It seems our moms were right; we are what we eat. Unfortunately in today's marketplace, there are many valid worries about the foods we consume. Antibiotics, pesticides, and foods tainted with dangerous diseases are a top concern for many Americans. In addition, processed and genetically modified foods and artificial ingredients contribute to a number of health issues from obesity to cancer.

  Our diet is one of the most important facets of maintaining overall good health for the long term. Farmer's markets, small grocery stores, and the movement toward organic labeling shows the trend toward making healthier food choices.

  If you are thinking about adding a few organic foods to your meal plan, or chucking all processed foods altogether, you are moving toward a healthier, higher performing body with fewer health issues. Here are five reasons why:

#1: Fewer chemicals

  The practice of using a variety of pesticides in non-organic farming is widespread in the United States. No matter how fastidiously you wash them, foods with these toxins are harmful to your body. A recent article in The Huffington Post stated that toxic pesticides are present in 70% of the food found in grocery stores!

  Many large, traditional farms aim to produce as much food as possible, as cheaply as they can. They turn to pesticides and herbicides to make the crops grow faster and last longer. It's a sad fact, but the American public ends up paying a price anyway. An organic diet offers a respite from these chemically laden foods.

#2: Tastes better

  You may not even realize the taste you DON'T get when eating processed foods. Toxins that make them grow and keep them fresh deplete the taste dramatically.

  Growing from properly maintained soil without the presence of pesticides, organic foods deliver a richer, more engaging flavor. Individuals who eat organic often eat less and are better satisfied with their meals because of the increased taste.

#3: More nutrient density

  According to The Ideal Bite, organic foods contain up to 50% more nutrients than their non-organic counterparts. Depleted soil quality from over farming is a key reason for this situation. This means a person needs to eat less organic food to maintain the necessary dietary vitamins and minerals that ensures good health, offsetting the initial higher cost of choosing organic.

#4: Less antibiotic exposure

  Large food manufacturing farms often choose to pump their animals full of antibiotics to reduce illness and promote rapid growth. Obviously, these make their way into the end product that we end up eating.

  Too much exposure to antibiotics causes everything from early puberty in children to antibiotic resistance. If you become ill and require antibiotic medical treatment, long-term consumption of non-organic meat could literally hinder you from responding.

#5: Supports the local economy

  In addition to building a strong body and mind, choosing organic contributes to the local community by supporting the small farmer. The small farmer is able to adopt to organic standards with less effort, and is more likely to embrace healthy soil practices and other ethical farming traits in the first place. Seek out local establishments for the widest variety of the freshest, locally grown food.

  There are an assortment of reasons to choose an organic diet. In a nutshell, it is proven to offer great benefits to your long-term overall health. If you can't commit to an entirely organic diet, substitute a few organic choices from your present food selections. Even changing small areas of your diet will provide better taste, greater nutrition, and stronger well-being.

  Have more questions? We’re here for you! Simply ask our Doctor of Chiropractic during your next visit how eating organic foods can benefit you.

  The crack of a ball against your bat, good! The crack of a back or shoulder, bad!

  Baseball, the nationwide pass time, heats up in summer. From little league on up, individuals enjoy swinging the bat and running the bases. Unfortunately, the movements baseball requires can wreak havoc on a person's body, leaving them with strained backs, hurt shoulders, and pulled muscles. According to Livestrong, there are over 600,000 injuries from playing baseball per year, and 5-14 year olds suffer from 117,000 of them.

  The aspects of the game — running, sliding, twisting, and jumping — cause the body to maneuver into awkward positions. If you or a loved one has slid into first and felt a pop, or twisted to catch a fly ball and felt a snap, chiropractic care offers several ways to help put you on the road to a complete recovery.

Manage pain

  Baseball injuries frequently involve large muscles, resulting in a high degree of pain. Chiropractic treatment offers relief from severe pain of many injuries involving the spine, muscles, and joints.

  Using spinal adjustments, a chiropractor is able to help the body align itself properly, and sooth the injured area. Once the body functions normally, pain is diminished. Sometimes this can be accomplished in one visit, while other injuries require a few sessions before pain diminishes.

Increase mobility

  A strained neck, pulled back, or overextended knee may cause the individual serious issues in being able to move. Limping around slowly is nobody's idea of fun!

  Chiropractic adjustments are proven to help reduce inflammation and improve mobility in many injury cases. If that last baseball game has you unable to put weight on your knee, your neck won't twist without pain, or your shoulder won't lift your arm, it may be time to visit a chiropractor for evaluation.

Promote healing

  The premise of chiropractic care is to treat the entire body as a whole, not just the injured part. As the body becomes better aligned, it functions at a higher capacity, and begins to heal itself.

  Most injuries resulting from playing baseball, such as tendonitis, strained muscles, torn rotator cuffs, and the like, heal faster with chiropractic care. Increased blood flow to the injured area, and less pressure on the body part (usually due to misalignment of the spine) allow the injured area to regenerate, and a greater chance to begin healing faster than without chiropractic care.

Avoid medication

  Even over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory drugs cause side effects in certain individuals. Allergies, stomach issues, and other reasons result in many injured people steering clear of medication to relieve pain and inflammation.

  Chiropractic care provides these individuals a drug-free, less invasive way to help manage the pain and promote healing. More people every year are choosing to visit a chiropractor for pain relief instead of popping pain medicine.

  Before jumping into a baseball game, or even if you or your children play regularly, remember that prevention is worth its weight in gold. Take care of your body by stretching beforehand, being aware of your physical limits, maintaining proper posture, and staying hydrated during the game. With a little extra effort, the chance of a baseball injury can be dramatically decreased.

  Summer fun often includes activities such as baseball, whether in a league or in your back yard with your family. Avoid suffering from an injury as best you can, and, if you or your child end up with an achy knee, twisted elbow, or smarting shoulder, call you chiropractor to schedule a thorough evaluation as quickly as possible.