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.
Governments could boost the consumption of healthy food by making it cheaper, as well as requiring that unhealthier food be more expensive, a new review suggests.
The findings are based on an analysis of 30 studies. Eleven studies looked at what happened when unhealthier foods were taxed. Nineteen studies explored what people choose to eat when subsidies lowered the price of healthier food. The collection of studies found that food prices really do matter.
“Our results show how 10 percent to 50 percent changes in price of foods and beverages at checkout could influence consumers’ purchasing behaviors over a relatively short period of time,” said study co-first author Ashkan Afshin, a former postdoctoral fellow at Tufts University in Boston. He is now at the University of Washington.
Researchers found that consumption of produce jumped by 14 percent for each 10 percent drop in price. A similar increase in consumption occurred when other healthier foods became cheaper. People also became slightly thinner when produce prices went down, the review reported. On the flip side, a 10 percent price increase in sugar-sweetened beverages and unhealthier fast food translated to decreases in consumption by 7 percent and 3 percent, respectively.
“The global food system is causing a staggering toll on human health. And this is very costly, both in terms of real health care expenses and lost productivity,” said study senior author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts.
“Our findings suggest that subsidies and taxes are a highly effective tool for normalizing the price of foods toward their true societal costs. This will not only prevent disease but also reduce spiraling healthcare costs, which are causing tremendous strain on both private businesses and government budgets,” Mozaffarian said said in a Tufts news release.
The study was published March 1 in the journal PLOS One.
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.
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: 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.
With your Easter feast or Passover repast just around the corner, we’ve asked top nutritionists and dietitians for suggestions on how to make these holiday meals healthier.
“Passover and Easter mark the start of the spring season,” Leah Kaufman, a New York City-based nutritionist tells Newsmax Health. “They traditionally symbolize ‘Rebirth’ and ‘Rejuvenation.’ What better time to think about your diet and health goals than right now, at the beginning of a new season?”
Kaufman notes that both Passover and Easter bring families and friends together for holiday meals that often feature traditional foods that may not be healthy choices.
“Creating healthy meals and snacks even when serving traditional foods can be a creative challenge,” she notes. “Many times these foods may not align with your nutritional goals, but by making simple adjustments, you can continue to eat your favorite holiday foods and not compromise your health.”
For example, Easter is one of the biggest times of the year for ham, market statistics show. But, buyer beware: Many store-bought hams are chock full of sodium and other unhealthy ingredients.
In fact, a single four-ounce portion of the most popular brands contains a whopping 1,700 grams of sodium. That’s 85 percent of the recommended daily intake.
Prepared hams also contain sodium nitrite, a potential carcinogen — as well as sodium phosphate to keep the meat moist, corn syrup, and dextrose, a simple sugar used as a sweetener.
“The takeaway message is that if you don’t want a lot of sodium and preservative as well as extra sugar in your ham, you may want to make your own from scratch or try a healthier main dish such as salmon,” Tara Gidus, an Orlando-based dietician tells Newsmax Health. “That way you’ll be reaping the nutritional benefits of high quality, complete protein with omega-3 fatty acids and important essential vitamins.”
Kaufman suggests another popular Easter favorite may be a better choice: Roast a leg of lamb.
“You’ll still get a lean protein, but without the extra salt and preservatives,” she suggests.
Amy Shapiro, founder of Real Nutrition NYC, tells Newsmax Health that the same caveat applies to a Passover favorite meat: Brisket.
“Lean meats like ham and brisket are great sources of iron, protein and your B vitamins, but be cautious on how they are prepared,” she says. “Brisket can tend to be cooked in heavy sauces which may contain a large amount of salt and sugar.”
On the other hand, eggs are a traditional part of both Passover and Easter — and are a nutritional powerhouse, notes Shapiro.
“Everyone loves a good Easter egg hunt,” she says. “And eggs are great from a nutritional standpoint because they provide a low fat source of protein and contain many vitamins in their whites. For Passover, have an egg to start during the Seder and it will help satisfy your hunger so that you won’t over indulge in heavier fare later in the meal.”
Easter eggs made with dark chocolate provide a sweet treat after the meal that also provides heart-healthy antioxidants.
Matzo bread is a Passover staple for the eight days Jews need to eat “Kosher Passover” food. Although it appears to be a simple cracker, matzo actually contains as many calories and carbs as a normal piece of bread, says Shapiro.
“Try to find a whole wheat brand to increase the nutritional value,” she suggests.
Potatoes are also an important part of traditional Easter meals, says Gidus.
“No Easter brunch is complete without a nice side dish of breakfast potatoes or a hash brown casserole,” she notes. “Potatoes are naturally fat free and surprisingly low in calories if you don’t smother them with high fat sauces.
