Sports Spine Specialist Chiropractic Team: Athletes strive to achieve their body’s maximum performance by participating in numerous training regimens consisting of strenuous exercises and physical activity and ensuring they meet all of their body’s nutritional requirements. Through proper fitness and nutrition, many individuals can condition themselves to excel in their specific sport. Our training programs are designed for athletes that look to gain a competitive edge in their sport.
We provide sport-specific services to help increase an athlete’s performance through mobility, strength, and endurance. Occasionally, however, the excess workouts can lead many to suffer injuries or develop underlying conditions. Dr. Alex Jimenez’s chronicle of articles for athletes displays in detail the many forms of complications affecting these professionals while focusing on the possible solutions and treatments to follow to achieve overall well-being.
People who want a healthy heart should be mindful of not only what they eat, but when they eat, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA).
The report is a response to the growing evidence that timing matters when it comes to heart disease risk, said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, the lead author of the statement. The various organs of the body have their own “clocks,” St-Onge explained, and that may affect how we handle food at different times of the day and night.
“For example, later in the evening, it’s harder for the body to process glucose [sugar], compared with earlier in the day,” said St-Onge, an associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University in New York City.
The new statement highlights what’s known — and what’s not — about meal timing and heart health. The statement lacks specific rules, such as “Never eat after 8 p.m.,” or “Everyone should eat breakfast.”
It does, however, suggest that people spread out their calories over a “defined” period of the day — as opposed to either eating a lot over a short period, or grazing from morning until night. Based on the evidence, the AHA says, it’s probably a good idea to get a large share of your calories earlier in the day.
“A long fasting duration at night is better than a long fast during the day,” St-Onge said.
But there’s no declaration that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
The evidence, St-Onge said, is just not clear enough to make specific recommendations on breakfast.
A number of studies have found that breakfast eaters are generally healthier than breakfast skippers: They tend to weigh less, have better blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, and have lower risks of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to the AHA.
The problem is, those studies don’t prove that breakfast deserves the credit. And few trials have actually tested the effects of “assigning” people to eat breakfast, the AHA says.
Based on what studies have been done, adding breakfast doesn’t seem to aid weight loss, the report said. Of course, if breakfast skippers simply add an extra meal to their day, they’ll gain weight, St-Onge pointed out. A few small trials have, however, suggested that breakfast can help regulate blood sugar and insulin levels, according to the AHA.
Sonya Angelone is a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. And she was clear in her support of eating breakfast.
“I think it’s very important to eat breakfast every day,” Angelone said.
Just as important, she said, is to hydrate after a long liquid-free night. Coffee does “count,” she noted, but a glass of water is better. According to Angelone, breakfast is critical because it’s hard to get all the nutrients you need in just two meals a day — even if you snack.
That raises another question: Should people eat “three square meals,” or is it better to stick with small, but more-frequent meals?
That’s not clear, according to the AHA.
Studies that track people in the real world have found that those who eat more often during the day have a lower risk of obesity and better cholesterol levels. On the other hand, the AHA says, small trials that have tested the effects of altering meal frequency have mostly come up empty. When daily calories are kept constant, meal frequency may not affect people’s weight, levels of “good” HDL cholesterol or other factors that affect heart health.
Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to eating, St-Onge said.
Some people, she noted, do well with “grazing” throughout the day — as long as the food choices are healthy, and they do not keep grazing until midnight.
“If you’re someone with good control over your diet, maybe grazing is a good idea,” St-Onge said. “But if it’s difficult for you to stop eating once you start, it’s probably not a good idea.”
According to Angelone, frequent eating may not be wise for people with resistance to insulin — the hormone that regulates blood sugar. Insulin resistance is seen in people with type 2 diabetes or “pre-diabetes.” If those people eat often, Angelone explained, their insulin levels may never have a chance to drop. In general, St-Onge said, “mindfulness” is critical. Often, people eat not because they’re hungry, but to deal with emotions, she said.
“Ask yourself why you’re eating,” St-Onge said. “Is it because you’re stressed or sad or bored? Ask yourself whether you’re really hungry right now.”
The statement was published online Jan. 30 in the AHA journal Circulation.
SOURCES: Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., associate professor, nutritional medicine, Columbia University, New York City; Sonya Angelone, M.S., R.D.N., spokesperson, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago; Jan. 30, 2017, Circulation, online
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Weight Loss Eases Back Pain
Back pain and symptoms of sciatica can affect a majority of the population throughout their lifetime. Research studies have demonstrated that people who are overweight or obese experience more back complications than people with a healthy weight. A proper nutrition along with regular physical fitness can help with weight loss as well as help maintain a healthy weight to eliminate symptoms of back pain and sciatica. Chiropractic care is also another natural form of treatment which treats back pain and sciatica utilizing manual spinal adjustments and manipulations.
