By Dr. Boris Nektalov, DNM, DC, Chiropractor & Enzyme Nutrition Specialist · Nektalov Chiropractic & Wellness, Forest Hills, Queens NY
Published: August 31, 2026 · Last reviewed: August 31, 2026
The short answer: Nearly half of American adults (49.9%) take a prescription drug in any given month, and over half their daily calories (53%) come from ultra-processed food, according to the CDC. Most chronic disease — and a lot of chronic pain — builds slowly from years of what's on the plate, not from a single event. Nutrition, digestion, and spinal/nervous system health are one connected system, and treating them together is what actually moves the needle on long-term health.
There's an old saying, often attributed to Hippocrates, that has never been more relevant:
“If you do not eat food as your medicine, you will eventually eat medicine as your food.”
Historians debate whether Hippocrates said those exact words — but the underlying idea holds up better than ever under modern data.
At Nektalov Chiropractic & Wellness in Forest Hills, Queens, that idea is the foundation of how we practice. I'm Dr. Boris Nektalov, chiropractor and enzyme nutrition specialist, and our philosophy is simple: find and treat the root cause, not just the symptom.
Why This Matters Right Now
Nearly 1 in 2 American adults takes at least one prescription medication in a given month, and 13.5% take five or more — for blood pressure, cholesterol, acid reflux, diabetes, chronic pain, anxiety, sleep, or inflammation (CDC/NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). Modern medicine saves lives and is essential for emergencies and serious disease. But most of the chronic conditions driving those prescriptions are heavily influenced by daily choices — starting with food.
Most patients come to our Forest Hills office searching for relief from a specific problem: neck pain, headaches, sciatica, shoulder pain, or chronic low back pain. During evaluation, many discover their pain isn't isolated — it's connected to inflammation, digestive dysfunction, blood sugar instability, or poor sleep that's been building for years.
The body is one interconnected system. Everything you eat becomes the raw material your body uses to build muscle, repair tissue, regulate hormones, run your immune system, and control inflammation. Every meal either moves you toward health or away from it — there's no neutral option.
Chronic Disease Doesn't Happen Overnight — It Builds Quietly
Pain and diagnosis are usually the last signal the body gives, not the first. By the time symptoms show up, the underlying process has often been running for years.
| Condition | Typically Builds Over | What's Usually Happening Underneath |
|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | Years | Chronic inflammation, arterial stress |
| Type 2 diabetes | Years | Progressive insulin resistance |
| Fatty liver disease | Years | Excess sugar and processed-fat metabolism |
| Obesity | Years | Caloric and nutrient imbalance over time |
| Joint degeneration | Years to decades | Cumulative inflammation and mechanical wear |
This is why prevention — not reaction — is the higher-leverage strategy. Modern convenience makes the wrong choice the easy one: processed foods, sugary drinks, fast food, and ultra-processed snacks are everywhere. According to the CDC's most recent data (2021–2023), 53% of the average American adult's daily calories now come from ultra-processed foods — down slightly from 55.8% a decade earlier, but still the majority of what most people eat.
Food Is More Than Calories
Food supplies the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats, amino acids, enzymes, and phytonutrients your body depends on daily to repair tissue, reduce inflammation, and protect your organs. Diets dominated by processed food do the opposite — they drive chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, blood sugar instability, and nutrient deficiencies that sit underneath many of today's most common health complaints.
Here's what that means in our office specifically: chronic inflammation increases pain sensitivity, slows tissue repair, and delays recovery from musculoskeletal injury. Patients searching for back pain relief or sciatica treatment in Forest Hills are often surprised to learn that what they eat is directly shaping how fast — or how slowly — they heal.
Your spine heals better when your body is properly nourished. Your muscles recover faster when inflammation is controlled. Your joints function better when your tissues get the nutrients they need. That's the case for combining chiropractic care with nutritional guidance rather than treating them as separate services.
It's Not Just What You Eat — It's What You Absorb
As an enzyme nutrition specialist, this is the part most people miss: you can eat a genuinely healthy diet and still be nutrient-deficient if your digestive system isn't functioning properly.
