5 Ways to Keep Your New Year's Resolution

Christmas is already over, and soon 2012 will be over too!  Every year we all make New Year's Resolutions, and unfortunately most of us don't stick to them.  Today I am going to give you 5 ways to keep your New Year's Resolution.

 

1.  Think it Through - One of the biggest mistakes is making a resolution without fully thinking it through.  Whatever your resolution, you have to figure out how to make it work or it probably wont work.

2.  Recruit Help! - Don't tackle your resolution by yourself.  Utilize your friends and family's experiences, encouragement, and support to help you stick to and achieve your goal.

3.  Remember Last Year - Succeed in 2013 by remembering why your resolutions in 2012 didn't pan out.  Remember that those who refuse to learn from their past are doomed to repeat it.

4.  Take Small Steps - The overwhelming majority of resolutions involve changing patterns or behaviors that can not be changed overnight.  Break your ultimate goal up into smaller challenges to help you reach your goal so its not such a large task but smaller tasks that all help you get to the desired end goal.

5.  Dream Big - Resolutions have a better chance of succeeding if they are accomplished in small, manageable steps, but that doesn't mean you have to think small.  If you set your sights to small, you might be more likely to quit because the goal isn't meaningful enough.  Remember this is your chance to make this year better then the last one, so dream big, but remember to utilize these other tips to help your achieve your New Year's Resolution.

Immune System

 Cold and flu bugs don't care how old we are or what we have planned, but we can help to combat these infections by keeping our immune systems strong and maintain adequate nutrition.

 

Two people can both be exposed to the same deadly microorganism (bug), and one could end up gravely ill while the other goes on with their daily life completely symptomless, as if nothing had happened.  Why is this?  It all comes down to your body's resistance, the strength of the immune system, which depends on your underlying health and nutrition.  If you fail to maintain adequate nutrition and a strong immune system and resistance, your body will fail no matter what pharmaceutical drugs you make take.  The proper nutrition and regular chiropractic adjustments will keep you in optimal health and allow you to fight off all of the cold and flu bugs that we each encounter on a daily basis.

 

 

Are You Getting Enough Calcium?

As many of us know, calcium is very important to all of us, but there are many things that us, adults, or our children suffer from that we may not have realized are actually linked to calcium deficiencies.  It is important that everyone has plenty of the right kind of calcium in their diet.  Usable calcium in the human body is calcium bicarbonate.  It is known as a blood buffer or natural antidote to too much acid.  Children, and adults too, are loaded up with phosphoric acid since it is in soft drinks, wheat products, processed foods, and breakfast cereals.  When too much acid builds up in the body without adequate calcium bicarbonate to buffer it, certain things will happen.  Children frequently become fidgety, nervous, and possibly hyperactive.  They will be easily upset, throw temper tantrums, and get frequent colds.  And the same goes for adults!  In addition, growing pains in children and osteoporosis in adults are a definite indicator of a calcium imbalance, which can hinder bone-building capacity.

Exercise at Any Age - June 21, 2012

This week I would like to share some tips for all of us no matter what age we are. 

Something important to remember is that exercise is a natural medicine. 

Step 1:Move: Sitting is dangerous to your health.
Step 2:Start a walking program.
Step 3:Stretch
Step 4:Do some strength training.

Remember that exercise doesn't have to be complicated to be effective.  Any of these steps can be done at any time, but making a conscious effort to do them at some point during the day will greatly improve your health.  Something as simple as getting up to change the channel, taking a walk around during commercial breaks, and even stretching after getting out of the shower in the morning will have an effect.

Advantages of Fresh Fruits and Veggies

Well we made it out of winter, and spring is finally here.  One of the greatest things about spring and summer is all of the fresh fruit and vegetables at markets and for some of us, even in our own backyards.  Everyone knows how important it is to get your daily intake of fruits and veggies, but there are some of us that just cringe at the thought of certain fruits and vegetables that are great for us.  Why not try juicing?  You can add lots of ingredients that you may not like such as kale, beets, or spinach, along with apples, carrots, and other fruits and veggies that you do like, and with just a push of a button you have a great tasting nutritional juice drink.  This allows you to still get the nutritional supplements from these ingredients while masking the taste or smell that kept you away from them before!  So head to the market or your backyard, and start enjoying a wonderful glass of juice that will satisfy your palate and your nutritional needs.

Tips to Avoid Winter's Dry Air - February 3, 2012

When you think of winter most likely you think of cold weather, ice, and snow, but you're forgetting one important component of winter is dry-air.  The moisture content in the air goes down dramatically both outside and typically inside your home as well when winter comes, so here are some tips to combat that winter dry spell.

1.  EYES - Use drops that say "preservative free" to avoid further irritation.
2.  NOSE - Use saline spray instead of petroleum-based ointments which can actually harm your nose's lining.
3.  SKIN - Don't take excessively long showers as this will dry out your skin, instead limit it to 15 minutes and use a fragrance free soap and finish off with a cream-based lotion.
4.  THROAT - Drink at least 2 liters of water a day.  In addition using cough drops and herbal or decaffeinated tea.

Remembering these tips will help you to avoid the itchy eyes, stuffy nose, cracked skin, and sore throats that are all a part of winter.