Getting overweight adults to adopt new heart-healthy eating habits is an uphill battle. But giving them a handout about nutrition may be better than nothing, new research suggests.
“There’s an urgent need for innovative approaches to support the implementation of current dietary advice,” said Dr. David Jenkins, lead author of the new study from the University of Toronto. To prevent chronic disease, U.S. nutrition guidelines recommend diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, plus foods that lower cholesterol such as oats, barley, nuts and soy.
Jenkins, who is chair of nutrition and metabolism at the university, and his team tried three ways of encouraging these healthy habits. The researchers randomly assigned more than 900 overweight adults to one of four groups.
Encouraging Healthy Eating Habits
One group received advice about diet through phone calls. Another got a weekly food basket but no advice about diet. The third group got both advice and food baskets. A fourth group, used as “controls,” did not receive advice or food baskets. Everybody in each group got a “food guide” handout about diet.
Six months later, participants overall had only slightly increased their consumption of healthier foods like fruits and vegetables, regardless of group. The researchers said the only consistent increases were seen in the group that received both food and advice. And by 18 months, that slight increase in healthy eating was dwindling, the investigators found. Still, weight and blood pressure dipped a bit in all the groups, including the control group, according to the study.
The results were published Feb. 27 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“These data demonstrate the difficulty in effectively promoting fruit, vegetable and whole grain cereals to the general population using recommendations that, when followed, decrease risk factors for chronic disease,” Jenkins said in a journal news release.
But the author of an accompanying journal editorial suggested looking at the results as a “glass half-full.”
“Each country and scientific society must prioritize the strategies best adapted to local customs and regulations,” wrote Dr. Ramon Estruch, an internist at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, in Spain.
“However, it appears that simply giving a copy of healthy dietary guidelines causes small changes in the right direction. Perhaps we should start with this extremely simple, no-cost procedure at schools, workplaces, clinics or sports centers, while the other strategies are slowly developed and implemented,” Estruch suggested. Jenkins disclosed grant funding from several food-related companies.
SOURCE: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, news release, Feb. 27, 2017
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Weight Loss Eases Back Pain
Back pain and symptoms of sciatica can affect a majority of the population throughout their lifetime. Research studies have demonstrated that people who are overweight or obese experience more back complications than people with a healthy weight. A proper nutrition along with regular physical fitness can help with weight loss as well as help maintain a healthy weight to eliminate symptoms of back pain and sciatica. Chiropractic care is also another natural form of treatment which treats back pain and sciatica utilizing manual spinal adjustments and manipulations.
TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — High-intensity exercise may help older adults reverse certain aspects of the “cellular” aging process, a new study suggests.
It’s no secret that regular exercise is healthy for young and old alike. But researchers said the new findings point to particular benefits from “high-intensity interval training” for older adults.
That’s the type of workout that combines brief bursts of vigorous exercise with periods of moderate activity: A person might, for example, go all-out on a stationary bike for a few minutes, ease up for the next few, and then start again.
In this study, older adults who performed that type of exercise showed greater changes at the cellular level, compared to those who worked out more moderately.
Specifically, interval training gave a bigger boost to mitochondrial function in the muscle. Mitochondria are the “powerhouses” within body cells that break down nutrients to be used for energy.
The training also revved up activity in more genes related to mitochondrial function and muscle growth.
What does it all mean?
The study findings suggest that interval training can turn back the clock in ways that moderate aerobic exercise and strength training do not, according to lead researcher Dr. K. Sreekumaran Nair.
But, he stressed, the findings do not mean older adults should jump into a vigorous exercise regimen.
“If you’re sedentary, you should talk to your doctor before you start exercising,” said Nair. He’s an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
“And then,” he said, “you can start with walking, and build yourself up to a fast pace.”
For older adults who want to progress to a more-intense regimen, Nair said, it’s best to start with supervision. But he also stressed that intense exercise is not a must. “Any regular exercise will bring health benefits — absolutely,” he added.
This study demonstrated that, he pointed out. Even though interval training had the biggest effects on aspects of cellular aging, other types of exercise boosted older adults’ fitness levels and muscle strength.
The study, published recently in Cell Metabolism, involved 72 younger and older adults who were sedentary.