“White potatoes have more potassium than a banana and contain vitamin C and fiber. Russet potatoes are high on the antioxidant vegetable list and have resistant starch, giving you lasting energy.”
Haroset is a delicious sweet side dish in the Passover meal, typically made with raisins, honey, apples, nuts, cinnamon, and wine.
“This is a great way to eat something sweet without going for candy, cake and ice cream,” notes Shapiro. “But it can have a lot of sugar, so don’t go overboard!”
Gidus recommends adding lots of roasted vegetable side dishes to offer low-calorie options to holiday meals. Asparagus and carrots are excellent, colorful choices.
“Asparagus is an excellent spring vegetable to use in salads or as a side dish,” she says. “Carrots can be also used to make a wonderful carrot cake or carrot muffins to serve as a healthy dessert. You’ll get the benefits of beta carotene, fiber, potassium and iron.”
Kaufman offers this final piece of advice:
“Overall, the holidays are a time to spend with family and friends. Focus on the company you are with rather than the next meal you’ll eat. By engaging in conversation, you’ll decrease the likelihood of over eating.”
Ergonomics is a scientific discipline that’s been in existence for many years. Keeping their work environments safe and efficient and traditionally concerned with factory workers, ergonomic professionals have expanded their work to include all types of workers from laborers to seniors to office workers & students.
In addition, it looks for means to adjust our environment to lower the risks of illness and harm, enhance productivity, and improve the caliber of our work life.
The Goals of Ergonomics
The profession of ergonomics has two main concentrations (which frequently overlap):
1. Industrial ergonomics – occasionally called work-related biomechanics – is concerned with the physical aspects of work including force, position, and repetitive movements.
2. Human factors ergonomics looks as the psychological features of work like mental anxiety and decision-making.
The aims of ergonomics contain the following:
Reduce work-related injury and illness
Help include workers’ compensation costs for companies
Enhance the standard of work
Reduce absenteeism
Help companies comply with government regulations regarding work surroundings
Ergonomics professionals include:
Engineers
Security professionals
Industrial hygienists
Physical therapists
Occupational therapists
Nurse practitioners
Chiropractors
Occupational doctors
How Ergonomics Enhances Work & Safety
The association between work injury and illness is old. It is even believed that Ancient Man concerned himself with developing the right tools that allowed for the efficiency and least amount�of distress.
Now, we continue to look for ways to boost the relationship between our “tools” and�our jobs. One means to do that is to look at the risk factors in the workplace. These are able to be divided into 3 areas: physical characteristics, environmental features, and workplace hazards.
1. Physical Characteristics Of Work:
Bearing
Drive
Repetition
Duration
Recovery time
Velocity/acceleration
Heavy exertion that is dynamic
2. Segmental Vibration Environmental Characteristics Of Work:
Proponents of specific food class-centric diets such as paleo, vegan, gluten-free, ketogenic, or the Mediterranean diet often but not always tend to prescribe their plans for everyone. Not so fast, says a group from the University of California, Berkeley. Biologists at UC Berkeley and other institutions around the world have published research that shows genetic differences from natural selection based on dietary changes in Europe, Ars Technica reports.
According to the research, for example, if you live in Europe, and particularly in southern Europe, your body is optimized to digest and process plant-based diets. Natives of Greenland, specifically the Inuit, are better at processing meat fat.
The researchers compared genomes from hundreds of contemporary humans and 101 genome sequences from Bronze Age humans who lived in Europe 5,000 years ago. They found DNA changed significantly in the last 5,000 years.
The science behind the studies is based on examining two genes that regulate how fatty acids in foods are converted into the �long-chain� form used by humans for tissue health, including the brain and muscles. Plants such as wheat and vegetables�provide �short-chain� fatty acids and must be converted to the long-form type in order for the human body to use them.
In its genome studies, the researchers found that southern European genomes mutated to produce more long-chain fatty acids from the shorter variation. This change, they argue, is due to evolutionary �pressure��from a diet that changed to accommodate more plant-based foods.�The Inuit genome, however, had no such influence, which means Inuit genes�aren�t equipped to convert as great a quantity of long-chain fatty acids because they don�t as much need it.
The general take on this research: There is no one best diet or nutritional bias for all people. If your ancestors are all from the 10 countries that make up northern Europe, for example, the study indicates you could be more likely better equipped to thrive on a diet having a higher proportion of meat. People of southern European ancestry, however, might do better with diets that lean toward plant-based foods.
We can deny it until the mad cows come home, but we start deteriorating even before middle age. It�s not going to get better and we�re not going to start remembering where our keys are. The good news is that a healthy diet, akin to the famous Mediterranean one, can significantly protect our memory performance, say Canadian scientists who helpfully published a Brain Health Food Guide to help adults over 50 preserve their thinking and memory skills.
