedy alternative before your bad conscience materializes in the form of a little devil over your head and tempts you to spend on a Dollar Menu item to keep your growling tummy at bay during the 3 o’clock meeting.

This image was taken by Pete "comedy-nose" (http://www.flickr.com/photos/comedynose/) and taken from the Creative Commons on Flickr.

You might choose to let your tummy growl if you only knew how badly your body was suffering internally after eating fast food. At fast food restaurants, serving sizes are bigger than they should be, filled with calories and sugar, and packed with trans-fats and partially hydrogenated oils – enough to increase the risk of heart disease, studies show. Compare serving sizes and calories of specific fast foods by clicking here. Fast food is devoid of all things nutritious and basically like a dose of poison for your body.  If you’d like to read more why fast food, even in moderation, is bad for you, click here, but I’m going to tell you about what you can do for your body during those few times you slip up.

Whenever you eat a greasy meal, your liver secretes bile, which is stored by the gall bladder. Bile is released for the purpose of breaking down lipids or fats. So one of the things you could do to help your body’s process of digestion along is to take things that’ll get your fat digesting and bile flowing.

Here are three things that’ll help:

1. Ginger
2. Dandelion
3. Beet leaves

You may also want to incorporate some “good” oils into your diet such as olive oil, flaxseed oil and fish oil. All of these oils will help the bile flow and aid the process of digestion. Most of these are available in pill form if you don’t like how they taste, however, not all vitamins are created equal. I would recommend Standard Process Tuna Omega Oil and Black Currant Seed Oil. These are only available through your doctor (you may contact us to help you find a doctor in your area). The ideal type of olive oil is extra virgin first cold-pressed and stored in a dark container to prevent oxidation. Colavita is an example of a high quality olive oil.

Now that you’ve done this, remember to EXERCISE later that day or the next day. At least 30-minutes of aerobic exercise is needed to metabolize the fat.

Want to learn more about how to offset life’s little indiscretions like this one? Want to know how to healthily neutralize the burden of drinking too much coffee and eating pizza? You can have all these answers and much more for only $6.95 all in my pocket-sized book called “Antidotes for Indiscretions.”

What’s better than the gift of health for family and friends? And doctors, I offer the option to buy these books in bulk if you’d like to sell them in your office with your own personalized labels attached.

Learn more by clicking here or sending questions to CharlesSeminars@gmail.com.

Dr. Eugene Charles Demonstrates Ileocecal Valve Technique

The following video clip is a DEMONSTRATION. No one should ever attempt any of what they see in this clip unless they are trained and certified in Professional Applied Kinesiology.

Doctors may purchase my 100-hour Applied Kinesiology DVD and attend Applied Kinesiology workshops to become properly trained in this technique. Click here for a compiled list of other demonstrations shown on the AK DVD.

Every Back has a Front Attached to it

Sometimes, a back problem may really be a front problem.

On the front of every human body lies the ileocecal valve. Let’s call it ICV for short. This little valve is what separates the small intestine from the large intestine. Its function is to prevent food in the large intestine (meant for evacuation) from refluxing back into the small intestine.

But what if this trusty gatekeeper failed to do its job?

If it did, our body would have a landslide of toxins to deal with, and the results wouldn’t be very pretty. Think excruciating low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, inflamed pelvic organs, PMS, bowel changes, dark circles under the eyes. Not enough to make you cringe? Tack on ovarian pain, prostate problems, dizziness, fatigue, severe sinus issues and headaches. I’ll bet that’s enough to ruin your day.

Let’s back up a second, though. How can a little food leaking back into the small intestines cause so many catastrophes? Well, the fact of the matter is that once food enters the large intestines, it’s meant to go nowhere else but OUT. And if it doesn’t, then toxins will build. Such toxicity can cause the body to react by trying to dilute the dangerous wastes by sending fluid to the different areas. And the accumulation of this fluid can lead the above mentioned malfunctions and symptoms.

Credit: Originally adapted from Thibodeau, this photo was extracted from a blog post written by Catrina Johnson for Wellsphere (http://www.wellsphere.com/children-s-health-article/late-digestion-the-large-intest/781200).

So how do we keep our ICV working properly on our own?

1) We keep our abdominal muscles strong. Sadly, most abdominal exercises cause more harm than good. I am testing an abdominal exercise I developed to help with low back and ICV problems. I plan on making this available when I am totally satisfied with the results.

2) Having around 20-30 grams of fiber per day helps too. Fiber can be found in foods like salads, fruits, vegetables, bran or high quality fiber products like Whole Food Fiber from Standard Process (available from your doctor) or Psyllium Whole Husks from Yerba Prima (available at your local health food store). Too much or too little can disrupt the valve.

