Non-surgical spinal decompression relieves pain related to spinal conditions, injuries, and disorders that provides a comfortable, affordable alternative treatment option to costly and invasive surgical procedures. Non-surgical spinal decompression can also relieve pain associated with post-surgical rehabilitation. A key to successful outcomes is including added components of the treatment that includes spinal decompression nutrition.
Spinal Decompression Nutrition
Proper nutrition and a balanced diet are essential elements of overall health. Individuals suffering from herniated discs, bulging discs, degenerated discs, sciatica, and chronic low back and neck pain are often deficient in vitamins and minerals, leading to inflammation and pain. These deficiencies can cause or exacerbate the pain and prevent or slow down healing. The bones, muscles, and other structures in the spine need proper nutrition to be strong enough to support the body and perform functions optimally. A health coach and nutritionist can recommend the proper diet and supplements to expedite healing, depending on the patient, the circumstances, and the individual situation. A non-inflammatory diet can make a big difference in patients’ symptoms and the effectiveness of decompression therapy.
The Right Foods
Eating a balanced diet with the right amount and variety of vitamins and nutrients can reduce back problems by nourishing the spine’s bones, muscles, discs, and other structures. While a healthy diet calls for various vitamins and nutrients, several healthy choices can directly benefit the spine. First and foremost is:
Sugar and Nitrate Reduction
High sugar diets lack the nutrients needed to prevent the release of inflammatory mediators.
The average individual consumes around 100 lbs of sugar per year.
Dessert foods are high infatty acids, which increase inflammation.
Any foods containing high fructose corn syrup like salad dressings and sodas.
Processed foods high in nitrates like hot dogs, sausage, and lunch meats.
Super Foods
Increase healing of the spine at the cellular level with superfoods that include:
Water – maintaining hydration is important for re-hydrating degenerated, dried-out discs.
Pre Spinal Decompression Nutrition
The human body was created to heal itself; however, getting the proper nutrition can be difficult as circulation is impeded/blocked when going through a back injury or spinal condition. Eating and/or supplementing with essential nutrients and minerals could be recommended to encourage and engage the healing process. Using nutrients to improve recovery and healing is known as immunonutrition. Pre-decompression allows the tissues to begin healing. Then the chiropractic health team can prepare the tissues for decompression through therapeutic massage, heat, low-level laser therapy, and ultrasound.
DRX9000 Explained by a Neurosurgeon
References
Calder, Philip C. “Fatty acids and inflammation: the cutting edge between food and pharma.” European journal of pharmacology vol. 668 Suppl 1 (2011): S50-8. doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2011.05.085
Gay R. “All About Spinal Decompression Therapy.” Spine-health. http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/all-about-spinal-decompression-therapy. Published September 2013. Accessed April 2015.
InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. What is inflammation? 2010 Nov 23 [Updated 2018 Feb 22]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279298/
Innes, Jacqueline K, and Philip C Calder. “Omega-6 fatty acids and inflammation.” Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and essential fatty acids vol. 132 (2018): 41-48. doi:10.1016/j.plefa.2018.03.004
Spondylitis Anti-Inflammation Diet: Individuals who have a chronic back pain condition can be recommended to have two or more vertebrae fused to correct the problem/s and alleviate the pain. However, a form of inflammatory spinal arthritis can cause the vertebrae to fuse by themselves, known as ankylosing spondylitis. One recommended way to bring pain relief is by eating an anti-inflammatory diet. Studies have shown that a low-inflammatory diet can help improve spondylitis symptoms.
Spondylitis Anti-Inflammation Diet
Ankylosing spondylitis is a progressive inflammatory disease that primarily affects the spine; however, individual symptoms vary. Symptoms include stiffness and pain in the neck, hips, low back, and fatigue. There is no definite pattern meaning:
Symptoms can improve.
Symptoms can worsen or flare up.
Symptoms can stop for a period of time.
Women are affected more often than men with no known cause. There is no cure for ankylosing spondylitis, but treatments and self-care can slow down the disease’s progression and help manage symptoms.
