What do the world's top athletes know? They know the benefits of chiropractic care and utilize it regularly to perform at their best.
This year in Vancouver more athletes than ever before are being adjusted to perform at their best in the winter games. It's not a matter of merely feeling good, it's about optimizing performance.
Getting adjusted not only assists recovery from training and injury, it tunes up the body allowing it to perform up to its potential.
Chiropractic is about removing interference in the body's communication pathway - the spine. Taking pressure off the nerves allows 100% function to flow from the brain to every part of the body resulting in top performance.
What's the best part about this? This care is not limited only to the world's elite athletes. It is available to everyone - see your chiropractor today for a boost in your performance.
For more on Chiropractic in the Olympics, go here...
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/412128
www.lifestylechirocenter.com
Friday, February 26, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I Slipped a Disc!
A "slipped disc" is referred to by a variety of terms: ruptured disc, torn disc (or disc tear), slipped disc, collapsed disc, disc protrusion, disc disease, and black disc. This can be frustrating as patients hear their healthcare providers refer to their condition using different terms. Hopefully this will help clear some of that confusion!
A common area is the lower back which can give rise to a condition called "sciatica." This is pain that shoots down the back of the leg when the disc bulges and presses on a nerve. However, disc herniations can happen in any area of the spine.
Disc bulges typically cause pain along the path of the nerve that it is affecting. The pain is often shooting, stabbing, or burning in nature but can also feel like an aching or throbbing pain
Often times the disc bulge is due to accumulated damage to the disc rather than one solitary event. Years of added stress to a structure combined with poor hydration or improper nutrition is often a recipe for injury.
Think of the disc as a spacer between the spinal bones. It's an important structure because it provides a space between the bones for the nerve to exit the spinal canal and carry function to the rest of the body. The disc is somewhat like a "jelly-doughnut." Soft on the inside, firm on the outside. What happens in a disc bulge is that when too much stress is placed on the disc it can force the "jelly" center out through the edge of the disc and push on the nerve giving rise to pain.
Other variables involved include how hydrated the discs are, the nutritional status of the individual, whether the bones above or below are properly aligned.
How Do I Know If My Disc Is Slipped?
The best way to tell is to have an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). However, several tests can be performed that are quite good at predicting whether or not their is a disc bulge without the high fee of an MRI. Your chiropractor is trained to test both orthopedicaly and neurologically to determine what may be causing your symptoms. If need be they can also refer you for an MRI. If you're having shooting, burning or stabbing pain down an extremity and the pain is worse when you "bear down" such as when coughing or sneezing, you likely could have a disc herniation. If there has been any change to your bowel or bladder function - seek help immediately as this can be a sign of a medical emergency!
www.lifestylechirocenter.com
A common area is the lower back which can give rise to a condition called "sciatica." This is pain that shoots down the back of the leg when the disc bulges and presses on a nerve. However, disc herniations can happen in any area of the spine.
Disc bulges typically cause pain along the path of the nerve that it is affecting. The pain is often shooting, stabbing, or burning in nature but can also feel like an aching or throbbing pain
Often times the disc bulge is due to accumulated damage to the disc rather than one solitary event. Years of added stress to a structure combined with poor hydration or improper nutrition is often a recipe for injury.
Think of the disc as a spacer between the spinal bones. It's an important structure because it provides a space between the bones for the nerve to exit the spinal canal and carry function to the rest of the body. The disc is somewhat like a "jelly-doughnut." Soft on the inside, firm on the outside. What happens in a disc bulge is that when too much stress is placed on the disc it can force the "jelly" center out through the edge of the disc and push on the nerve giving rise to pain.
Other variables involved include how hydrated the discs are, the nutritional status of the individual, whether the bones above or below are properly aligned.
How Do I Know If My Disc Is Slipped?
The best way to tell is to have an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). However, several tests can be performed that are quite good at predicting whether or not their is a disc bulge without the high fee of an MRI. Your chiropractor is trained to test both orthopedicaly and neurologically to determine what may be causing your symptoms. If need be they can also refer you for an MRI. If you're having shooting, burning or stabbing pain down an extremity and the pain is worse when you "bear down" such as when coughing or sneezing, you likely could have a disc herniation. If there has been any change to your bowel or bladder function - seek help immediately as this can be a sign of a medical emergency!
www.lifestylechirocenter.com
Friday, February 12, 2010
Valentine Special: Healthy Brownies!
