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Gibsons Chiropractic Blog

August 8, 2011

To Your Health Newsletter 08-08-2011

By Dr. Stacey

[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

Interval Training: Blast the Fat

TYH image In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than your body consumes and uses on a daily basis, pure and simple. Exercise is one of the main ways to burn fat calories.

A great way to burn fat and lots of calories is through interval (circuit) training. Interval training breaks up the work with periods of rest. Not only does interval training allow you to improve your fitness quickly; it is also more effective than continuous exercise for burning lots of calories during exercise and increasing your after workout metabolic rate. Here are some fantastic interval training exercises that will help you burn calories and lose weight:

Circuit #1

  • 20 Push-ups
  • 20 Squats
  • 20 Mountain climbers
  • 20 Jumping jacks

Circuit #2

  • 20 (10 per leg) Lunges
  • 20 Siff squat
  • 20 Dips on chair or bench
  • 30-Second run in place/high knees (repeat)

Circuit #3

  • 30 Bench step-ups – alternate legs
  • 30 Push-ups on bench
  • 30 Dips on bench
  • 30 Seconds skip/jog or sprint to a tree (or swings) and back. Repeat four times.

Circuit #4 Obstacle Course (Repeat 3-4 times)

  • Set out 2 cones ( or some sort of markers) about 15 yards apart
  • Run from cone to cone for 30 seconds
  • Take a 5-second break
  • Skip from cone to cone for 30 seconds
  • Take a 5-minute break
  • Shuffle side ways from cone to cone for 30 seconds
  • End with plank hold for 30 seconds

Whichever circuit you pick, repeat the entire set of exercises 3-4 times. Your doctor can give you more information about proper performance of these exercises while helping design an exercise program suitable to your health needs.

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Try This: Greek Goodness

TYH image When it comes to yogurt, the health benefits are endless. Yogurt has everything from probiotics, which help promote healthy digestion, to calcium, which is essential for strong bones.

In the past few years an alternative to regular yogurt has made its way on to the shelves – Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is another type of yogurt known for having a thick consistency and is packed with just as many health benefits as regular yogurt – some might say even more. Here are some of the primary nutritional differences between the two:

  • Greek yogurt has approximately double the protein of regular yogurt.
  • Greek yogurt has fewer carbohydrates and less sodium than regular yogurt. This could be beneficial to diabetics and those watching their caloric intake.

So try Greek yogurt on its own or in a smoothie. Whether Greek or regular, be sure to choose low-fat or nonfat varieties.

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Three Ways to Avoid Burnout

TYH image 1. Cross It Off: Burnout is physical and mental exhaustion, commonly caused by too much work, stress or routine. It also can be a lack of organization that overwhelms you. The solution: make a list of your daily, weekly and monthly priorities, then cross them off your list one by one. Satisfaction of accomplishment and feeling “in control” will keep you motivated for the long term.

2. Change It Up: No matter what we do, life boils down to a series of routines that are both comforting (most of us need routine) and also put us at risk of suffering burnout. Whether it’s your same old diet, same old workout or same old month-to-month schedule, mix things up occasionally to stay fresh and invigorated. Try new foods, vary your workouts and plan a few vacations.

3. Give It a Rest: Because burnout is synonymous with exhaustion, the remedy is to take a physical and mental vacation from the norm. Good health is a lifestyle, so pursue it with awareness that you’re in it for the long haul. Life is more than 24/7 of dieting, exercising and working excessively. Make time to rest, recover and rejuvenate. Your body (and mind) will thank you for it.

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Filed under: Exercise,Fitness,Growth,Nutrition,Stress,Weight Loss — Tags: , , , , , ,

March 12, 2011

Take Care of Yourself First

By Dr. Stacey

When travelling by plane, we are always given the airline safety announcement that tells passengers “…in the event of loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop down from above. You should always put on your own mask first and then attend to others who might need assistance”. In Australia, we were reminded of this recently when a Qantas jet flying from Adelaide to Melbourne depressurised suddenly. Many passengers were likely tempted in the moment to ignore those instructions and instinctively take care of any small children or elderly people seated nearby. But airlines offer this life-saving tip with good reason: You can only adequately care for others when you’ve taken proper steps to take care of yourself.

As parents, we are regularly so focused on serving others that we sometimes do so at our own expense. Often, the price we pay is reflected in our energy levels and drive to get things done. The less oxygen we give ourselves, the less energy and enthusiasm we will have to serve others.

Here are some examples of where the habit of serving others first can creep into your life and your practice:

  • Squeezing needy clients in at the end of a shift
  • Never saying “no” to your kids, clients or work colleagues
  • Not stopping to reflect on your values
  • Knowing better what pleases others than yourself
  • Not voicing your opinions or concerns
  • Rarely finding enough time (or finances) for a holiday
  • Infrequently asking others for help

Caring for yourself better by putting your own oxygen mask on first can result in increased presence, more drive, improved physical and emotional well-being, greater happiness, less emotional sensitivity and more inspiration (from within), ultimately leading to higher levels of effectiveness and success.

We all hope and plan never to run out of energy or motivation. If you can see yourself in any of the above examples, please refer to the safety instructions immediately. That way, you will be in a much better state to help others in need.

[Source: http://www.powerful-practices.com/store/default.asp?ezcamp=PracticePointers]

Filed under: children,Fatigue,Growth,Men's Health,Stress,Woman's Health — Tags: , , , ,

February 3, 2011

To Your Health Newsletter 02-01-2011

By Dr. Stacey

Time to Put Health in Motion

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.

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How to Avoid the Dreaded Rut

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.

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Eat Those Fruits and Veggies!

