Tag: Lifestyle

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10 Steps to Regain Your Health

It goes without saying that the start of 2013 marks the beginning of all the resolutions you set out to achieve for yourself and your loved ones. If you are like most Americans, health is the most important aspect of your life that needs improving. Without adequate health and your well-being, you can kiss most of your other resolutions goodbye. Declining health and vitality robs you of precious energy to achieve your personal or professional goals.

With that in mind, I’ve created a series of simple practices into your life – the more of these you add, the better and more in charge of your life you’ll feel.

  1. Move more. As humans we are made to move,  this doesn’t mean running around on a daily basis but rather spending a good portion of our days walking, standing and moving in general. If we don’t our bodies rebel and health declines. It’s not only good for your cardiovascular health, but also for your mental health. Do some form of exercise that significantly raises your heart rate for 30 minutes at least four times a week. Remember also to break up your sitting and move frequently during the day.
  2. Get more sleep. Sleep is often the single most undervalued behavior in our lives and the one with the most immediate power to improve our experience in every waking moment. If you’re getting 6 or less hours of sleep, aim to get just one more hour of sleep a night – it will leave you feeling more physically energized, emotionally resilient, and mentally clear.
  3. Eat less, more often. Food is fuel, and real food – lean proteins and vegetables/fruits (complex carbohydrates) – are high-octane fuel. You’re best off when you eat in small doses throughout the day, beginning with breakfast. Continue reading “10 Steps to Regain Your Health”
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True Health Insurance

Are you one serious illness away from bankruptcy? Many are.

Those of us with “health” insurance policies think we’re protected from the burden of huge medical bills. You may be surprised to learn that’s just not true. In a Harvard University study of almost 2,000 Americans in bankruptcy court, half said that illness or medical bills drove them to bankruptcy. Every 30 seconds in the United States, someone files for bankruptcy because of a serious health problem. Surprisingly, more than 75 percent of those filing for bankruptcy had insurance, losing their coverage during the course of their illness. Thus, they face the double disaster of illness and bankruptcy.

“If you’re sick enough, long enough, you’re likely to be financially ruined,” cautioned Dr. David Himmelstein the lead author of the Harvard study.

Bankruptcy is increasingly accompanying serious health problems. In fact, people who go under from medical debt are mostly middle-class or working-class people who own their own homes. The solution? Don’t get sick, of course. But how?

Keep in mind, health is our normal, natural state. Many people neglect their health, paying attention to it only when their symptoms become unmanageable. By then, problems can become severe, often becoming irreversible. That is why I sometimes sound like a broken record, constantly suggesting preventive and wellness visits, instead of coming in only when pain is present.

This is not simply my opinion. As we’ve discussed before – Chiropractic saves you money in the long term. A 7 year study conducted by an independent physician association found that patients’ regular utilization of chiropractic care reduced the need for: hospitilization by 60%, hospital days by 59%,pharmaceutical usage by 85%, outpatient surgeries & procedures by 62%, and overall global health care costs by 50%.

Visiting our office when you’re feeling great, may sound a little strange to your health insurance provider. It may even sound strange to you. But preventive measures may actually provide more “insurance” than your insurance.

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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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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””