Healthy Snacks To Get You Through Winter - January 26, 2012

It sure has been amazing how quickly winter changed from being very mild to 2 big snow storms in the last 2 weeks!  With all the snow that is covering the ground, there is a tendency for both kids and adults to be in the refrigerator more often then normal.  As long as you are monitoring your portions so you don't overeat, and of course monitoring those cravings, a healthy snack can actually be beneficial.  With snacking in mind, I thought I would share a few healthy snack tips with you.

1.  1/4 sup of low-fat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup peach slices.
2.  1/2 banana smeared with 1/2 tablespoon natural peanut butter and sprinkled with cinnamon.
3.  1/4 avocado smeared on 1 slice of whole-wheat bread, sprinkled with sea salt.
4.  30 pistachios, shelled, or 45 edamame in pods.

Winter Has Arrived!!! - January 19, 2012

Well winter has finally arrived!  Of course the changes in seasons are beautiful, but winter can be detrimental to your health if you aren't careful.  Today I wanted to pass on some good tips to help you avoid being a victim of mother nature's icy sidewalks, stairs, roads, and parking lots, and how to lessen your injuries if your do fall.

Most importantly, always expect the unexpected.  Just because the pavement only looks wet, doesn't mean that there couldn't actually be ice hiding in plain sight!  As long as you are careful and aware of your surroundings you will help to lessen your chances of falling.  Also, take your time when you are walking outside where it is wet,or anywhere inside where the wet has unfortunately followed, especially on tile type floors.

It may sound silly, but there really is a proper way to fall.  Knowing how to fall is a very important lesson to learn so you can minimize your injuries from the fall.  First of all, always keep your head up.  You never want your head to come in contact with the ground.  It is much better to bruise your arms than your head!  If you are falling forward, slap your palms on the ground as you fall, but make sure not to absorb your weight with your wrists as that can lead to serious injuries for your wrist, and never lock your elbows.  If you are falling from a height it is important to roll as you hit the ground.  This will actually distribute the impact of the fall and will lessen the chances of a serious injury in one spot.  Lastly, if you are falling backwards resist the urge to stick your hands down to break your fall.  Again this will only cause undue injury to your wrists.  You should actually try to bend your knees and squat as you're falling, and  if you can curl your back this will allow you to roll on your back which will help disperse the impact and lessen the injury.

Why Not Give Your Body a Fresh Start in the New Year - January 12, 2012

A new year is a chance to start over, to change things, do things differently, and a good time to purify your body to start the new year out with your body at its best. I was reading through the Health Alert newsletter we received here and the its first article discussed doing just that, a new year's purification cleanse.  It started asking the question, how would you like to lose 10-20 pounds in three weeks and decrease or even lose the bags under your eyes without surgery?  Well I don't know about you but I can't think of anyone that would be opposed to those kind of results.  Most importantly though you would be detoxifying your body giving it a chance to get rid of the toxins and chemicals in your body and start fresh with healthy foods.

Did you know there are 80,000 toxins, chemicals, and poisons registered with the Center for Disease Control?  That is an amazingly large amount and most of the time we don't even realize what we are encountering in the air, or ingesting and just how bad it is for us!  Our bodies naturally detoxify themselves, but after awhile your detoxification system gets sluggish and this is when we begin to suffer the side effects such as headaches, weight gain, chronic fatigue, poor digestion, and many more.  At this point it is important to give our bodies some help with the detoxification process.

Everyone knows there are many different products out there that claim to be detoxification programs, but not all are effective, they are all expensive, and some end up adding high-doses of synthetic nutrients into your body.  The Standard Process Purification Program, provides whole-food phytonutrients that truly work with your system to detoxify, and it has been scientifically tested and proven to help detox, lose weight, and help you on your way to a healthier you.  For more information regarding this program, stop into the office and pick up an informational pamphlet about the program, or set up and appointment to discuss this programs and its benefits with Dr. Chris.

Tips to Fight the Aging Process - January 5, 2012

In keeping with the new year and resolutions to work on improving our health and wellness I wanted to share some daily anti-aging tips with you.  As everyone knows, everyday your skin gets older but it doesn't have to look older!  By utilizing these 5 tips, everyone can enjoy healthier younger looking skin.

    1.  Hydration - Remember to drink plenty of water  throughout the day to keep you hydrated so that your cells can function properly and regenerate.

    2.  Fruits and Veggies - The phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables are essential for our body's health and overall wellness, so make sure you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables everyday.

    3.  Rest - Everyone knows that rest is necessary for your body to be function properly and be healthy.   Recently I read that the best way to figure out how much sleep your body needs is to think about when you fall asleep naturally and then wake up without an alarm clock.  That is a good indication of the hours of rest your body needs to run at its best.

    4.  Interaction - Studies have shown that it is beneficial for person to take time to spend with their friends or  loved ones.  This interaction helps socially and boosts your mental health.

    5.  Moving - Exercise is a key to living a long life.  Even if it is a short walk around the block, walking up a flight of stairs or any activity will help your body to avoid getting stiff, and exercising releases endorphins which help to improve your mood.  So next time you get up and take a walk on your lunch hour, remember you are not only helping your body physically but mentally also!