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As
a chiropractic patient, you probably lead a healthier life
than your peers. After all, your chiropractor has taught you
to prevent illnesses before they happen, through a healthy
diet, exercise and avoidance of bad habits. Yet a recent Australian
study indicated that not all chiropractic patients eat healthier
than the rest of the population.
To evaluate fruit and vegetable consumption, almost 800 Australian
chiropractic patients at 24 practices completed questionnaires
on diet and lifestyle. Overall, the patients in this study
in the Chiropractic Journal of Australia reported many
healthy behaviors, such as exercising (approximately 90% exercised
three times per week) and not smoking.
 However, only half of the patients ate the minimal recommended
five or more servings of vegetables and fruits daily. Also,
only 19% of the patients reported consuming the recently established
Australian dietary recommendations to eat two fruits and
five vegetable servings daily.
Patients with unhealthy lifestyles, such as smokers, heavy
drinkers and sedentary individuals, are most likely to consume
fewer servings of fruits and vegetables. But even if you lead
an otherwise healthy lifestyle, a good diet is still essential.
Fruits and vegetables provide necessary vitamins, antioxidants,
fiber and other nutrients that can't be found in other foods.
Your chiropractor can arm you with comprehensive diet information.
Reference:
Jamison JR. Fruit and vegetable consumption by chiropractic
patients: An Australian case study. Chiropractic Journal
of Australia 2002:32(1), pp. 2-6.
Additional information on the benefits of proper nutrition
can be found at https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/nutrients.html.
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