Cafe of Life

Just another WordPress site

nutrition

Your Personal 2020 Vision of Health

by Leave a Comment

Happy New Year and here’s to you accomplishing your personal 2020 vision, especially as it relates to your health. You deserve it!

For many people, making healthier choices can make the difference between a successful, happy year and a challenging one. Our office is ready to help you make your health a priority so this is your best year ever!

Starting with the principle that health comes from within, making healthier choices that are aligned with your body functioning at its highest level, increasing your resistance naturally and providing yourself with good nutrition and fitness can make all the difference!

The health of your spine and your nervous system must be your number one priority! Your nervous system includes your brain, spinal cord and the 45 miles of nerves that go to every cell, tissue, and organ in your body. This includes your special senses, your gut, your muscles, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach, skin and every other cell – all quadrillions of them!

The Lifestyle Care Continuum – Crisis Care to Lifestyle Care

Crisis Care

If you really want to make lasting changes to your health, you’ve got to stop living from crisis to crisis. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” was the motto of many elders who defined broke as serious, life-threatening disease or severe excruciating pain. They used the personal crisis as their primary motivator to action.

This mindset and strategy can lead to a lifetime of suffering and deterioration as individuals age and these issues become chronic. Don’t wait for this inevitable reality to permanently hinder your life. Act now and let 2020 be the year you make Critical Transition to Lifestyle Care.

Children in Crisis

Birth trauma, spectrum challenges, food, and environmental sensitivities can make a child and parent’s life more challenging. Addressing the neurological component of these issues with chiropractic care is vital to immediate and long-term solutions and your child reaching their potential in life.

The Critical Transition

Crisis Care gives relief and hope as it takes the edge off a health problem. The Critical Transition gets will get you off the roller coaster. Stay committed to your care and healthier lifestyle, regardless of how you feel so your body can change.

Keeping your spine, brain and nervous system healthy enables your body to adapt in a healthy way and change for the better. Kids usually don’t require this phase of care because their conditions, subluxations, are not as chronic. If there has been birth trauma, the longer you wait (this includes adults) the more care that will likely be required.

Lifestyle Care

The intensity of your Lifestyle Care will depend on the intensity of your lifestyle and the underlying condition of your spine and nervous system. Keeping your brain, spine and nervous system healthy as a part of your lifestyle will keep you engaged in life and enable you to perform at higher levels in all areas including work, parenting, athletics and more.

Ask us what this specifically means for you and for your family members.

Primary Care

Millions of individuals and families are utilizing chiropractic care as one of their primary resources. It is holistic, drug-free and helps keep your body balanced and functioning better.

The longevity factor is becoming a reality for more people as they see their family members getting older before their very eyes. They are realizing they have to live differently if they don’t want to be a burden or suffer as they age.

Follow the path of the Lifestyle Care Continuum. Make these 100 Year Lifestyle choices today and as a result, you will more likely enjoy a sensational century.

Schedule your next appointment.

A Lasting Holiday Health Plan

by Leave a Comment

The holiday season has begun and now is the time to commit to a lasting holiday health plan. Enjoy the healthiest holiday season ever and start your new year with a mindset of staying healthy for a lifetime.

The Lifestyle Care Continuum

The three elements of the Lifestyle Care Continuum are Crisis Care, Critical Transition and Lifestyle Care. Too many of us make unhealthy choices during the holidays which results in a crisis, and then use the crisis to motivate us to get healthy again. Every year millions of people begin exercise programs, diet plans, and chiropractic regimens to get themselves healthy. When you choose to live your ideal 100 Year Lifestyle, you will get off the roller coaster ride and enjoy good health without extreme ups and downs and, you will never feel deprived.

The Critical Transition is the transition from Crisis Care to Lifestyle Care! To help you make this transition, remember this acronym for FitNESS every time you are faced with a choice during the holidays or any other time that you feel tempted or get off track.

FitNESS: Neurology, Nutrition, Endurance, Strength, and Structure.