Nair’s team randomly assigned each of them to one of three supervised exercise groups.
One group did high-intensity interval training three days a week: They pedaled on an exercise bike at their maximum speed for 4 minutes, before easing up for 3 minutes; they repeated that process four times. They also worked out more moderately — walking on a treadmill — twice a week.
A second group performed moderate aerobic exercise — using an exercise bike at a less-intense pace — five days a week, for 30 minutes. They also did some light strength-training four days a week.
The third group performed strengthening exercises only, two days a week.
After 12 weeks, all of the groups were showing positive changes — younger and older exercisers alike, the researchers found.
People who performed moderate aerobic exercise boosted their fitness levels — the body’s ability to supply blood and oxygen to working muscles. And the improvement was greater for older adults, who generally started out with lower fitness levels than younger people.
Meanwhile, people who performed strength-training — alone or with aerobic exercise — increased their muscle strength.
The interval-training group showed only small gains in strength. But the training improved mitochondrial function in the muscles, especially among older adults.
Dr. Chip Lavie is medical director of cardiac rehabilitation and prevention at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans.
He said this is a “great” study that demonstrates the benefits of different forms of exercise.
According to Lavie, it adds to other evidence that high-intensity interval training is “probably the best form of exercise.”
Many studies, he said, have found that interval training beats moderate aerobic exercise when it comes to improving fitness and the heart’s structure and function.
“It would be ideal to get more people to do high-intensity interval training,” Lavie said, “and it’s possible for more-motivated individuals.”
But, he added, the reality is, many people may not have the motivation or ability.
In that case, Lavie advised finding a moderate regimen you can live with — such as 30 to 40 minutes of walking or using an exercise bike or elliptical machine most days of the week.
SOURCES: K. Sreekumaran Nair, M.D., Ph.D., professor, medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.; Chip Lavie, M.D., medical director, cardiac rehabilitation and prevention, and director, exercise laboratories, John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, New Orleans; March 7, 2017, Cell Metabolism
News stories are written and provided by HealthDay and do not reflect federal policy, the views of MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Ashley Graham is definitely about that gym life. And we know this because the 29-year-old model has been posting her sweat sessions on Instagram as of late. Her workout of choice: hitting it hard with Dawin Peña, co-founder and trainer at The DogPound, a boutique training studio in NYC.
Thanks to a recent Instagram story posted by the America’s Next Top Model judge, we happened to get a glimpse into one of Graham’s evening exercise routines. Let me tell you, it is a killer upper-body circuit that hit the triceps, biceps, chest, and back. And she finished off with some core work.
The best part: it only took Graham 2 minutes and 48 seconds to get through these moves. (Yep, I timed her). Granted, you have to take into account that she probably rested here and there, and did a few more sets and reps than she let us in on, but even with those considerations, this is still a great workout option for when you are short on time.
Our suggestion: Cycle through this 11-move circuit 3 times. If you do that, you are looking at about a 10- to 12-minute upper body blaster that you can knock out the next time you are in the gym. Oh, and you also might want to download the playlist Graham was rocking too—Sean Paul’s “Gimme The Light,” Mr. Probz’s “Waves,” Kid Cudi’s “The Pursuit of Happiness,” Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight” and Future’s “Real Sisters”—because it was kind of fire!
Now get that upper body (and those abs) in shape…because summer is coming!
Rope Triceps Extension
Stand with feet hip-width apart, hinge forward slightly and grab each end of the cable ropes; palms face in. Keeping upper arms straight and close to body, pull down using forearms, lowering the rope until arms are fully extended and at either side of legs. Pause and then slowly return back to start. (Graham did 10 reps.)
Overhead Triceps Extension
Stand with back to cable machine, feet staggered, one foot in front of the other, and knees slightly bent; hinge forward. With arms overhead and bent backwards to about 90-degrees, hold cable rope in each hand; palms face in. Keeping elbows close to ears, pull ropes down until arms are fully extended. Pause and then return to start. (Graham did 9 reps.)
Rope Biceps Curl
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, legs bent slightly and end of cable ropes grasped between hands; palms face in. Pull ropes up toward shoulders using forearms; upper arms stay fixed. Lower back down to start, and then repeat. (Graham did 9 reps.)
Start seated on a bench with legs wider than hip-width apart, feet planted, and arms extended up on a diagonal with ends of cable ropes grasped between hands; palms face in. Squeezing back, pull ropes down towards torso; keep arms close to body. Pause and then slowly return to start. (Graham did 8 reps.)