Diet and Inflammation
Diet is not the root cause of inflammatory disease, but eating inflammation-causing foods can worsen symptoms. Reducing inflammation can help alleviate pain.
Eliminating foods that cause or increase inflammation is recommended to help the body become stronger and manage symptoms.
Functional medicine practitioners can help guide individuals on maximizing healthy nutrition and using it to reduce pain and symptoms.
If an individual has a genetic predisposition, their diet can be crucial to calm down the symptoms and help turn the autoimmune disease around.
A spondylitis anti-inflammation diet should be rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and omega-3 fatty acids. Evidence shows that a diet low in starches can lead to less ankylosing spondylitis activity. Low-starch can also help limit the presence of Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacteria that feeds on starch and is a known trigger for the onset and development of ankylosing spondylitis.
Foods To Eat
Leafy greens
These include spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and collard greens containing magnesiumand polyphenols that reduce inflammation.
These can be raw or cooked with garlic and olive oil added to maximize benefits.
Cruciferous vegetables
These contain sulforaphane, anantioxidantthat includes broccoli cauliflower and can be eaten raw or cooked, roasted with olive oil, sauteed, and stir-fried.
Allium Vegetables
These contain sulfuric compounds and quercetin,a flavonoidthat helps reduce inflammation.
These include red and yellow onions, leeks, garlic, and shallots.
They can be eaten raw or cooked in salads, stir-frys, and sandwiches.
Berries
These contain anthocyanin,an antioxidant flavonoid, and other antioxidants and polyphenols that help with inflammation.
These include strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and can be eaten raw, in smoothies, in salads, with oatmeal, or mixed in unsweetened yogurt.
Fruits
Certain fruits contain quercetin and polyphenols to help with inflammation.
These include apples, cherries, oranges.
Healthy oils
Contain oleocanthalwhich acts similar to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and contains various antioxidants.
These include olive oil for low heat cooking and avocado oil for high heat cooking to replace butter and margarine.
It can be served in dressings and drizzled on foods.
Examples include walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, chia seeds, and ground flaxseeds.
These can be served as snacks, salads, mixed in side dishes, topping, or added to unsweetened yogurt or oatmeal.
Fatty fish
Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation.
Examples include salmon, cod, rainbow trout, mackerel, and sardines.
These can be baked, sauteed, grilled, mixed into salads, and stir fry.
Avoid These Foods
When making lifestyle adjustments for a spondylitis anti-inflammation diet, focus on reducing or removing processed foods and saturated fats. These include:
Sugars from all sources like soda, sugary drinks, shakes, candy, and desserts.
Trans fats, like those in fried foods like chips and fries.
Individuals may not be symptomatic with certain foods, but that doesn’t mean the foods should be consumed. Gluten, dairy, and eggs can cause potential problems as they compromise the gut and the immune system. These can set back the individual’s healing or remission.
Body Composition
What Happens To The Body When Eating Fruit
Fruit is made up of simple sugar called fructose, providing the body with a carbohydrate energy source. The natural sugar the body gets from a piece of fruit is not the same as processed fructose added to processed products like fructose corn syrup. Processed products are typically filled with empty calories and very little nutrition. When the body has fruit, the liver processes fructose before getting absorbed through the small intestine. Research shows that exposing the gut to more fiber-rich foods like fruit helps the gut achieve an anti-obese condition by increasing the good bacteria and reducing the obese bacteria. Essential nutrients from fruit include:
Folate
Vitamin C
Vitamin B1
The USDA recommends making half of each meal/plate be fruit and vegetables.
References
Harvard Health Publishing. (November 16, 2021) “Foods that Fight Inflammation.” https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation
Macfarlane, Tatiana V et al. “Relationship between diet and ankylosing spondylitis: A systematic review.” European journal of rheumatology vol. 5,1 (2018): 45-52. doi:10.5152/eurjrheum.2017.16103
Nielsen, Forrest H. “Magnesium deficiency and increased inflammation: current perspectives.” Journal of inflammation research vol. 11 25-34. January 18 2018, doi:10.2147/JIR.S136742
Rashid T, Wilson C, Ebringer A. The Link between Ankylosing Spondylitis, Crohn’s Disease, Klebsiella, and Starch Consumption. Clin Dev Immunol. 2013;2013:872632. doi: 10.1155/2013/872632.
