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 DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Fitness, Health, Wellness
This article originally appeared on InStyle.com.�
When celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser calls and invites you to do a 5-day intensive workshop with her that mimics the exact workout she does on her famous clients, you don�t say no. At least�I�don�t say no. Because Kaiser, founder of�AKT In Motion, is one of the most motivating, positive, brilliant minds in the fitness industry. And she kicks major ass. This worked out perfectly since I was in the mood for a major ass-kicking.
So I said a resounding YES and shortly after found myself waiting patiently inside her Nomad studio one Monday morning a few weeks ago for day�numero uno�of the aforementioned workshop. On the agenda: 5 days of intensive classes, all led by Kaiser, that would give me a taste of the full scope of the concept behind her workout. (Her method, by the way, is an exercise routine rooted in functional movement combining circuit training with HIIT, strength, toning, dance cardio, Pilates, and yoga.) Oh, and PS,�Kelly Ripa,�Karlie Kloss,�Shakira, and other beautiful bods in Hollywood all call her on the reg to whip them into shape.
Day 1:�Happy Hour, her signature dance cardio class (below). We start with a warm up before we start rocking out to a beast of a playlist that gets us through an hour + of sweat drenching cardio. Anna (who by the way just had a baby), is working harder than any other person in the room, as revealed by all of our heart rate monitors that are displayed on a screen at the front of the studio. Her energy is palpable, and I leave the class feeling incredibly inspired and excited for the week of classes ahead of me.
Day 2:�I leap out of bed in the morning without hesitation (this is rare. Unheard of, actually) and make my way to the studio for Sweat Dream, a cardio-strength combo class using resistance bands hung from the ceiling. This class is no joke. By the end of the hour I can barely move my arms. But just like yesterday, Anna�s energy gets me through it, no problemo.
Day 3:�I wake up this morning extremely sore, as anticipated. But I feel great. Today�s class is called Tone, which consists of 45 minutes of total body toning followed by 15 minutes of foam rolling and deep stretching. This is actually the perfect day for this class because I am in desperate need of stretching. I am 10 minutes late which puts me in a state of panic the whole subway ride uptown, but I finally make it. Bonus: My heart rate is already through the roof and I�m sweating, and I haven�t even started the workout. The first 45 minutes are a challenge (think Pilates and barre-inspired strength moves) but it�s the cool down that really throws me over the edge. Yes, the cool down. We work our fatigued muscles out on the torture device known as the foam roller and suddenly I�ve never been so desperate to get back to toning. It hurts. BAD. The best kind of pain that is so brutal yet you know is doing your body so much good. By the time 15 minutes has ended I feel like I just had a 90-minute massage. I leave class and head immediately to Paragon Sports to pick up a foam roller for my apartment. I�ve used it every day, ever since. It�s changed my life.
RELATED:�See Britney Spears Working Hard on Her Fitness (Again!) Even if She’d Rather Be Doing�This
Day 4:�Due to the aforementioned foam rolling, I feel pretty good. I am sore from head to toe but oddly also feel refreshed and renewed. I head to day 4 of class, known as 4Play. (4 exercises x 4 circuits, done through a combination of HIIT intervals and functional strength training, using weights, bands, balls, and anything else you can think of). This. Is. Hard. SO hard. I think about quitting, but then I look over at bright-eyed bushy-tailed Anna, and I instantly erase that thought from memory. As a plow through a series of weighted squats, I ponder how it is that she is pouring sweat and exerting more energy than all of us, yet doesn�t look tired in the least bit. Then I think about how she has a newborn at home and begin to wonder how many hours of sleep she got last night (Two? Three, maybe?) I decide to squat lower and suck it up because I literally have zero excuses not to.
Day 5:�The last day of the workshop! One would think I would be thrilled to be done with this journey of torture, but in actuality, I woke up this morning feeling sad. For the entire week, I committed to something that was doing my body, mind, and soul an incredible amount of good. I started each morning with one of the most positive, upbeat, inspiring woman I know. I tested my body to its limit. And I feel incredible. I go to class (a combination mixer of all of AKT�s offerings) and give it my all. I collapse into a sweaty fetal position on my mat at the end.
