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

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

What is a "Pinched" Nerve?

Chiropractors and neurologists use the term, “pinched” nerve when they are talking to you about your back and neck. That term is really a misnomer. To understand why it’s a misnomer, you need to know about something called “motion segments”.

Let me explain ‘motion segments’ and what that term really means. A “motion segment” is made up of two adjacent vertebrae (bones), the disc that acts as a “shock absorber” between the two bones, and the muscles and ligaments that keep the two bones together.

Here’s something you might not be aware of though. Your billions of nerves carry communication signals between your brain and body and these billions of nerves exit your spinal cord from between EACH motion segment. Why’s that important? If either bone in a ‘motion segment’ is out of place, or turned even slightly from its proper position, a pressure will be exerted on your nerve trunk. This is commonly referred to as a “pinched” nerve, but is really a misaligned bone(s)! This misalignment causes a ‘short’ in your nervous (wiring) system and this can cause havoc on your nervous system.

So what causes a bone in your spinal column to become out of place? Displacement can occur as the result of anything: a fall, an accident, an injury, a repetitive movement (heavy lifting on the job), something as simple as staying in the same position for a long time (working at a computer all day) or sudden twists/jerks or even stress.

Each of your nerve roots is made up of millions of little fibers (like telephone cable) that exit each side of your spinal column, above and below each of your vertebra. When a vertebra (bone) loses its normal position, even slightly, you get pressure on your nerve roots (millions of little fibers) which affects your nerve impulses (your wiring) that go out to different parts and organs of your body.
The symptoms of vertebral (nerve) pressure on a nerve root may include ‘pain, a burning sensation, tingling or numbness’ down one side of your body, perhaps in your arm or leg. You might also experience ‘headaches, stomach or intestinal problems, sciatica, a stiff neck, insomnia, asthma, allergies, or any number of illnesses’ as a result of nerve interference caused by the displaced vertebra (bone).

A common misconception is that a "pinched nerve" will cause pain, however only 6-10% of the nerves in the human body carry pain messages so there can be nerve pinching with no pain symptoms whatsoever.

Chiropractors are trained to identify these areas of “displacement,” which we call subluxations. They locate any misplaced bones and begin the process of moving it back into place using very specific adjustments, over a certain period of time. This takes the pressure off the affected nerves, so that they can re-establish proper communication throughout your body, allowing health and healing to take place.


www.lifestylechirocenter.com

Chiropractic And Pregnancy

Chiropractic during pregnancy is an important part of pregnancy care.

Unfortunately, not enough women know of the benefits of chiropractic care both for themselves and their unborn baby. A woman's body undergoes an amazing amount of changes during pregnancy.

As her baby grows her musculoskeletal system must adjust accordingly to accommodate and prepare for delivery. Chiropractic care helps her body to stay aligned as these changes occur and also helps to keep the nervous system functioning at its optimal level.



Many pregnant women experience low back pain and hip pain. These discomforts are the result of the stresses put on the body by the “rapid growth” of the baby and the changes the body must undergo to accommodate those adjustments. As her belly gets bigger, the woman's center of gravity changes.

The growth is so quick that it is often difficult for her low back and pelvis to adjust to this change. This causes stress in those areas, resulting in misalignments, (or subluxations) which then causes pain and dysfunction.

If a woman's low back and pelvis was out of alignment BEFORE her pregnancy it is even harder for her back and pelvis to adjust. When the pelvis is subluxated (misaligned) it affects her uterus and the position of the growing baby.



The uterus is connected to the pelvis by ligaments. Like a hot air balloon tethered to the ground, these ligaments work to keep the uterus in the proper place in the pelvis and allow support as the uterus grows to accommodate the growing baby. If her pelvis is subluxated, these ligaments can become torqued or twisted.

When the ligaments are affected, they directly affect the position of the uterus which can result in the baby not being in an optimal position. This type of situation may result in a breech baby or a transverse (sideways) baby.



Our goal as a chiropractor is to correct the subluxations in the pelvis to help balance the uterus and allow the baby to get into a better position.