While about it: Dietary patterns similar to the Brain Health Food Guide are associated with a 36 percent decrease in the risk of developing Alzheimer�s disease, the scientists add.
No, there is no such thing as a superfood for superlative memory. The brain diet is less about specifics and more about generally eating healthy, focusing on classes of foods, explains the team from Baycrest�s Rotman Research Institute.
Legumes are key. Green beans don�t count in that category, though they do count as a vegetable, so they�re good. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts are good too.
And: Eat fish, beans, beans, beans and nuts several times a week, and choose healthy fats from olive oil, nuts and fish. Did we say beans? Add the legumes to everything but your vanilla shake.
Eat lots of berries, and yes, strawberries do count in that context, Dr. Carol Greenwood�reassures Haaretz. That is fortunate because Israel doesn�t really have many other berry types. (Mulberries are endemic but never did catch on here culinarily.)
While the recommendations were penned for Canadians, they apply to everybody, Greenwood also reassures.
�Our work was, in part, to address the �holy grail� that the Mediterranean diet has in Canada � it is absolutely a healthy diet, but does not necessarily meet the cultural needs of all individuals,� she wrote in an email interview.��Rather, we position the Mediterranean diet as one example of a brain healthy diet, but argue that there are fundamental principles which can be adopted across all cultures and ethnic groups.�
She also wanted to debunk the reams of misinformation out there about �brain food,��says Greenwood, co-author of the Brain Health Food Guide. �In Canada, there are lots of claims around supplements and individual foods, where there really is no data to support the claims.�
Go Gentle Into That Good Ice Cream
It�s hard to pinpoint �brain foods.� By the same token, removing a single component from the diet � such as sugar or wheat � isn�t going to solve the problem of a deteriorating memory, Greenwood believes. �The answer will never be as easy as pointing to an individual food which is either harmful or helpful � it is the global qualities of the diet which are important.�This cannot be packaged into an individual pill/supplement or individual food.�
That said, she elaborates, there is a general consensus that diets and lifestyles that lead to the development of insulin resistance and other chronic disorders, such as hypertension, will contribute to poor cognitive retention and increased dementia risk.
What causes insulin resistance? Foods in that category include highly processed offerings, especially foods with lots of refined sugars. Steak and other red meat are in this category too, she says.
�I think the important message is that we need to limit our intakes of these foods and not promote abstinence � making something a �forbidden fruit� only makes people crave it more and we don�t have the evidence to argue that small quantities are harmful,� Greenwood says. �You can still enjoy a small scoop of ice cream on special occasions as long as you don�t make it a daily item or eat the entire container at once.�
Do Or Dash
The Baycrest recommendations draw primarily on two randomized control trials, a Spanish one using a diet intervention based on the Mediterranean diet, and a U.S. trial using a diet intervention based on the �DASH� diet, which is a long-term approach to healthy eating designed to help prevent or treat high blood pressure.
The team set out to see where these two dietary approaches overlapped (for instance, legumes) and diverged (the Mediterranean diet places much more emphasis on fish), to form the basis of the dietary intervention.
Fats were a puzzler. �There is no consensus across the epidemiological studies as to the negative contribution of a high-fat diet per se, rather the consensus is across fat quality � hence these recommendations focus more on fat quality rather than quantity,� Greenwood explains.�And finally, data across a number of different international epidemiological studies was also used to inform the recommendation, Greenwood told Haaretz.
Apropos fats, fatty fish are generally considered to be best for the brain diet because of the high content of omega fats. �In Canada, the intake of fish is so low, that getting individuals to consume any type of fish is better than consuming no fish at all.�This may not be the case in Israel,� Greenwood says, and she�s right � Israelis eat a lot of fish.� �For instance, in the Spanish study, it was difficult to show benefits of meeting our recommendation for fish intake simply because most individuals were already naturally consuming relatively high levels of fish in their diet before entering the study.� And so it is in Israel too.
The gym is filled with tons�of complex machines, all designed to tighten and tone various areas of your body. With so many flashy options to choose from,�chances are, you’ve been overlooking one ultra-versatile piece of equipment: the�TRX suspension trainer. But his seemingly simple item is actually a super effective workout tool. It was designed to add extra challenge to many of your usual go-to exercises, like squats and mountain climbers, to�help your body build strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability.
The best part: It’s totally versatile. While you can find TRX trainers at any gym, you can also use them to get toned just about�anywhere�whether that’s in your home, the beach, or the park�by simply attaching your trainer to a sturdy object overhead (like a tree, for example). Not to mention, it’s compact enough to squeeze into your suitcase, making it perfect for�working out while traveling.
If you’re curious to try out TRX and mix up your usual routine, try giving my 6-move workout a go.
