While conservative care like chiropractic and therapies often benefit patients with new disc injuries or chronic disc degeneration, patients often ask about natural supplements that can help support spinal disc health. Glucosamine Synergy from Standard Process is our go-to supplement to help support disc or joint function in acute and chronic cases while we work to improve their condition with hands-on care.

Discs are special joints in your spine that act like shock absorbers between the vertebrae. They have an outer ring of rubber band-like fibers and a jelly-like center. Injuries often occur when the outer ring weakens or tears, allowing the center to bulge or push out creating a disc herniation. This can irritate nearby nerves, leading to pain or numbness through the spine or extremities.
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If you suspect a disc injury, early treatment is key for a good recovery. Conservative care, like chiropractic is recommended in most cases for initial treatment, and surgery can often be avoided.

Feed Your Joints & Discs to Support Repair
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Feeding the body nutrient-dense foods during the healing of musculoskeletal injuries helps give the body what it needs for repairs. Glucosamine Synergy includes nutrients designed to help feed the discs and connective tissues of the spine. Among the many nutrient-dense foods in Glucosamine Synergy, three key ingredients are included:

• Glucosamine: A building block of cartilage, which cushions your joints.
• Boswellia serrata: An herb with anti-inflammatory properties, potentially reducing joint discomfort after exercise.
• Manganese: A mineral crucial for collagen production, a major component of connective tissue.

Joint degeneration and arthritis often develop with age, making discs less flexible. It’s important to keep your joints moving well and support them with proper nutrition to maintain good function. Consider Glucosamine Synergy as one of your tools to support healthy joints.

While a single bag of chips won't kill you, research confirms a diet high in ultra-processed foods is linked to a shorter lifespan. The latest study on these modern foods found their consumption is linked to a 10% or more reduction in lifespan when eaten regularly.

Whole or minimally processed foods are easily recognizable in a state like how they were grown. Ultra-processed foods are created from mixing chemical additives and substances extracted from foods. Examples of these foods are soft drinks, hot dogs, fast food, packaged baked goods and snacks.

The top three most common types of ultra-processed foods consumed were determined to be diet soft drinks, sugary soft drinks, and refined grains (breads and baked goods). With these making up the majority of ultra-processed food intake, it’s likely they are also doing the most damage to our health.

Ultra-processed foods impair our health in multiple ways. These include causing nutrient imbalances, increasing inflammation in the body, disrupting gut health and the microbiome, and displacing healthy whole foods.

The good news? Studies show that even small reductions in ultra-processed food intake can have a positive impact on health and longevity. So ditch the processed snacks and focus on a diet rich in whole foods for a longer, healthier life.

In a world obsessed with fad products and pills promoted by the latest social media stars, Dr. Aaron McMichael's "Eat Ugly" offers a refreshing take on achieving better health. This book isn't about chasing the latest superfood, spending hours at the gym, or finding a magic pill. Instead, Dr. McMichael offers a collection of 64 simple and memorable tips that enable readers to take control of their health.

"Eat Ugly" Teaches You To Take Control of Your Health

Dr. McMichael noted, “I wanted to write a book that was an enjoyable read without the medical jargon, and could empower people to take simple steps to make a big difference in improving their health. It’s time to recognize that our genes are often not the biggest determinant of health; our lifestyle choices are more important. The research is clear but 500 pages explaining it is unnecessary.”

It's encouraging to know that your health is not predetermined by your family genetics. You can make your health better or worse, and some simple changes can have a great impact. The rules in this book are organized into 7 categories to provide a comprehensive foundation of good habits: eating, activity, posture, stress, sleep, healthcare, and your environment.

Think Different About Health With "Eat Ugly"

The title itself, "Eat Ugly," encourages a shift in perspective. Forget about picture-perfect fruits and vegetables grown in a fog of agricultural chemicals. Produce grown without these chemical inputs may be smaller or have a blemish or scar, but are loaded with significantly more nutrients. Embrace these “ugly” fruits and veggies, and you will be rewarded with more health-promoting nutrition. Other tips similarly encourage readers to think differently when making choices that affect their health.

“I hope readers take advantage of what they can learn in a day and understand they have the tools to improve the health of their whole family right now,” stated Dr. McMichael. “Research supports common sense strategies that some have employed for generations. It’s important to highlight these and make them accessible in one place. And I tried to keep it fun and memorable.”

“Eat Ugly and Other Simple Tips to Improve Your Health” is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their health. Its focus on simple lifestyle changes provides a path to better health worth exploring. Find your copy on Amazon.com or stop in the clinic.