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Keep these tips in mind as your work towards your new way of healthy living and being!
1. Cook once, eat twice. By doubling recipes you will eliminate any excuse such as “I don’t have time to eat healthy.”
2. Load up on fruits and veggies. The American Cancer Society recommends eating six to eight
servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Get into the habit of reaching for fruits and veggies when you want to munch rather than grabbing snacks and sweets.
3. Eat healthy fats. Foods such as nuts and avocados are loaded with the fats and oils our bodies can process.
4. Eat breakfast. Studies show that people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight and have higher blood sugar levels.
5. Drink water. Water is an essential nutrient your body needs. If you’re someone who regularly chooses coffee, soda or juices (which are loaded with sugar) start replacing those choices with water or in the very least drinking water in addition to the other beverages.
6. Choose wisely. Just because something is low in calories (a 100 calorie pack of crackers) doesn’t mean it’s nutrient packed. Choose to eat 100 calories worth of nutrient rich foods like fruits and veggies. You will be able to eat a much larger quantity and your mind and your body will feel like it’s getting “more.”
7. Keep up with your exercise routine. Once your body discovers it will have a chance to burn off fats and calories it will exit survival mode and burn them off.
8. Monitor stress. When you are stressed it can be very easy to stray away from good nutrition by choosing foods our brain has identified as “comfort foods.” Keep up with your time outs so you can decompress and be less stressed.
9. Do one thing at a time. Rather than eating on the go or in front of the computer or tv, place your food on a plate and acknowledge you are about to have a meal. When you train your brain to recognize a meal, you can avoid over eating because you give yourself the opportunity to realize when you are full. You will also feel much more satisfied.
10. Sleep. Sleep is important for many reasons. For example it rejuvenates your energy levels, keeps your immune system balanced and helps keep your mind and memory sharp.
You’ve come this far, keep up the great work and resist any urge to go back to your old habits! You can
allow yourself to “slip” but know that it’s a choice, that you can control, and so is getting back on track.
Don’t let the word “challenge” discourage you before you have even start! Spend four weeks focusing each week on a different area of your health: physical, chemical, emotional and nutritional. By concentrating your efforts on these areas combined, you will have a personal transformation, which could empower change for the rest of your life. We’ll break down simple techniques and changes anyone can use on their quest for total health! As a reward for completing the challenge you will be cordially invited to attend a special VIP party! The first step however, is to recruit a friend! It will be more fun and you are more likely to find success.
Week 1: Physical Revitalization!
During this week you will exercise for 30 minutes at least five days. Plan ahead, and choose days you can devote an entire 30 minutes. Walk the dog, schedule a walk with a friend over coffee, anything that gets you up and moving. Drop any excuses such as “I don’t have 30 minutes.” Over time you will see that when you create space in your life for yourself, you have more space for others.
Week 2: Chemical Revitalization!
Along with keeping up your exercise routine, this week you will also try a deep breathing exercise for two minutes, at least five days a week. Taking time to do these breathing exercises improves the chemical responses in your brain, which inhibit us from living out our greatest potential. Retraining your brain’s chemical balance improves positive thinking resulting in personal growth and development.
Week 3: Emotional Revitalization!
By now your either are or will be well on your way to a personal breakthrough! This week along with exercise and deep breathing exercises you will allow yourself to have a “Ten-Minute Time-Out”, five times a week. If you look deep you probably really do have the time for this, it is just a matter of allowing yourself to take it, without any feelings of guilt.
Week 4: Nutritional Revitalization!
This week we recommend incorporating digestive enzymes. Enzymes help achieve optimal health by improving the way your body digests nutrients. Current patients who refer a friend to the challenge will receive their enzymes free! Can’t pick up your enzymes at our office? Not a problem we’ll ship them to you!
At Total Balance Chiropractic, we believe that your overall wellness is determined by your physical, chemical, emotional, and nutritional health. Whether you’re looking to reduce pain or stress, increase your overall level of health, or simply create positive changes in your life, Dr. Weber will be able to correct any imbalances that may be blocking your body from experiencing the benefits or hindering the body’s ability to respond to your new lifestyle. She will also be able to closely monitor you and answer any questions you may have as you embark on your journey towards total health.