Sharma, Satya P et al. “Paradoxical Effects of Fruit on Obesity.” Nutrients vol. 8,10 633. 14 Oct. 2016, doi:10.3390/nu8100633
van Buul, Vincent J et al. “Misconceptions about fructose-containing sugars and their role in the obesity epidemic.” Nutrition research reviews vol. 27,1 (2014): 119-30. doi:10.1017/S0954422414000067
Musculoskeletal Nutrition: Musculoskeletal conditions are non-communicable conditions/disorders and are the most common conditions that chiropractors and physiotherapists treat. Unhealthy lifestyle practices like smoking, an unhealthy diet, and little to no exercise or physical activity impact musculoskeletal disorders and remain the most common causes of physical disability and pain. Musculoskeletal conditions include:
Back pain
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Tendonitis – inflammation of the fibrous tissues that connect the muscles to the bones.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Bone Fractures
Fibromyalgia
A lack of proper nutrients increases the risk for bone, muscle, and joint disease. A proper diet combined with strengthening and stretching will help with injury recovery and help prevent disorders, injury, and pain. For example, inadequate consumption of calcium and vitamin D intake can lead to osteoporosis. Both nutrients are necessary for musculoskeletal health. Calcium helps build bone tissue, and vitamin D promotes calcium absorption.
Musculoskeletal Nutrition
Even physically active and healthy individuals’ can go through inadequate nutrition intake, increasing the risk of injury from its effect/s on rehabilitation and recovery. There are mechanisms to insufficient nutrient intake that can lead to muscle injury.
Intense training causes skeletal muscle breakdown that can worsen from poor dietary protein intake.
Not hydrating the body can compromise blood flow to working muscles, increasing the risk for injury and other health issues.
Hydration influences the amount and composition of joint fluid and helps maintain articular cartilage.
Deficiencies in nutrients like:
Potassium
Iron
Zinc
Magnesium
Chromium
Copper
Vitamins
The lack of micronutrients and their role in bone and muscle metabolism increases the risk for injury and the development of musculoskeletal conditions.
Overall Health
Connective tissue holds the body’s bones and muscles together and is essential for joint integrity. Athletes and individuals with physically demanding jobs and lifestyles need to take care of their connective tissues to prevent degradation, injuries, and joint conditions, like arthritis and tendon injuries. It is recommended to have a diet that is:
Achieving optimal health requires all-around healthy lifestyle choices and musculoskeletal nutrition.
Body Composition
Superfoods
Many nutrient-rich foods can be incorporated into an individual’s diet to improve overall well-being.Superfoods are high in antioxidants and contain vast amounts of vitamins and minerals. A superfood is a food rich in compounds that are beneficial to an individual’s health. These compounds include:
Phytochemicals – include antioxidants like polyphenols that provide anti-inflammatory properties.
Fiber
Omega-3 fatty acids
Superfoods are recognized by national nutrition guidelines as Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables or PFV. Antioxidants reduce free radicals and prevent and repair damage caused by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when free radicals accumulate in the body and can lead to chronic and degenerative illnesses like arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. A diet rich in antioxidants can expedite recovery time from injury, illness, and physical activity/exercise-induced stress.
Anthocyanins are a type of polyphenol that become antioxidants that help reduce the incidence of chronic disease. They are different types of pigments found in plants, giving fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors. These include:
Black beans
Berries
Cherries
Pomegranates
Peaches
Eggplant
Purple sweet potatoes
A diet rich in anthocyanins can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, help prevent cardiovascular disease, and control and prevent diabetes.
