Dear Friends of Roscoe Chiropractic,
With this month Marching to it's end some out there might be feeling some of the stress associated with tax time. I'm going to outline some ways to combat those sometimes overwhelming feelings of stress.
1. Walk it off - Taking a walk has many physical and mental health benefits. It's a great opportunity to relax, enjoy the fresh air and either forget about your stress or process it with a clear mind. Often times stress isn't even caused by a particular situation but by a sense of being trapped by the situation. A walk is a chance for escape plus the endorphins that are released with the physical activity help relieve stress as well.
2. Talk about it - Stress becomes most damaging when we keep it to ourselves. Sometimes talking about why you feel stressed will help you gain perspective on the situation. Just being understood a little better can help alleviate some of the feelings.
3. Distract yourself - The power of stress comes from being consumed by thoughts about how stressed you are. Find a true distraction, something that forces you to be actively thinking about something else. Try a baseball game, a good comedy or book.
4. Deal with it - Don't let the mole hill turn into a mountain. If you deal with the issue that is stressing you out it will be eliminated as a source of stress. Here are a few simple rules for dealing with stress before it stresses you out. a) Recognize when you're stressed; don't ignore it or pretend you're "fine" b) Understand why you're stressed; identify the source. c) Find a way to reduce stress (or eliminate it) by finding ways to manage it.
5. Find the positives - Think of stress as an opportunity to make changes, explore creative solutions that will not only ease your stress but reduce the chance for it to return.
With these things in mind also remember that regular chiropractic adjustments can help eliminate stress, making you feel more relaxed. Being stressed out causes shoulders and neck to tighten and constrict causing headache and backache. Having regular adjustments will prevent your neck and back from getting locked up and causing you more stress due to pain and tension.
I hope everyone is doing great! Take care and stay healthy!
Karla H.
Roscoe Chiropractic Centre
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Benefits of Stretching - March 17, 2011
Dear Friends of Roscoe Chiropractic,
It's coming back into that time of year when even the people who don't usually exercise start getting more active. I couldn't be happier about the prospect of taking walks on my lunch breaks again. After several months of inactivity or at least less activity than normal I wanted to share some information about stretching. I know I've believed some common misconceptions regarding healthy stretching before activity.
For decades it's been standard to believe that stretching the body before physical activity was key to increasing flexibility, avoiding injury and improving athletic performance. This is actually based on a lot of assumptions and very little actual research on the topic. In an article that was published in The Physician and Sport Medicine two doctors reviewed over 60 studies related to issues involving stretching and showed there were contradictions. The conclusion that was reached was that stretching may provide substantial benefits if used under appropriate conditions.
What does that mean? Well there are different kinds of stretching and they should be used in the right conditions before or after certain activities. There are too many kinds of stretching to list but there are some techniques that fall under the following categories
1. Dynamic Stretching - This involves moving your whole body while engaging in stretching techniques. An example would be walking while swinging a leg up to your mid section, holding it for a second and then release and repeat with the other leg. Some studies suggest dynamic stretching is best conducted before engaging in physical activity.
2. Static Stretching - The goal with static stretching is to stretch the muscle to it's farthest point without causing pain. You generally hold a static stretch for 30 seconds. If the area is stiff you can increase that to 60 seconds. These types of stretches are best done after physical activity.
3. Ballistic Stretching - These are bouncing stretches. The research on this type of stretching has been mixed. Some believe it can put you at risk of pulling muscles. This type of stretching is not as familiar but there is an advanced system called proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation or PNF. This involves contracting specific muscle groups using resistance. It seems to activate muscles more quickly than other types of stretching. Due to it's advanced technique it's best done first with a health care professional who has expertise in the area.
So there you have it. Here is to good weather and better weather to come!
It's coming back into that time of year when even the people who don't usually exercise start getting more active. I couldn't be happier about the prospect of taking walks on my lunch breaks again. After several months of inactivity or at least less activity than normal I wanted to share some information about stretching. I know I've believed some common misconceptions regarding healthy stretching before activity.
For decades it's been standard to believe that stretching the body before physical activity was key to increasing flexibility, avoiding injury and improving athletic performance. This is actually based on a lot of assumptions and very little actual research on the topic. In an article that was published in The Physician and Sport Medicine two doctors reviewed over 60 studies related to issues involving stretching and showed there were contradictions. The conclusion that was reached was that stretching may provide substantial benefits if used under appropriate conditions.
