I realize the title of this article is annoying to some within the chiropractic profession. Actually, this is an especially poignant issue for straight chiropractors. The reason is because the straight sector of the profession generally (violently) opposes prescription rights for chiropractors.
At first glance, it is possible to misconstrue the above paragraph in a way to assume I personally wish to prescribe drugs as a chiropractor. The fact is I do not have such an interest; however, I would not oppose others from pursuing this goal, which would require additional training and licensure I would opt out of at this point.
So, the real question is, why do many straight chiropractors regularly take drugs, yet often violently oppose DCs who desire prescription rights? Obviously many straight chiropractors will argue that they do not take drugs, which means they believe I am wrong to make such a statement. But I am not wrong about this; some straight chiropractors even regularly feed drugs to their patients, friends and family. I am referring to the combination of refined sugar, flour and fat, which means breads, cereal and desserts.
Drug Use by DCs and Their Patients: Refined Calories
In fact, these non-nutritive, drug-like calories actually function in the human body in a fashion similar to drugs such as cocaine and opiates.1-7 This is why I refer to these non-nutrition drug-like calories as "dietary crack."8 In other words, dietary crack is more dangerous than occasionally taking NSAIDs or sleep aids.
If a DC does need to take NSAIDs, sleep aids, etc., it is typically done so with the plan to stop at some point. This is not the case with dietary crack. People commonly stress out when I suggest to them that it is probably best to never eat the stuff again. Try telling your spouse or kids they can never eat dietary crack again and see what kind of reaction you get. Throw away all the dietary crack in your house and watch what happens. It will be reminiscent of a withdrawal state; you will witness mental meltdowns.
(Interestingly, researchers have identified that humans and animals actually do have a withdrawal experience when not consuming sugar, which is not unlike opiate withdrawal.2)
At the end of 2013, many news outlets reported on research performed at Connecticut College that demonstrated how eating Oreo cookies activated the same reward / addiction centers in rats as cocaine and morphine. Just like humans, the rats ate the cream-filled center first. The news outlets actually stated that researchers have shown Oreos are more addictive than cocaine. This was an overstatement of the findings and conclusions of the authors; however, the shock from reading / hearing such a thing should make us pause. Do we really want dietary crack in our body and near the people we love and care for?
I have been on the campuses of most chiropractic colleges, straight or not, and my experience is that dietary crack is available if you desire, such that faculty and students regularly self-medicate with dietary crack. No need to go down to a dangerous part of town to get a hit; we can just go to the cafeteria or vending machine. The stuff is everywhere, which makes it difficult to resist.
And what is interesting to me is that whether one is a straight or non-straight chiropractor, the dietary crack problem is the same. However, because straight chiropractors have taken such an anti-drug position, as a matter of "principle" they should be anti-dietary crack as well.
The issue of principles also applies to me, so I am not suggesting anything to anti-drug straight or mixer chiropractors that does not directly apply to me. Because I am "anti-dietary crack," it would be unprincipled of me to buy it, store it in my house, regularly eat it or feed it to others.
If you maintain an "anti-drug" stance, then my suggestion is to stop eating dietary crack yourself, save for the occasional "special" event. Stop giving it the people you love the most. Stop giving it to your patients. Stop giving it to friends and colleagues. Stop giving it at Halloween to little children you don't know.
That is not to say that I never take a hit of dietary crack. It does not take much for me to cave in, which is why I never bring it into my house. I typically only have a little because there is no useful purpose to push the reward response and drive the addiction centers any more than needed.
How to "Just Say No" – and Help Your Patients Do the Same
What can you do to help yourself and others to fight off dietary crack? Just saying "no to dietary crack" is difficult since it is everywhere, it is not illegal and we love it. So, I think we have to impose restraints that are based on worthy goals. No chiropractor, straight or not, has any desire to be on medications. Despite this fact, many are, and I am regularly asked about what to do.
I think the approach should be simple, uncomplicated, and very much goal-oriented. The goal should be to achieve normal levels for various anthropometric and biochemical markers of chronic inflammation. Typically, normal people do not regularly take medications, as they have no chronic condition.
If you are an anti-drug DC, whether you are straight or not, I think this approach will be very helpful in reducing one's consumption of calorie sources that act as drugs, not food. Use these markers as the line in the sand.
For those who wish to eat dietary crack, my suggestion is to do it at a dietary level that will allow one to maintain normal markers. Otherwise, our calories should come from animal products and vegetation.
References
- Avena NA, Rada P, Hoebel BG. Sugar and fat bingeing have notable differences in addictive-like behavior. J Nutr, 2009;139:623-28.
- Avena NM, Rada P, Moise N, Hoebel BG. Sucrose sham feeding on a binge schedule releases accumbens dopamine repeatedly and eliminates acetylcholine satiety response. Neurosci, 2006;139:813-20.
- Avena NM, Bocarsly ME, Rada P, Kim A, Hoebel BG. After daily bingeing on a sucrose solution, food deprivation induces anxiety and accumbens dopamine/acetylcholine imbalance. Physiol Behav, 2008;94:309-15.
- Fulton S. Appetite and reward. Frontiers Neuroendocrinol, 2010;31:85-103.
- Kenny PJ. Reward mechanisms in obesity: new insights and future. Neuron, 2011;64:664-79.
- Gearhardt AN, Yokum S, Orr PT, Stice E, Corbin WR, Brownell KD. Neural correlates of food addiction. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2011;68:808-16.
- Beaver JD, Lawrence AD, van Ditzhuijzen J, Davis MH, Woods A, Calder AJ. Individual differences in reward drive predict neural responses to images of food. J Neurosci, 2006;26:5160-6.
- Seaman DR. "Dietary ‘Crackheads' and the Never-Ending Battle Against the Bulging Waistline." Dynamic Chiropractic, April 1, 2013
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