Clinic Wellness Team. A key factor to spine or back pain conditions is staying healthy. Overall wellness involves a balanced diet, appropriate exercise, physical activity, restful sleep, and a healthy lifestyle. The term has been applied in many ways. But overall, the definition is as follows.
It is a conscious, self-directed, and evolving process of achieving full potential. It is multidimensional, bringing together lifestyles both mental/spiritual and the environment in which one lives. It is positive and affirms that what we do is, in fact, correct.
It is an active process where people become aware and make choices towards a more successful lifestyle. This includes how a person contributes to their environment/community. They aim to build healthier living spaces and social networks. It helps in creating a person’s belief systems, values, and a positive world perspective.
Along with this comes the benefits of regular exercise, a healthy diet, personal self-care, and knowing when to seek medical attention. Dr. Jimenez’s message is to work towards being fit, being healthy, and staying aware of our collection of articles, blogs, and videos.
Still taking sleeping pills to get a good night’s rest? New research suggests there’s a better way: Hit the gym.
Rush University clinical psychologist Kelly Glazer Baron tells CNN a growing body of evidence over the past decade has confirmed that regular exercise helps people sleep better than medication.
“In one study we did, for example, older women suffering from insomnia said their sleep improved from poor to good when they exercised. They had more energy and were less depressed,” he said.
Most sleep studies have confirmed sleep quality is enhanced in people who get the recommended amount of exercise — 2½ hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, along with strength or resistance training.
Brisk walking, light biking, and using a treadmill or elliptical machine all increase heart rate and cardiovascular fitness, which aids sleep quality.
Experts also recommend not exercising within six hours of bedtime, which can hinder sleep.
Mother Nature plays a dirty trick on women. Just as they begin planning to enjoy their lives as empty-nesters, their lives often change overnight as they cope with night sweats, ballooning weight, aching joints, and fuzzy thinking associated with menopause.
“What’s going on?” asks Dr. Erika Schwartz, author of The New Hormone Solution. “It’s simple,” she says. “Hormone levels are plummeting and wreaking havoc in our bodies.
“It’s a dirty joke Mother Nature has just played on us,” says Schwartz, nationally recognized expert on hormone supplementation. “We’ve had and raised our families and made sure the species will survive. We are no longer needed, so Mother Nature will just get rid of us. We have now become road kill.”
While not as obviously disruptive as menopause, men’s sex hormones are also declining at mid-life. And it’s not just sex hormones. Both sexes may suffer from an imbalance of other hormones, such as thyroid and adrenal. Lower hormone levels accelerate aging, bringing on heart problems, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and other chronic diseases.
But you don’t have to suffer and resign yourself to the infirmities of advancing age. “It doesn’t have to apply to any of us if we don’t want it to,” says Schwartz. The answer, she says, is replacing lost hormones with human identical hormones, which are available to both men and women to replace hormones lost in aging.
“Human identical hormones have the same molecular structure as those produced by the body,” says Schwartz. “The key is treatment that is individualized to each patient’s particular needs.”
Schwartz explains the confusion over the term “synthetic” as it applies to hormones. “All hormones are synthetic because they are made in a lab, but human identical hormones are synthetically manufactured hormone drugs that look identical to the human hormone molecules our bodies make,” she says.
“They are made from soy and yam oils by pharmaceutical processes of concentration and purification that produce hormone powders,” she says. “These powders are then placed in different preparations, such as pills, patches, and creams, for us to take.
“These hormones look identical to our own hormones — estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, growth hormone, and insulin.
“Synthetic doesn’t mean bad,” she says. “It just refers to creating specific molecules in the laboratory — in this case hormones.”
Replenishing hormone levels can eliminate hot flashes, mood swings, depression, bone loss, weight gain, digestive problems, and many other signs of middle-age, and restore vigor and energy.
But relatively few people are getting replacement hormones. Why? One reason is that many doctors don’t understand human identical hormones and know how to use them, says Schwartz. “There’s no one to teach them. Information isn’t even passed from doctor to doctor, it’s passed from patient to patient who then takes it to the doctor.”
Pharmaceutical companies apparently neither seriously study nor promote human identical hormones. “Since they have the same molecular structure as those produced by our bodies, human identical hormones can’t be patented by drug companies, so they have no financial incentive to conduct studies,” Schwartz says.
