Girl wearing orange backpack and hiking clothes looking out at the mountains with her hands up.

Spring Health: 5 Tips to Feel Great!

Spring Health: 5 Tips to Feel Great!

Springtime is full of optimism, excitement and new beginnings. Just like we take the time to clean out our living and working space, we need to take this time to clean out our body and mind. Follow our top five tips to get the most enjoyment out of this time of year!

  1. Walk Every Day: Make it a goal to walk every day. The fresh air and exercise are great both physically and emotionally. Try walking on variable surfaces like trails or even the grass between the sidewalk and road. Embrace your surroundings and connect with nature!
  2. Consider a Detox or Cleanse: Refrain from sugar, grains, alcohol and caffeine to give your body a chance to rid itself of toxins and stored fat. Try anything from a simple 10-day sugar cleanse (or detox) to a more aggressive 14-28 day program.
  3. Incorporate Vegetables With Each Meal: Add a vegetable to each meal to help with nutrient and mineral levels to boost energy. Sauteed cabbage and onions go great with most breakfasts. Carrots, celery and/or peppers are an easy addition to most lunches. And roasted broccoli and cauliflower make a great side at dinner.
  4. Plant a Garden: Carefully plan what vegetables you’d like and where to plant them for optimal growth. Use this resource for your first garden and this one for more advanced tips and ideas to consider.
  5. Try something new: Have an open mind to try something out of your comfort zone like a yoga class, daily meditation practice, train for and run a 5K, volunteer at a park clean-up event, go for weekly hikes, try a boot camp/high intensity interval training workout or join a book club!

To learn more about living with the seasons, read here.

*Bonus tip: Get adjusted to improve mobility, circulation and overall well-being!

 

3 Mobility Indicators of Early Death

3 Mobility Indicators of Early Death. 

It’s common practice to look at blood pressure, cholesterol levels* and body mass index as part of a health evaluation but what about mobility indicators that affect your longevity? Here is a summary of three major indicators that can predict premature death and what you can do about it.

  1. Frequent Falls. Falling a lot suggests that your body awareness is hindered (Being Mortal, Atul Gawande) and leads to significant injuries. Often times this starts with dysfunction in your feet. Try stretching your feet (additional video), reading this book to minimizing foot stress and improving your balance. Additionally, spinal imbalances contribute to falls at any age and are easily improved with regular chiropractic care. If you haven’t been to your chiropractor in a while, now’s a good time to get in for a tune-up!
  2. Poor Mobility. Try the Sitting Rising Test (SRT). Your performance, or lack thereof, can predict your longevity. Did you score less than eight points? Start moving in ways your body isn’t accustomed to. Use these videos as a starting point for adding new movements to improve mobility and perform the SRT once a week.
  3. Grip Strength. A 2015 study found that poor grip strength can be a stronger indicator of morbidity than blood pressure. The reason is simply that people with stronger hands tend to move their bodies more. But don’t go out and buy grip strengtheners. Rather, start raking your own lawn, shovel snow with a shovel (when possible), practice hanging (or even repetitions of pull-ups) for long periods of time, plant a garden and care for it daily or carry your small children on a walk rather than use a baby-carrier. Basically, try to add as much variable activity to everything you do! (Movement Matters)

Try Chiropractic! If your spine is not functioning optimally, all three of the previously mentioned categories will be hindered. Call us today to improve alignment and well-being to live longer, happier and healthier!

*Blood sugar levels are more important than any other physical measure such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels, but we’ll save that discussion for a future blog post ?

Stretching Series Video Guide

Stretching Series Video Guide.

Use this index for your resource on our short video series. Each video contains one to four stretches to help a specific region of the body. For a more comprehensive stretching routine, try our 7-Minute Daily Stretch.

