Tag: Immune system

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Fall into Better Health

Fall is my favorite season of the year, for many reasons (one being all things pumpkin). However, our health tends to be put on the back burner when the colder weather begins; combine that with the stress that the upcoming holidays can bring and we have a recipe for disaster. With that in mind, here are 6 ways to stay motivated and maintain your health routine this fall.

  • Set Goals and Limits – If goals are excessively restrictive or vague, you will be less likely to rise to the challenge. Establish clear nutrition and health goals (dessert two times a week; a half-hour walk five times a week, etc.). Consistency is key to success with anything in life but especially when it comes to your health.
  • Your Daily Game Plan – Make your daily routine habitual and try to keep things at the same time each day. Keep up with your workouts and chiropractic adjustments, and develop a consistent routine for healthy eating. Once you experience how great your body is designed to feel and function – you will feel sluggish and unsettled if you start missing your adjustments, workouts or eating unhealthy – which in itself is a strong incentive to get back on track.
  • Fall Superfoods – Eating seasonal fruits and veggies ensures your produce will be less expensive, more nutritious & definitely taste better – which in turn means you’ll be likely to eat more of these healthy foods. Summer may be ending, but with fall superfoods like pumpkins, apples and Brussels sprouts ripening now, eating in season can be just as healthy now.
  • Boost Your Immune System – Unfortunately for some, back to school time can also mean getting sick time. To help avoid that this fall, be sure to follow these simple tips: limit your sugar intake, eat simply and nutritiously, get regular adjustments, and boost up your supplements.
  • Stay Hydrated – This is an easy one to follow in the summer, but come fall, you may not feel as parched. However, staying hydrated is still crucial to keeping your body running at its best.
  • Keep Moving in the Cold – You don’t have to go outside to move more throughout the work day. Try fashioning a DIY standing desk or workstation, take meetings on the go or simply do a few laps around the office when you can as the weather cools.
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Back to School Health Essentials

With children across America gearing up to begin the school year, what better time to explore some ideas to help ensure your child starts the school year healthy and happy. The following are 3 Ways to Start the School Year Healthy:

1. Backpack Safety 101

When people think Chiropractic and back to school, the first thing that usually comes up is backpacks. Here’s what you need to know – most backpack problems occur from excessive weight, inappropriate fit, and incorrect wearing of the pack. Your child should carry no more than 10-15% of their body weight in their school bags. When a heavy weight (such as a book-stuffed backpack) is incorrectly placed on the shoulders, the weight’s force can pull a child backwards. To compensate a child may bend forward at the hips or arch the back which can cause the spine to compress unnaturally.

If your child uses the traditional backpack – urge them to wear both straps (Here’s what to look for when picking a backpack: two wide, padded shoulder straps / padded back / waist belt / multiple compartments). Although it’s worth noting that messenger bags or purses – despite potential problems – are usually the better choice for children. When used correctly, the strongest muscles in the body, the back and abdominal muscles, support the weight of the packs. If not too heavy and if they are used correctly the weight is then evenly distributed across the body. Continue reading “Back to School Health Essentials”

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What Stress is Doing to Your Health

A stress is any stimulus that requires your body to respond or adapt. Although in certain situations stress can be good (resulting in improved focus and performance) living with chronic stress can lead to a multitude of health problems ranging from anxiety and depression to cancer and  heart disease. Today we are succumbing to stress at an accelerated rate- not just because we have more of it- but also because we can handle so much less.

There are three types of stresses:  environmental, physical and  emotional. When your body perceives a stress, your nervous system responds. Known as the“fight or flight” response, the sympathetic nervous system becomes stimulated-resulting in increased heart rate, increased blood flow to the extremities, increased blood pressure and better vision. Stress hormones, such as adrenalin and cortisol are released by the adrenal glands, all of which prepare the body to fight or flee the danger by increasing muscle strength, stamina and heightening the senses. Continue reading “What Stress is Doing to Your Health”

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Why It’s More Than a Back “Crack”

I must admit I cringe a bit every time I introduce myself as a Chiropractor and someone says “I love getting my back cracked”. The reason it is so disappointing is that “joint mobilization” (aka cracking) is the most insignificant part of what we do. In fact the only reason that anyone should receive a chiropractic adjustment is if there is pressure on their nerve system. Why? Because the nervous system controls and coordinates every aspect of your body. The millions of messages are transported from your brain down your spine, out to your organs, tissues and cells. The purpose of a chiropractic adjustment is to clear any interference in that pathway.

Just this month, we have had reports of an infertile couple conceiving, depression lifting, pain killers being thrown out, better sleep, numbness and tingling gone, sinus infections eliminated, improved digestion and better breathing. This doesn’t happen by “cracking a back”. This only happens when pressure comes off the central nervous system and the body begins to heal itself. Continue reading “Why It’s More Than a Back “Crack””
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Breastfeeding Is ‘Health, Not Lifestyle’ Choice

New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics presented in the March 2012 issue of the journal Pediatrics say that every infant should begin life with six months of exclusive breastfeeding, followed by a minimum of another six months with other foods being gradually added to the child’s diet.

“Recently, published evidence-based studies have confirmed and quantitated the risks of not breastfeeding,” the authors stated.

“Thus, infant feeding should not be considered as a lifestyle choice, but rather as a basic health issue. As such, the pediatrician’s role in advocating and supporting proper breastfeeding practices is essential and vital for the achievement of this preferred public health goal.”

Estimates have suggested that more than 900 infant deaths per year in the United States could be prevented if 90% of mothers breastfeed exclusively for six months, the authors wrote. Other positive outcomes linked to breastfeeding include: Continue reading “Breastfeeding Is ‘Health, Not Lifestyle’ Choice”