The second reason is fear. Until 2002, conventional doctors prescribed synthetic hormones to women undergoing menopause: Premarin and Prempro (conjugated estrogens derived from the urine of pregnant horses), and Provera (a man-made type of progesterone). Not only did doctors believe they safely reduced the symptoms of menopause, but that they also protected women from heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.
However, a 10-year study conducted by the National Institutes of Health called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), turned the medical world upside down by proving that the hormone replacement therapy doctors prescribed increased the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and breast cancer.
Almost immediately, doctors refused to prescribe hormones to millions of women, and their symptoms quickly returned. As a result, many physicians prescribed antidepressants, which only treated a symptom and not the cause, which was an imbalance of hormones.
A year later, new guidelines released by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology indicated it was safe to prescribe the same drugs in lower doses for shorter periods of time, although their safety has never been proven.
At the same time, American pharmaceutical companies conducted no studies on the safety of human identical hormones, while most doctors ignored — and continue to ignore — earlier studies conducted in both the United States and Europe prior to 2002 which found that bioidentical hormones were safe and effective.
In fact, a 2013 Danish study found that women taking human identical hormones had a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and thromboembolism than those not taking hormones.
The FDA has approved some human identical hormones, and in her practice, Schwartz prescribes them as well as compounded customized formulas, depending on the blood levels of each patient.
How do you find a doctor that’s competent to prescribe human identical hormones? “Ask friends,” says Schwartz. “Some doctors realize there’s a big market for natural hormones, and some who don’t know much about them have hung out their shingle. The best way to find a good doctor in your area is by word of mouth.
“You want a doctor who knows what they are doing and cares about you, and isn’t just jumping on the bandwagon and is trying to make money off of you.”
Human identical hormones can change your life, says Schwartz. “Look around,” she says. “You see people who look and feel great well into their golden years. That can be you.”
Losing weight comes down to simple arithmetic: Eat fewer calories than you burn off.
Here’s a good way you can accomplish this without going hungry.
Switch out high-calorie foods for low-calorie options to cut calories without cutting portion sizes. Dairy food is a good place to start, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
If you’re still using whole milk and cream, make gradual changes to lower-fat versions. Start by switching from whole milk to 2 percent milk for your coffee, on your cereal and in recipes. Then take the next step down to 1 percent milk and, eventually, to fat-free or skim milk. You can make similar switches with other dairy products, like yogurt and cottage cheese.
Mix in your own fresh fruit or a few drops of vanilla extract to a serving of no-fat plain Greek yogurt to make you forget about higher-calorie choices. You’ll get twice the protein of regular yogurts without the added sugar (and calories) of flavored varieties.
Are you craving cheese? Choose types that are naturally lower in fat, like feta, string, goat and ricotta cheese. Also try reduced-fat versions of your favorites, like cheddar.
Milk is a great source of protein and other nutrients — like calcium — needed for bone health. And it’s usually fortified with vitamin D, essential to maximizing that calcium.
The bottom line? Keep the dairy, but ditch the fat.
It is very well known that spices and herbs have a great many positive healthy qualities. But often we get confused as to how many, how much and which of the ingredients we must use as a supplement to boost our body.
We have zeroed in on three basic but power house spices from your kitchen that can help you stay healthy. It goes without saying that in today�s times of excessive pesticide use, using organic varieties of these spices is the best and only way to go.
Ginger
Ginger root, which is a staple in every Indian Kitchen can work many wonders.
Ginger has been known for over two thousand years as a medicinal herb effective in treating digestive problems, nausea, hangover and gases. Modern studies have found that it is effective in the treatment of vomiting, protects the gastric mucosa and improves inflammatory conditions.
Turmeric
Turmeric has anti-aging, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin is the magical substance, which gives turmeric its golden color and its many health benefits. Pure extracts of Curcumin are also available in the market these days.
Many studies have revealed that turmeric has low absorption and rapid metabolism. This helps in cleansing your system of toxins and also to help in absorption of nutrients. it is a front runner for fighting infections.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is one of the most versatile spices of all. With its sweet and spicy notes, it is a favourite that can be easily used for a wide variety of preparations. This spice is also very high on antioxidants and can help with heart health, fights diabetes and protects brain function.
It is great as a mouth freshener.
A simple drink can be made using a teaspoon full of each of these ingredients mixed with a cup of hot water. Adding a drop of honey and a squeeze of lime makes it even better. You can use ether the powdered version of the spices or them fresh and grate them as per your requirements.