 

Neck/Shoulder Series 1: Shoulder Circles, Straight Shoulder & Floor Angels

Neck/Shoulder Series 2: Neck Range of Motion, Rhomboid Push-up, PostureMedic brace

Neck/Shoulder Series 3: Katy Bowman’s “Paint the Globe”

Lower Back/Hip Series 1: Calf Stretch, Hip Openers, Sitting Cross Legged, Quadriceps

Lower Back/Hip Series 2: Spinal Twist, Modified Child’s Pose, Modified Pigeon, Tailor’s

Lower Back/Hip Series 3: Pelvic Tilts, Founder by Foundation Training, Modified Squats

Foot Series 1: Calf Stretch, Roll the Foot with Ball

Foot Series 2: Reflexology Board, Sit on Heels, Toe Spacing

Kids Series: Healthy Spine, Healthy Mind, a 12 exercise series to help with mobility, balance and brain-body communication.

5 Tips to Help You Feel Your Best this Winter

5 Tips to Help You Feel Your Best this Winter.
Winter is the perfect time to re-set your health and restore your mind. Here are a few tips to help you stay happy and healthy through the winter so you can feel your best!
1. Optimize Your Water Intake: We need half our body weight in ounces of water per day (75% for 150-pound person). Start each day with two glasses of water before any other food or drink. Drink more water in between meals as too much during meals can dilute your digestive enzymes.
2. Get More Rest: All mammals are sleeping more this time of year and so should we. Go to bed earlier, sleep in when possible and take naps once or twice a week. Your body heals more when you sleep so give it the best opportunity you can.
3. Get Your Daily Dose of Vitamin D: Get outside as much as possible and supplement with 2,000-4,000 IU’s of Vitamin D per day to help with many biological processes in the body like immune support, bone health and autoimmune disorders. For more food sources of Vitamin D, read here.
4. Feed Your Soul: Take this time to look inward and reflect on yourself through prayer, meditation, writing, yoga, etc. to connect with your inner self and help relax the mind, calm emotions and raise your spirit. Learn more about stress management here.
5. Low and Slow Cooking with Broth: Broth is nutrient dense containing many essential minerals and can easily be used instead of water for cooking rice, beans, lentils, soups and stews. Cook on low temperatures for longer times and use in-season foods like root vegetables, winter greens and bone-in meats. This infuses food with heat to keep the body warm during winter months. Learn more about cooking with the season here!

Bonus Tip: Get adjusted to minimize spinal stress that can be keeping you from feeling like yourself!

Healthy Holiday Habits; 5 Tips to Start the New Year on the Right Track

5 Tips to Start the New Year on a Healthy Note.

Holiday festivities can derail even the healthiest of eaters. For many people this leads to weight gain, sick days and leaves them more susceptible to injury. Try these simple tips to stay healthy over the holidays and start the New Year on the right track!

  1. Watch your liquid calories. A 12-ounce flavored latte can have anywhere from 250 to 350 calories, hot chocolate has 250 calories, a glass of wine has 150 calories, a micro beer has 150 calories and a vodka/soda cocktail with lime has 100 calories. But, did you know that 8oz of kombucha has only 25 calories !?!?! At your next gathering, try serving GT’s Trilogy Kombucha mixed half and half with lime LaCroix. Trust me, your guests will love it! And, don’t forget to drink half your body weight in ounces of pure water per day.
  2. Look for veggies and nuts. When snacking or eating appetizers, stick to veggies and nuts. Put them on a plate/bowl and pre-determine how much you’re going to eat. Don’t graze!
  3. Stick to your routine. Go for walks, stretch, read, go to bed at the same time, don’t skip or add meals, exercise and take time for yourself each day. This will cut down on emotional eating, stress and help you not completely let yourself go.
  4. Count your “courses.” If you’re like me, you like to eat food before you eat your food. In America, we call these the appetizers. Everywhere else, it’s simply called over-eating. Appetizers, main course, second helpings and dessert add up to four courses and a heck of a lot of food. Try sticking to just one to two courses. Chew gum, drink water before a meal, have a cup of tea after you eat, put all the food you plan on eating onto one plate to give yourself a visual, have a family member hold you accountable or just do whatever is needed to resist the urge to overeat.
  5. Bring healthy options to gatherings. Make up your favorite salad, soup or veggie platter to share with friends and family. Or, order this holiday themed cookbook for new, dairy free/gluten free options that are sure to be a hit!