Digestive enzymes break proteins, fats, and carbohydrates down into forms your body can actually use. Without adequate enzyme activity, nutritional deficiencies can develop even when someone believes they're eating well — because the food is going in, but the nutrients aren't getting absorbed. This is why evaluating digestive health, not just diet content, matters for anyone pursuing real nutrition and chiropractic wellness in Queens. Learn more in our gut health and longevity guide.
Two More Levers: Sugar and Hydration
Sugar. Excess sugar intake drives obesity, insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular risk — and it fuels the same inflammatory pathways that worsen joint pain and slow recovery after injury.
Hydration. Your spinal discs, joints, muscles, and connective tissue all depend on adequate hydration and electrolyte balance to function. Under-hydration shows up as poor circulation, slower tissue repair, and stiffer movement — all things patients notice long before they'd call it “dehydration.” Read our guide on electrolytes, hydration, and gut health.
Exercise, sleep quality, stress management, and healthy body weight round out the picture. Patients choosing preventative chiropractic care in Forest Hills are increasingly doing it for this reason — to stay ahead of disease, not just react to it once it arrives.
Medication Manages Disease. It Doesn't Reverse the Habits Behind It.
One of the biggest misconceptions in healthcare is that medication creates health. It doesn't — and it isn't supposed to. Medications are valuable, often necessary, and save lives; they should never be stopped without guidance from your prescribing provider. But for most chronic conditions, medication manages the disease while nutrition, movement, sleep, and lifestyle determine whether it progresses or improves.
Our goal is never to replace appropriate medical care. It's to help patients build a healthier internal environment — through evidence-based nutrition, movement, chiropractic care, and daily habits — that reduces preventable risk factors over time.
The Bottom Line
True healthcare starts before disease develops — with the food on your plate, the water you drink, the sleep you get, the movement you perform, and how you manage stress. If you've been searching for a holistic wellness clinic in Queens or preventative chiropractic care, our team builds personalized plans focused on long-term health, not temporary symptom relief.
Call Nektalov Chiropractic & Wellness at (718) 275-9000 or book your evaluation online — we'll assess your spine, your nutrition, and how the two are connected.
Frequently asked questions
Why is nutrition considered the foundation of long-term health?
Food supplies the raw materials your body uses to repair tissue, regulate hormones, run your immune system, and control inflammation every day. Diets high in processed food drive the chronic inflammation and nutrient deficiencies behind most long-term disease, while nutrient-dense food supports the body's ability to heal and stay resilient.
Can poor nutrition cause or worsen chronic pain?
Yes. Chronic inflammation driven by a poor diet increases pain sensitivity, slows tissue repair, and delays recovery from musculoskeletal injury. Patients with back pain, sciatica, or joint issues often heal faster once inflammation is addressed through diet alongside chiropractic care, because the internal environment affects how well tissue recovers.
What percentage of American adults take prescription medication?
According to CDC/NCHS data, 49.9% of American adults take at least one prescription drug in a given month, and 13.5% take five or more. Many of these medications treat chronic conditions — blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, inflammation — that are significantly influenced by long-term diet and lifestyle choices.
Why can someone eat healthy food and still have nutrient deficiencies?
Digestion, not just diet, determines nutrient absorption. Digestive enzymes break proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into forms the body can actually use — without adequate enzyme activity, nutrients pass through the digestive system without being absorbed, leading to deficiencies even in people who eat a nutrient-rich diet.
How does chiropractic care work together with nutrition for healing?
Chiropractic care improves spinal mobility and nervous system function, while nutrition controls the inflammation and nutrient availability that determine how well tissue heals. The two work together: a properly nourished, lower-inflammation body responds better to chiropractic treatment, and better nervous system function supports digestion and metabolic health.
Where can I find a holistic chiropractor in Forest Hills, Queens?
Nektalov Chiropractic & Wellness, located at 108-50 71st Ave in Forest Hills, Queens, NY, combines chiropractic adjustments with enzyme nutrition therapy and personalized wellness plans. Dr. Boris Nektalov focuses on root-cause care for pain, inflammation, and chronic disease risk. Call (718) 275-9000 to schedule an evaluation.
This article is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Never stop or change prescription medications without guidance from your prescribing provider.