Wellness
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.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Fitness, Health, Wellness
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:
Glute and piriformis: self-myofascial release
Roll and apply pressure. Hold for 5-10 deep breaths.
Peck roll
Roll and apply pressure. Hold 5-10 deep breaths.
Plantar fascia roll
Roll and apply pressure. Hold for 5-10 deep breaths.
Modified chair downdog
Hold for 3 breaths. 3-5 reps.
Modified lunge with rotation
Hold for 3 breaths. 3-5 reps each side.
Figure four squat
Hold for 3 breaths. 3-5 reps each side
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Fitness, Health, Wellness
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.
WATCH THE VIDEO: A 5-Minute Meditation to Help You Find Your Calm Now
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.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Fitness, Health, Wellness
Anyone who struggles with back pain knows how distressing it can be. Whether it�s soreness that impedes your sleep or aches that hurt your productivity while you sit at your desk at work, back pain is hard to ignore no matter what position you�re in.
The good news? Yoga can be a surprisingly helpful remedy. In this video, yoga expert and Retox author Lauren Imparato takes you through a 20-minute yoga flow designed to soothe and prevent back pain. Yes, please!
�How you sit, how you sleep, something you ate, how you moved,� can all contribute to upper or lower back issues, Imparato explains. And while treatment options do exist�such as massage and acupuncture�studies have shown that yoga may actually be more effective than these and other alternatives. Research from the Annals of Internal Medicine found that people with chronic lower back pain saw more improvement of their symptoms after a 12-week yoga class compared to those who only received medicine or physical therapy to treat their pain.
RELATED: 4 Surprising Cures for Back Pain
Want to experience the same relief? In this video, Imparato will first help you release tightness and tension in your back by guiding you through classic stretches like cat and cow. Next, she�ll show you how to do a quick, equipment-free flow that works to stabilize the spine and strengthen the muscles in your core that support it. (Hi, toned abs!) Watch the clip above for a yoga routine that not only reduces back pain but crafts long, lean muscle at the same time.
Also check out our sister company: Best Yoga Routines for Sleep. �This is a great article that helps you doze off…. WAY Better…
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Fitness, Health, Wellness
Photo: Twenty20
This is a partial workout. You can find the rest of the moves at Life by Daily Burn.
When you look at a slam ball, leg and glute exercises may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But incorporating this soft weighted ball into your booty routine will work your lower half hard. Weak hamstrings, glutes and hips can lead to knee and back pain. So if you’re looking for a way to strengthen these muscles, while building power, the slam ball can kill two birds with one big, squishy ball.
Gerren Liles, PROJECT by Equinox master trainer and Reebok ONE Elite ambassador likes to use it for a quick leg workout. “The slam ball is a simple tool that allows you to move in multiple dimensions and directions, and can serve as a load to develop strength and power,” Liles says.
In addition to tightening and toning, the slam ball creates an unstable environment that forces your body to work harder to balance weight. (Stability challenge, anyone?) And because you’ll move in different planes of motion, you’ll work your core, legs and arms, too.
“The ball can be used as a prop to challenge your stability, as you’ll see in the Bulgarian squat and soccer tap drill. It can also be used as a form of resistance in the squat with front push and hamstring curls,” Liles explains. Check out just how versatile this space-efficient piece of equipment can be in the six exercises below.
RELATED: The 30-Minute Slam Ball Workout
6 Slam Ball Exercises That Build Lower-Body Strength
These moves will not only blast your lower half, they’ll help improve your ankle mobility, agility and reflexes. Add some intensity, and they’ll get your heart rate up, too, Liles says. Do 8 to 10 reps of each exercise for two sets.
GIFs: Tiffany Ayuda / Life by Daily Burn
1. Bulgarian Squat
This variation of the squat challenges your balance. To keep your foot from rolling off the ball, engage your core so you can move with more control, Liles says.
