Wellness Works!

Back to Health!

As a chiropractor, I've seen it all - from people in acute, debilitating pain to the other side of the spectrum - those who are interested in optimizing their health and come see me for wellness/preventative care.

So to help you, wherever you may be on the spectrum, here are my top Back & Body tips to keep you in your best form!

1. Exercise Regularly

It doesn't have to hurt! Choose an activity that is fun for you and that you can easily incorporate into your lifestyle routine. A daily brisk walk can make a huge difference in the function of your body by reducing aches and pains, improving vascular health, better mental function, sounder sleep...and the list could go on forever. Bottom line: Start moving! Every little bit counts!

2. Eat A Wholesome, Healthy Diet
Proper nutrients allow the body to repair itself easier. Did you know that the food we eat (our fuel) influences every organ and cell in the body - it does! And that goes for your back as well! The healthier the diet, I've seen time and again, the faster the recovery from injury. Makes sense of course - people usually don't realize that their diet can actually help their aching back! Its all connected my friends!

3. Maintain Good Posture
Are you sitting up straight as you read this? In this computer-based society, chronic postural stress are one of the most common reasons people visit a chiropractor and for good reason! We need to retrain our bodies to sit with good posture and remember to take frequent breaks so that our muscles and joints can be resilient!

4. Stretch After Exercise 
What can I say... if you don't stretch - injury could be around the corner! Stretching is ESSENTIAL when exercising - be it walking or lifitng weights - one should always stretch - esp. after an exercise activity when the muscles are warmed up and may have lactic acid build up. Stretching is the key to being open, flexible and limber - trust me, you may be inflexible when you begin, but our bodies respond so well to stretching, in a short time, you'll see a big difference if you're consistent!

5. Stretch at Work
Your Legs And Back After Each Hour Of Sitting. Whether in a car or at a desk, stretching regularly will help to keep you from tightening up or injuring yourself further.

6. Don't Overload Your Backpack Or Purse
Ok ladies, I'm a victim of this as well! Transfer your purse from one shoulder to another to distribute the stress on our shoulders! Also, remember to carry backpacks both shoulders whenever possible!

7. Never Cradle The Phone Between Your Neck And Shoulder

Do I even need to expand on this?... Try it for five minutes and tell me how uncomfortable cradling the phone is... Think about how much you're compressing your neck - where all the vital nerves and blood vessels that control your upperbody are! Use a headset instead!

8. Sleep On Your back Or Side, Not On Your Stomach
Side-lying is best, back second best, but never sleep on your stomach. Sleeping on your side helps to keep your spine in line and reduces the risk of hurting your neck while you sleep. Stomach sleepers - your neck is twisted all night and your low back hyper extended - if you can change one habit today, please change your sleeping position!

9. Invest In A Good Chair, Pillow And Mattress
Worth its weight in gold. I personally am a big fan of the Water Pillow. It adjusts to your neck and provides custom support - I couldn't live without it!

10. Have Regular Spinal Check-Ups (At Your Friendly Chiropractor!)
It's much easier to prevent a problem than to correct one. Period. I'm all about prevention and the concept of Wellness Care - keeping your spine and nervous system in peak performance is key in living to your optimal health potential. Just like seeing the dentist for checkups, regular chiropractic visits keep your spine in its proper alignment and can help reduce the stress on your neuromuscularskeletal system (that's a long word for your nerves, muscles and bones) - which, in the long run is definitely much more appealing than the pound of cure if left unaddressed.

If you have any questions, remember you can always leave a comment and I'll reply!

39 Ways to a Better Life

I rarely read email forwards and I rarely forward them on, let alone blog about them! But this came to me a week or so ago from a wonderful patient and I felt the need to share it with all of you - not a typical blog entry, but nevertheless, so important for everyone to read!

Each tenet is absolutely 100% true and each one contributes to your health & well-being - physical, mental and emotional. I hope you can implement them for a life well-lived.

I've officially got it up in my clinic for everyone to read (including me!) - Enjoy!

39 Tips for a Better Life

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'

5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.

7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument.Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happinessexcept you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

26. Forgive everyone for everything.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. GOD heals almost everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

33. The best is yet to come.

34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

35. Do the right thing!

36. Call your family often. (Or email them!)

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride. 

The Roots of "Alternative"/"Complementary" Medicine

I often get asked: "What's the main difference between natural health care and standard medical care?"

In a nutshell, Natural/Wellness care aims to turn on the body's natural healing ability. It may achieve this by incorporating essential nutrients, stimulating the body's own healing systems (ie. via acupuncture), or by removing interference and/or chemicals which are causing harm. It has a holistic approach to see the person as a whole.

By contrast, in the medical (allopathic) model of health, one seeks to treat a symptom by adding something from the outside - a medication, a surgery or procedure and uses more of a 'reductionist' perspective.

Symptom vs. Cause

For example, if a patient has high blood pressure, a standard medical approach would be to administer a drug that lowers blood pressure. While this may serve its purpose, it may not tackle the underlying cause and runs the risk of side effects. Whether it is, for example, a nutritional issue and/or a physiological manifestation of stress, only the symptom is being managed (high blood pressure). Thus, although the medication could very well decrease blood pressure, the cause may continue to go unaddressed.

On the other hand, "wellness" is a state of optimal conditions for normal function - physically, mentally  and emotionally. The wellness approach looks for the underlying causes of any disturbance or disruption (which may or may not be causing symptoms at the time) and make the necessary lifestyle interventions and adjustments to optimize the conditions for normal function. Such an environment encourages natural healing and minimizes the need for invasive treatment, which should be administered only when absolutely necessary.

When the body is working at its best, it tends to heal effectively. When the body heals and maintains itself well, we enter another level of health that goes beyond "asymptomatic" or "pain-free". It becomes an opportunity for vitality, vibrant health, and an enhanced experience of life. That's how I see it.

Little miss Sunshine - Vitamin D!

Recently, we have seen media coverage on new research about Vitamin D and its health-protective effects. Although Vitamin D is deficient in many people, finding and using the right form and amount of Vitamin D is essential.

Vitamin D, calciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is found in certain foods and can be made in your body after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun.

The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. It promotes bone mineralization, together with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones. It has also been recently found to be effective in the prevention of many cancers - which is when the media fell in love with Vitamin D!

The best source of vitamin D is sunlight.  Unfortunately, many of us are not outside (especially in the winter) and if we are, we're covered in sunscreen.  Fifteen minutes of sunlight a day without sunscreen can provide us with a sufficient amount of vitamin D.  This is why so many people feel better in the summertime and often suffer from fatigue in the winter.

In supplements, there are two types of vitamin D: vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and D2 (ergocalciferol). D2 is less biologically active and Is often found in 'fortified foods'.

From food sources, vitamin D3 can be found in eggs, organ meats, animal fat, cod liver oil and fish. It  is the equivalent to the vitamin D3 formed through our skin from UV-B rays. One should stay away from the synthetic D2 as it has been shown to have toxicity at the higher dose ranges.

In general, fat-soluble vitamins can store in the body so it is very important to be tested to determine your body levels before supplementing with high amounts. Once you have vitamin D toxicity it cannot easily be turned around. There are two tests available, but the correct one is 25(OH)D which is a better marker of your overall Vitamin D status.  The test is covered by OHIP.  Usually the best times to get this test is in November or February when we have the least sunlight and the time when most people would be deficient.

There are differing opinions on the amount of Vitamin D one should intake from supplements - anywhere from 200 IU to 1000 IU have been quoted and intake will also vary based on your age, race & pregnancy status. For safety purposes it is advisable to optimize your vitamin D levels with the advice of a trained health care professional.