What does that mean? Well there are different kinds of stretching and they should be used in the right conditions before or after certain activities. There are too many kinds of stretching to list but there are some techniques that fall under the following categories
1. Dynamic Stretching - This involves moving your whole body while engaging in stretching techniques. An example would be walking while swinging a leg up to your mid section, holding it for a second and then release and repeat with the other leg. Some studies suggest dynamic stretching is best conducted before engaging in physical activity.
2. Static Stretching - The goal with static stretching is to stretch the muscle to it's farthest point without causing pain. You generally hold a static stretch for 30 seconds. If the area is stiff you can increase that to 60 seconds. These types of stretches are best done after physical activity.
3. Ballistic Stretching - These are bouncing stretches. The research on this type of stretching has been mixed. Some believe it can put you at risk of pulling muscles. This type of stretching is not as familiar but there is an advanced system called proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation or PNF. This involves contracting specific muscle groups using resistance. It seems to activate muscles more quickly than other types of stretching. Due to it's advanced technique it's best done first with a health care professional who has expertise in the area.
So there you have it. Here is to good weather and better weather to come!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Try Tea instead of that Venti Mocha Latte the size of your head -- March 10, 2011
Dear Friends of Roscoe Chiropractic,
March it seems is the consistently the most inconsistent month of the year for weather. Here is to hoping you are all tolerating this back and forth month with a positive attitude. I think we're all ready for spring to be sprung. I just want to thank all of you who read these messages for taking an interest in your health and for trusting us with your care. Stay tuned for some exciting new things to come at RCC.
Because today is on the chilly side and a nice cup of hot tea is perfect for warming that cold in your bones feeling, I'm going to share some interesting information about some health benefits of tea. The main and most well known benefit of tea is it's high concentration of antioxidants. Antioxidants are powerful molecules that can defend your body against attack from disease. Black and green tea have as much as TEN times the amount of antioxidants than fruits and vegetables!
More large scale study certainly needs to be done, but tea has been touted for it's health benefits from the time it was first cultivated hundreds of years ago. Some of the benefits include reducing cholesterol to helping prevent cancer. A study from Sweden followed the dietary habits of 60,000 women over 15 years revealed that those who drank two cups of tea daily cut their risk of ovarian cancer by 46%!
Some other research on green tea shows some promising evidence for treating breast cancer. Green tea contains a powerful antioxidant called EGCG. In the study this antioxidant was shown to slow the progression of cancer cell growth and tumor size was trimmed by 68% and there is speculation that this green tea antioxidant may inhibit blood supply to the tumors and prevent the spread of cancerous cells.
In other areas such as brain health, this tea may also help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, not to mention the great benefits to the musculoskeletal system. It can help to soothe joint inflammation and reduce cartilage degeneration.
Though green tea has gotten most of the research other teas are also revealing their health potential. Black tea demonstrates hope for treating type 2 diabetes. A study found that specific polysaccharides, a type of carbohydrate might be effective at reducing blood sugar. Black tea might also help prevent stroke. These are all things that would need much more study!
One drawback that people find with tea is the caffeine content. The good news is that removing the caffeine to make decaffeinated tea does not affect the level of antioxidants! Some tips on brewing your tea and which to choose; black teas should be steeped at least 5 minutes because their antioxidant properties take longer to release, herbal teas which contain flowers, herbs and roots while beneficial in other ways are not actually tea and are not as high in antioxidants. Lastly, drink your tea clear, adding cream or milk may dampen it's health benefits.
I don't know if it's because I lived in the UK and they are notorious for their tea consumption, but I love tea! If you haven't, try tea instead of coffee filled with sugar and creamers and drink a cup of black or green tea.
Have a great week everyone!!
March it seems is the consistently the most inconsistent month of the year for weather. Here is to hoping you are all tolerating this back and forth month with a positive attitude. I think we're all ready for spring to be sprung. I just want to thank all of you who read these messages for taking an interest in your health and for trusting us with your care. Stay tuned for some exciting new things to come at RCC.
Because today is on the chilly side and a nice cup of hot tea is perfect for warming that cold in your bones feeling, I'm going to share some interesting information about some health benefits of tea. The main and most well known benefit of tea is it's high concentration of antioxidants. Antioxidants are powerful molecules that can defend your body against attack from disease. Black and green tea have as much as TEN times the amount of antioxidants than fruits and vegetables!
