What an amazing story this is! Please watch this video and take some time to really let the message soak in. Then examine all of the things we take for granted… and the things we might be missing.
Tips For A Healthy Thanksgiving November 17, 2011
Do you know that the average Thanksgiving dinner has over 2000 calories?
It can be a real challenge if you are watching your waistline. The following are some eating tips so that you can still look good and be healthy after the Thanksgiving dinner without having to deprive yourself.
Relax. Breathe. Give thanks. Prepare to receive. Hydrate first (no alcohol or soda) 15 minutes before eating.
Salad first: dark greens to fill 2Tblsp olive oil & vinegar dressing (no creamy thick dressing). Try coconut oil or natural flavored vinegar for a change!
Thanksgiving Guest
- Don’t go to the Thanksgiving dinner hungry: we often eat faster and more when we are hungry – therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid overeating at dinner time.
- Thanksgiving dinner is not an all-you-can-eat buffet: Fill your plate half with vegetables, one quarter with a lean meat and the rest with a starch of your choice. Eat slowly and stop when you are full.
- Turkey- go skinless: choose your 4-oz turkey portion skinless to slash away some fat and cholesterol. Save your appetite for the side dishes and desserts.
- Use smaller plates!
- Side Dishes – watch your portion size: go for smaller portions. This way you can sample all the different foods. Moderation is always the key.
- Make a conscious choice to limit high fat items: high fat food items can be found in fried and creamy dishes as well as cheese-
- filled casseroles in a traditional Thanksgiving meal . For instance, mashed potatoes are usually made with butter and milk; green bean casseroles are often prepared with cream of mushroom soup, cheese and milk and topped with fried onions; candied yams are loaded with cream, sugar and marshmallows. If you cannot control the ingredients that go in to a dish, simply limit yourself to a smaller helping size. Again moderation is the key.
- Drink plenty of water: alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body. Drink calorie-free water to help fill up your stomach and keep you hydrated.
Thanksgiving Host
- Substitute high fat ingredients with lower-fat or fat-free ingredients. See the substitutions table below.
- LeftoverTurkey? Instead of turkey sandwiches, use the leftover turkey to make a pot of soup with fresh chunky vegetables. Also you can cook the entire carcass to make your broth!
- Experiment with new recipes: we did a search on Google and found numerous delicious yet healthy low-fat contemporary Thanksgiving recipes. Experiment!
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipe Substitution Tips
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Recipe calls for… |
Substitution |
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| 1 whole egg | people may tell you to use 2 egg whites instead but the whole egg is much better for you! | |||
| sour cream | low fat plain yogurt or low fat sour cream | |||
| milk | skim or 1% milk | |||
| ice cream | frozen yogurt | |||
| heavy cream (not for whipping) | 1:1 ratio of flour whisked into non fat milk (e.g. 1 cup of flour + 1 cup of non fat milk) | |||
| whipped cream | chilled evaporated skim milk
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| cheese | real cheese is better for you than the “low fat” kinds, just use less! |
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| butter | same goes with butter! |
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| cream of mushroom | fresh mushrooms are the way to go! |
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*Read all “Light” and “Fat Free” (etc) products carefully- WHOLE might be better for you!
*Don’t bother substituting sugar! Aspartame (now being called “Aminosweet”) is dangerous!
Are You A Slouch Potato? October 31, 2011
Are You a Slouch Potato?
You may remember that a couple of years ago there were concerns about health issues associated with playing video games. In particular, wrist and finger pain among children ages 7-12 who played more than an hour a day.
Now, with the popularity of Apple’s iPad there is a related concern. Instead of using these tablet devices at a desk setting like a computer, for which proper ergonomics are well established, these high-tech devices are designed for the more relaxed posture of passively consuming media. Thus, many are referring to such devices as “slouch” media – a term that catches the ear of every chiropractor!
As a child, you may have been admonished to “Don’t slump in the chair! Walk tall!” The reason behind the persistent pestering was based on a classic 18th Century quote from Alexander Pope, “Just as the twig is bent, the three’s inclined.”
Today we see the classic forward head carriage in people of all sizes, shapes, ages and gender. A slouched posture can have neurological effects. Pressure on the spinal nerves can cause numbness and tingling down your arm. Muscles can become unbalanced when the upper body is held in unnatural positions for long periods of time. Shoulder, neck and upper back pain are common as well.
Poor posture is an acquired habit. To break it, become aware of your posture and seek regular chiropractic care.
Are You Brushing Long Enough? October 12, 2011
Are You Brushing Long Enough?
It’s common knowledge that we should brush our teeth two to three times a day, but for how long? Researchers have noticed that those who brush often enough usually don’t brush long enough to do a good job. Dentists suggest that an effective toothbrushing routine should last at least two to three minutes. Yet most of us are investing about 45 seconds!
Find a way to extend your toothbrushing a minute or two longer. While you’re brusing, sing a song (to yourself), count to 300 or find an inexpensive egg timer.
Sluggish In The PM? September 12, 2011
Sluggish In The P.M.?
Do you experience low energy in the afternoon? There may be a very simple solution. Chances are that you are eating starchy, processed carbohydrates for lunch. Breads, pastas and french fries put quite a demand on your digestive system. Try this for just a week and see if you don’t feel the difference:
For a week eat only proteins and vegetables for your midday meal. That means no sandwiches, and if you must have a burger, don’t eat the bun. Find a healthy salad bar or enjoy some soup.
You’ll be surprised by how much energy you’ll have in the afternoons. When everyone else is looking for energy in a candy bar or soda can, you may want to share your little secret!
