International Chiropractic Pediatric Association
Too many people (are you one?) believe intense exercise is the only way to make a difference in their health. Eventually, that path becomes frustrating, exhausting and draining, and we end up doing nothing at all. So, the key issue is not really the type or intensity of exercise, but why you need to start moving. It’s a simple issue of motion versus no motion. It’s shocking to realize how many health problems are caused by not doing anything.
Whenever we hear about someone close to us getting cancer, we pray that it doesn’t happen to us. As a result, we may change our diet, try to alter an unhealthy behavior (e.g., quit smoking), reduce our stress levels, etc.; however, one thing we don’t change often enough is our activity level. It’s shocking to truly grasp how much of an impact being sedentary has on our health. In fact, being inactive is more dangerous to your health than smoking!
In one study, one in five deaths in people 35 years or older was attributed to a lack of physical activity. The risk of developing cancer increased 45 percent for men who didn’t include any physical activity in their life and 28 percent for women who were inactive. Risk of dying from respiratory diseases was 92 percent higher for inactive men and 75 percent higher for inactive women. Risk of heart disease was 52 percent higher for inactive men and 28 percent higher for inactive women.
Cardio Movements: If your goal is to establish some form of motion and activity, the minimum recommendations are 30 minutes a day. This 30 minutes does not have to be done at once. You can break it up into three 10-minute sessions. Heading to work or the mall? Park a few minutes away and walk the rest of the way. Going for lunch at work? Take the stairs after you finish. Or simply walk over to a fellow worker’s office instead of phoning them. If you are home most of the time, walk while you talk on the phone. You’d be surprised how much activity you can get doing this. In short, there are literally thousands of ways to move throughout even the busiest day.
Strength Training Movements: Strength training does not mean joining the muscle guys at Venice Beach. Simple strength exercises with your body weight can be beneficial. The general recommendation is to do eight to 10 strength-training exercises with 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise, two to three times per week. If you don’t have weights, you can use your body weight. Simply do squats against the wall, or do a push-up against the edge of a table. Remember, the key is to start off small and work your way up.
Research is actually showing that high-repetition exercises with lower-weight loads can be as good, if not better, than heavy lifting. A recent study from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, revealed that an exercise program using a low weight load, but high volume of exercise, produced better results than lifting heavier weights.
The goal is not to run a marathon (unless that’s your goal), but rather to introduce new ways to get up and move every day. The health benefits are just too great to overlook the power of movement. Your doctor can tell you more – much more – about the value of movement as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Rut [ruht]: noun, a fixed or established mode of procedure or course of life, usually dull or unpromising. Does this sound like your life? Are stuck in a rut, desperate to find a way to break free of your boring routine? Well, it’s time to start adding some much-needed spice to your life.
Many of the things you want to do, but are hesitant to do, lie just outside your comfort zone. We grow when we feel uncomfortable and challenged. Status quo may be safe, but it is also boring! The ability to take risks and open up your mind to new possibilities can be the most empowering combination for change you will ever learn. No risk, no nothing! Here are a simple, powerful ways to kiss that rut goodbye. Talk to your doctor for more information.
Feed Fitness: The mind-body connection is undeniable. How you feel is directly related to how well you take care of your body. If you are not currently exercising, check out a local fitness club. The very act of joining and spending just 30 minutes or so four times a week, investing in yourself, will suppress that rut. If you are exercising on a regular basis, change up your routine by doing exercises you have never done before. Take a kick-boxing class, yoga, Pilates, weight-lifting, or begin training with a workout partner.
Try a Change of Taste: The simple act of changing your food selections can bust your rut. Do you always order the same thing off a menu? Well, stop doing that! Go for something completely different and make a 180-degree turn in your choices. Try eating ethnic foods for a change of taste. Visit an ethnic restaurant and experience the flavor of other cultures. Visit the worlds of Greece, Thailand, India, Middle East, Europe, China and Mexico, to name a few. Wake up those taste buds and spice up your palate.
Volunteer: How often do you sit in front of the television every week? The average American watches three hours of television per day! What a waste. Invest that time in helping others. Search for a national or local organization and discover how you can become involved, even if it’s only for one hour a week. Transform yourself and improve the world in the process. Can there be any greater gift than that?
Control the Clock: Change your normal routine of going to bed and waking up. Choose to stay up longer or wake up earlier to invest time in yourself. Take some much needed me time, free from interruptions of family, friends, roommates, television and the overall white noise of daily living. Take this opportunity to read a good book, listen to music, write in a journal, focus on your goals and map out your activities for the day.
Make Your Own Map: Do you ever find yourself sitting in your car at your final destination and wondering how in the world you got there? Normal routines get ingrained in your brain, to the point that every stop and turn is mindless. This is the epitome of ritual rut! You go from home to work and then work to home, making ceremonial stops along the way. How about changing up that boredom and choosing an alternate route? Make a left instead of a right, take a different highway, choose a more scenic route, go straight instead of turning, be creative and become your own GPS.
What’s the best reason to eat your fruits and vegetables? They may help you live longer, pure and simple. According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, consumption of fruits and vegetables containing alpha-carotene – an antioxidant carotenoid found in many red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, as well as some green ones – may help defend cells from attack.
Researchers discovered that people with higher blood levels of alpha-carotene were less likely to suffer serious illness (particularly cancer and cardiovascular disease) and death over the 14-year study period compared with people whose blood levels of alpha-carotene were lower. The study evaluated 15,318 U.S. adults ages 20 and older as part of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Follow-Up Study.
