Archive | Healthy Living

Why is Your Nervous System Important?

The goal of Chiropractic is to locate and correct subluxations to release stress from your nervous system. Why is that important?

Why is your nervous system important?

Without it you’d be in the ultimate sensory deprivation tank – not be able to connect with anything or anyone not seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, or moving. You’d be completely alone inside yourself.

It’s your connection to your inner and outer worlds – to all your body parts. You need it so all your body parts and cells (billions and trillions of them) will work together in a coordinated, harmonious manner.

Your nervous system is made up of your brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, and more! You’ve got billions of nerve fibers – and they make up the most powerful communications system in the universe – and it’s inside you.

A healthy nervous system is needed for your entire body and mind to work at their optimum. A subluxation is a distortion in your body structure that stresses your nervous system and interferes with its function. This interference can cause dis-ease (body-mind-energy malfunction) and dis-ease can in time result in disease. Your Doctor of Chiropractic is an expert at locating and correcting (adjusting) subluxations helping your nerve system/communications system function without interference. The result is an improved function in every system of your body.

Call us to make an appointment today!

(517) 627-4547

Traditional Eating: Why Do We Need Good Nutrition?

Apart from the obvious – to easily maintain our ideal weight, have lots of energy, and live free from disease and infirmity – we must also look at nutrition from an inter-generational or species perspective. Good nutrition ensures healthier children and (later) grandchildren!

Only healthy well-nourished people can produce healthy children. When we are healthy, we look better and are better able to attract a mate so we can produce healthy, strong, fertile children free from physical and mental defects and disorders. The goal of good nutrition is the survival of the species and the passing of good, healthy genes and qualities.

Our current epidemic of infertility – nearly 20% of all couples are unable to conceive-and our current epidemic of children with chronic illness is no coincidence. The pesticides and toxins in our foods are causing generational damage. Only eat organic. And here is another great rule:

A Good General Nutrition Rule

If the food wasn’t around when your grandparents were around, avoid it; make sure your food and preparations are as traditional and as old-fashioned as possible.

TIPS TO STAY HEALTHY THIS FALL

(CL ADAPTED) ALYSE RURIANI

The transition to the shorter and busier days of fall can be a challenge. To help ease the change, we’ve put together some Fall Wellness Tips to get you ready for the colder months and keep your mental (and physical!) health in check.

1) Start taking a Vitamin D supplement. We get most of our Vitamin D from the sun, so our intake decreases when the weather is colder since we spend most of our time inside during the fall/winter seasons. If you find you are not getting outside much, a Vitamin D supplement can boost your mood and immune system!

2) Take some time to yourself. Autumn and winter are the Earth’s way of telling us to slow down. Start a journal or track your moods to get more in touch with how you are feeling.

3) Boost your immune system. You can do this by drinking plenty of water, washing your hands often to prevent sickness, and eating nutritious foods.

4) Get yourself ready for Daylight Savings Time. Go to bed earlier when you can, especially the week before the clocks change. Longer periods of darkness = longer periods of sleep!

5) Make some plans for the cold months. In the winter, we tend to hibernate if we don’t have things to keep us busy.

6) Moisturize your skin. Harsh temperatures can make your skin dry.

7) Buy in-season food. Beets, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, kale, pumpkin, broths, roasted squash, roots, and sautéed dark leafy greens are all great choices.

8) Stay active! It can be easy to just sit around all the time, but it’s important to get in some movement throughout the day. Raking leaves or shoveling snow counts!

9) Wear layers and protect your body from the dropping temperature. Make sure you have gloves, a scarf, earmuffs, a winter coat, warm socks, and snow boots!

10) Do some “spring cleaning” in the fall. Clean out your closet, organize that back room, and rid yourself of things you don’t need.

11) Prepare your home for possible extreme weather conditions. Do you have a shovel and/or snow blower? Do your flashlights have batteries? Is your heat working okay? And think about your car too…Blankets, Socks, Hunter heating pads. power bars and water will all be welcome in a stressful situation

12) Get some books to read and shows to watch. Who doesn’t want to sit by the fire on chilly winter nights and read a good book or binge-watch some Netflix?

13) Keep a schedule. The cold months can seem to drag on and push us into isolation. Stay on track by scheduling time in your day to do things you like to do.