Neurology comes first for a reason. Muscles are attached to bones and controlled by nerves. In fact, your nervous system controls and coordinates all of your conscious and unconscious functions including your muscles, organs, and systems. You must have a spine and healthy nervous system for your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe, your brain to work right and your balance to be stable. The transition from Crisis Care to Chiropractic Lifestyle Care will keep your nervous system functioning at its optimum potential and is the foundation for everything else that follows. This is one reason why many of the top athletes in the world utilize chiropractic care to optimize their training and fitness program.

Nutrition comes next. Make healthier food choices this holiday season and as a part of your lifestyle. Learn to love the things that are good for you. It is true, you are what you eat. Consuming a diet filled with organic fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and very low in sugar, white flour, white rice, and pasta, should be your lifestyle and not just as a weight-loss crash. This will sustain you not just while getting into shape but as you stay in shape. It’s making your new shape your lifestyle.

Endurance develops through cardiovascular exercise which includes walking, running, hiking, bike riding, and ellipticals that will increase your heart rate and strengthen your cardiovascular system. Start slow and steady, be consistent and as time goes on increase the frequency, intensity and duration of your endurance training.

Strength gives you confidence and is necessary if you want to be independent as you age. Whether you use weights or you do strength training through yoga, Pilates or other types of plyometric training, it is important to keep yourself strong as a part of a lifestyle.

Structure is also vital, especially when you consider the overuse of technology, cell phones and computers. Even children are developing postural imbalances at a very early age and it is wreaking havoc on their health and posture. When it comes to your 100 Year Lifestyle fitNESS plan, having a healthy, straight, strong spine and posture is vital to your quality-of-life in the short and long-term. This is another reason why chiropractors have become the central figure in the healthcare team for millions of people including nearly every professional and collegiate sports team.

Statistics show that you will probably live longer than you ever thought. If you want to get there in style with health and vitality, you must make your lifestyle fitness a priority. Any time of year is the right time to shift to a lifestyle of fitNESS and enjoy the journey on your way to a sensational century.

Schedule an Appointment for yourself and your family today and give the gift of health and chiropractic this holiday season.

Preventing Childhood Obesity

by Leave a Comment

Raising healthy children and preventing childhood obesity is an important parental responsibility. Are your children at risk for developing high blood pressure? They are if they are overweight. According to the July 2005 issue of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) News In Health, more than twice as many children are overweight now compared to 30 years ago. In fact, among the 6-11 age group, the number of overweight children has more than tripled.

Approximately 16 percent of American children are currently overweight. In addition to increasing blood pressure, childhood obesity has caused a dramatic increase in Type 2 Diabetes and metabolic syndrome. So what is causing the alarming increase in childhood obesity? As with adult obesity, the answer is a poor diet and lack of physical activity.

The alarming increase has gotten the attention of our nation’s policy makers, as well. Beginning with the 2006 school year, federal mandates now require school systems to develop standards of nutrition and activity for all school children, and establish healthy school nutrition environments. Take a close look at what your kids eat each day and then start to make gradual improvements. Kids today are eating too much high-calorie food that is low in nutritional value, so avoid French fries, hot dogs and doughnuts. Replace soda with water. Eat whole grains (whole wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, etc.) instead of the refined alternatives. To help your children eat an abundant variety of fruits and vegetables, serve raw veggies at snack time instead of chips or cookies. A child who initially dislikes a particular food often tries it again and likes it once it becomes a familiar offering, so continue to serve a variety of vegetables at mealtime. It is also fine to be sneaky: add finely minced spinach, kale or broccoli to sauces, soups and stews. Start each meal with smaller portions of food and then eat slowly, while conversing. Finally, never force your children to eat everything on their plates. Instead, teach them to stop eating when full.

Also, many children are spending too much time watching TV, playing video games, and surfing the internet, so limit their sedentary activities. Encourage your kids to run around outside each day, do chores around the house and dance to music. Get them involved in a sporting activity. According to the National Institutes of Health, children should get at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity each day.