What did I do after? Go directly to the spa? Throw my gym shoes in the trash on the way out the door? No. I immediately went to the front desk and signed up for a double class for the next morning. Crazy? Yes. True story? Double yes.
I�ve been addicted ever since. And my body has never felt better. Karlie, I understand your obsession.
For more information about AKT In Motion,�aktinmotion.com.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Fitness, Health, Wellness
We may know Amy Schumer as the funny girl who can crack a joke on command, but there is one thing that the star of the new movie Snatched takes seriously: her workouts.
The proof in this video, which shows�Schumer�sweating it out under the watchful eye of her trainer Harley Pasternak. Pasternak�recently posted this clip of the comedienne�performing a two-minute cardio burst on a Helix. (More on that later.)
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�First of all, Amy’s naturally an athlete,� notes Pasternak who says Schumer has an effortless humor that lights up the room� and makes everyone around her smile. �She played sports at a high-level through high school and college, and was an aerobics instructor. So she’s very coordinated, and easy to push in the gym.�
So how exactly does Pasternak help keep Schumer looking her best? The simple seven, he says�that is, a circuit of seven strength moves that target the entire body. �The exercises sometimes vary, but I usually pick one exercise for each of the seven major body parts,� explains Pasternak who offered up the skater lunge, dumbbell stiff-leg deadlift, dumbbell curl press, single arm dumbbell row, lying dumbbell triceps extension with hip thrust, spider plank and Superman. �Sometimes I have her just pick one of these exercises and do anywhere from three to five sets with 15 to 30 reps. Other times I’ll have her do all seven exercises, doing one to three sets of 15 to 20 reps.�
RELATED: 18 Exercises to Tone Your Legs and Butt
Pasternak also has Schumer hit the Helix, a gym machine that works the body on a lateral plane. �Most of what we do is forward and back, so to find something that works us more side to side I think is really helpful for those under-worked muscles like the abductors and obliques, while still hitting the glutes and quads,� he says. �I mainly use the Helix as a cardio burst when doing a circuit, but it can easily be used for more prolonged bouts of cardio.� Don�t have access to a Helix? No worries. Pasternak, says you can put two towels underneath your feet and slide side to side on a hardwood floor to mimic the movement of the machine.
For overall wellness, though, Pasternak reminds us that walking is essential. �This is by far the most important thing that I can ever tell someone to do,� he says. �Get a Fitbit, set a daily step goal of at least 10,000, and keep moving.�
Now that you�re armed with Pasternak’s A-list tips, give Schumer�s simple seven a try:
1. Skater Lunge
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hinge forward at waist as you raise left foot. Push off right foot and explode toward the left, landing on left foot with knees slightly bent; touch right toes to the ground behind left foot. Push off left foot and explode back toward the right, landing on right foot with left toes touching behind it. Continue, alternating back and forth. (Click here to see a photo.)
2. Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, palms face thighs. Brace core, and keeping weight in heels, hinge at hips and lower torso as you slide dumbbells down the front of thighs. Weights should only go down as far as hamstrings will allow without your back rounding. Slowly rise to standing, and then repeat.
3. Dumbbell Curl Press
Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing out, with� hands shoulder-width apart and arms hanging in front of you. Curl the weight toward shoulders and then press weights up directly over shoulders until arms are straight. Lower back to start and then repeat.
4. Single Arm Dumbbell Row
Start from a lunge position with left leg forward and�left elbow resting on�knee. (Or, place left knee and left palm on a bench.) Grab a dumbbell with your right hand. Row the dumbbell up along your ribs, squeezing the right shoulder blade. Lower back to start and then repeat. When you switch sides, switch legs so that the right is forward.
5. Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension With Hip Thrust
Lie faceup with knees bent, feet flat and a dumbbell in each hand. Extend arms straight up; palms face each other. Hinge arms at elbows, and lower dumbbells back toward ears. Contract triceps and extend arms back up as you simultaneously engage glutes and push hips up as high as possible. As you lower hips, lower dumbbells back towards ears again; repeat.
6. Superman
Lie facedown with arms and legs fully extended and shoulder-width apart. Simultaneously lift legs and arms at least 6 inches off the floor; hold for 5 seconds, lower and then repeat.