References
Craddock, Joel C, et al. “Vegetarian and Omnivorous Nutrition – Comparing Physical Performance.” International journal of sports nutrition and exercise metabolism vol. 26,3 (2016): 212-20. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2015-0231
Mendonça, Carolina Rodrigues et al. “Effects of Nutritional Interventions in the Control of Musculoskeletal Pain: An Integrative Review.” Nutrients vol. 12,10 3075. 9 Oct. 2020, doi:10.3390/nu12103075
Sale, Craig, and Kirsty Jayne Elliott-Sale. “Nutrition and Athlete Bone Health.” Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 49,Suppl 2 (2019): 139-151. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01161-2
Slavin, Joanne L, and Beate Lloyd. “Health benefits of fruits and vegetables.” Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) vol. 3,4 506-16. 1 Jul. 2012, doi:10.3945/an.112.002154
Tucker, K L et al. “Potassium, magnesium, and fruit and vegetable intakes are associated with greater bone mineral density in elderly men and women.” The American journal of clinical nutrition vol. 69,4 (1999): 727-36. doi:10.1093/ajcn/69.4.727
A healthy diet and proper nutrition are essential for the body’s overall health and physical wellness. Improper nutrition can lead to the body’s inability to repair muscle, affect muscle density, affect fluid levels in the cells, organ function, and nerve function. Individuals who receive chiropractic treatment regularly tend to experience fewer colds and illnesses, reduced aches and pains, and improved mood overall. There are nutritional options and certain foods individuals are recommended to follow to get the most benefits from the chiropractic treatment. A healthy diet, proper hydration, exercise, and rest can help keep the body on the road to optimal health.
Poor Diet Inflammation
A poor diet and bad eating habits cause the body not to operate efficiently. The body becomes weary and tired, causing it to break down. Those who favor processed foods, sugar, and empty calories that have no nutritional value put their bodies at risk for inflammation. Inflammation can lead to muscle pain, joint pain, and other health conditions. Chronic inflammation over time can lead to:
DNA damage
Tissue death
Internal scarring
All are linked to the development of several diseases, including cancer.
Physical Wellness Foods
Individuals begin to feel much better and healthier when eating whole foods. It can be hard to make the switch for those that have been eating poorly for years, but once begun, most individuals feel better almost immediately.
Steamed Vegetables
Eat a variety of tolerable vegetables.
Steaming improves the utilization/availability of the food substances and reduces the irritating residue in the gut, allowing it to restore itself.
For anti-inflammation, it is recommended to avoid tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and bell peppers.
Nuts
Any nut that is tolerable except peanuts, like almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, and walnuts are all recommended.
Legumes
Any legumes tolerable like split peas, lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans, soybeans, mung beans, garbanzo beans, and adzuki beans.
Grains
It is recommended to eat one to two cups of cooked grains per day.
These include millet, basmati or brown rice, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, oatmeal, and amaranth.
It is recommended not to eat wheat, whole grain, or otherwise.
No bread, plan meals so that bread is not required, as bread can raise sugar levels and increase an inflammatory marker.
Fish
Deep-sea fish is preferred that includes salmon, halibut, cod, sardines, tuna, mackerel.
The fish should be poached, baked, steamed, or broiled.
No shellfish or swordfish.
Chicken and Turkey
Eat only white meat and do not eat the skin.
The chicken should be baked, broiled, or steamed.
Free-range or organic chicken is preferable.
Fruit
Raw is best, can be baked at a low temp and made into juice.
One of the essential things that chiropractors recommend is to cut out artificial sweeteners and excess sugar.
Small amounts of maple syrup, rice syrup, barley syrup, and honey can be used.
Sugar cravings can be avoided by eating protein with each meal.
Water and Herbal Teas
Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day.
Drink 2 to 4 cups of herbal tea, sipped slowly in the evening.
Body Composition
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are designed to cure bacterial infections by killing invading bacteria. However, antibiotics don’t separate the good bacteria from the bad. As a result, antibiotic therapy of only three to four days can alter gut microbe population and diversity. Studies have shown that children are particularly at risk as reduced gut bacteria diversity has been linked with childhood obesity. For this reason, make sure to follow a physician’s instructions when using antibiotics. Spending time outdoors regularly can help increase the body’s exposure to microbial diversity. Gardening is a great way to get dirty with soil to reacquaint the gut flora and maintain the body’s physical wellness.