How to: Stand with your feet together in front of a slam ball. Step your right foot back and place your toes on top of the ball (a). Keeping your weight in your left heel, slowly lower your body into a lunge, bending your right knee towards the floor. Your left knee should form a 90-degree angle to the floor. Be sure your left knee is stacked above your ankle (b). Straighten both legs and return to standing (c).
RELATED: 6 Squat Variations for Total-Body Strength
2. Lying Hip Bridge With Hamstring Curl
Take your glute bridges to the next level with this variation that also strengthens your hamstrings. The lack of surface area on the ball is an added challenge to making the movement slower.
RELATED: 5 Exercise Machines That Aren’t Worth Your Time
How to: Lay on your back with your hips lifted off the floor and your calves and heels on top of the ball. Plant your hands on the floor at your sides (a). Draw your heels in toward your butt with control, bending your legs. Your hips should elevate even higher as you squeeze your glutes to bring your heels in (b). Slowly extend your legs back out to the starting position (c).
3. Lying Quad Extension
Your quads, hamstrings and glutes are some of the biggest muscles groups in your body. This simple move fires up all three, helping you torch more calories per workout.
How to: Lie flat on your back and place the ball between your calves with your knees bent. For an added core challenge, you can lift your head off the floor and bring your chin towards your chest (a). Without moving your hips, bring your legs straight up towards the ceiling (b). Then, bend your knees until the ball touches the back of your legs. Remember to press your low-back into the floor throughout the entire movement (c).
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Fitness, Health, Wellness
When your metabolism is running like a well-oiled machine, your body is working for you. Not only can it make maintaining (or losing) weight a little easier, but maximizing your system’s calorie-burning engine will also help you feel more energetic, active, and alive. To figure out how to get it to that happy place, incorporate these everyday eating and exercise habits into your regular routine.
Do more heavy lifting
It’s so easy to glance at the “calories burned” figure on the cardio machine and then add more time to your workout to make the number higher. But if you want your metabolic furnace to burn hotter during the day, you’re going to need to add muscle. “Muscle burns more calories than fat,” says Alissa Rumsey, RD, CSCS, author of Three Steps to a Healthier You. She advises fitting in a total-body strength workout two to three times per week, using a weight that’s heavy enough to make the 10th rep very difficult.
RELATED: 23 Snacks That Burn Fat
Eat protein in the morning and afternoon
You already know that cranking your metabolism means filling your dinner plate with quality protein (in the form of lean meats, eggs, fish, legumes, and yogurt). Thing is, it’s easy to get that chicken breast or piece of salmon in at dinner. What’s harder is remembering to eat a high-protein meal at breakfast and lunch, says Rumsey, when you’re typically on the go and too rushed to do much more than grab a piece of fruit or carb-heavy sandwich.
Getting good protein in the a.m. and p.m. “will also help you maintain and build muscle as long as you consume it before and after regular weight training workouts,” she says. Plus, research suggests that your body works harder to break down and process calories from protein than from fat or carbs, resulting in a slight bump in metabolism. And don’t forget, protein promotes satiety. You’ll feel fuller and burn more calories breaking it down. Double win.
Dial back your work stress
No one has to tell you that chronic stress is unhealthy. But stress at work is especially detrimental. One study of women with a history of mood disorders in the journal Biological Psychiatry found that those who experienced extra stress during the workday burned 104 fewer calories in response to a higher-fat meal compared to women who were not stressed. As the researchers discovered in a later study, stress can change the way your body metabolizes fats, even reducing the benefits of eating a healthy meal.
Snack before bedtime
You heard that right—it’s time to consider disregarding all those warnings about not eating after 8 p.m. “Conventional wisdom says that food you eat right before bed will sit in your stomach all night long, which will result in packing on the pounds,” says Cassie Bjork, RD, author of Why Am I Still Fat?. Instead, the right bedtime snack “will actually boost your metabolism by keeping your blood-sugar levels stable, which allows your pancreas to secrete the fat-burning hormone glucagon,” she says.