7. Spider Plank
Get into the �up� part of a pushup. Lift right foot, bending right knee and brining it toward the outside of right elbow. Return to start, switch legs and repeat on the left side. (Click here to see a photo.)
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Natural Health, Wellness
Even as life expectancy is rising in many places across the U.S., there are some places where lifespans are getting shorter and geographical inequalities are becoming more pronounced, a new study suggests.
Nationwide in 2014, the average life expectancy was about 79.1 years, up 5.3 years from 1980, the study found. For men, life expectancy climbed from 70 years to 76.7 years, while for women it increased from 77.5 years to 81.5 years.
But the study also highlighted stark disparities: a baby born in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, can expect to live just 66.8 years, while a child born in Summit County, Colorado, can expect to live 86.8 years, on average.
“For both of these geographies, the drastically different life expectancies are likely the result of a combination of risk factors, socioeconomics and access and quality of health care in those areas,” said senior study author Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle.
“We found that risk factors – obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes – explained 74 percent of the variation in longevity in the U.S.,” Murray said by email. “Socioeconomic factors – a combination of poverty, income, education, unemployment and race – were independently related to 60 percent of the inequality, and access to and quality of health care explained 27 percent.”
To examine changes in life expectancy over time, researchers looked at death certificates from each county in the country.
Several counties in South and North Dakota, typically with Native American reservations, had the lowest life expectancy, the study found. Counties along the lower half of the Mississippi and in eastern Kentucky and southwestern West Virginia also had very low life expectancy compared with the rest of the country.
In contrast, counties in central Colorado had the highest life expectancy.
Some of the biggest gains in life expectancy during the study were seen in counties in central Colorado, Alaska and in metropolitan areas around San Francisco and New York.
But there was little, if any, improvement in life expectancy in some southern counties in states stretching from Oklahoma to West Virginia. Many counties where life expectancy dropped the most are in Kentucky.
One limitation of the study is that there might be errors in county death records, the authors note. Researchers also lacked data to explore how much the findings might be explained by migration of certain types of people to certain communities.
“The bottom line is that our life expectancy is increasingly being shaped by where we live within the U.S.,” said Jennifer Karas Montez, a sociology researcher at Syracuse University in New York who wasn’t involved in the study.
“Lifestyle behaviors are not causes, they are symptoms,” Montez said by email. “They are symptoms of the environment and the social and economic deprivation that many parts of the country now endure thanks to decades of policy decisions.”
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Natural Health, Wellness
If you suffer from chronic pain, make sure you get plenty of sleep, say researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, who found that sleep loss increases pain sensitivity. Can’t get more sleep? Then drink a cup of coffee, which also can help you cope with pain.
Both getting more sleep and drinking coffee (or taking medications that keep you alert) eased chronic pain better than standard pain-relievers, according to a study published in Nature Medicine.
Pain physiologist Alban Latremoliere, Ph.D. and sleep physiologist Chloe Alexandre, Ph.D. measured the effects of acute or chronic sleep loss on sleepiness and sensitivity to both painful and non-painful stimuli in mice. They then tested standard pain medications, like ibuprofen and morphine, as well as wakefulness-promoting agents like caffeine and modafinil.
“We found that five consecutive days of moderate sleep deprivation can significantly exacerbate pain sensitivity over time in otherwise healthy mice,” says Alexandre. “The response was specific to pain, and was not due to a state of general hyperexcitability to any stimuli.”
Surprisingly, common analgesics like ibuprofen did not block sleep-loss-induced pain hypersensitivity. Even morphine lost most of its efficacy in sleep-deprived mice.
The results suggested that patients using these drugs for pain relief might have to increase their dose to compensate for lost efficacy due to sleep loss, thereby increasing their risk for side effects.
In contrast, both caffeine and modafinil, drugs used to promote wakefulness, successfully blocked the pain hypersensitivity caused by both acute and chronic sleep loss. Interestingly, the compounds had no pain-relieving effects in mice who weren’t sleep-deprived.
Meditation has also been found to be more effective than drugs to ease chronic back pain. Scientists at Seattle’s Group Health Research Institute found that eight weekly sessions of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), such as meditation and yoga, relieved pain and improved ease of movement better than conventional care, such as over-the-counter pain killers.