References
Fritsche, Kevin L. “The science of fatty acids and inflammation.” Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) vol. 6,3 293S-301S. 15 May. 2015, doi:10.3945/an.114.006940
Kapczuk, Patrycja et al. “Żywność wysokoprzetworzona i jej wpływ na zdrowie dzieci i osób dorosłych” [Highly processed food and its effect on health of children and adults]. Postepy biochemii vol. 66,1 23-29. 23 Mar. 2020, doi:10.18388/pb.2020_309
Ricker, Mari Anoushka, and William Christian Haas. “Anti-Inflammatory Diet in Clinical Practice: A Review.” Nutrition in clinical practice: official publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition vol. 32,3 (2017): 318-325. doi:10.1177/0884533617700353
Serafini, Mauro, and Ilaria Peluso. “Functional Foods for Health: The Interrelated Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Role of Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, Spices and Cocoa in Humans.” Current pharmaceutical design vol. 22,44 (2016): 6701-6715. doi:10.2174/1381612823666161123094235
Wahlqvist, Mark L. “Food structure is critical for optimal health.” Food & function vol. 7,3 (2016): 1245-50. doi:10.1039/c5fo01285f
Proper nutrition can be difficult for individuals with work, school, and busy schedules to prepare fresh, healthy meals. Healthy food is essential for a healthy nervous system and spine to promote a healthy musculoskeletal system, metabolism, bone strength, tissue growth, and repair. The body requires more nutritional value to heal itself to support damage or injury.
Nervous System and The Spine
The nervous system runs throughout the body like an interstate highway and impacts every bodily function. Disrupting signals can cause a backup, like a massive traffic jam. At that point, no matter how healthy the diet is, the body is unable to process all the food thoroughly to break down all the nutrients. Chiropractic adjustments ensure that blood circulation and nerve energy flow function optimally so that messages sent from the brain and body are transmitted without disruption.
Disrupted Nervous System
The nervous system influences every part of the body, and digestion is no exception. The nervous system tells the body what it needs to do with the food/fuel. When the nervous system is unbalanced and experiencing problems, the nutrients that the body needs don’t get appropriately stored, broken down, or used correctly, leaving the body feeling not full and unsatisfied.
Nutrition Improves Musculoskeletal Health
It is essential to understand that nutrition and musculoskeletal health depend on a healthy nervous system and spine.
Food high in protein and calcium increases bone density.
Protein and calcium are vital as the body ages.
A healthy skeletal structure will ensure and maintain a healthy body.
Food is the primary source of nutrients for the body to rebuild and repair torn muscles.
The Relation Between Nutrition And Recovery
Nourishment plays a vital role in maintaining the body’s health and helps in reducing the risk of illness or injuries. There are several links between nutrition and recovery that includes:
Injury Rehabilitation
A diet rich in antioxidants like:
Berries
Apricots
Grapes
Milk
Nuts
The body becomes stronger to combat inflammation.
Foods rich in lean protein like:
Yogurt
Tofu
Beef
Provide the body with essential building blocks that help repair cellular damage.
Joint Or Back Pain Alleviation
Overweight and obesity generate unnecessary load on the spine or joints, resulting in back pain.
Reducing weight through proper nutrition filled with proteins and magnesium instead of unhealthy fats and calories will help reduce the strain being put on the musculoskeletal system.
Increased Energy Levels
Food high in sugar or preservatives makes the body feel sluggish and tired.
As a result, the body is constantly exhausted, fatigued, sleepy, and irritable.
Proper nutrition increases energy levels.
Maintaining the nervous system and spine’s overall health.
Body Composition
Malnutrition Risks
Malnutrition can be difficult to spot early, but there are various risk factors to recognize. These include:
Depression doubles the risk of malnutrition, especially among men.
