Healthy Ways to Dine Out

In our quest to reform our nutrition in the New Year dining out is often an area of sabotage. Many people use the convenience of fast food or restaurants to save time or due to fatigue after a long work day. But there are some complications to watch out for that could result in weight gain, increase fat intake, and increased salt intake. Doing that once isn't a big deal but on a regular basis it becomes easy to blow your best made dietary plans.

Many times a restaurant meal can be the calorie equivalent of several home-cooked meals. The ubiquitous soft drinks (with free refills!) are calorie bombs plus being very high in sugar, they throw off your insulin response and thus increase your appetite later on or the next day. Add to that the high amounts of fat and salt and low amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables, restaurant meals leave a lot to be desired

So what to do? Here's are several tips to help you eat less junk and more nutritious food.

• Check for the restaurant menu online before you go. This way you can plan a healthier meal ahead of time.
• Eat something like fruit or nuts before you go out. This way you are not starving when you arrive at the restaurant.
• Avoid buffets at all costs! It is virtually impossible to have a healthy meal at a buffet.
• If you know you are going out in the evening, eat a small lunch to save up some of your daily caloric intake for the meal out. But remember to have that snack right before you go out so you are not ravenous.
• Order all salad dressings on the side and use only about 1/2 of what they give you.
• Choose skinless broiled or baked chicken where ever possible.
• Avoid cream sauces. These are generally loaded with fat. For pastas, red sauces are usually much lower in calories.
• For a beverage, order water with lemon even if you also have something else.
• Plan from the start to take 1/2 of your meal home with you.
• Share an entree with a friend.
• Watch out for high calorie coffee beverages. Cream, syrups, whipped cream, and milk all add a lot of calories to an otherwise low calorie beverage. Try some black or herbal tea with just a small amount of milk instead.
• Eat slowly. Chew your food thoroughly. This allows you to enjoy each bite more and also gives your body a better chance to tell you when you've had enough.
• Try not to eat while distracted by the TV or a newspaper. You will tend to eat more if distracted and not enjoy the food as much.

In short, there are many ways to enjoy your meal and still have it be healthy. Bon Appetit!

What is subluxation degeneration?

A subluxation is an improper alignment of or function in a joint. The main purpose of chiropractic care is to identify these problems and help you get rid of them. Subluxation degeneration occurs when these malfunctions are left untreated over many years. It is similar to the way your tires will wear unevenly if you leave them unaligned for a long time.

There are several phases to this degeneration starting with inflammation and scarring and leading to perhaps severe loss of disc thickness and bone spurs. Symptoms can vary greatly over the course of the condition. Sometimes there can be no symptoms at all especially in the early phases. Other times there may be weakness or pain in the area. The good news is that with early intervention the degeneration can be prevented or if already present, slowed. Even patients who have advanced degeneration that cannot be reversed report good relief of the associated pain.

There is no self test for this condition. The best way to evaluate it is to consult your chiropractor. It is also helpful to keep moving and stay active. It is thought that this condition is more frequent and more rapidly advancing in sedentary individuals. Just one more reason to get out for that walk or head for the gym.

Interval Training

Being physically active is tremendously helpful to your body whether you are receiving chiropractic care or not. But many people complain that they do not have time in their busy schedules to make exercise a regular event. I also see people on the street and at the gym doing things that might be good overall but are using up huge amounts of time. If they have that available then fine, but many people don't.

A great way to use your time more effectively is interval training. This means that you vary your cardiovascular routine in ways that produce more results in less time. A simple example is if you are taking a 20-30 minute walk, several times during the walk increase your speed for 15-60 seconds. As simple as that sounds, it makes a big difference. Not only does it up the fitness potential but it burns more calories and adds variety to the activity.

A recent study using participants on stationary bikes showed that 20 minutes of interval training three times per week for four months resulted in more weight loss than 40 minutes of non-interval training over the same time frame. So start slow but whatever your fitness level, adding interval training will be a great benefit.

Have more energy for the holidays

This time of year can be very celebratory or exhausting, or both! Here are a few tips to help it be more of the former and less of the latter.

Maintain your sleep schedule as closely as possible. Aim for the same number of hours as well as the same bedtime and wake-up time. Experts recommend that these be within one hour all week. So if you normally get up at 6:00 during the week, try to get up no later than 7:00 on the weekend. Sleeping in to 9 or 10 may actually make you more tired and make it harder to get back on schedule the next week.

Instead of reaching for that extra cup of coffee, get some Asian ginseng. It comes in creams, teas, and pill form. This is a very popular herb that boosts mental and physical energy. Rhodiola herb helps the body fight stress. It is used frequently in Russia as a tea for this purpose.

Also, regular chiropractic adjustments keep your body in top shape. This reduces stress and helps keep you physically and mentally balanced. It also saves body energy when all your joints are working smoothly, just like the proper oil in your car.

Enjoy the holidays!

Holiday Help

This time of year can be a very exciting time with lots of fun and enjoyable activities. However, it can also be a time where we are thrown off our schedules and especially our diet. Here's a few tips to help with those holiday indulgences and dietary variations.

First, try to stick to the same eating schedule as much as possible. Certainly on Thanksgiving Day you may not have a lot of choice. That can set the stage for several days of imbalance. Try to get back on track the very next day. If you are out early shopping, stop around the time you would normally eat breakfast and get a healthy snack. Even just a banana will help to let your body know to get back on schedule. Drink some extra water before a big meal. It helps to fill you up a little and not be as tempted to overeat. It also helps reduce your consumption of alcohol by satisfying your thirst with the fluid your body really needs.

If you end up drinking too much, be very sure to get at least one to two glasses of water before bedtime. When you wake up the next day, have another one to two glasses of water before you do anything else. There are many remedies for what we might call "post-indulgence syndrome" but the single most important thing you can do is increase your water intake.

I hope these few tips will help make this Holiday your best ever!

The Flu

Interested in preventing the flu naturally? We've all heard the ususal wash your hands frequently and get more water. That's good advice but I also see a lot of relationship to stress and fatigue. Many times we push ourselves so hard that our immune system is compromised. As we move into fall and winter make an extra effort to get more rest. Maybe that means going to bed 1/2 to 1 hour earlier. Maybe that means a 20-30 minute nap at mid-day. Whatever works for you that allows a bit more rest. Also try to keep up your exercise program even as the holidays approach. That will help with stress reduction and keeping your body moving. Daily movement is best even if it isn't a full work out.

Finally, reduce the amount of sugar, junk food, and caffeine you eat and drink. All of those are linked to decreased immune function. Instead eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Have two at each meal and for between meal snacks. Next time, I'll discuss more about natural supplements and remedies to prevent or treat the flu.

Head and neck pain

Are you having a pain in your neck or head somewhere? Here are a few tips to figure out what is causing it.

Is there any obvious reason why you have it ? If you were just hit there or had a little too much to drink last night, you'll just need to give it some time. Of course if it was a major injury or you are bleeding uncontrollably, you should consult a doctor immediately.

But if nothing is that clear, try just having a drink of cool not cold water. Dehydration results in lots of this type of problem. Have you had this before? If it is a recurring problem you should consult our office and have a more thorough evaluation. If this is the first time, try an ice pack. Only use it for 15 minutes on your neck or 10 minutes at a time on your head. You might also try getting some extra rest and relaxation. Even just an extra hour can make a difference.
If you need more advice, we are available for phone consultations at no charge. Just call us at 425-867-1119.