Bonus Tip: Get adjusted to minimize one more stress on your body and to prevent illness and injury!

5 Tips for Simple Meal Planning

5 Tips for Simple Meal Planning.

The difference between a healthy, home cooked meal and an unhealthy one is usually just the time it takes to plan and prepare it. With today’s busy lifestyle, it’s easy for working families to opt for quicker, less healthy meals in a crunch. Follow these five tips to start enjoying more delicious, nutritious meals together!

  1. Have a prep day. Set aside time every week to plan and prep a week’s worth of food. You can easily pre-cut veggies, cook meats, make soups, etc. It will make individual meal prep go much smoother and save time. Here’s a great article to get you started.
  2. Invest in a programmable crock pot or even an instant pot. Crock pots and pressure cookers with multiple settings and timers can make healthy meals a reality for working families. Or, don’t be afraid to ask a friend or neighbor to stop by during the day and turn your crock pot on for you.
  3. Have a 7-Day Plan. Knowing what you’re going to have for dinner on Thursday when it’s Monday morning takes out the guess work and minimizes trips to the store. Try eMeals and/or PlateJoy for customized help.
  4. Make it a family affair. Teach kids (and spouses) how to prep, using kid friendly knives if needed, and get them involved in as many steps as possible.
  5. Pull out the cookbook and explore food blogs. Expand your culinary reach by diving into a cookbook and explore new, healthy options. Here are some of our favorites to look into: Whole 30, Nourished Beginnings, Nourishing Traditions, Nourished Kitchen, Against All Grain, Raising Generation Nourished, Axe.

***Bonus Tip: Get adjusted! It won’t make meal planning easier but it will help your alignment, mobility and overall well-being ?

5 Tips For Managing Emotional Stress

5 Tips for Managing Emotional Stress.

Emotional stress is just as harmful to your health and physical trauma and toxic overload. But, many people don’t know what to do about it or even like to talk about it. Here are five tips to get you started on managing your emotional stress.

  1. Focus on Routine. Not only will this help with time management, it will keep your day on track and minimize emotional triggers. Establish a routine that includes both what you need to get done in addition to fun activities that you enjoy.
  2. Move Regularly. Whether it be walking, yoga, biking or even Boot Camp (high intensity interval training), regular body motion (you can call it exercise if you’d like) is vital for a healthy mindset.
  3. Feed your soul. Enjoy quiet time, read, pray, practice breathing techniques or do whatever it is that helps you relax and feel worry free. Here are a few of our favorite apps that can help. Glenn Harrold, Bold Tranquility and Centering Prayer.
  4. Find your (real) social network. Engage regularly with family, friends, church groups or even a pet. And, don’t be afraid to seek out the help of a counselor or therapist. Sometimes we all need professional help.
  5. Focus on Nutrition. Create a healthy meal plan (whole foods, paleo, Weston A Price) to keep you on track and prevent using alcohol, sugar and nicotine as coping mechanisms.

Bonus Tip: Get adjusted to minimize spinal stress that can be keeping you from feeling like yourself!

3 Tips to Stay Healthy This Fall

Don’t let the cooler temperatures and diminishing sunlight hinder your health. Try our top 3 tips to stay healthy this fall so you can enjoy all that the season has to offer!

Breathe: In through the nose until the lungs are full and hold for 5 seconds.  Exhale completely and repeat for 3 full breaths. Do this 3 times a day to minimize stress, clear the airways and free you mind.

Walk Outside: There is nothing more healing than connecting with nature and breathing in clean, cool air. Commit to walking 10-15 minutes (or more) at the same time every day.

Eat In-Season Foods: Fall foods are heartier and nourishing while also supporting the immune system. Make your favorite soups & stews and save leftovers for quick meals & easy lunches!

***Bonus Tip: Get adjusted to improve mobility, circulation, drainage & physical well-being!

Learn more about “Living with the seasons.”