14) Be kind to yourself. The holidays can cause weight gain, the shorter days can cause low mood, and the season change can throw your body out of balance. Listen to your body and give it what it needs, and don’t beat yourself up! Try reframing negative thoughts into positive ones.

AND BEST OF ALL, MAKE SURE TO GET YOUR SPINE CHECKED REGULARLY AS THE MINOR SLIPS AND FALL OF FALL/WINTER CAN KNOCK YOUR SYSTEM OUT OF WHACK!

Call us to make an appointment today!
(517) 627-4547

Why Is Eating The Rainbow So Important?

Each color comes with a set of its own nutritional profiles; these attribute to an all-around healthier lifestyle. Just like with processed foods – everything should be eating in moderation, and even the healthiest of foods is no exception. We need variety in our life to be reaping the benefits in the entire spectrum. Here Amanda lays down the nutritional benefits for each color and some fun and delicious ways you can enjoy them with a few special Rebel Recipe recipes to really fuel your appetite.

Red Food – Heart Healthy

Our heart is so important, for emotional and mental health, but also for our physical health. Foods like tomatoes, apples and red onions are well known for their heart health properties. So, ‘an apple a day’ really can keep the doctor away! Braeburn apples are top of the list; are not only a healthier sweet treat but they can pack a dose of energy when that 3 pm slump hits.

A heart-healthy Bolognese packed with tomatoes and red onions is also a fantastic way to up your reds; a fun way to get kids even more excited is to use that Bolognese on top of a pizza base! Delicious and family-friendly.

Orange & Yellow Foods – Eye See You

If you look right in the center of your retina you will see that there is a yellow spot filled with orange pigments. These pigments are called carotenes, which help to protect our vision. And what does carotene sound like? Yep, you got it – CARROTS. Carrots, sweet potatoes and mango are extremely rich sources of carotenoids.

In fact, the carotenes in mangos are twenty times more absorbable in the body than those of carrots, so don’t just limit your choice of orange foods to just carrots. Get a little more tropical and experiment with new flavors and textures. Think papaya and Sweet Melons and of course mangos

Fun fact: peeling carrots can reduce their health properties by more than half. Simply wash and eat..

Want to really boost the rainbow and your carotene? Try roasting your carrots for a healthy boost of carotene

Green Foods – Brilliant Bones

When we think of foods to build strong bones and teeth, it’s usually dairy products that pop to mind. But guess what – green foods are actually better for your bones than milk!

Cabbage, kale, and broccoli are some of the top products that help boost your bones. Look for lots of different ways to add these veggies into your diet by roasting them and serving with a bright chimichurri sauce for example, or check out a recipe for bubble and squeak.

Did you know: It takes up to ten times trying a new food for your taste buds to become acquainted with the flavor? So, set yourself a goal and choose a portion of food to try 10x and see what happens. Remember, the overboiled Brussel sprouts (ughhhhh) of childhood can be replaced by an awesome great shredded, oven-roasted sheet pan dish that could include but not limited to at least one veggie from each of the colors of the rainbow.

I love a dish that includes carrots, baby tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, diced sweet potatoes, mushrooms, corn, and even purple baby potatoes all roasted in the oven at a fair heat and served with a sauce of choice!.

Blue and Purple Foods – Brain Fuel

Not only are blue and purple-colored foods great for our mental health, but foods like blueberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, and grapes can also give you a brain boost.

One of the quirky things about these berries is that they are actually able to find their way into the areas of our brain that are essential for intelligence; they are also good for slowing the rate of mental decline.

With Summer here, platters of chopped raw veggies with a dip or two/ hummus is a great way of covering the whole range of veggies colors.

Reprinted from Rebel Recipes blog.

Tips to incorporate more veggies. From Dr.C.

Buy a rainbow selection of veggies ( a lot of veggies like carrots and celery can be precut and stored in baggies/containers….once a week prep time saves lots of frustration) Make platters with a variety of veg and cheese chunks and a dip in place of a salad….

I like to place a variety of bowls with things like veggies, spring onions, olives, shredded lettuce, and microgreens out on a counter, along with diced feta and cheddar cheese of choice and perhaps 2 or 3 dressings (my new fave is Panera’s Fuji apple…OOOH) and let everybody make their own selection. Toasted nuts such as pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and croutons (homemade is best) finish off the presentation.