RELATED: Ultimate Metabolism-Boosting Workout
Hit the sheets early
Sleep may be the last thing on your to-do list, yet it deserves priority status, and here’s one out of a million reasons why. Not getting enough rest has a disastrous effect on your metabolism, prompting you to misread your system’s hunger cues and revving your appetite. As one study suggests, this appetite boost happens when your body calls for extra calories to fuel the additional time you’re awake—and that leads you to overeat. The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults snag seven to nine hours of shuteye per night. Give it a try tonight.
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Get up and move—right now
Maybe you put in your 45 minutes of daily heart-pumping exercise on the regular. But if you spend the rest of the day with your butt planted firmly in a chair, you’re keeping your metabolism in stall, says Rumsey. “It’s important to move as much as possible,” she says, not just because movement burns calories but because it keeps your metabolism on high.
So make an effort to get up and stand at your desk, head outside to eat lunch and then taking a stroll, or walk or down the stairs when possible. Moving more during the day, even if you’re just heading down the halls of your office or taking the long route to the parking lot where you left your car, will keep your metabolism running, she says.
Stop counting calories
“People often think that restricting calories boosts metabolism, but this does the complete opposite,” says Bjork. Here’s why: calories are the energy that fuels your body and helps your metabolism run efficiently. Take in too few, and you’ll start to feel fatigued and hangry. Ensuring that you’re filling up your plate with lean protein (like fish or meat), healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, almond butter), and lots of fruits and veggies will deliver high-quality, nutritionally dense calories to your body. That helps your metabolism run optimally, in turn burning calories rather than conserving them.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Natural Health, Wellness
A new enzyme pill could be a game changer for gluten-sensitive people, according to the authors of a new study.
The enzyme breaks down gluten in the stomach and prevents most of it from reaching the small intestine. So it could allow gluten-sensitive people to eat small amounts of the protein (found in wheat and other grains) without suffering consequences such as bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
For the study, the researchers tested the effects of an enzyme called aspergillus niger-derived prolyl endoprotease (AN-PEP) in 18 patients with gluten sensitivity. Each participant ate a serving of oatmeal with two gluten-containing wheat cookies along with either a high- or low-dose of AN-PEP or a placebo pill.
Researchers then measured gluten levels in the stomach and small intestine over a three-hour period.
In both the high- and low-dose AN-PEP groups, the researchers found that AN-PEP reduced levels of gluten in the stomach by 85 percent compared to placebo.
They also found that the enzyme reduced gluten levels in the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine) by 81 percent in the high-dose group and by 87 percent in the low-dose group.
The findings were presented at Digestive Disease Week 2017, the largest international gathering of experts from the fields of gastroenterology, endoscopy, hepatology, and gastrointestinal surgery.
“This substance allows gluten-sensitive patients to feel safer, for example, when they are out with friends at a restaurant and can’t be sure whether something is 100 percent gluten-free,” says Dr. Julia König, Ph.D., the study’s lead author and post-doctoral research fellow at the School of Medical Sciences at University of Örebro, Sweden.
“Since even small amounts of gluten can affect gluten-sensitive patients, this supplement can play an important role in addressing the residual gluten that is often the cause of uncomfortable symptoms.”
Previous research has demonstrated that AN-PEP can break down gluten when it is combined with a liquid meal and administered through a feeding tube. The new study is the first to study the effects of AN-PEP tablet in combination with a normal meal.
“Studies show that even when following a gluten-free diet, unintentional gluten intake can still occur, depending on how strict a gluten-free dieter is,” says König.
“Our results suggest that this enzyme can potentially reduce the side effects that occur when gluten-sensitive individuals accidentally eat a little gluten. We are not suggesting that AN-PEP will give these individuals the ability to eat pizza or pasta, sources of large amounts of gluten, but it might make them feel better if they mistakenly ingest gluten.”
Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley, as well as medicines, vitamins, and supplements.
In addition to gastrointestinal problems, gluten sensitivity is associated with symptoms such as fatigue, muscle cramps, and leg numbness.
