Cafe of Life

Just another WordPress site

performance

What’s Age Got to Do With It?

by Leave a Comment

People who are 100 years old are jumping out of airplanes, running races and traveling the world while other people in their 70s, 80s and 90s are suffering and in assisted living centers and nursing homes. Quality of life, activity level and energy have nothing to do with age.

Imagine what your life at 100 would look like based off of your current lifestyle choices. Do you get excited or scared? As centenarians, 100 year old people, are proving, how you age is largely dependent on the lifestyle choices you are making right now. Getting older doesn’t have to mean aging along the way.

While many older people still languish in assisted-living facilities, hampered by poor health and decreased mental agility, centenarians across the globe are showing that it doesn’t have to be that way. Consider Verdun Hayes, who set a world record in May of this year by becoming the world’s oldest tandem skydiver at age 101. Then there’s Don Pellmann, a 101-year-old track star from Santa Clara. He began running in track events at age 70, and has since participated in 890 of them, winning most and even breaking world records. Some other great examples of high-quality 100 year living are Fauja Singh, the 106-year-old marathon runner, and Mieko Nagaoka, who is still breaking world records in swimming at 102 years old. Compare these go-getters to people you might know in their 80s or 90s who are living lives of poor health and low energy, and you’ll begin to realize that quality of life has very little to do with age.

People across the globe are living longer. Information from a CDC study indicates that in the United States, the number of people 100 years old or older has increased greatly in the past few years, jumping by 44%! If you knew you could live to more than 100 years old, wouldn’t you want to be as healthy as possible?

How can you live a healthy, fulfilled life all the way to 100 years old and beyond? The 100 Year Lifestyle promotes practices that can be easily remembered if you use an acronym related to the word fitness. Take the NESS from fitness, square the “N”, and use this acronym to enjoy your healthiest today while propelling yourself into a healthy, happy 100 years and beyond.

– N is for Neurology. All of your conscious and unconscious functions are controlled by your nervous system, including your heart, muscles, digestion and circulation. Taking care of your body means paying attention to your neurology, which is an integral part of chiropractic care and promotes full body health.

– N is also for Nutrition. You’ve heard it said that you are what you eat, and it’s absolutely true. A diet full of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, low in sugar and processed carbohydrates, is essential to a strong and healthy body.

– E stands for Endurance. You can build your endurance through cardiovascular activities like walking, running, swimming and bike riding, which increase your heart rate and strengthen your cardiovascular system. Start slow and steady, be consistent and you’ll be able to increase the frequency, intensity and duration of your endurance training over time. Who knows? You could be a 106-year-old marathon runner, too!

– S is Strength. Don’t wait until you lose your strength to prioritize it! Instead, start strength training today, so that as you age your muscles will remain strong and healthy.

– S also means Structure. Staying active and healthy means keeping your spine healthy, strong, and straight. That’s why so many world class athletes turn to chiropractic care to help them protect this important part of the body.

Are you ready to get started? It’s time to live your best life for at least a century, and we can help! It’s all about making the critical transition from crisis care to lifestyle care, taking care of your body so it will be in good shape throughout your (long) life. Visit our office and give us the opportunity to make a difference for you.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/25/health/centenarians-increase/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db233.htm
http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/15/europe/101-year-old-skydiver/index.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/100-year-old-track-star-don-pellman-keeps-breaking-records-california-santa-clara/
https://www.thenational.ae/sport/other-sport/101-year-old-japanese-swimmer-aims-for-more-world-records-1.158307

Performance 100

by Leave a Comment

How would you like to perform at 100 percent for 100 years? If you enjoy running or Crossfit, would you want to stop because of an injury? If you enjoy cycling, tennis, golf or any other sport don’t you want to be able to participate in that sport with joy over the course of your entire lifetime? Of course you would.

We are learning through the longevity potential of today’s hundred-year-old people, that this is a possibility. Within just a few years a new running program called the 100 year dash was started and it attracts people who are 90 and 100+ years old running the 100-meter-dash. The most recent winner was Julia ‘Hurricane’ Hawkins who set a record completing the 100 year dash in 40.12 seconds.

How you perform as you age will depend on how you take care of your body every day along the way. If you wait for a crisis or an injury to make your health a priority, then you have waited too long and will most likely suffer the consequences.