Everything can basically be pre-prepped and stored in containers for easy grabbing and in summer supper is on the table double-quick time

With mac and cheese dishes, I have been known to roast/steam broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and shredded spinach and stir that into the mix. If you have fussy eaters make side dishes of the veggies and offer them as add-ons to suit.

One-pot casserole dishes are also a great place to hide veggies….grated zucchini, shredded spinach, steamed and mashed cauliflower are just some ingredients that can hide in a dish

GOLDEN RULE: NEVER TELL ANYONE WHAT YOU ARE DOING IF YOU HAVE PICKY EATERS!!!

Being Healthy Is a Revolutionary Act

By Pilar Gerasimo / Experience Life Magazine (this is an extract)

You Want to Be Healthy?

Well, hey, that’s wonderful!

This article is designed to help you succeed. It will equip you with a clarifying sense of what you are up against and prepare you for the journey ahead.

And if you’re feeling a little ambivalent about getting started, it will also give you a friendly kick in the pants. That’s important because getting and staying healthy in the current culture isn’t easy. In fact, it’s a big challenge.

But who, you ask, has the time and energy for another big challenge?

Exactly. Most of us are running around on fumes.

We complain that we don’t have time to eat right or exercise or get enough sleep. We don’t have time to cook or relax or goof around. We don’t have time to get outdoors or connect with the people we love. Most of all, we don’t have time to learn how our bodies work and what it takes to keep them healthy.

And that’s a big part of why so many of us are getting sick. And fat. And depressed. And why we see so many friends and loved ones being diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Understandably, faced with the daunting prospect of changing our lives, most of us would just as soon put it off until tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next.

And that’s precisely what about 80 percent of the U.S. population is doing right now. You can join them, watching as the pounds pile on, worrying as the blood pressure climbs, struggling as the energy flags, and fretting as the prescriptions and side effects and medical bills add up. And when things get bad enough, then you can think about changing.

Or, you can spare yourself years of downward spiraling misery and do something about it now.

If you’ve already set out on the path to health, or if you’re already as vital and fit as you want to be, rock on! You deserve a lot of credit — probably far more than you’ve been giving yourself.

And if you’ve been struggling in your attempts to get healthier, don’t beat yourself up about it. Let go of the self-recrimination for a minute. Prepare, instead, to take a clear-eyed look at the uphill battle you’ve been waging, and at why your successes may seem so hard-won.

Whiplash and Chiropractic

You’re sitting in your car minding your own business, stopped at a light, and WHAM! some idiot slams into you from behind-you are rear-ended. Your head snaps or “whips” backward and forwards. You got a whiplash.

Hopefully, you don’t have any broken bones or cuts, but something is still not right. Your head isn’t on straight, your body is misaligned, your nerves are “pinched,” your neck is not right, your muscles and joints are crying in pain.

By the way, it doesn’t have to be a car accident-whiplash injuries can occur from sports collisions and other forms of trauma. Some really bad whiplash accidents are sideways-when a car passenger had turned to look at the driver so they received a sideways or lateral whiplash.

Because all of our body parts are connected in many complicated ways, a whiplash injury may cause or intensify lower back pain, leg, hip, and pelvic pain.

To make things a little more interesting, whiplash symptoms may not occur immediately after the accident but may take a day or so to show up. When they show up, you’ll know it.

Symptoms of whiplash commonly include:

neck pain
headaches
muscle pain
stiffness
loss of range of motion
fatigue
blurred vision

If the nerves in your lower neck are “pinched” you may have numbness and tingling in your shoulders, wrists, arms, and hands. Whiplash is not fun.

What to do?

Chiropractic has been a blessing to whiplash sufferers for over 125 years. Many whiplash sufferers have turned to chiropractic after having exhausted muscle relaxers, painkillers, and injections and are looking for an alternative to surgery.

Chiropractors locate subluxations that cause stress, interference, nerve pressure, and other problems in your spine and body structure. Doctors of Chiropractic are able to realign spinal vertebrae that have been “locked or jammed” as a result of trauma using the art and science of chiropractic adjustments.

Anyone who has experienced a whiplash, or any kind of injury, needs the safe, yet powerful, chiropractic approach.