Despite some similarities, gluten sensitivity is different from celiac disease, a serious, inherited auto-immune disorder caused by gluten exposure. Unlike people with celiac disease, those with gluten sensitivity do not develop gluten antibodies and their immune systems do not mistakenly attack and damage their small intestines.
According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, about 18 million Americans are affected by non-celiac gluten sensitivity, also known as gluten intolerance.
Gluten sensitivity is poorly understood. Because there are no specific tests to diagnose the condition, doctors must rule out other possible causes of a patient’s symptoms such as celiac disease and wheat allergy.
To confirm gluten sensitivity, doctors usually place patients on a diet that eliminates gluten to see if their symptoms improve. This is followed by an “open challenge” (a monitored reintroduction of gluten-containing foods) to see if their symptoms worsen.
König notes that her team did not test the enzyme on celiac disease patients, because even small amounts of gluten can cause long-term harm in these individuals.
Because of that, she does not recommend celiac patients view this enzyme as a way to start eating any gluten.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Turmeric
Turmeric is native to India and Southeast Asia. In India, turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicines due to its therapeutic properties,�as a disinfectant and treatment for laryngitis, bronchitis, and diabetes. Turmeric is derived from the rhizomes (underground stems) of the plant Curcuma longa, a member of the ginger family.
Curcumin is the most active constituent of turmeric, making up between 2-6%�of this spice. It�has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The major constituents of turmeric includes:
- Essential oils such as cineole, termerone and cymene
- Curcuminoids such as curcumin and desmethoxycurcumin
- Important body minerals such as potassium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc and magnesium
- Vitamins B3, B6, C, E and K
- Soluble and insoluble dietary fiber
Turmeric is used�for inflammatory disorders, including arthritis, tendonitis, and autoimmune conditions. Take 400-600mg of turmeric extract 3�times per day or as directed on the product label. Look for products standardized for 95% curcuminoids. Neither curcumin nor turmeric taken orally is well absorbed unless taken with black pepper or piperine. When shopping for supplements, make sure that the one you choose contains black pepper extract or piperine. Be patient when taking turmeric supplements, the full benefits may not be apparent for eight weeks.
Some health benefits of�turmeric:
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Chronic Inflammation�and Pain
In 2009, a study was published in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, which compared the pain relieving effects of curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) and ibuprofen. It was found that the curcumin provided equally effective or better results as the ibuprofen. In�2006, a study showed turmeric was more effective at preventing joint inflammation and�reducing joint inflammation than NSAIDS.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis
Due to its high anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric is highly effective at helping people manage rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A recent study out of Japan evaluated its relationship with interleukin (IL)-6, the inflammatory cytokine known to be involved in the RA process, and discovered that curcumin �significantly reduced� these inflammatory markers. This suggests that regular turmeric use could be a potent strategy to prevent the onset of RA from developing.� In�2010 a clinical trial found that a turmeric supplement called Meriva (standardized to 75 percent curcumin combined with phosphatidylcholine) provided long-term improvement in pain and function in 100 patients with knee OA.
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Depression
Researchers from the Government Medical College (Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India) published the results of the first study this past April to evaluate curcumin�s ability to�manage depression�in a controlled setting. Taking 60 volunteers diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) and diving the group to determine how patients treated by curcumin compared against fluoxetine (Prozac) and a combination of the two, researchers�discovered that that the principal curcuminoid in turmeric is not only as effective as Prozac in managing depression but that it doesn�t carry with it all the dangerous side effects found with�anti-depressive drugs. According to the paper, �This study provides�first clinical evidence�that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe modality for treatment in patients with MDD.�
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Diabetes
Turmeric is�shown to lower blood glucose levels and reverse insulin resistance. For instance, an article published in Biochemistry and Biophysical Research Communications�shared�a study out of Auburn University that discovered curcumin suppresses glucose production in the liver. Fascinatingly, researchers proved that it�s actually 400 times more potent than Metformin (a common diabetes drug) in activating AMPK and its downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). Turmeric acted�as an anti-diabetic and antioxidant in diabetes, especially�type 1 diabetes, improved metabolic function and reduced the risk of plaque buildup in the arteries of type 2 diabetes patients.
