By Dr. Abigaile Ortiz, D.C.
​Cold and flu season can seem to last forever, and as February rolls around we may be feeling like it will never end. As parents we use every tool in our bag to help our family avoid sickness in the first place.  In the cases when our children do become ill we try to help them heal the fastest they possibly can. But the best way to get through the cold and flu season is to not get sick at all! Here are a few tips for helping you build your immune system so you have the greatest defense to fight off any infection your body may encounter.

Water
Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to keep healthy.  Staying hydrated helps to flush harmful toxins from your body and keeps your mucus membranes moist to repel contaminants that can cause infection.  Proper hydration allows your body to absorb the most nutrients from your meals. We always advise adults to drink ½ their body weight in ounces of water each day (that’s 90oz of water for somebody that weighs 180lbs). 

​Superfoods           
Nature has supplied us with a host of superfoods that dramatically increase our ability to defend our bodies from infection and help us heal after injury.  Superfoods contain high amounts of antioxidants which neutralize damaging free radicals in our bodies. They help keep us healthy by fighting disease and preventing cellular degeneration.  One such food is turmeric. Turmeric is a root from the ginger family. It contains the powerful antioxidant curcumin which is known for its anti-inflammatory effects. Simply eating turmeric or taking a powdered supplement is not enough.  Curcumin is hydrophobic by nature making its bioavailability in the body extremely low. In order for the body to absorb curcumin and use it, it needs to be consumed with foods containing quercetin. Capers contain a high amount of quercetin so they are a great addition to turmeric in order to get maximum effects. Freshly ground black pepper, cruciferous vegetables such as kale or broccoli, and healthy fats also aid in the absorption of curcumin from turmeric.
Some other antioxidant rich superfoods to help build yourself a super immune system are garlic, broccoli, onions, cherries, green tea, peppers, grapes, carrots, blueberries, cranberries, and lemons. Incorporate as many of these into your daily meals as you can.  Smoothies are an easy and fun way to get fruits and veggies in quick!  Try switching up your ingredients often so you don’t bore yourself.  

Exercise
Getting adequate exercise is important for a strong immune system.  As little at 20 minutes per day of moderate aerobic activity can have a significant effect on overall health.  Exercise helps to rid the lungs of bacteria, helps the body fight infection, and lowers stress hormones which can decrease your body’s immune response.  A brisk 20 to 30 minute walk each day will do wonders for your overall sense of well-being as well. 
 
Chiropractic Care
Like a vehicle that’s out of alignment, the human frame can become misaligned as well. Misalignments in the spine can lead to a decreased immune response due to decreased blood flow and lymphatic drainage. Chiropractors correct these misalignments allowing the body to function at its optimal capacity. Just like our vehicles need regular maintenance to prevent damage, so do our bodies. The human frame works best with proactive care. But even if you do wait until an injury to see a chiropractor, it is never too late to experience the benefits. Activities that lengthen and strengthen the spine like yoga and pilates help as well. Massage works wonders for muscles that are tight and to help aid in the elimination of toxins from your lymph system.
 
Dr. Landon’s Super Immunity Smoothie Recipe
     Makes 4 (12 oz.) Servings

• 2 cups Cold Water (purified or spring)
• 2 cups Frozen Berries (Blueberries, Blackberries, and Strawberries work great)
• 1 cup Frozen Cranberries
• 1 cup Chopped Fresh Kale

• 1 Large Carrot (chopped into chunks)
• 1 Large Banana (chopped into chunks)
• 1 Persimmon (stemmed and chopped, check for seeds)
• 1-1.5 inch Fresh Turmeric Root
• 1-1.5 inch Fresh Ginger Root
• Pinch of Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
​Pour into your favorite glass and enjoy!

​You may have heard the saying, "You are what you eat."  Many people struggle to find enough nutrients in their daily meals.  The typical American diet is often composed of too many empty calories and not enough real food.  The majority of soil used to grow crops has been used and used for many generations.  This has had a cumulative effect in that our soil is trace mineral deficient, leading to food that is lacking key nutritional ingredients.  It is very important to our overall health that we find clean dense sources of micro-nutrients to allow our body to work at it's optimum.   Without access to a variety of vitamins and minerals our body can become sluggish and inefficient.  Imagine a carpenter without a hammer, it will take that person a long time to get one nail driven in.  If our body lacks any one mineral or vitamin there will be a huge delay in body function.  At Gardens of Health Chiropractic we are working with the best of the best nutritional supplement companies (Standard Process and Garden of Life) to provide access to these missing key nutrients!  Our custom weight loss programs are helping people lose over 10lbs and gain energy naturally over just a few weeks.  We have more extensive plans available for those who need to lose more weight gradually over a longer period of time.  The plans in our office can help drive down bad cholesterol levels by significant amounts and help improve cardiovascular health! 