3) Proper walking after meals helps also. If you do not know how to walk properly find an Alexander Technique Practitioner in your area or go to http://www.alexandertech.org/.

Please note: Only a doctor trained to address the ICV can tell you if there is a problem and correct it. Proper treatment of the valve can help with a myriad of conditions as the valve may be the underlying cause of many “overlying” and seemingly random health problems.

For example: trying to help someone with sinus problems without correcting the ICV disturbance is like trying to clear a clogged sink by taking a cup and bailing out the water. The problem is not the sink. It is the plumbing below.

Before anything else, your doctor should examine the ICV and then continue. This goes for severe low back pain, ovarian pain and headaches that have resisted prior treatments and medications.

It was once suggested to me by a doctor that it is impossible to correct an internal organ by external manual pressure. I thought for a moment and seriously asked, “Then how do you explain CPR?” I mean if you can bring someone back to life by compression on the chest then massaging the intestines to help with low back pain or headaches seems pretty believable.

To Your Continued Good Health and Success,

Dr. Eugene Charles

If you think you may have an ICV problem contact charlesinstituteinfo@mac.com or www.icak.com and we will send you the names of doctors in your area who are skilled in Applied Kinesiology.

Doctors, if you would like to learn more about helping your patients with possible ICV problems you can order Session 8 of Applied Kinesiology in Clinical Practice at http://www.charlesseminars.com/producs.html. Workshop Leaders may be available in your area for hands on training.

Working Out Too Hard: Healthy or Health Hazard?

It’s the middle of the summer and if you don’t already have your beach body, chances are you’re making an effort to get fit fast.

In an attempt to shed excess pounds, many people are hitting the gym hard. But here’s the real skinny on exercise: There is such a thing as overtraining. Yes, I said it.

Over doing it in your daily workout regime can leave you sore, more prone to injury and just downright exhausted – none of which are part of the goal. Besides the obvious, the goal of intense exercise should be to sustain energy, not lose it.

After too many bench presses or too many miles of running, muscle soreness is common due to excessive muscle damage and lactic acid build up. Lucky for you, I’m here to bring you ways of counteracting this.

1. Take Calcium lactate at least once a day
2. Take Magnesium lactate at least once a day
3. Stock up on that protein post workout. Whether it be in the form of soft boiled eggs or protein powder blended with bananas and blueberries to perfection, your body needs it.
4. Plenty of water
5. Icing down sore areas that feel strained or tired after a strenuous workout for approximately 20 minutes. Note: Remember never to put ice directly on the skin. Wrap ice in a thin towel.

All of the above are key players in helping muscles rebuild and combating soreness and fatigue.

Photo Credit: Benjamin J. DeLong, Creative Commons on Flickr.

Another two helpers of metabolizing lactic acid out of the muscles are Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and the herb Schisandra. All of these can either be found at a local health food establishment or at www.standardprocess.com.

Want to learn more about how to offset life’s little indiscretions like this one? Want to know how to healthily neutralize the burden of drinking too much coffee and eating fast food? You can have all these answers and much more for only $6.95 all in my pocket-sized book called “Antidotes for Indiscretions.”

What’s better than the gift of health for family and friends? And doctors, I offer the option to buy these books in bulk if you’d like to sell them in your office with your own personalized labels attached.

Learn more by clicking here or sending questions to CharlesSeminars@gmail.com.

N.Y. Yankee player Andy Pettitte needs Professional Applied Kinesiology

Earlier this week, coffee in hand, I was reading the Wall Street Journal. To my surprise, I learned that Andy Pettitte is being put on the disabled list and is likely to be out for four to five weeks. And for what? A groin injury? 

I see injuries similar to Pettitte’s on athletes all the time in my office. A groin injury is something that a Professional Applied Kinesiologist could fix and get Pettitte back on the field in approximately one week, if treated right away. 

Professional Applied Kinesiologists believe that a sprain/strain results from an awkward or over exerted movement, which in turn, excites the nerve endings (Golgi tendon organs) at the beginning and end of the muscle to “shut off” the muscle in an attempt to protect it from further harm. 

While Pettitte is bound to receive traditional methods of physical therapy (like electrical muscle stimulation, ice, massage and ultrasound), it’s important to realize that the muscle MUST be functioning properly BEFORE it could be strengthened through any form of physical therapy. Applied Kinesiology uses specific chiropractic techniques, muscle massage therapies, sports nutrition and exercises to get the muscle function working properly. If the muscle function is not restored prior to the more traditional methods of rehabilitation, the healing process will take much longer – like somewhere in the ballpark of three to six weeks, as in Pettitte’s case.  