Chiropractic adjustments for a pregnant woman are specific, gentle, and safe.



Besides increasing a pregnant woman's comfort level, an aligned pelvis can result in a quicker, safer, and easier birth. When a baby is in breech or transverse position a cesarean section is almost always performed.

Because they are so common many people forget that a c-section is a major abdominal surgery and can be risky.

Helping the baby to get into a proper head-down position by balancing the pelvis and ligaments helps to avoid c-sections due to baby positioning.

Other variations in baby position such as a tilted head or a "sunny side up" baby (face up during delivery) can also be caused by pelvic imbalance and may result in a more difficult, painful, and longer labor and delivery. And don’t forget. Once the baby is born, he or she needs to be adjusted.

What are the Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar?

Question: Is drinking apple cider vinegar going to improve your health? Fix your gout? Balance your blood sugar?

Many people are devoted to their daily shot of apple cider vinegar. According to hearsay… apple cider vinegar is a cure all for a multitude of complaints such as arthritis, poor digestion and dandruff. But what is fact and what is fiction?
The most famous proponent of the benefit of drinking apple cider vinegar goes way back! Hippocrates claimed it would cure many common ailments including ear infections and skin rash. No modern research has yet verified these two assertions.

However, recent studies do confirm that there are some significant health benefits of apple cider vinegar.

It improves insulin sensitivity and management of type two diabetes – How? By taking apple cider vinegar BEFORE MEALS which lowers your ‘glycemic index’ when eating carbohydrates. It’s like magic.

Better digestion - The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar helps prevent necessary gastric acid, (mainly Hydrochloric acid), from leaving the stomach too soon. Food may be more easily digested with fewer unpleasant gassy problems.

Appetite control and weight loss – This alone is worth the price of a bottle. Several trials show that drinking apple cider vinegar BEFORE a meal has the benefit of curbing appetite. Participants noted an increased feeling of fullness and less desire for 'a little more'. Taking apple cider vinegar may support weight loss, in combination with exercise and sensible eating.
Here are some of the more likely stories about apple cider vinegar's healing powers; all based on historical folk remedies and anecdotal evidence.

Treatment of over-acidic conditions of the body, such as arthritis or gout - Although apple cider vinegar is acidic, it leaves an overall alkaline residue after digestion which is healthier for you.
Assisting in the treatment of yeast infections and candida - Although some standard vinegars may exacerbate ‘yeast infections’, women have found douching in dilution of apple cider vinegar to be helpful when treating thrush. Taking apple cider vinegar internally may reduce candida symptoms. It’s cheap and it’s worth a try.

Reducing swelling - apparently apple cider vinegar can REDUCE bruising quickly. Apply vinegar to a cloth and hold to injury for at least an hour. Alleviating dandruff - apple cider vinegar may be a helpful natural remedy for dandruff, because the acids in the vinegar kill the fungus causing chemical imbalances in the skin of the scalp.

How do you get the benefits of apple cider vinegar?
1) Use only raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (available in several varieties from all good health food stores). Unpasteurized apple cider vinegar is safe because the acid levels will kill unfavorable bacteria. The living vinegar provides copious quantities of enzymes, malic and tartaric acids, and valuable minerals, including potassium. The 'dead' supermarket varieties of vinegar will NOT contain enzymes and a mere fraction of the minerals of living vinegar.
2) Shake the bottle prior to use to disperse the threads of the apple cider vinegar producing 'bug'. These threads are the living part of the cider and may look unappealing until shaken up.
3) Take 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar (plus 1 teaspoon of honey if you prefer) in ½ a glass of pH water prior to meals.
4) If you not planning to eat, brush your teeth AFTER taking the vinegar. Too much apple cider vinegar has been found to damage tooth enamel due to its acidity. Just make sure to rinse after drinking it.
5) You can buy pH tests at the pharmacy, and test your pH. If you have an acidic result, apple cider vinegar may be especially appropriate for your system.