Performance 100

There are 5 Principles of 100 Year Lifestyle FitNESS that will help you perform at your highest level for a lifetime. They are:

Neurology = Function

Neurology comes first! Your nervous system controls and coordinates all of your body functions including your muscles, organs and systems. You must have a healthy nervous system for your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe and your balance to be stable. This is why many of the top athletes and performers in the world utilize chiropractic care as a central part of their fitness program.

Nutrition = Fuel

Your nutritional habits will fuel your life. Consuming a diet filled with organic fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, very low in sugar and processed foods, should be the way you eat as a lifestyle. Isn’t it time you get off the weight loss roller coaster, cleanse, and make healthy eating a daily habit? This will sustain you not just while getting into shape but will keep you healthier as you age.

Endurance = Longevity

Life is a marathon one day at a time. Through cardiovascular exercise which includes walking, running, bike riding and any activity that will increase your heart rate, you will strengthen your cardiovascular system. Start slow and steady, be consistent and as time goes by increase the frequency, intensity and duration of your endurance training. You will be amazed at how your body progresses.

Strength = Independence

If you want to be independent as you age, you must make your strength a priority today. Whether you use weights or 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 = Activity

The health of your structure will determine the level of activity you can enjoy. Having a healthy, straight, strong spine is vital to your quality-of-life and fitness in the short and long-term. This is another reason why chiropractors have become a central figure on the healthcare team for millions of people, including the U.S. Olympic Team.

Being active and independent will be an important factor in your immediate and long-term happiness. Follow these Performance 100 principles and enjoy the quality of life you deserve.

Article Contributed by Dr. Eric Plasker

Genetic and Lifestyle Misinformation

by Leave a Comment

Do you have a family member who redefined your family’s longevity potential, outliving everyone else who’d come before them? Do you want to be the next one to break that barrier with quality years? If you have bought into misinformation about genetics and lifestyle, some of the fiction you’re believing may be keeping you from living your best life.

Think about this for a moment: We live in a culture of misinformation and fake news. For example, we’re told that egg yolks are bad for us, margarine is better than butter and that fat makes you fat. All of these are proven falsehoods, yet this misinformation persists. Even the connection between cholesterol and heart disease has been debunked in the literature.1 It’s no wonder so much of our population is struggling with their weight or suffering from ill health.

The misinformation prevalent in our society has led to an astonishing overuse of medications, because people believe that magical pills can solve their problems. From prescription medication overuse and drug abuse, to the 100,000 people who die from reactions to over-the-counter medications, we’re seeing the terrible price that’s being paid from a failure to examine what we are being told.

We humans are complex and dynamic beings who are self-regulating and self-healing, and it’s crucial to understand how the human body functions in order to live well. The nervous system is our master control system, and keeping it healthy must become a priority if we are to overcome the stress factors that affect us every day. There’s no quick fix that can heal, we need a holistic approach to health and longer life.

But don’t our genes lay out the roadmap of our lives and encode the lifespan of our bodies? While genes certainly play a role, a recent study published in the journal Immunity and Aging2 found that only about 25 percent of the variation in longevity has to do with genetic factors. You can have much more influence on your lifespan than you may think.

Modifying your lifestyle to take care of your body is key to a long, full life. Prioritize nutrition, endurance, and strength training. Take care for your nervous system and spine with chiropractic check-ups. Once you make the transition from crisis care to lifestyle care, you’ll have much more control over your health of your body.

Visit our office or call today, and let us help you live your best life every day, your ideal 100 Year Lifestyle.

1 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/06/12/high-cholesterol-does-not-cause-heart-disease-new-research-finds/ (accessed 10 November 2017)
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4822264/ (accessed 10 November 2017)

World Cup, Top Athletes Agree

by Leave a Comment

During the FIFA World Cup, the top athletes compete in the most watched sporting event in the world. Soccer fans everywhere will be gathering to watch “the beautiful game” on the most exciting stage in sports.

For many of these athletes, in addition to their nutritional and sports training protocols, chiropractic care has played an important role in helping them achieve peak performance levels and enhanced their lifestyle. Many of the MLS players utilize chiropractic care and many of the teams have chiropractors that they work with directly. Dr. Monte Layton, for example, has been the official chiropractor of the Real Salt Lake team since its inaugural season in 2005. Dr. Layton, like many other chiropractors, takes care of top athletes in many sports including PGA tour players, Olympians and the Utah Jazz.