If you’re not familiar with alpha-carotene, perhaps its antioxidant cousin rings a bell: beta-carotene, known for its presence in carrots, among other fruits and vegetables. Both alpha- and beta-carotene are converted to vitamin A by the body. While the study authors do not know precisely why alpha-carotene may help protect against disease or if it acts in conjunction with other nutrients, they emphasize that their findings were not attributable to participants’ lifestyle habits, health risk factors or demographic characteristics.
So eat your fruits and veggies! Whether packed with alpha- or beta-carotene, B vitamins, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, magnesium or any of a host of other nutrients, fruits and vegetables provide the nutrition your body needs. Your doctor can tell you more about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables and help outline a nutritional strategy that’s right for you.
[Source: www.toyourhealth.com][
Moderate Sun Exposure: There is evidence that painful sunburns are clearly unhealthy; in fact, 
A new year means another 365 days to stick to the most common resolution out there: resolving to exercise. What will make this year different from years past when optimism turned to despair after a few months of hard work? Here are a few exercise tips to help you stay on track in 2011 and build a leaner, meaner you:
“Start off the day with a balanced breakfast” is a popular phrase in health circles, yet it’s also one of the least likely to be taken to heart. Why do so many skip breakfast when 
If you’re looking to gear up for the cold and flu season without subjecting yourself or your family to the potential dangers of the flu vaccine, take heart: There are natural ways to boost your immune system and reduce your risk of getting sick. Here are a few to discuss with your doctor.
Five pounds, 10 pounds, 15 pounds or even more: How much weight do you gain in an average holiday season? This year, buck the trend with some simple planning. Take these suggestions to heart and enjoy the holiday season the healthy way.
Pay attention when people talk about sudden onset of bizarre and unusual ailments. When you hear people say things like, “I did not eat anything different yesterday and today my guts are going crazy” or “This is the type of situation I can usually handle, but for some reason I am not processing it well this time,” your ears should perk up. 
Taste: There’s nothing like a 
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Overdo It: Enthusiasm is key when you’re trying to lose weight, but jump in headfirst and without any sense of pacing, and you’ll likely fail. Any good plan requires good planning; when it comes to weight loss, that means you need sensible goals and a plan of attack that’s reasonable, not extreme. Deprive yourself of all your favorite foods or become a slave to the gym, and you’ll burn out fast.
Make Excuses: Whether you’re fit as a fiddle or struggling with your weight, we’ve all had those days when working out and eating right were last on our list. The difference is in the choices we make – to fit in that workout or prepare that healthy meal, regardless of time constraints; or make every excuse imaginable for why we can’t. Remember, you’re only as busy as you convince yourself you are.
Lose Focus: Focus is the ultimate tool for achieving any goal; that means focusing on exactly what you’re trying to accomplish and then making sure you retain that focus throughout the process. Start off vaguely and with limited direction, and you’ll steer south before you know it. Instead, outline how much weight you want to lose, when you want to lose it by, and exactly how you’ll get there, step by step.
Harvard scientists have observed that the shortest-living Americans are Native American populations in South Dakota, living an average lifespan of 66.5 years, whereas the longest-living Americans are Asian-American women residing in Bergen County, N.J., who live to an average lifespan of 91.1 years. That’s a nearly 25-year difference! Just think about what you could do with 25 “extra” years, particularly if you could enjoy them with sound body and mind. Here’s what science says about the best ways to stay healthy, active and vital into your older years.
Dietary fibre, often referred to as “roughage,” is the edible portion of plant cell walls that is resistant to digestion, but is an extremely beneficial component of our diets. Fibres such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains also have high amounts of vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy body function. And of course, a huge side benefit of eating foods rich in fibre is that they taste good!
Here’s an important reason to get the kids off to bed: Too little sleep can lead to a bad habit: overeating. According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reduced sleep time (less than six hours compared with more than eight) is associated with an increase in energy consumption – often in the form of snacks – without any increase in energy expenditure.
The term “improved function” has been used by chiropractors for years to help patients understand the benefits of chiropractic care and the role it plays in true wellness. The body is made up of muscles, organs and glands that are controlled by the nervous system, and the nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord and nerves.
Nutritionally, there is no perfect food, although a few come pretty close. And even if there were, who’d want to eat the same thing every meal, every day? Fortunately, variety and healthy eating can go hand in hand, particularly if you know where to look. Take a look at these foods that pack a nutritional punch and can be incorporated into a wide variety of meal plans.
Whether you’re in good health, rehabbing a recent injury or have arthritis, osteoporosis or other chronic condition, the following key points should be followed to ensure you get the most out of your workout. Remember to talk to your doctor first so the two of you can work together to design an exercise program that’s right for you.
Chocolate is rapidly becoming the next miracle food. If minimally processed, it contains the highest flavanol content of any food. Several research papers report striking effects from eating these “special” chocolates regularly, including that eating chocolate lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, and lowers blood sugar. One of the most intriguing suggests chocolate even prevents sunburn.
It’s important to understand that the rationale for abdominal training goes far beyond “looks.” The increased strength and recruitment of the abdominal muscles will carry over into better posture and more body control, both in daily life and in sporting movements. Working the muscles you can’t see — the ones deep inside your core areas — can be a difficult process, but target those areas and your whole body benefits. Not only will you look better, but you’ll also have more strength and suffer fewer injuries.
There are several different types of stress, and learning how to control them can make all the difference. You have physical stress (lack of exercise, illness, sleep habits, etc.), mental stress (how you deal emotionally with life) and chemical stress (nutritional and environmental). Here are a few straightforward ways to help you reduce all three stress factors.