My name is Dr. J. Zimmerman and I am a chiropractor.  I have been in practice for 27 years.  My chiropractic practice uses many different chiropractic techniques to improve bodily function and restore health. My chiropractic office is located in Galloway Township (the Smithville section) of Atlantic County, NJ.  You can contact me for more chiropractic information at Health First Chiropractic Clinics,  609-652-6363

Dr. J’s Health Tip of the Week:  Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs during the winter months.  Due to the cold weather and the shorter days our exposure to natural sunlight is decreased.  Lack of warmth and light can lead to feelings of sadness and lethargy, not to mention decreased immune system function and the associated illnesses there with.  To combat SAD experts such as Dr. Norman Rosenthal author of Winter Blues offer the following tips:  Eat foods that are low on the glycemic index (less sugar). Low sugar carbs will give you slow burning, longer last energy levels.  If you are depressed, talk to an expert about your feelings and in addition make plans with friends and family to combat loneliness.  Try to get some light.  Take walks in the morning hours when sunshine is the brightest.  If you are in a cubicle all day long, shop on Amazon for a special light therapy box that you can place on your desk.  Join the gym.  Exercise studies have shown that regular workouts can alleviate or prevent depression because exercise helps the body release the “feel good” hormones from your endocrine system.  As far as the effects on your body’s immune system and health, winter months are the months that you are supposed to supplement your diet with vitamin D3 capsules.  Vitamin D3 is the sunshine vitamin.  D3 is manufactured in the body when exposed to natural sunlight.  No sunlight, no vitamin D3.  D3 is akin to having a flu shot.  Research validates that vitamin D3 boosts immune system function and can even prevent cancers.  The key to successful D3 consumption is that you have to take the accurate dosage.  Medical experts on Vitamin D3 recommend taking 35 units per pound of bodyweight. For example a 195lb person would take 7000 units a day, a 100lb person would take 3500 units a day.  Supplementing the diet with D3 occurs in the fall and winter months. Once summer is here and you are outside a lot more, supplementation is decreased.  Unless you work indoors or never go outside (then you would keep supplementing).  Ideally you should have your vitamin D levels checked with a lab test. Lastly, periodic chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture treatments and massage sessions throughout the winter months all have a beneficial effect on the nervous system which can help you stay happier and healthier.

Thought for the Week:  From Dr. Mercola:  Vitamin D may be one of the simplest solutions to a wide range of health problems, from diseases of the eyes, to the bowels, and conditions rooted in chronic inflammation and immune dysfunction in particular. If you have any of the following conditions, optimizing your vitamin D is indicated: dry eye, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis, bowel diseases, rheumatic diseases, HIV, depression, and pregnancy

Chiropractic Thought for the Week:  Start thinking out of the box when it comes to chiropractic care.  Yes, the adjustment as performed by chiropractors is a proven and reliable treatment for back and neck related issues.  But what gets lost in the shuffle is the neurology of chiropractic.  The spine is what houses your nervous system.  If there is a structural misalignment of the spinal bones there will be a negative affect on the nervous system.  Since the nervous system controls every function in the body, a misaligned spinal bone has an influence on your health.  This is the main reason chiropractors recommend periodic chiropractic adjustments to your spine. The adjustments improve function in the body and help the body to be healthier.