Dr. Mike Foudy of Mission Viejo, CA, was the team chiropractor for the Women’s World Cup Championship Team in 1994. “All but one member of the team received regular chiropractic care during their training and on the days of their matches. Chiropractic adjustments balanced their spine, removed nerve pressure and optimized the function of their bodies. They healed quicker from injuries and the care gave them a competitive edge.”

In 2015, Master’s Champion Jordan Spieth thanked his chiropractor during his Green Jacket speech. Tom Brady and Sidney Crosby are vocal advocates. Top athletes in nearly every sport have made chiropractic care a core part of their training including NFL Hall of Famers and legends Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith and Roger Craig to name a few.

As the team chiropractor for the Georgia State University Mens Soccer team and U-17 National Champion Alpharetta Ambush team, I was always inspired by the way athletes respond to the care. During a winning streak that led to three State Championships, two Regional Championships and a National Championship, the team received adjustments before and after the games. During tournament weekends, while the other teams were scrambling to change their lineups due to injuries, our team bounced back fast and brought an energetic advantage to field. The players and coaches agreed that chiropractic care helped the players compete at the highest level and avoid injuries.

The 5 principles of 100 Year LIfestyle FitNESS include Neurology, Nutrition, Endurance Strength and Structure. If you want to be able to perform at your highest level when you are young, and enjoy your favorite sports as you age, all five of these components are vital. Make them a part of your lifestyle and enjoy participating in your favorite sport at 100 percent for 100 years.

Cool and Crazy Crossfitters

by Leave a Comment

The cool and crazy CrossFit community continues to grow as so do the number of people wondering what the buzz is all about. So, if you’re wondering why all the craze, or you find yourself wondering what exactly is CrossFit, then look no further. We have your answers here!

What Makes CrossFit Cool?

The CrossFit.com website defines CrossFit as, “constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity.” All CrossFit workouts are based on functional movements that incorporate movements you’ll likely need to do in some capacity through every phase of life, like squatting, dead-lifting, gymnastics movements and more.

It has become all the craze in recent years as people have realized that being able to move functionally is a key component to putting off the nursing home. The high intensity portion of CrossFit is designed to give you cardiovascular endurance, increased strength, and a more supportive structure.

What Makes CrossFit Crazy?

CrossFit has an unprecedented culture that unifies people within their gyms creating an almost family-like atmosphere. As an example, the premier gym in Dana Point, CA, CrossFit Dana Point, has a rock-solid group of about 100 members who share not only workouts together, but also birthdays, cookouts and other celebrations.

Coach Zak Kepner, owner and head coach of CrossFit Dana Point, CA says, “Our ultimate goal is to bring fitness to people, [but] our first and ongoing priority is to build relationships. Healthy relationships lead to trust, trust leads to commitment, and commitment gets results.”

The CrossFit environment is not only constantly varied, but it is also constantly, very uplifting. Everyone cheers for everyone during workouts and it’s the only place that I know of where the person finishing workouts last has the loudest cheering section. This type of encouragement during a workout, regardless of your skill or fitness level, is truly unparalleled anywhere else in any other gym.

The coolest part?

“CrossFit gyms across the globe have this same comradery and family atmosphere.”
Many CrossFit gyms offer something for anyone of any age and some have members well into their 50s. They even offer CrossFit Kids classes, which teach proper movement patterns and encourage healthy activity from an early age in a safe environment.

Alright, I’ve Started CrossFit, How Can I Optimize My Performance?

CrossFit gyms offer a structured nutritional program to enhance results and teach healthy eating and lifestyle habits. This program will help you focus on fueling your body properly so that you have the energy to perform both in the gym, while spending time with loved ones, and while at work producing results.

In addition to exercise and diet, keeping your nervous system clear from interference is a safe bet to keep you moving and recovering properly. When you eat a healthy diet, your nervous system coordinates the digestion and absorption of nutrients into your blood stream, building every cell in your body healthy and strong. The nervous system controls how your body recovers after a workout, and how well your body absorbs those healthy nutrients; a healthy nervous system is essential so that these nutrients are available for better workouts and recovery post-workout.

Having an optimized nervous system allows for better coordination, better balance, and more strength – increasing your potential to set PR’s (Personal Records) time and time again. Optimizing your body’s nervous system with Chiropractic Lifestyle Care at the core of your already healthy lifestyle is of utmost importance.

Schedule an appointment for your family today.

Contributed by Dr. Daniel Kimbley, 100 Year Lifestyle Affiliate Doctor in Dana Point, California