Ready to begin? Click here to sign up and for resources! We’ll be in touch with additional tips and information to help you stay on track!
 Courtesy of Angela Garbot Photography You work hard and you play hard and your feet bear most of the burden. Many of us ignore nagging pains and injuries until they go away or get so bad we are forced to do something about it, like put away the sleek pumps and replace them with gym shoes. Customized orthotics will correct imbalances in your feet which will help improve everything from your posture to pain you might be experience in your knees, hips, spine or neck.
Everything happening in your upper body starts with your foundation, or feet. In order to be fully balanced, stabilized and properly supported you should consider an orthotic insert. By utilizing our digital foot scanner we have the ability to detect the areas of your feet that may not be supporting your body properly. From there we can have a custom orthotic made to fit in any shoe, no need to put away the pumps!
Sound expensive? Many insurance companies will pay for orthotics; however, you can March into March fully supported by taking advantage of our special offer! For a limited time receive up to 40% off on a foot scan and a pair of orthotics! Call 773.348.6908 to schedule an appointment today!
Meet one of our massage therapists, Bonnie Cortez, and hear her views on how to keep healthy through self care.
One of the best pieces of advice from the classic movie, Pretty Woman, is given from one friend to another: “Take care of you.” The emphasis in this sweet, simple advice, as I see it, is on caring for oneself, not just looking out for number one. This sentiment has stayed with me, influencing my work and informing the care I give my clients.
 Courtesy of Angela Garbot Photography As a massage therapist, caring for others is an innate part of my profession, but it is transferring the vital necessity of self care to others that I care most deeply about. Take care of yourself by receiving regular massage therapy sessions. No matter what stage of life you are experience you will benefit your body, mind and spirit in several ways.
If you are in your childbirth year, regular massage offers relief from the pain and discomfort you might experience from your growing and changing body. Massage therapy helps decrease the time spent in labor and increase your ability to bounce back after delivery.
As a parent, massage offers time for you to recharge and reinvigorate. Imagine the child version of you. Doesn’t he/she deserve health, compassion and love? So does the adult you! We as parents need to fill our bodies, minds and spirits so the best parts of ourselves overflow to our children.
As an athlete, regular massage therapy offers increased recovery from injury and muscle strain and increased performance, whether you’re running, spinning or shaking your booty in Zumba.
For each of us, regular massage offers increased body awareness and increased circulation, which benefits the digestive and lymph systems. Regular massage releases endorphins, which help to combat feelings of depression.
Want to feel great, move better and take on everyday activities with ease? Get a massage! Your body will thank you! Call (773) 348-6908 today to schedule your massage with Bonnie.
By Monique Wheeler, L.Ac.
February is the American Heart Associations’s Heart health awareness month. You may be shocked to hear that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for American women. Don’t think you have to be your parent’s age to have cardiovascular disease – young women can have heart attacks, strokes or aneurysms too. This article from Self Magazine shows women are never too young to suffer from heart disease.
What can you do to reduce your risk of heart disease now and in the future?
 Courtesy of Angela Garbot Photography Take the best possible care of your body. Avoid developing the risk factors of high stress, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and obesity. And if you have these risk factors now, treat them. As a woman, you should also know the cardiovascular risks associated with oral contraceptives – their use can increase blood pressure and your risk of blood clots, especially if you smoke.
How do you avoid these risk factors? Eat well, exercise, quit smoking, lose weight and pay attention to your body. Most of all reduce stress.
Stress is at the heart of the issue – from eating poorly to working too long and under difficult conditions and not exercising enough. The ups and downs of life also contribute to emotional stress which over time takes a toll on your body. With our busy lives it is to easy to tell yourself you will deal with it later.
One of the best ways to de-stress yourself is regular acupuncture treatment.
The goal of an acupuncture treatment is to rebalance the body. Through the appropriate acupuncture treatment you can feel and even look less stressed. You will notice less tension in your muscles, improved sleep, and a better immune system. Acupuncture works to subdue the sympathetic or “fight or flight” part of the nervous system which in our high-stress society tends to keep running, even when we don’t need it. If you are ready to de-stress your heart, acupuncture is a great place to start.
 At some point or another we all experience sleepless, restless nights. Read this article for tips on what you can do to keep those nights few and far between.