Call us to make an appointment today! (517) 627-4547

A NOTE FROM DR. RAY AND DR. C—–just because there is no “blood and guts” associated with an accident— the mere trauma to the body CAN and DOES lead to an effect on the body. When a body is exposed to forces greater than the body can handle, something has to give and, most of the time, the underlying structure of the body (spine) takes the brunt of the force. Falls down steps, off a curb, off your bike, walked into a door you didn’t see? These are just some of the things that can “knock your body out of whack” and lead to issues late on in life.

Cholesterol Not Guilty – New Research Shows Cholesterol is Natural and Beneficial

Our ancestors had it right all along – good quality saturated fats such as butter, cream, tallow, lard, chicken fat (schmaltz), goose fat, duck fat, and fatty organ meats will lead to a long, healthy life.

Cholesterol is needed for the proper function of your brain, your heart, and your cell membranes. That means you need cholesterol in pretty much every cell in your body.

Many studies show that people with high cholesterol live the longest. “What?” I hear you say. This statement seems incredible because it flies in the face of what so many of us have been told which was based on theory, not reality. In fact, cholesterol is an antioxidant, it fights inflammation. If a person has chronically high cholesterol, it is the inflammation (the cause) that should be addressed.

That people with high cholesterol live the longest emerges clearly from many scientific papers. After the world was told about how horrible saturated animal fats and cholesterol were, and that millions needed to be spent on expensive cholesterol-lowering drugs, many scientists questioned that approach. In 1994 a major study from Yale University researcher Harlan Krumholz reported that elderly people with low cholesterol died twice as often from a heart attack as did the elderly with high cholesterol. (3) Other researchers have since noticed the same finding. (1-2)

Cholesterol is not your enemy

Unhealthy fats and oils (i.e., corn oil, canola, safflower, cottonseed oil, margarine, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils), as well as hidden infections and subluxations, are the real enemies that cause inflammation.

Ravnskov U. High cholesterol is not a risk factor. Well-Being Journal. November/December 2012;21(6).
Ravnskov U. High cholesterol may protect against infections and atherosclerosis. Quarterly J of Medicine. 2003;96:927-934.

“Traditional” Eating: The cost of a candy bar

Don’t feel guilty when you pay for good quality grass-fed beef, soy-free chicken and eggs, and grass-fed, 100% raw milk and cream (hopefully it’s available) from farms, markets, and specialty shops.

You are actually paying a fair price and ensuring your family’s health.

The next time you’re at the grocery store, try this little exercise. Do a simple comparison by the pound of different foods. You’ll likely find that candy bars cost from $14 a pound to $22 a pound. Of course, nobody pays $22 for a candy bar, but that’s just because a candy bar never weighs a pound.

See how expensive just a “cheap” little candy bar really is?

Why is it that so many people spend lavishly on their homes, cars, and lifestyle, but when it comes to food they settle for the cheapest?

The true value is seen in the subtle long-term effects. Everything we eat either helps our body repair and replace cells, or it damages and degrades. The food we eat has a very direct effect on the health of our gut. Please remember whenever you eat anything, ask yourself the question, “Will this help or harm me and my children?”

Some things are worth our getting a good deal, but food quality should not be one of them. The American diet is said to be one of the worst in the world. Spend your money wisely. As the saying goes, “Some people spend their health trying to gain wealth, only to later spend their wealth to gain back their health.”

Preventing Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer and deaths in young people (in the prime of life!) as well as older people are increasing. Why?

A prime suspect is glyphosate (Roundup®). It is a toxic herbicide sprayed on crops. Roundup damages a child’s (and adult’s) intestinal flora (population of microorganisms). The result can create a “leaky” gut where partially digested foods “leak” out of the intestines into the blood and enter the brain and internal organs. These leaks make a body toxic-a perfect breeding ground for cancer.

Amazingly, this toxic, poisonous herbicide is still sold in garden supply stores. It is still legal! Government agencies are not doing their jobs. This toxic product should be removed from the market.

To ensure your child’s health (and your own) from Colorectal Cancer:

Only purchase organically labeled foods meaning they are non-GMO, grown without herbicides, pesticides and fungicides and not sprayed with Roundup after harvesting. Commercial breads and bread products are increasingly adulterated.

Roundup has been linked to more than leaky gut and intestinal diseases. Roundup has also been linked to autism, birth defects, Alzheimer’s, ADD, heart disease, depression, lymphoma, Parkinson’s and more.

