1. Keep walking. That’s it, just walk… one foot in front of the other, rinse and repeat. This might seem like some extra work, but often it’s not — think of the time you’ll save looking for the closer parking spot, or the stress of rush hour traffic. Plus you cannot deny the benefits of a slimmer waistline and more vitamin D.?
2. Embrace Family Time. Some families are large, some small, either way reconnect with them. Play games, take a walk (hey #1), cook together. Reconnect with the people that make you feel good. If your family doesn’t do this for you, redefine your family to include people that do make you feel awesome!
3. Look Local. Don’t look past the great things nearby, if you give up the hunt for the greatest deal or the latest craze you might find the best eats, healthier foods, and perfect gifts. This helps create a greater sense of community and can even improve your physical health if you include shopping farmers markets and other local food eateries.
4. Go Ahead and Toss It. Our lives are busy and contain many useful amenities, but sometimes things meant for good just become clutter. Healthy choices can’t be made in places we find to be uncomfortable or messy. Next time you think you might need to hold on to something think about how much you need it or love it. If it’s non-essential then get rid of it. Don’t forget a well timed donation can also make you feel good too.
5. Listen to Your Body. Sometimes it is that easy to have a healthier life. All too often we ignore the signs our bodies give us to tell us something might be awry. That lingering pain, nights of troubled sleep, or the headaches that come back over and over. An ounce of prevention here can potentially save you years of substandard living and dollars in health costs down the road.

(as posted in L.O. 1/12/10)

From morning sickness to swollen ankles, pregnancy gives many women a run for their money. There are many simple things to consider in having a healthy, easier pregnancy!

Morning Sickness –

We have all known someone to suffer from this. What causes it? Simply, it is the vast hormone changes occurring in the body all at one time. There does not seem to be a rhyme or reason why one person gets affected more so than others, but there is a relationship once you have had it that you are likely to have it in subsequent pregnancies. Oh joy. Many women find help in eating small, protein dense snacks frequently to combat the queasy feeling. Others find sour things such as lemons, lemonade, or sour candies to be helpful. Vitamin B6 can help as well, but should only be used if under the help of a medical practitioner. Lastly, ginger (candied, cooked, or in tea) helps many women.

Sciatica and Round Ligament Pain –

There is a lot this that is normal within this category of discomfort. Your pelvis experiences a lot of change during pregnancy, especially towards the latter half. Chiropractic, regular stretching, walking, massage, yoga, and a variety of other manual therapies can be very helpful. If you are not familiar with some of these and suffer from aches, get informed! You might be suffering more than is necessary.

Carpal Tunnel –

It is very normal for ligaments to become strained and looser while pregnant. We have a hormone called relaxin that pumps through our body, preparing our bodies for labor. In some women this effects them more negatively than others. Once again, a variety of stretching, manual therapies, and even bracing can be helpful. Try some things to help this ache!

Swollen Ankles -

While this can be a first sign of high blood pressure or dangerous water retention, this can also be very normal towards the end of pregnancy. Try an epsom salt foot soak or even reflexology from a licensed professional. Yoga and stretching can also be very helpful.

Insomnia and Leg Cramping -

I have personally suffered from these two. How awful! You want desperately to sleep and you just can’t. What helped me? Magnesium/calcium supplements. Once again, consult with your doctor, but these vitamins can be essential in getting and staying to sleep comfortably. Many of my patients sleep like a baby after their adjustments. I know I always did for a few nights in a row! How wonderful.

There are so many aches, pains, and discomforts of pregnancy but it is worth it in the end to hold that snuggly baby. Working through some of these problems naturally can make the wait even easier! Happy Spring!

(as posted in L.O. 3/9/10)

Children are amazingly adaptable. They fall down and scrape their knee. There are tears shed but typically a band-aid and a kiss and they are magically healed. It really is often that simple. But what happened to their body when they took that fall? The body is amazing and will simply absorb those little bumps and bruises. It isn’t until many bumps and bruises have occurred that the body starts to fail in adapting and aches and pains begin to set in. For most of us this does not occur until much later in life.

Chiropractic care in children helps children adapt even better to those bumps and bruises and takes them into adulthood with better body awareness and many tools to address issues sooner rather than later if needed. Adjustments affect the nervous system which coordinates with the immune system within the body. When a subluxation - what a chiropractor adjusts - is present, the nervous system and immune system work less efficiently and effectively. Removing these subluxations allows for proper nervous system functioning, a boost in immune system response, muscle flexibility, improved joint mobility, and overall feeling good. Adjustments on a young person can also help with ear infections, reflux, colic, eating issues, constipation, scoliosis, birth trauma, bed-wetting, and growing pains, to name a few. Parents often get to the end of their rope managing and treating some of the above issues and chiropractic can be an affordable, non-invasive, easy solution for many people.