Seated One Arm Row
Start seated on a bench with legs wider than hip-width apart and feet planted. Place left hand on hip while right arm is extended up on a diagonal with cable handle grasped in hand; palm face down. Squeezing back, pull rope down towards torso, twisting hand out so that palm faces in; keep arm close to body. Hold, and then slowly return back to start. Repeat on opposite side. (Graham did 7 reps.)
Seated Lat Pulldown
Start seated with back straight, knees under knee pad and bar in hands (overhand grip) slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Without moving torso, pull bar down to chest while squeezing shoulder blades together. Pause, and then slowly return to start. (Graham did 7 reps.)
Lie faceup on a bench with feet planted on floor and a dumbbell in each hand. Extend arms straight up over chest; palms face in. Keeping a slight bend in elbows, slowly open arms out until they are in line with chest and hands are parallel to floor. Pause and then raise arms back up to start. (Graham did 6 reps.)
Standing Biceps Curls
Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of body; palms face up. Bend elbows and curl the right hand up toward the right shoulder. As you slowly lower the right hand back down, begin repeating the motion with the left hand. Continue alternating. (Graham did 4 reps per arm.)
In & Out
Start seated with arms behind you and hands on floor; fingers facing feet. Lean back, raise legs and bend knees. With abs tight, extend legs straight out as you lower back down slightly. Pull legs back in and lift torso back up. Continue repeating. (Graham did 17 reps.)
Lie faceup with arms and legs extended straight out. Simultaneously raise your right leg and left arm as you crunch up, bringing the two together over the stomach. Lower back to start. After desired number of reps, repeat with opposite arm and leg. (Graham did 10 reps.)
Crunches
Lie faceup with legs extended straight up, a light bend in knees, feet crossed at the ankles (left over right) and hands lightly on back of head. Crunch up and then lower back to start. Repeat. (Graham did 15 reps.)
UTEP Athletics officials have been notified by the NCAA that 7-1 center Matt Willms has been granted a sixth year of eligibility and will return for the 2017-18 season.
�We think this is a big deal,� UTEP coach Tim Floyd said. �It gives Matt his first offseason in five years to actually be able to work out, lift and improve his game. This is when players get better. He has enormous potential and getting him back is huge, both for him and for us. I�d like to thank the NCAA for their thorough review of his case and for making the right decision.�
Willms has played only three full seasons (2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17) in a career wracked by injuries. He has undergone two major surgeries, one for a torn labrum in his shoulder and another for a fracture of the nevicular bone in his foot.
Last year, coming off the foot surgery, Willms enjoyed his finest season as a Miner, averaging 11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while leading Conference USA in field goal percentage (.591). He scored in double figures 18 times and was named Conference USA Player of the Week on Jan. 30 after averaging 26.0 points and making 24-of-31 shots (77.4 percent) on the Miners� road trip to WKU and Marshall.
Willms will enter his senior year with career totals of 693 points, 416 rebounds and 98 blocked shots with a .571 (274-for-480) field goal percentage. He has played in 95 games and ranks ninth in school history in blocks.
NCAA rules permit players five years to play four. Willms redshirted in 2012-13, meaning he has been on campus for five years already. UTEP officials had to submit paperwork to the NCAA detailing Willms� situation and requesting the sixth year, but nothing was a given.
�When I first found out that I may not get my eligibility back next year, it started going through my head. What if I can�t play? Where do I go from here? Do I go overseas? Would I even have an option there,� Willms said. �Once the process started, they said it�s difficult [to get the sixth year] and it put more doubt in my mind. I got a call from coach today telling me that I�ve been accepted. The first thing I thought about is the amount of talent we have next year, and being a senior and being able to lead the team. It means a lot to me to come back and wear the Miner jersey for one last season.�
Willms is already mapping out his offseason goals.
�One thing that I want to do is put on at least 15 pounds,� he said. �Another thing is to work on my foot speed, get my foot speed back, work a little more on my post moves, moves I can counter and go from there. Those are my goals, just to try to get better and once the new guys come in, give them some pointers on what to work on and what to expect.�
Thanks to the Google’s�many clever features, we no longer get lost (as often), bungle dates and double-book, or choose mediocre restaurants. And now�Google is back at it again, with yet another way to simplify your life:�Reserve with Google�is a new platform that makes it super easy�to discover and book fitness classes.