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Cancer
Recent studies show�turmeric is a powerful adversary to cancer. Curcumin shows a marked ability to inhibit cancer cell growth, boost antioxidant levels and the immune system, and kill cancer cells. It seems to work on improving mitochondrial function at a cellular level, and it improves metabolism. Even against drug-resistant strains of leukemia, curcumin caused cell death of cancer cells.
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Skin and Aging
Turmeric has many healing properties for skin. It�s a natural anti-inflammatory so it reduces redness or other skin irritations. It�s antibacterial, so it�s great for blemishes, acne and skin balance. Turmeric is wonderful at improving the texture of the skin because it is an exfoliant but also rich in antioxidants. It�s a wonderful natural treatment inside and out!
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Brain Health and Memory
By taking turmeric, you can improve the oxygen intake of the brain, which helps in all of the brain�s functions and processes. Turmeric is extremely healing for the brain and for increasing memory function. Not surprisingly, when your brain functions at its best, then you increase the uptake�of hormones, such as seratonin and melatonin. So, by healing the basic functioning of the brain, you can also heal other mental illnesses.
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Cholesterol
According to a study published in the Journal Atherosclerosis on 2004, it was noted that turmeric extract can be used to help reduce the susceptibility of LDL cholesterol to oxidation, an all important step in the development of heart disease and atherosclerosis. In an experiment, controlled dosages of turmeric were fed to hypercholesterolemia rabbits and the effects on LDL oxidation analyzed. The experiment found that turmeric efficiently extracts and reduces the levels of cholesterol in the blood along with the prevalence of atherosclerosis with time.
In 2005, a study published in the Medical Science Monitor titled the International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research investigated the antioxidant and hypolipidemic benefits of curcumin in rats. The researchers induced hypercholesterolemia in the rats by feeding them with a high-cholesterol rich diet for 7 days. They then later added 0.5% curcumin to the animals� diet. The study results showed; reduced serum total cholesterol by 21%, reduced serum LDL cholesterol by 42.5%, and increased serum HDL cholesterol by 50%. The researchers concluded that curcumin in turmeric is the phytochemical responsible for the reduction of cholesterol levels. Additionally, they noted that curcumin reduced the levels of lip by interfering with the metabolism, absorption and excretion of cholesterol rather than by antioxidant mechanisms. An earlier study published in the Journal of Nutrition in 1970 had reached similar conclusions. The researchers determined that the cholesterol-lowering effect by curcumin was as a result of increased fecal excretion of bile acids and cholesterol.
A study published in 2006 on the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry sought to study the effects of curcumin on human liver cell line. The researchers showed that the effect of curcumin on cholesterol metabolism extends deep to the genetic levels. By treating human liver cells with curcumin, the researchers were able to show that turmeric phytochemical raised the LD-receptor mRNA seven times. This shows that curcumin raises the up-take of cholesterol by the liver and thus helps with its removal from the plasma. Therefore, by increasing the population of LDL receptors in the liver, curcumin hastens the break-down of LDL cholesterol.
Things to keep in mind
Avoid consuming�turmeric if you have gallstones or bile duct dysfunction. Consult your doctor if you are pregnant or taking medication. Piperine can slow the elimination of some prescription drugs including phenytoin (Dilantin), propranolol (Inderal), and theophylline. Some evidence also suggests that curcumin can interfere with certain chemotherapy drugs used to treat breast cancer, so if you�re being treated for this disease, be sure to discuss the advisability of taking curcumin with your physician.�Turmeric may interfere with anti-coagulants like aspirin, clopidogrel and warfarin. It also can affect medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
References:
selfhacked.com/2016/03/14/curcumin-cures-top-15-scientifically-proven-health-benefits-with-references/
www.healthbeckon.com/turmeric-benefits/