- Turn off the tube! Your body needs to be trained to recognize that when it’s in bed, it’s time to sleep. This means keep the television watching in the family room, food in the dining room and reading or work, confined to your favorite chair.
- Stress induced sleeplessness? If you feel your lack of shuteye is due to stress try these simple yoga postures to help calm your mind and body.
- Supported Sukhasana – Sit on the floor with your legs crossed; relax your spine and head down towards your shins. Support this posture by using cushions, a bolster or pillow in your lap, adjust it to a height that feels right for you.
- Viparita Karani – Lie on your back and press your two sits bones up against a wall, then lift your legs and rest them on the wall. This simple and restorative inversion is said to help slow your heart rate and brain waves.
- Savasana – Lie on your back with your arms next to your sides, palms up. In this posture the focus is on the breath, a normal inhale and a long, slow exhale. Slow exhale breaths help calm your heart and your mind.
- Meals in moderation. Stay away from big meals at night; in particular, eating spicy foods or foods high in fat can keep you wake until the wee hours of the night and cause indigestion. It’s also helpful to limit your caffeine intake.
- Nutrient imbalance? An imbalance of minerals in the body can be the culprit of a chronic sleep problem. A diet with adequate alkaline minerals, provided by fresh fruits and vegetables, is essential for the body to rest. Conversely, a diet too high in simple sugars depletes alkaline minerals, including potassium, and can be largely responsible for the inability to get adequate sleep.
If your New Years’ Resolution is to be healthier, here are some tips:
- Don’t set a goal based on a number of pounds. Set goals based on how your clothes are fitting and how you feel overall, including your levels of confidence and energy. If you focus on a number, you’re bound to get discouraged before you even begin.
- Find the exercise you love. If it’s running, hit the pavement. If it’s yoga, grab your mat. You’ll burn out if you force yourself to do an exercise you don’t enjoy. If you find it hard to get to the gym, why not try incorporating more physical activity into your every day? For example: Take the stairs instead of the elevator and walk or bike instead of driving whenever possible.
- Change your diet over time. It’s unrealistic to go from pre-packaged, processed food to fresh whole foods all in one day. Start small by introducing fresh fruits and vegetables to your existing diet instead of taking out all the foods you regularly eat. The more fresh, healthy foods you eat throughout your day, the less room you’ll have for the unhealthy stuff.
If your New Years’ Resolution is to create more space, peace or less stress in your life, try these simple tips:
- Do one thing at a time. A lot of emotional stress comes from your own feelings that you have to be doing more than one thing at a time. When you do this, your focus is in too many places at once, which doesn’t allow you to be productive, not to mention it’s stressful.
- Put down the phone, computer, iPad, or whatever else it is that constantly draws you away and distracts you from the truly important things in life – your spouse, children, or even time for yourself. That phone call or text can probably wait; it will also make your face-to-face time more valuable and productive.
- It’s difficult to make changes in habits, period. It’s even more difficult to make big changes with no mistakes, and big resolutions like “From now on…” or “I will always…” leave no space for setbacks. Take baby steps, build in rewards for your progress, and make a few other minor changes and you will see greater success with less stress.
 Dietary fat brings out the best and worst in us. For some lucky few fat can be eaten without concern, but for others a more calorie conscious approach must be taken. Fat not only rallies the flavor wagons, it is an essential component for optimal health. Ideally 20-30% of our daily caloric intake should be derived from fat. Dry skin and dry hair are often signs of fat and fatty acid deficiencies.
One of the most important signs of a fatty acid deficiency is often overlooked: stiffness of the ribs, chest, and shoulders. The loss of motion in the ribs when you breath can eventually lead to sharp stabbing pains, as in pleurisy. When the membrane surrounding the lungs and the diaphragm are unable to function optimally, you may experience sharp chest pain (especially when coughing) and/or shoulder pain.
Common Symptoms of Fats and Fatty Acid Deficiencies:
- Frequent canker sores or cold blisters
- Muscle and tendon weakness, and pain in lower back and buttock
- Slow morning starter, get writers’ cramps or become stiff after sitting
- Dry skin, dandruff, and hair falling out
- Frequent pain in the ribs, chest or shoulders or have pain on inhalation
Whether your dietary intake of fats and fatty acids is lacking or your body has difficulty digesting them, the result is the same: you are deficient in essential nutrients. Therefore, it is important make this determination in order to ensure proper absorption of fatty acids, restoring balance to the body, and reducing the symptoms associated with this deficiency.