The site�allows you to search your area for upcoming classes, and reserve�and pay for�a spot instantly. If you’re signed into your Google account, some of your info (like your name, email, and phone number) will pre-load to make booking even faster. The service�kicked off in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and is now available across�the�country, thanks to partnerships with booking services you may already know and love, such as Mindbody,�Genbook, and MyTime.
Reserve with Google�also makes recommendations to help you discover new ways to get your sweat on, complete with�class descriptions, pricing, and reviews�so you know exactly what you’re signing up for. And the �Discover more around you� section groups suggestions into categories like��Yoga this evening� and �Pilates before work.� Really want to mix it up? You can choose Google’s�notorious �I�m feeling lucky” option.
To help you fit your workouts into your schedule,�the service works with Google Maps (so you get a�visual of the closest gyms and studios)�and Google�Calendar (so you can block off precious time).
Whether�you’re looking to try a new activity, or schedule out a full week of exercise, this platform can help you do so seamlessly. And once you’re sufficiently sore, it’ll help�you search�for massage appointments (and other spa services) nearby to help your body bounce back.
You probably know that Americans consume way too much salt, but a new U.S. government report points the finger at some surprising sources of salt in the diet.
The report said the top 5 culprits were:
Bread.
Pizza.
Sandwiches.
Cold cuts and cured meats.
Soup.
Surprisingly, potato chips, pretzels and other obviously salty snacks didn’t make it into the top five, though they did ring in at number 7.
“Most Americans are consuming too much salt and it’s coming from a lot of commonly consumed foods — about 25 foods contribute the majority of salt,” said lead researcher Zerleen Quader. She’s an analyst from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Knowing which foods contribute the most salt is important for reducing your salt intake, she said.
Sodium is an essential mineral that helps the body maintain fluid balance, according to the American Heart Association. But, too much in the diet increases the risk for high blood pressure, which in turn boosts the risk for heart attack and stroke. Table salt contains about 40 percent sodium. One teaspoon of table salt has 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium, which is the maximum amount recommended by health experts.
The new CDC report found that in 2013-2014, Americans consumed about 3,400 mg of salt daily. That far exceeds the recommended amount, and is more than double the American Heart Association’s “ideal” intake of 1,500 mg daily.
And, clearly, all that salt doesn’t come from the salt shaker. Most comes from packaged, processed and restaurant foods, the report said.
Many of these foods contain moderate amounts of salt, but are eaten all day long, Quader said. It’s not necessarily that foods such as bread are high in salt, but eating several slices a day quickly adds to the total amount of salt you consume.
One way to reduce salt is to pay attention to food labels when shopping and choose the lowest salt option, Quader suggested.
“When cooking at home, use fresh herbs and other substitutes for salt. When eating out, you can ask for meals with lower salt,” she added.
Quader said the food industry can help by lowering the amount of salt it adds to its products. Gradually reducing salt in foods can help prevent high blood pressure (“hypertension”) and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and won’t even be noticed by consumers, she said.
The CDC researchers found that 44 percent of the salt people eat comes from just 10 foods. These include bread made with yeast, pizza, sandwiches, cold cuts and cured meats, soups, burritos and tacos, salted snacks, chicken, cheese, eggs and omelets.
Seventy percent of salt in the diet is from 25 foods, the report said. Some of the foods included in the top 25 are bacon, salad dressing, French fries and cereal, the researchers found.
In addition, 61 percent of the salt consumed daily comes from store-prepared foods and restaurant meals. Restaurants have the saltiest foods, Quader said.
Processed foods not only raise blood pressure, but may also increase the risk for cancer, one nutritionist said.
Samantha Heller is a senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in New York City.
“Processed meats such as bologna, ham, bacon and sausage, and hot dogs have been classified as carcinogens by the World Health Organization,” Heller said.
In addition, these and other highly processed foods are huge contributors to the excess salt in the Western diet.
“Parents need to understand that feeding hot dogs, fries, and ham and cheese sandwiches to their kids (and themselves) is significantly increasing their risk for certain cancers, hypertension and heart disease,” Heller said.
Lowering salt in your diet is “as simple and as difficult as cooking at home and using fresh ingredients, as often as possible,” she suggested.
“This can save money and time in the long run, and certainly is better for our health,” Heller said. “It may take some time to re-pattern your shopping and eating habits, but your health is worth it.”
The report was published March 31 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
IFM's Find A Practitioner tool is the largest referral network in Functional Medicine, created to help patients locate Functional Medicine practitioners anywhere in the world. IFM Certified Practitioners are listed first in the search results, given their extensive education in Functional Medicine