Cognitive behavior therapy, which taught people to change the way they felt about pain, also helped improve both pain and ease of movement better than conventional care.
According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Natural Health, Wellness
Hundreds of studies show that teas bestow a multitude of health benefits. And with teas ranging from mild green to robust Earl Grey along with a wide variety of herbal teas, you’re sure to find one to suit your taste — and your ailment.
Below are different types of tea along with their health benefits.
Black
A study published in Frontiers of Nutrition found that black tea may reduce blood sugar levels naturally, and that drinking three or more cups a day lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes and helps those who have the disease keep it under control. Researchers at Framingham State University extracted several types of antioxidants from black tea that block the enzymes responsible for increasing blood sugar.
Another study found that those same three cups of black tea reduced the risk of fractures in elderly women by up to 42 percent.
Green
Researchers at Japan’s Kyoto University found that drinking green tea could help prevent deadly abdominal aortic aneurysms. They believe that the beneficial compounds in green tea are polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that fights free radicals and reduces inflammation. The polyphenols also appear to make arteries stronger and more flexible by regenerating elastin, an essential protein that makes arteries stretchy, yet sturdy.
Australian researchers found that three cups of tea a day reduced the risk of fractures by 30 percent. Experts at Flinders University believe that chemicals in black and green tea called flavonoids accelerate the building of new bone while slowing the breakdown of existing bone.
Green and white teas contain large amounts of EGCG, a powerful antioxidant linked to a lower risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and numerous types of cancer. A study at Japan’s Okayama University found that senior citizens who drank large amounts of green tea slashed their risk of dying from heart disease by as much as 76 percent, and a Chinese study found that drinking green tea cut the risk of lung cancer by two-thirds.
Earl Grey
The distinctive flavor of Earl Grey tea is due to an extract made from the bergamot fruit, which is a bitter citrus fruit. Studies have found it lowers cholesterol naturally and safely by reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides, while raising levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Bergamot lowers an especially harmful type of LDL called LDL-B, and lowers inflammation as well as blood sugar. “That’s a trifecta!” says nationally known nutritionist Jonny Bowden, author of Smart Fat: Eat More Fat. Lose More Weight. Get Healthy Now.
Rooibos.
Rooibos tea, also called redbush tea, is an herbal tea made from the South African shrub Aspalathus Lineraris. One study found that rooibos protected the liver against cirrhosis caused by alcohol or the liver toxin carbon tetrachloride as well as N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), the supplement commonly used to treat the condition. Other studies have found it lowers blood pressure, may help prevent diabetes and cancer, and even aids in weight loss.
Ginger.
Ginger contains active phenols, including gingerols and shogaols, and ginger tea has been used to sooth upset stomachs for centuries, relieving gas and diarrhea. Numerous modern studies have found that ginger can help alleviate morning sickness and motion sickness, and can even lessen the nausea caused by chemotherapy. Ginger is anti-inflammatory, and a study published in The Journal of Pain found that ginger eases muscle pain following exercise. Ginger can also suppress the appetite and help with weight loss. An article published in the journal Metabolism found that drinking ginger tea after meals quelled hunger pangs.
Peppermint.
According to a study in the International Journal of Neuroscience, peppermint tea increases concentration and focus. Peppermint oil is a natural stimulant, and merely sniffing a warm cup can boost your energy levels. Numerous studies have found that peppermint oil decreases fatigue, soothes nerves, and sharpens memory.
Peppermint also tackles headaches. A placebo-controlled study published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice found peppermint reduced the pain of migraines. An earlier German study found that peppermint reduced pain as effectively as 1,000 mg of acetaminophen.
Peppermint tea also aids in digestion, and several studies found that peppermint reduced the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome by 75 percent.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Anti Aging
Changes in your hair — whether it’s graying hair or hair loss — are a bane of aging.
But if new research in mice pans out in humans, you could one day cross worries about your mane off your list of concerns about getting older.
That’s because researchers accidentally pinpointed skin cells linked to gray hair and balding while they were conducting research on a specific type of cancer that affects nerve cells. The investigators believe their discovery could someday lead to new treatments to stop baldness and graying hair.