Obese children are likely to become obese adults, so it is important to instill healthy eating and activity habits early on. In addition to your child’s healthy diet and activity level, having their nervous system checked for interference is another important piece of your family wellness program. A healthy functioning nervous system will ensure that your child receives the maximum benefit from their healthy diet and activity as they grow.

Baby Boomers vs. Their Parents

by Leave a Comment

Which Group is Healthier?
Unhealthy lifestyles have caused too many members of the baby boom generation to be in worse health compared to their parents during the same stage of life.

A recent study in JAMA Internal Medicine reported only 13% of today’s baby boomers are in excellent health while their parents’ generation was 32%. Comparatively speaking, 39% of today’s baby boomers are obese and 16% have diabetes. The previous generation’s numbers for these same conditions are 29% and 12% respectively.

According to Dana King, a professor at the West Virginia School of Medicine and the study’s lead author, today’s baby boomers are twice as likely to use a cane or walker than the previous generation. “It’s not too late to adopt new, healthy lifestyle habits and make a difference in your health,” said King.

Don’t Wait for a Crisis
What will it take for you to make the lifestyle changes you know you need to make to improve your quality of life? Will you wait for a severe crisis that leaves you with permanent damage and a future of disability or will you make a quality of life, Lifestyle Care, choice that will ensure your quality of life for the remainder of your years.

Easy FitNESS Acronym to Remember
The acronym FitN2ESS can get you on the right track immediately. To get and stay healthy and fit you need neurology, nutrition, endurance strength and structure.

Neurology: Every cell tissue and organ needs innervation, nerve supply, to function properly.

Nutrition: Choose quality calories over empty calories every time you make a food choice and drink plenty of good clean water.

Endurance: Cardiovascular exercise including walking, running, riding a bike or swimming will prepare you for the marathon of your extended life.

Strength: We have all seen an older person struggle to get out of a chair. Don’t wait until you lose your strength to try and get it back. Strength train now.

Structure: The health and function of your posture, spine and nervous system will determine how active and healthy you can be as you age.

If your posture appears to be changing don’t waste another minute and schedule a chiropractic check-up. Lifestyle Care can improve your health dramatically. It is very important that today’s baby boomers learn from our current generation of seniors and super-seniors who were blindsided by their extended lives. You cannot blame your genes for your current health condition. Adjust your lifestyle and optimize the expression of your genes so that you can enjoy the quality life you deserve.

Nursing, Nutrition and Nerve Supply

by Leave a Comment

Nursing, nutrition and nerve supply are essential for healthy babies and children. Without these building blocks, your child’s health can be compromised and affect them for the rest of their life. With them, your infants and children will have the ability to grow and develop in a healthy way, adapt to their environment and express their full potential for a lifetime.

Nursing:

Nursing provides newborn babies and infants the nourishment they need to grow. Breast milk has the perfect combination of proteins, fats, vitamins, and carbohydrates. Leukocytes, also present in breast milk, are living cells that help build your baby’s immunity and fight infection. Enzymes and hormones that are present in breast milk are ideal for your baby’s development. If breast feeding is or was not an option for your family, there are some high-quality natural alternatives available that can be researched online.

Nutrition:

As babies and toddlers move to solid foods, smart choices that provide good nutrition will continue to fuel their growth and development. Lean sources of protein found in turkey and fish along with vegetables and fruit provide a rainbow of colorful nutrients that lead to a strong immune system, healthy bones and normal development. Getting kids accustomed to healthy food as a way of life when they are young will develop their taste and the healthy habits that carry them into their teenage years and adulthood. Laying a solid nutritional foundation when they are young is essential.

Nerve Supply:

A healthy foundation is also important as it relates to their structure, spine and nerve system. Healthy nerve supply is the most important and most neglected element of a child’s foundation for optimum health. The nerve system controls and coordinates the function of every cell, tissue and organ of the body and adapts your child to their environment. The same is true for you.