References
Bollwein, J et al. “Nutritional status according to the mini nutritional assessment (MNA®) and frailty in community-dwelling older persons: a close relationship.” The journal of nutrition, health & aging vol. 17,4 (2013): 351-6. doi:10.1007/s12603-013-0034-7
Curtis, Elizabeth et al. “Determinants of Muscle and Bone Aging.” Journal of cellular physiology vol. 230,11 (2015): 2618-25. doi:10.1002/jcp.25001
Gentile, Francesco et al. “Diet, Microbiota and Brain Health: Unraveling the Network Intersecting Metabolism and Neurodegeneration.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 21,20 7471. 10 Oct. 2020, doi:10.3390/ijms21207471
Oxland, Thomas R. “Fundamental biomechanics of the spine–What we have learned in the past 25 years and future directions.” Journal of biomechanics vol. 49,6 (2016): 817-832. doi:10.1016/j.jbiomech.2015.10.035
Pérez Cruz, Elizabeth et al. “Asociación entre desnutrición y depresión en el adulto mayor” [Association between malnutrition and depression in elderly]. Nutricion hospitalaria vol. 29,4 901-6. 1 Apr. 2014, doi:10.3305/nh.2014.29.4.7228
Getting ready for holiday celebrations takes a great deal of work. Visiting family and friends, traveling, spending hours shopping, wrapping gifts, setting up lights, trees, planning meals can make the body feel achy, tight, tired, and sore. Stress is multiplied by ten, adding to the muscle tension, which can cause illness and other health problems. Chiropractic treatment alleviates symptoms bringing stress relief to enjoy the holidays. This includes body adjustments, therapeutic massage, health coaching, nutrition guidance, strengthening exercises, stretch training, and everything to maintain full-body health, prevent illness and injury so individuals can feel and function at their best.
Aches and Pains
Shopping at stores, malls can cause the body to experience adverse physical effects. Spending hours walking and standing can trigger neck, shoulder, back, leg, and foot pain. Spending hours hunched over a computer, laptop, tablet, or phone while online shopping can also cause neck, back, and shoulder pain. Soreness and pain can result from the spine and the rest of the body becoming misaligned.
Muscle tightening is a common sign of stress. When the mind and body become overwhelmed or anxious, the neck, shoulders, or upper back muscles can tense up. Muscle tension can limit the body’s range of motion and trigger headaches. Therapeutic massage, mobilization, soft tissue therapy, ultrasound, and other chiropractic treatments can generate stress relief. Massaging the body also triggers the release of endorphins that help the body calm down and relax. The adjustments and massage also increase/improve blood flow that supports healing and reduces anxiety when stress begins to build.
Stomach Issues
Following the usual diet during the holiday season is a challenge. Work parties, restaurant parties, and family meals offer an array of holiday foods and treats. The body is not used to eating a lot of rich, fatty, sugary, or fried foods, and can experience bloating, constipation, gas, and other uncomfortable symptoms. These issues can be traced to the nerves that control the organs. Chiropractic can balance the nerves to help avoid uncomfortable digestive problems and help the body handle the rich diet better.
Maintaining Health and Stress Relief
Aches and pains are not the only effects of stress, body misalignment, and tight joints and/or muscles. If these structures press against the nerves and/or organs, it can affect immune system function. Chiropractic ensures that the organs communicate correctly through the nerves, balance the body, reduce inflammation, and improve lymph fluid drainage. The fluid removes toxins and wastes from the body, making fighting colds and other illnesses easier.
Body Composition
White Coat Syndrome
White Coat Syndrome is the term used for any changes in blood pressure that individuals experience in response to being in a medical office or clinic. Three distinct diagnoses are based on how an individual’s blood pressure responds to being in the presence of a healthcare professional:
White Coat hypertension
This is when an individual is not taking medication for blood pressure but presents with high blood pressure in a medical office and returns to normal once they leave the medical facility.
White Coat effect
This is when an individual is taking medication for high blood pressure and shows a high blood pressure reading in a medical office that indicates their medication is not working.
Masked Hypertension
This is when an individual has normal blood pressure in a medical office but high blood pressure elsewhere.