Exercise and Chiropractic Part II August 31, 2011
Low-Tech Weight Loss
Many people think that they have to exercise for an hour everyday, sweating profusely, in order for exercise to be beneficial. It’s not true.
Here are a few low-tech alternatives to help you lose weight and stay healthy.
- Jump ropes can get your cardiovascular system revving. It’s a calorie burner that works every muscle, delivering a full-body workout.
- Get a dog and take it for a walk. In one study, people who walked their dog 20 minutes a day, five days a week lost an average of 14 pounds a year!
- Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can increase cravings and decreases the amount of leptin in your body – a hormone that helps use energy.
You don’t have to get fancy to exercise, and you certainly don’t have to join an expensive gym or spa to get the same benefits. Get a good night’s sleep, leash up your dog and get ready for summer!
Exercise and Chiropractic Part I August 25, 2011
Chiropractic care and exercise go hand in hand as an ideal combination for building and improving overall health as well as for speeding recovery from injury.
In the next few installments of my blog, I plan on sharing a lot of information about this concept so you can expect to read how these work together to yield the greatest improvements for patients with low back pain, how chiropractic care added to rehabilitation exercises helped people with knee injuries, and why you should give chiropractic and exercise a chance before ever considering surgical fusion of your vertebrae for back pain.
While chiropractic care and exercise work ideally together for injuries and rehabilitation, add a healthy diet, plenty of sleep and lots of clean water and you have the recipe for excellent health. (Of course you simply may not smoke and should drink alcohol only moderately if at all). While eating a healthy diet may seem hard we can help advise you. And exercise can be really tough in the beginning but it gets easier and easier. The key to it, like for chiropractic care, is to just make time for it. Once you get started you will want to continue because you will love the way you feel and the way you look. Most Americans don’t get nearly enough exercise. Let our office help you get started.
- Exercise Instead of Surgery -
A recent study showed that exercise and counseling was just as effective as back surgery for patients with disc degeneration.
When discs between the vertebrae of the spine degenerate surgeons often recommend a surgical procedure called lumbar fusion to fuse together the vertebrae above and below the problem disc(s). This takes the pressure off the discs in hopes of relieving pain, but also makes it impossible to bed or twist that part of the spine anymore. That loss of flexibility and the substantial risks of any surgery should make you think twice before having this done and now a new study shows you may do as well with exercise.
Patients with low back pain lasting more than a year, who had disc degeneration shown on X-Ray, were randomly divided into two groups. One group received the lumbar fusion surgery while those in the other group were given exercise and counseled, assuring them that the exercise and activity would not harm their back and recommending the exercise. After one year both groups had similar improvements in use of pain medication, emotional distress, life satisfaction and the ability to return to work. The “success rate” according to the researchers was 70% for the surgical fusion group compared to 76% for the exercise group.
We want patients to try all conservative measures first before submitting to any surgery especially one that permanently limits the flexibility of your back. While this study used exercise alone we would have probably added adjustments to the back to relieve pain and improve function of the back, which in turn may make exercise easier and less painful to do. There may be some severe cases that still require surgery, but most people will likely find relief with chiropractic care and exercise.
WARNING: Spinal Health Hazard: Too Much Sitting! August 12, 2011
WARNING: Spinal Health Hazard: Too Much Sitting!
We have become a society of “sitters”. We sit in front of our computers and televisions, at our desks, in cars and planes, in chairs reading… we sit and sit some more, day in and day out.
Extended periods of sitting affects your spine. Here’s what you can do to avoid some of the health issues linked with sitting.
- Adjust your chair and computer monitor so you’re looking slightly down at your screen.
- Invest in an ergonomically designed chair (Suggest this to your favorite airline!)
- Become mindful of your posture and the position of your back, neck and head.
- To avoid sitting “fatigue”, shift your body weight from time to time and make sure your chair is adjusted to the proper height.
- Use a footrest to relieve pressure on your legs and thighs.
- Get up periodically and take a walk, stretch your legs and give yourself a break!
Many jobs require long periods of sitting. If you have one, and you experience frequent back or neck pain, be sure to mention it on your next visit. Getting up and moving around every so often, even for two minutes or doing some “desk” exercises may help alleviate the strain on your neck and back.
We can help! (703) 385 – 2990.
FREE Osteoporosis/Osteopenia Workshop – Open to Public July 18, 2011
Whether you suffer, know someone who does or are just interested in some great preventative information- this is the workshop for you! Open to public- we’ll be going over both preventative and management information as well as diet and exercise advice. Can’t wait to see you there!
THURS 7/28 @6:30pm
Circle Chiropractic Center
9526-B Lee Hwy
Fairfax, VA 22031
(703) 385 – 2990
CircleChiro@gmail.com
Does Knuckle Cracking Cause Arthritis? July 15, 2011
Does Knuckle Cracking Cause Arthritis?
Metacarpophalangeal joints, or knuckles, connect your fingers to the rest of your hand bones. Synovial fluid lubricates these joints, sustains the cartilage and acts as an adhesive to stabilize the joint.
By pulling or pushing on a finger, you can “crack” your knuckles. It produces a gas bubble and causes a separation of the joint. Much like the sound of a champagne cork releasing the pressure in the bottle, the disruption of the adhesive seal is the cracking sound you hear. It may take a while for the joint to reseal before you can crack your knuckles again.
There’s no scientific evidence to indicate that knuckle cracking will cause arthritis. But it may cause soreness of the joint.