Plastic is an Unnatural Material

Plastic can take over 400 years to decompose. WOW!

(In fact, this is a guess from the experts as we’ve never seen any plastic decompose as it hasn’t been around long enough.) Combine the fact that plastic isn’t biodegradable with the explosion in population numbers, that’s a scary amount of plastic.

As a species we seem to have gone totally plastic mad, the stuff is EVERYWHERE. It feels deeply ingrained in our society.

Reduce, reuse and recycle

These are the buzzwords that will assist you in reducing your plastic footprint in 2020.

According to The Economist, we now create 380 million tons per year of global plastic production. Since the 50’s only 9% of plastic has been recycled and another 12% has been incinerated. The remaining has been dumped into landfills, or our natural environment.

Eat A Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet

Fundamentally this one also means eat less convenience foods. Often, convenience processed foods are sold in plastic packaging.

Eating a fresh produce plant-based diet means getting your protein from sources such as lentils, beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas). It can also act as a huge money saver, try purchasing these dried and see how much money you can save.

Supermarkets and grocery stores are also taking note and now making commitments to try and eliminate plastic packaging especially around fruit and veg. If they haven’t started putting something in place already, then it’s likely they will soon due to consumer pressure.

Use A Refillable Bottle

To cover your water needs in the office or at home also have a refillable water bottle instead of using single-use cups or bottles. The idea is that you never need to buy a bottle of water in a single-use bottle again.

Only Use Reusable Steel Straws Instead Of Plastic Straws

Plastic straws somehow end up in our oceans and can take up to 200 years to decompose! They find their way into turtle’s noses. It’s time we stop using them in restaurants, perhaps say ’no straw’ when you order.

Steel straws are brilliant to keep in the draw at home and are easy to clean. It can be a good idea to also carry one around with you for when drinking out. They are also better than plastic straws as far as straws go as they just feel more substantial than a plastic one.

NO straws is also an option!!!!

Take Reusable Fabric Tote Bags Or Backpacks When Buying Groceries

In the United Kingdom, customers are charged 5p per bag they take from the store. Canada is looking to ban them by 2021. San Francisco has started banning them all together.

Instead of using plastic bags, invest in fabric bags, backpacks or even a trusty wheeled shopping trolley. If you have a car, it can be a good idea to keep a bunch of spare fabric bags ready to go. Also, it’s good to think further than just grocery shopping, carry all your purchases from electronics to toiletries in tote bags too.

Use Soap Bars To Reduce Plastic Waste

Making the switch from bottle to bar is inevitable in the fight against plastics. Plastic shower and hand-wash bottles are used once and tossed away. There are lots of organic and natural scented soaps in the market that are both more environmentally friendly plus boasting that they have zero plastic waste. They can smell nicer and feel more moisturizing to your skin than a gel from a bottle.

Bulk Buy Wholesale Products Such As Oats, Dried Lentils/Beans, Pasta and Rice

Many dried foods can be purchased wholesale. Not only is this much cheaper, but it means you’ll have to purchase it less often and you’ll reduce your plastic purchases.

Glass jars filled with the dried foods also look chic in your home either on the side or when you look in the cupboard and will look in freshness.

Buy Boxes, Not Plastic Bottles

Purchasing juices, plant-based milks or laundry detergents? Opt for those sold in carton cardboard material over those in plastic. The cardboard options are much easier to recycle than plastic bottles, plus paper-based products decompose much easier. Even better would be to choose companies who source their cardboard sustainably or have a strong stance on deforestation.

Compost Your Plant-Based Waste

When eating a plant-based diet, much of your waste can be the scraps of the food itself. For example, potato or squash skin, the ends of vegetables, orange or banana peel or the ends of a cucumbers. Rather than natural waste taking up space in your garbage or rubbish, why not get a composter and dispose there? This reduces your contribution to landfills. Then every once in a while, you can dispose of and give back to the soil. The ground and critters will be grateful for the addition as the natural waste helps soil to retain moisture, enriches and helps to suppress disease and pests. Composting also encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that breakdown organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient filled material. Lucky critters, I guess.

Additional Ideas For Reducing Plastic

Do you have any other ideas to reduce plastic waste? Which one do you think will be the easiest to implement?

Let us know!

Lanjopoulos Chiropractic

Chiropractics, Yoga, Tai Chi, Healthy Living