References
Ahmad, Asma Hayati, and Rahimah Zakaria. “Pain in Times of Stress.” The Malaysian journal of medical sciences: MJMS vol. 22,Spec Issue (2015): 52-61.
PBS NewsHour. (December 2018) “Poll: How stressed are Americans this holiday season?” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/poll-how-stressed-are-americans-this-holiday-season
Pioli, Mariana R et al. “White coat syndrome and its variations: differences and clinical impact.” Integrated blood pressure control vol. 11 73-79. 8 Nov. 2018, doi:10.2147/IBPC.S152761
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). (2019) “Holiday Safety Information Center” https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/holiday-safety
A typical diet consists of consuming three meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between. However, this is not always the case, depending on individual eating patterns and habits. Getting started eating healthy and losing body fat does not require severe dietary restrictions, starvation, and constantly exercising. Although achieving rapid weight loss might sound appealing, individuals often end up feeling depressed, tired, and unmotivated after some time. This is the most common cause of not maintaining a healthy balance and achieving optimal health. Individuals can still eat the foods they love by making long-term improvements that include:
Understanding the body’s caloric needs
Making smart nutritional choices
Adopting healthy eating habits
Incorporating enough exercise
Having all of the necessary information to make educated and informative choices for the body is the most effective and valuable way to getting started eating healthy.
Getting Started
Healthy eating starts with learning and adopting new ways to eat. This means adding fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and cutting back on processed foods with added fat, salt, and sugar. Converting to healthier eating also includes learning about balance, variety, and moderation.
Healthy eating is not the same as going on a diet. It means making adjustments/changes that an individual can live with and enjoy. Diets are temporary, as they are intended to cut out certain types of foods to make the body readjust and lose fat. However, during a diet, individuals can become hungrier and think about food all the time. A common side effect is to overeat after the diet to make up for the foods that are missed. Eating a healthy, balanced variety of foods is more satisfying to the body. Combined with more physical activity can help the individual get to a healthy weight—and maintain the healthy weight.
Make Healthy Eating A Habit
Think about the reasons for healthier eating.
Improving overall health.
Increase energy.
Feel better.
Set an example for kids and family.
Think about small changes that can be made.
Choose the ones that can be maintained.
Don’t try to change everything at once.
Set manageable and achievable goals, like having a salad and a piece of fruit each day.
Make long-term goals as well, like having one vegetarian dinner a week.
Get Support
Having a support team can help make the adjustments easier. Family and friends can help make meals, share healthy recipes and cooking tips. For more help, consult a doctor, registered dietitian, or health coach. Get started today.
Body Composition
After Lunch Energy Dip
Most individuals have experienced the moment when after having a nice filling lunch then afterward feeling the need to take a nap. Having a sleepy feeling about one hour after lunch, known as the post-lunch dip, decreases:
Alertness
Memory
Vigilance
Mood
A study in the British Journal of Nutrition followed 80 participants over 12 weeks to find whether eating almonds impacted this post-lunch dip. The results found that an almond-enriched high-fat lunch helped reduce memory decline by 58% compared to a high-carbohydrate lunch.
References
American Dietetic Association (2009). Position of the American Dietetic Association: Functional foods. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109(4): 735–746. Also available online: http://www.eatright.org/About/Content.aspx?id=8354.
Dhillon, Jaapna, et al. “Effects of Almond Consumption on the Post-Lunch Dip and Long-Term Cognitive Function in Energy-Restricted Overweight and Obese Adults.” British Journal of Nutrition, vol. 117, no. 3, 2017, pp. 395–402., doi:10.1017/S0007114516004463.
Gallagher ML (2012). Intake: The nutrients and their metabolism. In LK Mahan et al., eds., Krause’s Food and the Nutrition Care Process, 13th ed., pp. 32–128. St. Louis: Saunders.
Katz DL (2008). Dietary recommendations for health promotion and disease prevention. In Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 2nd ed., pp. 434–447. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture (2015). 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans 8th ed. http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/. Accessed January 12, 2016.
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