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.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com][

Filed under: Exercise,Fitness,Growth,Nutrition,Productivity — Tags: , , , , , ,

January 21, 2011

To-Your-Health-Newsletter-01-20-2011

By Dr. Stacey

Musculoskeletal Injuries in Kids

Children’s musculoskeletal systems are different from adults. To understand pediatric injuries that involve the musculoskeletal system, it’s important to be aware of the differences between children and adults in this regard. The main difference is that children’s bones are growing; adults’ bones have stopped growing. This bone growth happens in two ways – by growing lengthwise and widthwise. The bone grows lengthwise in an area at the ends of the bones called the epiphyseal plate or growth plate, in the region known as the metaphysis. The widthwise growth occurs on the surface of the bone.

Growing bone has inherent areas of weakness due to the growth process. In fact, children’s tendons and ligaments are relatively stronger than the growth plate; therefore, with severe trauma the growth plate will give way before the ligament. On the other hand, children’s bones and muscles are more elastic and heal faster compared to adults.

Due to the differences in growing bone, the patterns of injuries are different from mature bone. There are two main types of bone injuries: one is an acute injury in which violent forces are applied at one time; the second is from chronic, recurring stresses applied to the bone over a prolonged period of time. Growth plate injuries can cause cessation (stoppage) of growth of the bone, resulting in limb-length discrepancy, angular deformity or altered joint mechanics; possibly causing permanent disabilities. The chronic recurring stresses are often termed overuse syndromes, but also include stress fractures, which can lead to changes that affect the joints, causing early arthritic changes. Stress fractures, if not managed correctly, can result in complete fracture.

Adolescents who are in the peak period of linear growth – often termed a growth spurt – are most vulnerable because of imbalances in strength and flexibility and changes in the biomechanical properties of bone. Sports involving contact and jumping have the greatest injury risk. Most chiropractors who treat pediatric patients are aware of these injuries and the potential causes related to the growing musculoskeletal system. They have been uniquely trained to understand the musculoskeletal system, making them excellent resources for the management of sports-injuries.

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Why You Need Enzymes

You’re undoubtedly aware of the role a balanced diet can play in healthy aging and disease prevention, but do you know there is a non-nutritive element that can also exert a profound positive influence on your health? Proper function of the human body is dependent on the continuous activity of thousands of different enzymes. These essential biological molecules are the catalysts in all of the body’s biochemical reactions.

Here are three important health benefits attributable to enzymes. Talk to your doctor for more information about enzymes and their value in maintaining health and wellness.

1. Digestion: Digestive enzymes, which are secreted in saliva and pancreatic juices, are responsible for the breakdown of food. This process helps facilitate proper nutrient absorption. In patients with pancreatic insufficiency or with food allergies, supplementation with a mild digestive enzyme blend can enhance nutrient uptake as well as gastrointestinal comfort. In addition, anyone who consumes a diet high in processed foods may benefit from enzyme supplementation.
 
2. Inflammation: Another known benefit of enzyme supplementation is the treatment of inflammatory and immune mediated conditions. Proteolytic enzymes, such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, bromelain, and papain, have the ability to neutralize inflammatory chemicals to aid in the healing of damaged tissues. It is believed that proteolytic enzymes have the ability to promote healing by decreasing capillary permeability, improving circulation, and dissolving fibrin clot deposits. Enzymes have also been shown to have positive effects on natural killer cells and macrophages, thus enhancing the overall immune response and body’s defense against infection.
 
3. Cancer: The use of enzymes in cancer therapy was first proposed by the embryologist Dr. John Beard in the early 1900s. In his research, The Enzyme Therapy of Cancer, published in 1911, Dr. Beard discussed his theory on injection of pancreatic proteolytic enzymes as a form of cancer therapy. Cancer cells, as well as nearly all pathogens, are often protected by a thick, protein-based, fibrin coating. Proteolytic enzymes have the ability to assist in the breakdown of this fibrin coating, allowing the body’s immune functions to take action against proliferating cancer cells. Although the original research was conducted almost a century ago, proteolytic enzymes are being used as a new and innovative way to combat cancer.

One of the simplest ways to enhance your enzyme levels is to increase your intake of raw foods. Uncooked, unprocessed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables contain natural enzymes that support digestion and overall enzymatic activity. However, since many Americans consume inadequate amounts of these foods, supplementation may be necessary to ensure enzyme activity is supported. Increasing your intake of enzymes can help support every mode of cellular activity as well as improve overall body communication.

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Antibiotics and Childhood IBD

Antibiotics are medications that fight bacterial infections. That means if your medical doctor ever prescribes an antibiotic to fight your child’s cold, flu, cough (in most cases) sore throat (unless strep) and even bronchitis – all of which are caused by viruses – the antibiotic won’t do any good and will be exposing your child to an unnecessary drug with potential side effects.

Unfortunately, studies have shown that doctors do prescribe antibiotics for viral infections, and that sometimes, it’s to appease the parent, who doesn’t want to hear that their child’s malaise will improve on its own in a few days or so.

Between unnecessary prescribing for viral infections and appropriate prescribing for bacterial infections, children can end up taking several courses of antibiotics in their early years. That can be a problem for several reasons, not the least of which is that, as a recent study suggests, they can end up with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) later in life.

While researchers did not find a clear cause-and-effect relationship between antibiotic use in year one and IBD in childhood, they did notice that children diagnosed with the condition were more likely to have taken antibiotics (one or more courses) in their first year compared to children without IBD.

Your doctor can tell you more about IBD and the dangers of antibiotic use in infancy, childhood or any age.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

Filed under: Babies,children,Colds/Flu,Digestion,Growth,Immune System,Inflammation,Nutrition,Prescription Drugs,Sports,Supplements — Tags: , , , , , , , , ,