5 Must-Have Mobility Props

5 Must-Have Mobility Props.
Adding movement to your day to day activities is as easy as walking more, sitting on the floor instead of a couch and carrying your child on a hike instead of using a baby carrier. But most of us have restrictions and old injury that limit our mobility, function and ultimately, our health and well-being. Props are a beneficial tool to help your body move in different ways or introduce loads to minimize restrictions and promote healing. Here are our top 5 recommended props and how to best use them:
Half Round– Half rounds, or domes, provide the stability of a foam roller but in a fixed position. They’re a great way to stretch your calves, feet or even provide heel support for a modified squat. Keep one in both your home and workplace and use often. Calf/foot tension is often the root cause of many musculoskeletal issues!
Reflexology board– Reflexology boards provide instant soothing relief of foot soreness, releases stress and tension and stimulate reflexology pressure points on the bottom of your feet. Stand on these at home when working in the kitchen or at work with a standing workstation. Try 30 seconds at a time at first and move around to increase mobility between all 26 bones in the foot.
Stability Disc– Stability discs can be used to sit on at work or in the car to improve posture and alleviate spinal strain. You can also stand on them to enhance core function. Children with sensory issues often see improvements when sitting on these in the classroom.
Yoga Ball– Exercise balls promote strength, agility and balance. Use them for squats, abdominal work or just to sit on in your living room.
Pull Up Bar– Can’t do a pull-up? No problem! Hanging provides a great load on your body to improve shoulder function, minimize spinal tension, improve grip strength and open up the rib cage. Time yourself each week with a goal to hang longer and change your grip often. And yes, if you can do a pull-up, do them, lots of them with variable grips.

elderberry supplement for cold and flu season

Missing Minerals: 5 Common Deficiencies

Missing Minerals: 5 Common Deficiencies.

If you didn’t think vitamins and minerals were overwhelming, just walk down the nutrition aisle at Meijer or Wal-Mart and try to make some sense of it. Although we should get all our vitamins and minerals from our food, some essential nutrients are still lacking in a healthy diet and can contribute to chronic illness. Here is a list of what we’ve found to be the top 5 vitamin deficiencies, food sources to add and the best vitamins to supplement with that we know of:

  1. Fish Oil– the omega fatty acids in fish oils help with joint health and cellular repair. Wild Alaskan salmon is one of the best sources but is often very pricy. A more cost-effective alternative are canned sardines. When choosing a supplement, buyer beware! The jumbo bottle at Costco may not good quality and have little positive effect on your health. The best source of fish oil I know of is Rosita’s. It’s super fishy tasting and expensive. But, it works! For a better tasting oil, less expensive fish oil, try liquid Omegavail (capsule) or even the Lemon Drop Smoothie for kids.
  2. Vit D– sunshine, fatty fish (tuna, sardines & salmon), cheese and egg yolks all contain Vitamin D to help with many biological processes in the body like immune support, bone health and autoimmune disorders. Emulsi-D is a great supplement to easily get your 2,000-4,000 IU’s in per day. Bio-D mulsion is another source that may absorb better depending on the individual.
  3. Probiotics– probiotics are the good bacteria that live in your body to help with digestion and immune function and are found in fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, natto, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, tempeh and kefir. Probiotic Synergy is available in both tablet and powder Probiotic Supreme offers the same number of strains but in triple the concentration. For variety, Ther-biotic complete offers more total strains per capsule and their children’s chewable is perfect for kids! They also have an infant formula that is great for babies.
  4. Magnesium-magnesium helps with tissue repair, protein synthesis and over 300 biomechanical functions in the body. It is most commonly found in spinach, pumpkin seeds, almonds, black beans, and avocado. Magnesium Malate provides a simple tablet at 180 mg each while Natural Calm makes a pleasant tasting drink with 155mg per teaspoon.
  5. Iodine– According to Dr. David Brownstein and many other healthcare professionals, living in the Midwest makes us significantly deficient in Iodine since it’s mostly found in seaweed, kelp and seafood. This significantly impairs thyroid function! A few great supplements are Iodoral, Liquid Iodine Forte and Iodine Synergy support your daily needs.