Current research has shown the benefits of chiropractic care on the immune system. The nerve system possesses unique control mechanisms on the immune system. Chiropractic adjustments relieve stress on the nerve system, which in turn allows the nerve system to better direct the immune response.
Consider the following studies:
- Spinal lesions are associated with exaggerated sympathetic activity, which releases immune regulatory cells into the blood circulation and alters immune function. The nervous system has a direct effect on the immune system due to the nerve supply to the important immune system organs. 1, 2, 3
- White blood cells, which eat and destroy bad cells, are enhanced through chiropractic care. 4
- HIV positive patients adjusted over a 6-month period showed a 48% increase in CD4 cells, an important immune system component. 5
- The chief of cancer prevention at New York’s Preventative Medicine Institute found that people who received regular chiropractic care over a five-year period had a 200% greater immune competence than those who had not received chiropractic care. The chiropractic group showed a 400% greater immune competence than people with cancer and other serious diseases. 6
Everyone can experience the benefits of a healthy immune system through gentle chiropractic care. Daily stress, whether physical, nutritional, environmental or emotional, will influence how long the benefits of a chiropractic adjustment can last. Patients seen for regular chiropractic wellness care may experience the benefit of their adjustment for up to three or four weeks. Periods of increased stress is associated with a weakened immune system, and during these times, more frequent chiropractic adjustments are needed to ensure optimal immune function.
Sources:
- Felton DL, Felton SY, Belonged DL, et al. “Noradrenergic sympathetic neural interactions with the immune system: structure and function.” Immunol Rev. 1987 Dec;100:225-60.
- Korr IM: “Andrew Taylor Still memorial lecture: Research and Practice – a century later.” J Am Osteopathy Assoc 1974 73:362.
- Murray DR, Irwin M, Reardon CA, et al. “Sympathetic and immune interactions during dynamic exercise. Mediation via a beta 2 – adrenergic-dependent mechanism.” Circulation 1992 86(1): 203.
- Brennan P, Graham M, Triano J, Hondras M. “Enhanced phagocytic cell respiratory bursts induced by spinal manipulation: Potential Role of Substance P.” J Manip Physiolog Ther 1991; (14)7:399-400.
- Selano JL, Hightower BC, Pfleger B, Feeley-Collins K, Grostic JD. “The Effects of Specific Upper Cervical Adjustments on the CD4 Counts of HIV Positive Patients.” The Chiro Research Journal; 3(1); 1994.
- Pero R. “Medical Researcher Excited By CBSRF Project Results.” The Chiropractic Journal, August 1989; 32.
It’s official! Total Balance Chiropractic has moved! Our new location, located at 3259 N. Ashland,features almost twice the space, no stairs, ample parking and greater visibility from the street. Any one of these reasons would be cause for celebration but what is even more exciting is that along with this move, we will be expanding the practice!
We are pleased to announce that due to your commitment to health and wellness, and, through your willingness to share that commitment with others, Total Balance Chiropractic is able to expand our space and our office hours. We are ready to accommodate all your referrals!
You may also have noticed we have taken on a new look, with a new logo! Through our new branding we hope to communicate our values of simplicity and openness along with balance and new life. Just as we did in the past, Total Balance Chiropractic will still strive to provide our patients with the same dedication to health and wellness, along with the sharing of wellness knowledge with our community and excellence in customer service.
We invite you share in our excitement, stop by and experience the new space. On October 20, 2011 we will be hosing an Open House event from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Don’t miss this grand celebration of health, wellness and community. We will be providing refreshments, raffle prizes and more! Please RSVP to Marketing@TotalBalanceChiro.com.
Thank you to each and every one of you who has played a part in the growth of our beloved practice. It is you who inspires us each day to be committed to health and wellness, education and community. For us, this is just the beginning of big things to come!
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Cook once, eat twice. By doubling recipes you will eliminate any excuse such as “I don’t have time to eat healthy.”