Single-leg squat
Face the anchor point and grab the cushioned handles. Take a couple steps back so there’s plenty of�tension on the suspension trainer. Balancing on your left foot, extend your right leg. Begin to lower into a squat, keeping your right leg extended and your left heel on the ground. Once you’ve hit a 90-degree angle�or as low as you can go with proper form�drive your left heel through the ground returning to a standing position. Do three�sets of eight�reps.
Tam�s Tip: Don�t sacrifice form for depth. Be sure to keep your arms straights at all stages in the squat to prevent using your upper body instead of your legs and glutes.
Bring the handles together and place your right foot into the cradle. Walk out a few steps while balancing on your left leg. Begin to lower down into a lunge, hold for one second, and then return to standing. Do four�sets of 10 reps.
Tam�s Tip: Make sure that you aren�t hinging at your hips, and really using your legs and glutes to get into the lunge. Avoid pushing off your front leg when returning to a standing position.
Pull-ups
Adjust the handles so that they are at their highest setting. Grab the handles, making sure that your hands, shoulders and hips are aligned. Keep your feet flat on the ground and pull your body up as high as you can, and then lower down to the starting position. To make it harder, straighten your legs, with your heels on the ground and pull yourself up, keeping your shoulders down and back. If you want more of a challenge, pull your entire body off the ground in one fluid movement (as shown above), and then lower back down to the starting position. Start with three�sets of 10 reps for the beginner/intermediate variations. Advanced: three�sets of four�reps.
Tam�s Tip: Be sure that your hands, shoulders and hips are aligned after every rep.
Bring the handles together and grab them with your right hand. Lean your body backward, with your feet closer�to the anchor point in front of you. Then, while engaging your core and lat, pull your body up in one fluid movement. Straighten your right arm, lowering down to the start position. Do three�sets of 12 reps.
Tam�s Tip: To make this exercise more challenging, walk your feet closer to the anchor point, increasing the amount of body weight you are pulling. You can also try standing�with a narrow stance to make this exercise more unstable.
Mountain climber
Place your feet into the foot cradles with your toes facing down. Walk your hands out to a plank position. Drive your right knee forward, followed by the left. Repeat.
Tam�s Tip: Try to avoid sawing (each strap changing levels) by maintaining even pressure on the foot cradles.
Pikes
Place your feet into the foot cradles, toes facing down. Walk your hands out into a plank position. From here begin to raise your hips up, engaging your core, creating a upside down �v�. Lower your body back down for one rep. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
Tam�s Tip: Imagine there is a string attached to your tailbone pulling you up and down. Avoid a dip in your lower back by pulling your belly button in and engaging your core.
A good attitude about weight loss will go a long way in helping you to achieve success. Whether your weight problem has resulted from eating the wrong foods, lack of routine physical exercise, using food to resist anxiety, age, or genetics �you can help defeat that by setting reasonable goals and expectations that are realistic.
The initial step to take would be to discuss your set for weight loss and general health by means of your physician. Your physician can assist you to make informed choices about treatments that contain weight loss plans and exercise suitable to your needs.
Therapies include dietary, behavioral, drug, and for some patients, surgical alteration of the digestive system to reduce the quantity of food consumed. A safe and realistic weight reduction plan may result in success.
Evaluating your body weight is more involved than stepping on the scale. This info is assessed to find out your risks due to extra weight (eg, high blood pressure).
Nutrition Means To Feed Your Body
In the event you haven’t detected, the ‘D’ word (Diet) hasn’t been used in this post as it relates to weight reduction. Granted, caloric reduction will be required by a weight loss program. Yet, for many overweight or obese folks, a weight loss program means exercising, handling anxiety, and making lifestyle changes, which might comprise relearning how to eat.
It’s vitally crucial that you feed your body the nutrients it needs to be healthy and live. No one food contains all the essential nutrients �it takes combining a wide variety of foods to help meet your body’s needs. If you have been heavy or obese for a long time, your body may really be starving for necessary nutrients!
Nutrients Their Food Sources & Activities In The Human Body
*Fats are essential in taking the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. There are just three types of fats:
Saturated Fat will raise blood cholesterol levels. These fats are found mostly in meat and diary products.
Polyunsaturated Fat tends to lower blood cholesterol levels. It’s mainly found in plant sources such as safflower, sunflower, soybean, corn, and cottonseed.
Monounsaturated Fat tends to lower the bad cholesterol or LDL (low density cholesterol). Examples include canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, and avocados.
Although this amount is exceeded by most Americans, dietary ingestion of fat shouldn’t exceed 30% per day.
Remove the skin from poultry, trim visible fat from meat, an easy method to cut back fat consumption is to choose lean cuts of meat, choose water-packed tuna, and pick dairy products made from skim or low-fat milk.
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