​Give us a call or text to schedule your nutritional consultation today! 828-252-1882

-Dr. Landon​

The first chiropractic adjustment was by Dr. Daniel David Palmer in 1895 to a man named William Harvey Lillard who had been deaf for a number of years. Dr. Palmer's adjustment to Mr. Lillard restored the man's hearing. It was a miraculous event and gave birth to the chiropractic profession. This first adjustment took place in Davenport, Iowa, Dr. Landon Ortiz's hometown! We see miracles happen everyday in this beautiful life-restoring profession. What a gift though to hear of Sam's results being so close to Mr. Lillard's and the first adjustment that paved the way for our profession!

Chiropractic is a natural form of healthcare that focuses on the nervous system and removing any interference that may be preventing the brain from communicating with the rest of the body and vice versa. The body is a powerful self-healing machine when given the opportunity. We are excited to see what miraculous changes you notice from your care with us, so give us a call to get your spine checked if you haven't recently! 828-252-1882

One of the many benefits of Chiropractic care is that it helps to boost the immune system. With the start of school many kids will be exposed to illness and have their immune systems compromised by lack of sleep, injuries on the play ground, as well as being exposed to numerous new viruses and bacteria from their classmates coughs and sneezes.

​In our family, when we know we have been exposed to a sickness the first thing we do is to get adjusted! (Insider Tip: A quick way to get rid of a sore throat when you first start to feel sick is to have a chiropractic adjustment of your neck!) After our chiropractic adjustments we take a healing bath with our Dr. Ortiz's Sea Salt Soak Mineral Bath. For our daughters we stress the need for them to soak and swish their ears in the salt bath to help cleanse their ears.

​Next we make sure we drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and we overload our bodies with nutrients through the foods we eat (Vegetables, Fruits, Brown Rice and Mushrooms)  and supplements such as MycoForce Immunity from HealthForce (which makes a delicious and healing broth that you can add vegetables and rice to for an extra healing punch).

We use this same protocol when we want to boost our immune systems to prevent sickness (daily to every couple days). Chiropractic is for the whole family! Call us to set up an appointment for you and your family. Children are the future and it is our responsibility as parents to make sure they are their healthiest to learn all they can and grow to be their best possible selves! But we also need to lead by example so that they see that healthy living is a lifestyle!

​Here's to a happy healthy school year!
​-Dr. Abigaile

We are looking forward to Organic Fest this Sunday 8/28 downtown Asheville in Pack Square Park! It goes from 10am- 6pm and should be a great time! If you go be sure to find our friend Jeri at the HealthForce tent to learn more about their powerfully nutritious products which we will soon have for sale in our office!
Have a happy healthy weekend!
​-Dr. Abigaile

I was able to help save Adam from ear surgery!  Adam is a two year old perfect little child who had a common case of an ear infection.  Children have tiny little features including small ears and ear canals.  It is very common for little ears to become irritated and inflamed.  Most parents struggle to maintain the health of their child's ears.  Adam experienced an all too common occurrence of middle ear inflammation. 

​After receiving four treatments to his cervical spine and adjustments of his ear specifically, Adam's MD said there was great improvement and that tubes were not needed!

​March 2016: MD says "Ear tube surgery may be needed." (antibiotics had no effect, start second round)
​April 2016: MD says "Ear tube surgery may need to be scheduled. We'll check again on next visit." (second round of antibiotics had no effect)
​May 2016: MD says "Ear is looking better, no surgery is needed."

​Chiropractic can help save your family from going through an unnecessary surgery! 
​Give us a call if you or a family member could benefit from our care!
In Health,
​Dr. Landon Ortiz

I received a new copy of ACA News Magazine today. ACA News is a publication of the American Chiropractic Association. The ACA has been instrumental in furthering the Chiropractic profession and ending discrimination towards the chiropractors for many years. Chiropractic is a safe, effective, affordable and natural form of healthcare with proven results. The ACA has recently launched its National Medicare Equality Campaign. It is the chiropractic profession's most important legislative effort since national health care reform. Currently Medicare restricts Medicare coverage to only spinal adjustments. They do not cover exams, extremity adjustments or therapies. Doctors of Chiropractic are highly trained primary care providers. If the ACA's National Medicare Equality Campaign succeeds, Doctors of Chiropractic will no longer be restricted to a single service by Medicare. Chiropractors would be granted the exact same status and authority that MDs and DOs currently have in Medicare. Accordingly, Doctors of Chiropractic would be allowed to furnish any existing Medicare-covered service that falls within our state scope of practice, including the continued ability to correct subluxations.
​With 11,000 seniors daily becoming eligible for Medicare, most of them permanently lose their coverage for many of the wide variety of chiropractic services available under their previous health care plans. Please help us change this by signing the National Medicare Equality Petition by clicking here or on the box below. With your help we can convince the U.S. Congress to end discrimination against the chiropractic profession and the patients we serve. Thank you!
​-Dr. Abigaile

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​-Dr. Abigaile