Other than consuming it as a drink, you can incorporate a pinch of each spice in almost everything you cook. Get creative and think about using more of these ingredients in your salads and even smoothies.
Once a day, right at the start of the day, having a cup of this booster will make your body thankful to you.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Lower Back Pain After Auto Injury
After being involved in an automobile accident, neck injuries and aggravated conditions, such as whiplash, are some of the most commonly reported types of injuries, due to the force of the impact. A study discovered, however, that the seat of a vehicle can often lead to injuries as well, causing lower back pain and other symptoms. Lower back pain is also among one of the most common types of automobile accident injuries in the U.S. alone.
When the weather starts getting warmer, most of us immediately ramp up our ab and glute exercises. But what about your arms? Here, Health’s contributing fitness editor Tracy Anderson demonstrates a challenging arm workout you can do anywhere—no equipment necessary.
Tracy notes that the key to strong arms is all about working different parts, not just isolated areas. These bodyweight exercises offer incredibly challenging resistance to get your shoulders, biceps, and triceps in shape for summer. Watch this video to see six of Tracy’s favorite arm-sculpting moves.
No time to watch? Here’s a breakdown of the workout:
Move 1: Start by lying on the ground. Push up into a plank position, then twist your body, creating an award pushup position. Press back up into a full plank and extend your top leg. Lower your body down and extend your leg up again. Do this 30 times. You’re going to start to feel your back arm really working, because you’re twisting your body weight to the back arm, while the front one is just stabilizing. Be sure to do both sides.
Move 2: Get into a full plank position, then straighten one leg to the back. Lift one leg and dangle your knee. Tuck it in towards your chest, then cross it over your other leg, and extend your leg into the air behind you.
Move 3: Get into a plank position. Alternate bringing your knees underneath your body, crossing diagonally, and tapping your knee with the opposite hand. Use your arms to stabilize yourself during this move.
Move 4: Get into a tabletop position. Reach one arm into the sky while pushing your hips up. Twist your body down into a high plank, then press your outside leg up into the air.
Move 5: Get into a plank position. Bend your knee and rest your outer leg on the ground in a twisted position. From here, lift your knee up and extend it out behind you. Keep twisting, lowering, and lifting for 30 reps.
Move 6: Get into a wide leg plank. Lower down to one forearm, then switch to the other. Next, energetically push your body back up using just one arm.
It’s no secret that sitting at a desk all day isn’t good for you. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to weight gain, which may then lead to a host of other issues. Research has shown that sitting too much throughout the day can lead to a number of different health problems, including obesity, heart problems, and diabetes.
However, there are things you can do to offset the health risks of sitting at your desk, such as getting up to take frequent walks. But even if you can’t leave your chair, there are even plenty of movement exercises you can do right from your desk, such as chair yoga. You could also take advantage of the time to work on some mobility training—a form of exercise that focuses on improving your stability, range of motion, and loosening your muscles so you can perform better during any workout.
Frank Baptise, founder of Frankly Fitness, is a big fan of mobility training as an effective way to help promote healthy joints, balance, and flexibility in your body. Here, he demonstrates six simple yet effective moves to try at your desk. All you need is a stress ball and a desk chair!
Don’t have time to watch? Here’s a quick rundown of Baptiste’s go-to mobility moves:
Feeling stressed? On any given day, you’re likely bombarded with many different stress-inducing situations. Perhaps it’s a challenging project at work, a fight with your partner, or just someone who unapologetically bumped into you on the street.
Life is filled with challenges and frustrations like these. But the good news is there are plenty of smart strategies that can help you refocus your energy so you feel calm and peaceful instead of frazzled. Take meditation and mindfulness, for example—both practices are all about checking in with yourself and filtering stress out of the mind. And if meditation isn’t your thing, exercise is also a great way to help release your daily frustrations and send a healthy dose of feel-good endorphins to your brain.
Better yet, combine two of these mindful practices: meditation and exercise. Yoga is perfect for this, especially if it’s a calming flow that can quiet your mind while simultaneously strengthening your muscles. By forcing you to pay close attention to your breath, yoga helps stop your racing thoughts.
Watch this video for a calming 10-minute yoga flow from Kirby Koo of Yoga With Kirby. It focuses on the importance of your breath, so you can calm your mind and banish stress.
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