More large scale study certainly needs to be done, but tea has been touted for it's health benefits from the time it was first cultivated hundreds of years ago. Some of the benefits include reducing cholesterol to helping prevent cancer. A study from Sweden followed the dietary habits of 60,000 women over 15 years revealed that those who drank two cups of tea daily cut their risk of ovarian cancer by 46%!
Some other research on green tea shows some promising evidence for treating breast cancer. Green tea contains a powerful antioxidant called EGCG. In the study this antioxidant was shown to slow the progression of cancer cell growth and tumor size was trimmed by 68% and there is speculation that this green tea antioxidant may inhibit blood supply to the tumors and prevent the spread of cancerous cells.
In other areas such as brain health, this tea may also help reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, not to mention the great benefits to the musculoskeletal system. It can help to soothe joint inflammation and reduce cartilage degeneration.
Though green tea has gotten most of the research other teas are also revealing their health potential. Black tea demonstrates hope for treating type 2 diabetes. A study found that specific polysaccharides, a type of carbohydrate might be effective at reducing blood sugar. Black tea might also help prevent stroke. These are all things that would need much more study!
One drawback that people find with tea is the caffeine content. The good news is that removing the caffeine to make decaffeinated tea does not affect the level of antioxidants! Some tips on brewing your tea and which to choose; black teas should be steeped at least 5 minutes because their antioxidant properties take longer to release, herbal teas which contain flowers, herbs and roots while beneficial in other ways are not actually tea and are not as high in antioxidants. Lastly, drink your tea clear, adding cream or milk may dampen it's health benefits.
I don't know if it's because I lived in the UK and they are notorious for their tea consumption, but I love tea! If you haven't, try tea instead of coffee filled with sugar and creamers and drink a cup of black or green tea.
Have a great week everyone!!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Texting = stomach ache? - March 3, 2011
Dear Friends of Roscoe Chiropractic,
Spring begins this month! This is something to celebrate. Thank you everyone for referring in your friends and family in February, we have a nice donation of oatmeal to take to the food pantry. Remember you are welcome to bring in any donations and we will happily take them to the food pantry if you can't get them there yourself. Keep your eyes on our website for any new specials and for information on our Featured Supplement from Standard Process. I also encourage you all to share your testimony about chiropractic. We will be putting them up on the website. Encourage others to seek help just by sharing how you have been helped.
Today I wanted to share some information on posture. The relationship between the brain, the spinal cord and organ function is very closely tied. The most common form of bad posture results in what is called forward head posture. This can be caused by several things including car accident, forceps delivery at birth, sporting accidents and also our societies habit of sitting slumped in front of a TV or a computer or constantly staring down at a phone while texting.
This forward head posture eliminates the backward curve in your neck and forces your upper back and shoulders to compensate for holding up the weight of your head. The human head weighs at least 8 pounds (Jerry Maguire quote anyone?) and with every inch it is held out in front of the body it adds ten pounds of added pressure on your back and shoulders. This in turn forces the vertebrae out of alignment and puts pressure on the nerves in your neck as they travel through the spinal cord. Those nerves control the function of a variety of organs in your body. Some possible complications include stomach issues, headache and problems breathing.
So what can be done, you ask? Simple, gentle chiropractic adjustments will correct this forward head posture and relive the stress on your shoulders, upper back and realign the vertebrae to hold the head in the correct position over your shoulders. I speak from experience on this issue because my neck did not have the proper curve in it when I started seeing Dr. Chris and this caused my headaches and probably a lot of my nausea issues, both of which I no longer struggle with.
If you have further questions please feel free to contact us via this email address or on our contact page at the website.
Stay healthy and happy this week!
Spring begins this month! This is something to celebrate. Thank you everyone for referring in your friends and family in February, we have a nice donation of oatmeal to take to the food pantry. Remember you are welcome to bring in any donations and we will happily take them to the food pantry if you can't get them there yourself. Keep your eyes on our website for any new specials and for information on our Featured Supplement from Standard Process. I also encourage you all to share your testimony about chiropractic. We will be putting them up on the website. Encourage others to seek help just by sharing how you have been helped.