So, is it safe? Absolutely. I recommend taking a pediatric patient to a chiropractor who is either specially trained in working with infants and children or to one who has a lot of experience and is comfortable treating infants and children. I have worked on my own children and many of my patients’ children since the beginning of my practice. Their spines move and function in the same way as an adults but their bones are spongier. An adult has clear delineations between bone, muscle and soft tissue textures in their body, whereas a child’s body all feels pretty similar until they are weight bearing. Once they begin walking their bodies slowly begin changing into more of an adult body - their bones get harder, their muscles get bulkier, and their ligaments get stronger.

When I work with a young patient it often appears that I am not doing much other than holding them and talking to them. The pressure is light and the adjustment is quick. I check their hips, mid-back, upper neck, and arms and legs. I make sure they do not have any tight spots in their muscles and that they are generally moving all their body parts the way they should. Then I teach the parents a few things to do at home that are pertinent to each patient. The parents are with the child more than I can be so it is important they are part of the treatment plan.

The best part of working with the younger population is they get better so quickly! Little bodies love to feel good and they do it well most of the time.

(as posted in L.O. 5/4/10)

Hand washing-30 seconds of hot water and soap before and after eating, on arrivals, before cooking, after the restroom and after contact with others. A 2007 study from the Mayo Clinic showed use of antibacterials increased bacteria resistance, making the bacteria more difficult to eliminate later.

Vitamins-it is ideal to get our nutrients from our food, but stress and illness cause our body to use nutrients quickly and we must replenish more often. At a minimum a high quality multi-vitamin and essential fatty acids are recommended. Sesame seed oil is a great immune booster. It builds platelet cells associated with functions of B (fighter) cells in our immune system.

Low Sugar Diet-Refined sugars, in high doses overwork your pancreas and liver which in turn stresses the immune system. The immune system is already struggling during illness so a high sugar diet further stresses the system. It is advisable to limit refined sugars and eliminate at the first sign of illness.

Sleep-Studies reported by Time Magazine in 2008 concluded that 6.5-8 hours of sleep each night is ideal. Health Magazine’s research from January 2009 revealed that people who lose sleep are more susceptible to getting a cold.

Fluids-keeping hydrated during illness loosens mucus and prevents dehydration, a potentially dangerous outcome of cold or flu. Additionally you can take Epsom salt baths to aid in hydration, ease muscle aches and calm yourself before sleep.

Fresh linens and towels-It is easy to ignore housework when sick, but a clean home can make all the difference in fighting off germs. Pick up extra sets of sheets and towels for the season. When sick, change the sheets more regularly and use a new towel everyday. Do the laundry once you feel better with hot water and white vinegar.

These are some easy first steps to keep those sneezes to a minimum, but you can always go further. Explore homeopathic remedies as an alternative to medicines. I’s always easy to reduce your chance of sickness and live naturally.

I needed to do a deep clean of our bedroom.  You know, all the woodwork, the windows, the baseboards, all the nooks and cranys that haven’t been touched in at least 6 months, maybe more if I’m honest.  Anyhow, cleaning with kids around is often difficult for many reasons but especially when dealing with water and/or chemicals.  So, this time I decided to try something that has been suggested to me many times over….cleaning with VINEGAR!  I made a concoction of 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water and added some essential oils (I chose one I have called Bacteria Fighter and it looks like they have other oil blends that could work well too).

This was AMAZING!  Not only did it work to clean, it smelled great, AND my 16 month old daughter helped without me worrying about her lungs, mouth, or skin getting harmed by chemicals.  I would highly recommend this easy formula for cleaning.

So, what other cobwebs are you clearing this spring?  I am also working on getting back to the gym.  I did well right after the new year but now 3 months in I have slowly gotten bad again.  Let me know how I can support you in a healthy springtime!

1. Fiber-specifically oat fiber has been found to help lower the small dense particles of LDL cholesterol that create plaque in our arteries. The soluble fiber, beta-glucon, found in oats is thought to be responsible.  Here is an article discussing this point.

2. Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)-there has been much hype about getting our fish oils, grinding flax seed into anything and everything we eat, seeking out fresh seafood that is safe to eat.  So how much value should we put into this hype?  A LOT!  There is a huge correlation between patients getting a healthy portion of EPA and DHA in their diets and the health of their blood panels.  Even the American Heart association agress as stated here.  I personally take Nordic Naturals Pro-Omega but there are many safe products out there on the market.  Dr. Sears and Nordic Naturals also carry products specific for children-they need EFAs for brain development and future integrity of their hearts.

What if you have an allergy to fish?  Make sure to get plenty of other nuts, seeds, and healthy oil.  Here is the page from the Vegan Society to lead you in the right direction for dietary sources.  I also really like this product from Standard Process.

3.  Know your numbers-how can you tell if you are even at risk?  Well, certainly everyone should just take care of themselves for healthy living but it is essential to know where you stand medically.  Certain situations require more immediate attention.  So, if it has been more than 2 years since your last physical please make an appointment today with your M.D.  If you don’t have one please call the office and I would be happy to recommend some wonderful doctors in the area.

Happy Heart Month!!