If Pettitte visited a Professional Applied Kinesiologist, he could expect to receive a therapy known as origin/insertion technique, where the endings of the injured muscle(s) would be stimulated to restore normal function by diminishing the signals from the Golgi Tendon Organs. Pettitte could also expect to undergo what Professional Applied Kinesiologists call “speed healing.”  

Speed healing is the process of restoring the normal tone and function of the muscle so that traditional physical therapy treatments could work more effectively in rehabilitating and strengthening the injured muscle. Muscle strength alone will not do the job – it is with normalized muscle function that a Professional AK comes in to work in conjunction with a physical therapist, strength and conditioning coach and massage therapist. This is the reason similar injuries can lead one athlete to be restored to pre-injury status or can hamper an athlete for the rest of his career. Speed healing was developed specifically for this type of injury 46 years ago and has been used successfully on thousands of professional and amateur athletes worldwide. 

As mentioned, Applied Kinesiology would help Pettite restore normal muscle function so that his groin injury could be rehabilitated more effectively, but he would also need to implicate proper nutrition and vitamins into his lifestyle as a supplement. If I were treating Pettitte, I’d suggest he take the following: 

1. Raw calcium tablets, which contain the enzyme phosphatase to help the muscle heal
2. Gotu kola, an herb which has been shown to help muscles to recuperate
3. An enzyme solution to place on the area to be absorbed through the skin. This aids in decreasing the inflammation and muscle waste products.

Applied Kinesiology works with muscle function, like the gears of a car. Then, it can be exercised, like with a gas pedal. Electrical muscle stimulation, ice, massage and ultrasound are all good techniques and work well WITH Professional Applied Kinesiology (PAK). However, PAK  is very effective at specifying these general therapies to the individual person. The key is that Andy Pettitte would have to be treated RIGHT NOW with Professional Applied Kinesiology. If so, he could be back on the field in one week. If delayed, the injury will take a few days longer to heal for every week the muscle is not treated by a Professional Applied Kinesiologist.  

It’s been said that insanity is doing the same thing but expecting different results. If the traditional course of physical therapy treatment is followed, the results will likely be similar to 2001 when Pettitte suffered a similar injury and had difficulty the remainder of the season. Because of this, there is a high probability that he will not regain the form he displayed over the first half of the season during 2010. But this does not have to be so if Professional Applied Kinesiology was performed in conjunction with the fine treatment he is currently receiving.

Five tips before hitting the beach

To tan, or not to tan? That is, very simply, the question.

How much sun exposure is safe for your body is one of the most popular questions asked around summer time – especially during heat waves like the one we just had in New York.

It’s no surprise that many people feel better about themselves when they’re tan. Some people claim it builds their self-esteem and confidence, others say it makes them look thinner.

But on the other hand, it’s no secret that “sun worshipping” can be very dangerous.

In my pocket-sized book, “Antidotes for Indescretions,” you can learn specific natural remedies to counteract the negative impact that some foods and lifestyle choices may cause us. In my book, I discuss natural remedies for things like sunburn,  greasy foods, cigarettes and excessive coffee drinking. Learn more about my book here: http://www.charlesseminars.com/producs.html

The most important thing to remember is that sun exposure is like a workout for your skin. Just like exercising is imperative to your overall health, Vitamin D from the sun is important as well. But just like you need to take adequate breaks from exercising so that you don’t fatigue your muscles, you must take breaks from the sun. Like many things in life, neither too much nor too little sun is a good thing.

Here are 5 helpful tips to remember for safe sun exposure:

1. Take your oils before and after sitting in the sun.

And no, I don’t mean sit there and lather on a full bottle of baby oil. The oils I’m talking about are the ones your skin produces naturally.

Sunlight is a powerful oxidizer that tends to pull calcium out of the skin and draw it into the bloodstream because of Vitamin D activation. But taking things like fish oil, flaxseed, black currant seed oil or olive oil before sun exposure will help keep the skin moisturized and pull the calcium back into the skin.

It is also helpful to take calcium lactate to ensure that you have enough calcium in your body for the oils to bring to the skin. And as an added benefit, taking calcium along with oils can prevent things like nasty cold sores.

2. Eat mushrooms before sun exposure.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, mushrooms may help protect your skin from the sun. Mushrooms contain the enzyme tryosinase, which converts the amino acid tryosine into melanin.  Melanin is what allows us to tan and protects the skin.  Melanin is the pigment that is secreted by melanocytes, a type of cell in your skin. The type, combination of types, and amount of melanin determines things like your hair color and your skin color, both naturally and with sun exposure

Melanin is the body’s way of protecting skin from burning, so popping a few mushrooms in your salad the night before a big beach day might just help protect you from the sun’s dangerous rays.