Today I wanted to share some information on posture. The relationship between the brain, the spinal cord and organ function is very closely tied. The most common form of bad posture results in what is called forward head posture. This can be caused by several things including car accident, forceps delivery at birth, sporting accidents and also our societies habit of sitting slumped in front of a TV or a computer or constantly staring down at a phone while texting.
This forward head posture eliminates the backward curve in your neck and forces your upper back and shoulders to compensate for holding up the weight of your head. The human head weighs at least 8 pounds (Jerry Maguire quote anyone?) and with every inch it is held out in front of the body it adds ten pounds of added pressure on your back and shoulders. This in turn forces the vertebrae out of alignment and puts pressure on the nerves in your neck as they travel through the spinal cord. Those nerves control the function of a variety of organs in your body. Some possible complications include stomach issues, headache and problems breathing.
So what can be done, you ask? Simple, gentle chiropractic adjustments will correct this forward head posture and relive the stress on your shoulders, upper back and realign the vertebrae to hold the head in the correct position over your shoulders. I speak from experience on this issue because my neck did not have the proper curve in it when I started seeing Dr. Chris and this caused my headaches and probably a lot of my nausea issues, both of which I no longer struggle with.
If you have further questions please feel free to contact us via this email address or on our contact page at the website.
Stay healthy and happy this week!
Balanced Eating - February 24, 2011
Dear Friends of Roscoe Chiropractic,
Another day closer to spring! I'm trying to stay positive on this gray February morning. As I sit here wondering why I thought a glass of orange juice was a good breakfast, I found an article on balanced eating. It has some great pictures of really yummy looking food, so I think I'm going to share from this article today and perhaps actually take some of my own "advice".
What does it mean to eat a balanced diet? Well first things first "our food needs to give us energy now, it needs to provide building blocks for repair, and allow us to store energy for later". The parts of the food that provide those things are carbohydrates for immediate energy, proteins for the repair, and fats for our stored energy. Eating balanced means you take in the right amount of nutrients for optimal functioning.
Unbalanced eating is when you have too much of some nutrients and not enough of the others. For example a bagel would be considered calorie dense and nutrient light. Most of the nutrients are from carbohydrates. It's important that we get the right amount of all the necessary nutrients from the calories we eat.
Here are five ways to help ensure you are eating balanced and healthy.
1. Pay attention to what you eat.
2. Make sure every grain you eat is a whole grain.
3. Eat a fruit and vegetable with every meal.
4. Look at labels - anything that is off the charts for any of the nutrients listed above, put it back.
5. Buy fresh and local as much as possible.
Well I think when I leave work today I'm going to the grocery store. Mostly cause I'm hungry (which might make it a bad idea) but I want to try out these tips. Check with me later to see how I succeeded. Everyone have a great week! Stay healthy and share with me how you implemented some of this into your diet! For more information read March 2011 To Your Health!
Another day closer to spring! I'm trying to stay positive on this gray February morning. As I sit here wondering why I thought a glass of orange juice was a good breakfast, I found an article on balanced eating. It has some great pictures of really yummy looking food, so I think I'm going to share from this article today and perhaps actually take some of my own "advice".
What does it mean to eat a balanced diet? Well first things first "our food needs to give us energy now, it needs to provide building blocks for repair, and allow us to store energy for later". The parts of the food that provide those things are carbohydrates for immediate energy, proteins for the repair, and fats for our stored energy. Eating balanced means you take in the right amount of nutrients for optimal functioning.
Unbalanced eating is when you have too much of some nutrients and not enough of the others. For example a bagel would be considered calorie dense and nutrient light. Most of the nutrients are from carbohydrates. It's important that we get the right amount of all the necessary nutrients from the calories we eat.
Here are five ways to help ensure you are eating balanced and healthy.
1. Pay attention to what you eat.
2. Make sure every grain you eat is a whole grain.
3. Eat a fruit and vegetable with every meal.
4. Look at labels - anything that is off the charts for any of the nutrients listed above, put it back.
5. Buy fresh and local as much as possible.
Well I think when I leave work today I'm going to the grocery store. Mostly cause I'm hungry (which might make it a bad idea) but I want to try out these tips. Check with me later to see how I succeeded. Everyone have a great week! Stay healthy and share with me how you implemented some of this into your diet! For more information read March 2011 To Your Health!
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