“Although this project was started in an effort to understand how certain kinds of tumors form, we ended up learning why hair turns gray and discovering the identity of the cell that directly gives rise to hair,” said study author Dr. Lu Le. He is an associate professor of dermatology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
“With this knowledge, we hope in the future to create a topical compound or to safely deliver the necessary gene to hair follicles to correct these cosmetic problems,” he explained in a university news release.
The researchers found that a protein called KROX20 turns on skin cells that develop into the hair shaft. These cells are usually linked to nerve development.
These skin cells then produce a protein involved in hair color. This protein is called stem cell factor (SCF). When SCF was deleted from mice, their hair turned white, according to the report.
When KROX20 cells were deleted, the mice became bald, the researchers said.
Studies done on animals don’t always turn out the same in humans, so it remains to be seen if these results will look as promising in people.
The study team does want to learn if SCF and KROX20 stop working properly over time in people. And, because gray hair and balding are often among the first signs of aging, this research could also provide information on aging in general, the authors noted.
The study was published online May 2 in the journal Genes & Development.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | Diets, Fitness
Tossing out the salt shaker may not be enough for your heart health. Most of the salt that Americans consume comes from processed foods and restaurant meals, a new study finds.
In a sampling of 450 U.S. adults, only 10 percent of salt, or sodium, in their diet came from food prepared at home. About half of that was added at the table.
Instead, restaurant meals and store-bought foods — including crackers, breads and soups — accounted for 71 percent of salt intake, the study found.
“Care must be taken when food shopping and eating out to steer clear of higher-sodium foods,” said lead researcher Lisa Harnack.
For prevent harmful high blood pressure, Americans are advised to limit salt intake to 2,300 milligrams (mg) daily, said Harnack, a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. That’s the equivalent of one teaspoon.
But, more than eight out of 10 Americans exceed this limit “by a mile,” she said.
Food diaries from study participants showed that about 3,500 mg of sodium was consumed a day on average.
The report was published online May 8 in the journal Circulation.
Kathryn Foti, an epidemiologist who wasn’t involved in the study, pointed out that high blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke in the United States.
“Reducing salt reduces blood pressure and can help prevent cardiovascular disease,” said Foti, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
“The most effective way to reduce salt is to reduce the content in commercially processed and prepared foods,” added Foti, co-author of an accompanying journal editorial.
She said gradual, voluntary reductions across the food supply could have a large public health benefit.
“Reducing average sodium intake by as little as 400 mg per day could prevent up to 32,000 heart attacks and 20,000 strokes annually,” she said.
The American Heart Association has launched a sodium-reduction campaign to encourage food companies and restaurants to reduce the salt in their products.
Harnack said food companies and restaurants that have pledged to comply “should be commended.”
But, Foti added, doctors should step up their efforts by educating patients about where their salt actually comes from.
“While it’s OK to encourage patients to go easy on the salt shaker, more importantly, physicians should emphasize product selection,” Foti suggested.
She and Harnack recommended reading the Nutrition Facts panel on packaged foods.
Swap out the high-sodium items with lower-salt options, Foti advised. Salt content in many foods varies widely across brands, she noted.
In restaurants where nutrition information isn’t posted, “consumers can request information about the salt content of menu items or ask how foods are prepared,” Foti added.
“And of course, choosing more fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables, can help you reduce the salt in your diet,” she said.
The study involved 450 racially diverse adults, aged 18 to 74, living in Birmingham, Ala.; Minneapolis-St. Paul; or Palo Alto, Calif.
Between December 2013 and December 2014, the participants were asked to record their daily diet for four 24-hour periods. In addition, the study participants provided samples of salt equivalent to the amount they added at home.
Average salt consumption was over 50 percent more than the recommended 2,300 milligrams, the researchers found.
Salt added while cooking comprised only about 6 percent of sodium consumption, and salt added at the table from the salt shaker accounted for just 5 percent, according to the study.
Salt naturally found in foods made up about 14 percent of dietary sodium, while salt in tap water, dietary supplements and antacids made up less than 1 percent, according to the report.