3. Select the right sun screen.

Ultraviolet light from the sun comes in two main wavelengths: UVA and UVB.

UVB is what you want for healthy Vitamin D production. UVA, the deeper penetrating ray, is what causes premature aging and wrinkles. So, be sure to select the sunscreen that protects against UVA rays.

What most people don’t realize is that it takes about 15-20 minutes for sunscreen to start working. Because of this, it is important to apply sunscreen with some time to spare before sitting in the sun. Sunscreens are measured by SPF, or their “sun protection factor.” It is ideal to use a sunscreen with at least 15 SPF; 30 SPF if you’re fair-skinned.

The SPF rating gives you an estimate of how much longer you could stay in the sun without getting sunburned. If you typically burn after 20 minutes and you put on a sunscreen with an SPF of 15, this sunscreen may give you 15 times the protection. That’s 15 times 20 minutes, or 300 minutes (5 hours), according to KidsHealth.org.

4. Take antioxidants after sun exposure.

Unprotected overexposure to ultraviolet light from the sun accounts for 90 percent of symptoms of premature skin aging, according to sources. That is because overexposure to the sun damages the moisture barrier in the epidermis layer, and damages collagen fibers in the dermis layer and leads to the accumulation of abnormal elastin. In turn, this may cause the formation of wrinkles and/or dark circles.

To prevent this, nourish your body with things like green tea, cruciferous vegetables, blueberries, grapes and bilberry to counteract the oxidizing and aging effects of the sun.

5. Drink plenty of water.

This one is probably the most obvious tip, yet the most ignored.

Keep hydrated BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER you’re in the sun. Whether you’ve been in the sun for 10-minutes or two-hours, the sun still causes your body to lose water by sweating. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. By that time, you’ve already started to dehydrate.

Remember that the sun is strongest between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., so limit your time in the sun around that time. Also, remember to take breaks by reading a good book in the shade, or going indoors for air conditioning and food.

Happy and safe tanning!

-Dr. Charles

Doctors: Build your practice and increase your ability to heal your patients, Everyone else: Expand your knowledge on natural healing

Greetings Doctors,

I hope you have all been enjoying the summer months and that those of you in New York have been keeping cool and hydrated.

I just wanted to remind everyone that my Applied Kinesiology 100-Hour Certification 8 Session Course is now available on DVD. Now you can learn the art of Applied Kinesiology at your leisure in your own home. With these professionally edited DVDs, you may rewind, skip ahead and review all at your own pace. It is all possible now that my DVDs have specifically labeled chapters.

Doctors: By learning Applied Kinesiology, you will increase your chances of permanently healing your patients. You will learn methodical ways to identify and narrow down problems within your patient, how to treat it and help the patient prevent it. Learn to heal through muscle testing and nutrition and give yourself a better opportunity to heal your patients.

Even if you’re not a doctor and have never heard of Applied Kinesiology before, you can benefit from my DVDs. You will expand your knowledge on nutrition and lifestyle changes that you can benefit from. You may also learn why you’re feeling certain symptoms, alternative options to your regular medications and why you may need to see a kinesiologist.

You can order the DVDs through my website by going to http://www.charlesseminars.com/producs.html

And to review the courses and topics that address everything from intestinal problems to carpal tunnel syndrome, click here.

As an added bonus, here is a sample clip from one of my DVDs:

Please don’t hesitate to send questions, concerns and suggestions to charlesseminars@gmail.com

Enjoy your weekend!

Kinesiology explained by me

Here is a clip of me explaining to a room full of doctors what Applied Kinesiology is. I hope this serves as supplement to my last blog post. This clip was taken from the Applied Kinesiology 100-Hour Certification 8 Session Course which is now available on DVD. For more details, including prices and ordering information, click here.

What is Applied Kinesiology?

You might be wondering – what is Applied Kinesiology? Maybe you stumbled on to this blog, or maybe you’re interested in the topic and want to learn more. But whether you are a newbie or an expert, the basics never hurt.

I’m glad that you want to learn. For now, let’s boil it down.

Applied Kinesiology (AK) can be defined as the clinical application of the study of movement and function. It is a method used to diagnose illness or imbalance in the body by testing muscles for strength and weakness. With AK, muscles are tested as primary feedback mechanisms to examine how a person’s body is functioning. AK may even indicate certain irregularities with a specific internal organ.