Dear Steve,

DID YOU KNOW that school-aged children who eat organic can lower their environmental allergy risk?

According to a study from Allergy, eight year-old children who ate the highest amount of organic food had the lowest likelihood of having environmental allergies compared to children who ate the least amount of organic foods. Wow!

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Steve: There have been so many recent examples of how pollution has adversely affected huge swaths of the world's population. You can combat it by being mindful of making optimal diet and lifestyle choices.

Particulate Matter From Fire Pollution

Vitamins A and E, magnesium, and zinc attenuated the association between fire-related PM2.5 particulate matter and prevalence of chronic cough, according to a revolutionary study in Medrxiv. Omega-3 fatty acids attenuated the association between PM2.5 and COPD. The authors suggest meeting recommended intakes of vitamins, A and E, magnesium and zinc may provide protection against the long-term adverse effects of exposure to particulate matter from extreme exposure events. Advocating incorporation of fruits and vegetables in daily diet could also offer more than the conventional health benefits due to their high antioxidant content.

The reality is that we will always be exposed to threats that are beyond our control. The next example is evidence of this.

Car Exhaust

Scientists estimate that 151 million cases of psychiatric disorder over the past 75 years have resulted from American children's exposure to lead. A new study from Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry calculates that exposure to car exhaust from leaded gas was the main culprit. The findings from suggest that Americans born before 1996 experienced significantly higher rates of mental health problems as a result of lead. Leaded gas for cars was banned in the U.S. in 1996.

There are now ways to enhance detoxification of heavy metals with individualized dietary, supplemental, and lifestyle choices.

Children's Health

Nations must start testing and regulating chemicals and chemical products as closely as the current systems that safeguard prescription drugs or risk rising rates of chronic illnesses among children, according to a New England Journal of Medicine. In the past half century:

• Incidence of childhood cancer has increased by 35 percent
• Male reproductive birth defects have doubled in frequency
• Neurodevelopmental disorders now affect one child in 6, and autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed in one child of 36
• Pediatric asthma has tripled in prevalence
• Prevalence of pediatric obesity has nearly quadrupled and driven a sharp increase in type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents
• Certain chemicals have led to a reduction in IQ and thus massive economic damage

Manufacture of synthetic chemicals and plastics is subject to few legal or policy constraints. Unlike pharmaceuticals, synthetic chemicals are brought to market with little prior assessment of their health impacts and almost no postmarketing surveillance for longer-term adverse health effects. Fewer than 20 percent of these chemicals have been tested for toxicity, and fewer still for toxic effects in infants and children.

Protecting children from chemicals' dangers will require fundamental revamping of current law and restructuring of the chemical industry.

We cannot live in a bubble, so you must implement the proactive steps to limit exposure to, and aid the detoxification of, these chemicals through individualized diet, supplement, and lifestyle choices. Our example in today's "Did You Know" about eating organic is a perfect example.

Light Pollution

The night sky over North America has been growing brighter by about 10% per year since 2011. More and more research is linking all that light pollution to a surprising range of health consequences: Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and even low sperm quality, though the reasons for these troubling associations are not always clear. Glaring headlights, illuminated buildings, blazing billboards, and streetlights fill our urban skies with a glow that even affects rural residents. Inside, since the invention of the light bulb, we’ve kept our homes bright at night. Now, we’ve also added blue light-emitting devices - smartphones, television screens, tablets - which have been linked to sleep problems. Research has revealed that light at night (indoors or out) disrupts circadian clocks, increases inflammation, affects cell division, and suppresses melatonin, the “hormone of darkness.”

There are myriad ways to make your domicile darker at night so you can sleep without light pollution.

Small Steps

Two carcinogenic chemicals used in cleaning products and other common household goods were banned by the The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December 2024. The chemicals - trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE or perc) - can cause multiple kinds of cancers and damage to the kidney, liver and immune and nervous systems at high exposure levels. The EPA’s bans against the substances have been a long time coming, but industry groups have fought hard against legislation. TCE is a solvent used in degreasing products, stain removers, paint strippers, cleaning wipes, carpet cleaners and spray adhesives, and it evaporates quickly to become an air pollutant. Mainly found in dry-cleaning solvents, perc, or PCE, is released into the environment by industrial processes, including dry cleaning.

Of course, these are two chemicals among tens of thousands, but it is a start!

A 30-something couple saw Steve because they were having trouble conceiving and had been through several miscarriages. Their intention was to optimize their diet and lifestyle for six months before going the fertility treatment route.

Steve noticed that both of them were reacting to one or more foods. Both were overly acidic, but the wife was exceptionally so. The key was for them to understand that diet and lifestyle change was just as important for the husband as the wife.

After giving them both specific dietary modifications, stress management reduction techniques, and targeted supplemental nutrients, the goal was to get pregnant in three months. If not, they would do stool and/or food reaction testing.

They followed the plan to the letter and in three months, they became pregnant and carried a healthy baby to term!

Did you have a great experience working with us? Please let others know by leaving a review here.

Disclaimer: Case reports are not intended for self-healing. Case reports are for references purposes only and should be discussed with your health professional.

The January 2025 Dynamic Chiropractic discussed that bowed legs are a normal pattern in toddlers that typically corrects itself by about age 2. For some the legs never straighten, causing permanent bowing. This can eventually cause arthritic changes in the knees for some adults. 

One way to prevent the negative effects of bowed legs on the knees includes specific exercises for the buttocks and the IT band. The article does not recommend squats and deep lunges, suggesting that these can place significant stress on the knee joint. Researchers from Thailand have proven that an exercise called Lateral step-ups, strengthens the areas and barely puts any stress on the knee. Another suggested exercise is called the Curtsy lunge. Twice a week can achieve the desired results. 

It is also possible to reduce stress on the knee by walking with a shortened stride, switch from a heel strike to a forefoot strike, and or walk with a wider base of gait. It’s never too late to incorporate any of these recommendations if one is bowlegged.

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor and has been in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She uses a variety of techniques, including low level laser, to help patients reach their full potential. Contact Dr. Schuster at (847) 509-9067 or drliloschuster@sbcglobal.net.

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