The nerve system regulates the digestion and assimilation of nutrients, while also working to eliminate waste and toxins from your body. Your nerve system coordinates muscle activity and balance, and regulates your heart and breathing. With over 45 miles of nerves relaying over 3 million messages every second between your brain and every cell in your body, the health of your nerve system must be your top priority.

Injuries to the spine and nerve system called Vertebral Subluxations can occur during the birth process, while learning to walk, tumbling and falling, or sitting too much in front of a video game. Physical, chemical or environmental stress to the body whether they appear dramatic or seemingly insignificant can also take their toll and lead to problems. These subluxations can slow development, weaken immune systems and cause behavioral challenges, or they can lie dormant for decades and lead to problems down the road. Vertebral subluxations are easily detected through a chiropractic examination.

Nursing, Nutrition and Nerve Supply are all very important. If you are about to begin nursing a newborn or wean your baby, this article is great timing. If you have already done that and are raising your children, then this is also good timing. Either way, now is the time to take care of your child’s spine and nerve system so they can optimize their health for a lifetime.

Lifestyle Renovation in 3 Easy Steps

by Leave a Comment

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of Renovation is 1 – To restore to a former better state (as by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding), 2 – to restore to life, vigor, or activity.

Have you ever thought about renovating your lifestyle? Naturally, most of us think of a house when we hear the word ‘renovate’. The way you have lived until now has brought you to where you are physically, mentally, financially and spiritually. Your lifestyle is your choice and your responsibility. Renovating can be done in 3 easy steps and NOW is a great time to start!

First, get your nervous system working at its best. Your nervous system controls and coordinates every cell, tissue and organ in your body and allows your body to respond to its internal and external environments. Gray’s Anatomy says this about the nervous system: “It is the mechanism concerned with the correlation and integration of various body processes and the reactions and adjustments of the organism to its environment.” [1] This means that your nervous system allows you to adapt and live in our constantly changing world. Keeping your nervous system free from interference must be a priority in your lifestyle renovation.

Food is the second step of your lifestyle renovation. No kidding, you are what you eat. Your body rebuilds itself constantly replacing every single cell, over the course of 7 years. If you are eating processed foods, packaged foods or fast food, this can be very destructive to your health now and as you age. Instead, fill your body with fresh vegetables, fruit, proteins and healthy fats. Science shows us that we are living longer. The fastest growing segment of our population is the centenarians, or 100 year old, age group. How do you and your family want to be when you get to 100 years old or older? How healthy do you want your journey to be? The World Health Organization says that increasing your fruit and vegetable consumption can lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke. [2]

A healthy spine and nervous system give you the best change of absorbing the nutrients from the foods you eat. Remember your nervous system: The nerves that exit from the upper neck, mid back and lumbar regions of the spine send messages to your stomach, gall bladder, and intestines controlling digestion. Their health should be a priority!

The third step to renovating your lifestyle and living a quality life as you age is healthy movement. You will recall from other health articles that to do this you have to Get Your ESS in Shape – Endurance, Strength and Structure. Endurance training exercises your heart and lungs. You need Strength to remain independent as you age. Structure determines the quality of your health because it houses your spinal cord and central nervous system. A healthy structure keeps you aligned and helps maximize healthy movement.

You have a lot of living to do. Getting your ESS in shape now will help you now and down the road. Harvard did a study that not only says you can reduce your risk of disease by exercising, but you can also feel better and live longer! [3].

Before the years fly by, commit to starting your lifestyle renovation now. Begin eating better, get your body moving, and make an appointment to get your spine and nervous system checked to help optimize the function of all your organs and systems. Your quality of life depends on it!

[1] http://www.bartleby.com/107/183.html
[2] http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/fruit/en/index2.html
[3]http://www.health.harvard.edu/special_health_reports/exercise-a-program-you-can- livewith

Contributed by Dr. Josh Handt, A 100 Year Lifestyle Affiliate Chiropractor in New City, NY