Functional Spine Center

Visual input is one of the more complicated processes in all of human physiology. The incredible capability of the eyes includes being able to focus on 50 different objects every second, accurately trace movement, and differentiate upwards of 10 million colors. It is estimated that we perceive up to 80% of all impressions by means of our sight. In fact it is the eyes that best protect us from danger if other senses such as taste or smell stop working.

Sleeping requires a reduced visual input to allow the brain to rest, recover, and process the most recent day. Many people like to “fall” asleep to a TV or after a little time on their favorite social media platform or catching up on communication with family and friends. The only other more intricate organ in the body than the eyes is the brain – and they work together. Only 1/6 of the eyeball is actually visible and the we are able to see the flame from a candle 1.7 miles away!

The best sleep reduces or eliminates all visual and light input. Falling asleep to a TV that is flashing lights can keep the brain on (sleep timers FTW!). Darkening the room as much as possible/tolerable is a start. Consider a sleep mask to further reduce any light which allows the brain to focus on internal recovery and not external stimuli.

Lastly, for shift workers this can be increasingly difficult. Melatonin is produced by the brain according to normal light rhythms. The pineal gland can produce melatonin, but external light exposure during the darkest hours of the day will reduce the absorption and use of this critical hormone. For this reason, overnight work is a known carcinogen which must be countered with lifestyle interventions and awareness. A regular and consistent sleep routine - with rise and fall times the same – will provide the best foundation to counter these negative effects.

When it comes to nutrition and eating - simple is always easier to people to apply. Check out this 90 second video that explains precisely what is happening with a diagnosis of diabetes. Dr. Ted Naiman,Burn Fat Not Sugart is a former engineer - and vegetarian - that has rigorously studied and counseled hundreds of patients to defeat diabetes (and obesity) by leveraging protein.

Type 2 Diabetes Is 100% Preventable Type 2 diabetes is 100% preventable — I explain WHY and HOW in 1 minute.

Our genetic code loads the proverbial gun, but the environment we are in pulls the trigger. We cannot avoid the constant of change but we can shape the changes that are inevitable.

An estimated 50,000 to 60,000 Americans live with FTD or frontotemporal dementia. With FTD 30% of all cases are inherited, compared to the 1% of Alzheimer’s patients that receive a familial gene.

Life span after diagnosis of FTD is only six to 10 years and these neurodegenerative diseases are impacted by malnutrition (specifically insulin resistance) and remaining sedentary.

Lifestyle factors such as adequate sleep, a healthy diet, and physical and mental exercises have been shown to directly improve brain health. In the study linked below, personalized lifestyle interventions stopped cognitive decline and even increased their memory and thinking skills within 18 months.

Imagine how much better we could treat this disease if we could actually see these changes…5…10…20 years or more BEFORE they occur….stay tuned to find out if we can, and what to do with a change in awareness. (spoiler alert: we can recognize early onset and do many thing about it!).

Redirecting