Okay, Healthy-er Brownies...here's a recipe that you can try to have a healthier treat this Valentines. No it's not perfect, but it's better than the refined carbs that you'll typically find in brownies! Oh, and believe it or not...they taste good!
Black Bean Brownies
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups cooked or canned black beans, drained well
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup instant coffee or (granulated) natural coffee substitute
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups honey or light agave nectar
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray)
Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, instant coffee, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the honey/agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.
Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.
Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)
Makes 45 (2-inch) brownies.
By the way...did you know that Agave nectar has the lowest glycemic index of any natural sweetener? That means it has less of an effect on your blood-sugar!!
www.lifestylechirocenter.com
Black Bean Brownies
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups cooked or canned black beans, drained well
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup instant coffee or (granulated) natural coffee substitute
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups honey or light agave nectar
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray)
Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, instant coffee, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the honey/agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.
Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.
Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)
Makes 45 (2-inch) brownies.
By the way...did you know that Agave nectar has the lowest glycemic index of any natural sweetener? That means it has less of an effect on your blood-sugar!!
www.lifestylechirocenter.com
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Healing the Body
You are in control of and have responsibility for your own health. The things you do, the things you eat, the drugs you take, the amount of exercise you get and the way you manage (or don't manage) your stress all affect your health. You may not have control over everything, but it is your choice whether you enhance your body's ability to be healthy or hinder it. The human body is a magnificent self-healing and regulating organism! This concept is unquestionably true but has been pushed aside by the thousands of messages you receive each day via the television, newspaper and magazines professing that your body needs drugs to help it heal. DON'T LISTEN TO THIS PROPAGANDA.
There may be times when medications are helpful to alleviate symptoms while your body heals but medicating should not be the first step. Please understand that your body heals from the inside out, not the outside in. This means that your body has an Innate (inborn) Intelligence that tells it how many breaths you need to take each minute, how many times your heart should pump, how your body should process nutrients, how to fight off bacteria and viruses and how to heal damaged cells, just to name a few.
This innate intelligence or 'wisdom of the body' is what directs the healing. Think of it as the 'breath of life' breathed into us at birth. The healthy choices you make, including getting regular chiropractic care, eating right & exercising all contribute to providing the proper resources for your body to heal itself. On the other hand, being under high levels of stress, ingesting toxins (drugs/toxic chemicals/environmental pollutants), having poor sleep, nutrition and exercise habits inhibit your body's ability to heal.
Your health is a gift that is to be cherished and maintained. It is not something to be taken for granted. There are no 'magic pills' and 'quick fixes'. Don't focus on 'Outside In' healing. It is short term and the side effects are terrible. Concentrate on 'Inside Out' healing. Enhance your body's natural healing abilities. Support your body's healing efforts and the results will be long-lasting. Health is defined as 'Optimal physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.' Good health is a lifestyle. It requires effort but the rewards derived are priceless and include: living longer, living more comfortably with the ability to do all the things you love and want to do; having enhanced energy; having enhanced mental focus and having a greater self-image. Chiropractic personifies the healthy lifestyle.
How Can You Support Your Health?
1. Regular Chiropractic Care - The Master Control System of your body is your Nervous System. Chiropractic care eliminates interference in the nervous system. Similar to regular dental check-ups to avoid tooth decay, regular nervous system check-ups will help you avoid spinal decay and nervous system damage, as well as providing for enhanced function of your nervous system. Enhanced nervous system function provides enhanced immune system function, improved digestion and flexibility (greatly improves your golf game), and will enhance the quality of your life. Get your nervous system check today.
2. Eat Right & Drink Water - make sure to eat fresh vegetables and fruit every day and reduce the simple carbohydrates, white sugars and junk food. Drink water! Drink approximately 50% of your body weight in ounces per day.
3. Exercise - get off your couch, away from your TV and computer and get moving. Movement is what keeps your body working. Remember if you don't use it, you loose it.
4. Manage your Stress - stress is as damaging to your body as an automobile accident. Chiropractic care, good food, water, exercise and meditation are just a few of the ways in which you can manage your stress. Make this a priority.
www.lifestylechirocenter.com
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