Posted on Thursday, October 13, 2016

Eat Better, Together

Leading a healthy and active lifestyle is extremely important for everyone in your family. However, changing dietary habits can be extremely difficult, especially if you’re the only one in the house
doing it. Instead, make it a family affair. Find ways to eat healthy and spend time as a family. Taking the time to sit down at the table together is important for your physical health, as well as your mental health. October is Eat Better, Eat Together month, so today we are going to discuss four ways to eat better as a family.

Eat at the table
These days kids and families are so busy it seems like there is little time to spend together. Set at lease one day a week where everyone must eat at the table together. This will allow you to share little pieces of your day and bond. And make sure you eat at the table, not on the couch by the TV. It seems like it’s easier to eat healthy when everyone else is doing it. Eating together isn’t only good for your physical health; it’s also good for your mental health.

Lead by example
If your kids see you eating well they will too. Kids have a tendency to model the behavior of their parents, this include dietary habits.

One bite rule
Follow the one bite rule – they must try at least one bite of everything on their plate, even if they claim they don’t like it. This will allow the food to be introduced to their diet and maybe one day their taste buds will change. I know someone who used this rule with their four kids. And I’ll tell you what; I’ve never seen a family that eats a wider variety of healthy foods and vegetables. There were at least three vegetables served with every meal! And guess what? Their adult children still eat that way today!

Make it fun
Include the kids in the grocery shopping or the cooking. Let them pick out fresh produce at the store that they want to try. And have them help prepare dinner. They will want to try the food they make and they gave you a little bit of help. It’s a win-win.

Now go make plans with your family for dinner!

For more healthcare tips for you and your family, check out my workbook for dealing with caring for your children, as well as your aging parents: Life in the Sandwich Generation. Life in the Sandwich Generation is a workbook filled with information, tips and tricks for managing the demands needing to care for your aging parents, as well as taking care of your children. It details how you can involve your children in the process, how to learn more about your parents health and finances, while still making time for yourself and your spouse. You can find it here for only $10!

Posted on Monday, October 10, 2016

6 Tips for Managing Diabetes

Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which blood glucose, aka blood sugar, levels are too high. There are two types of diabetes: type I and type II. With type I diabetes, your body doesn’t make insulin on its own. Type II diabetes is where your body doesn’t use insulin properly.

Insulin is the hormone that controls the amount of glucose in your blood stream. Diabetes can extremely dangerous if it’s not properly managed. Regardless of which type of diabetes you have, there are many things you can do to live a healthy lifestyle. Today, in honor of National Diabetes Month, we will be discussing six tips for managing diabetes.

Count carbs
Pizza, pasta, bread — oh my! These food items are filled with carbohydrates. This is where it gets a little tricky. Carbohydrates are an essential macro nutrient in our diet, our brain and muscle tissue need carbohydrates for survival, and the brain uses glucose from carbs for fuel. But it’s important to keep in mind that not all carbs are created equal. Complex carbohydrates are good for your body, simple carbohydrates are not. Therefore, it’s important to know what type you’re putting in to your body. Complex carbs are things like vegetables and whole grains. These are converted to glucose and used as fuel. They slowly release sugar throughout the day keeping insulin at a stable level, which is extremely important for diabetics. On the other hand, simple carbohydrates — such as cereals and candy — cause an insulin spike, followed by a crash. Think of the way you feel shortly after eating a big bowl of pasta. Controlling your carbohydrate intake when trying to manage your diabetes will help you a lot.

Assemble a great team of doctors
Aside from your primary care physician, you’re going to need other doctors to help you manage your diabetes. First, schedule an appointment with an endocrinologist. Endocrinologists specialize in hormones, and insulin is a hormone. They will be able to figure out exactly why your pancreas stopped producing insulin, or why it’s not producing enough, and they will be able to treat it. If your diabetes has already advanced to your eyes, you may need to see an ophthalmologist to help with any vision issues. Individuals with diabetes also suffer from peripheral neuropathy, which is numbness in the extremities. If left unattended, this can cause severe nerve damage and may result in the need for amputation. Schedule an appointment with a podiatrist to keep your feet healthy. Lastly, you may want to schedule an appointment with a nutritionist or a dietitian. They can help you better understand how food works and which foods you should be avoiding. They will also have you create a food journal, which will be very helpful to managing your diabetes.

Hit the gym
When we exercise our insulin sensitivity increases. Meaning we can better utilize the glucose that is available in our blood stream as opposed to creating more or letting it build up. Muscles use sugar for fuel. Even if your goal isn’t to lose weight, getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity is extremely important when it comes to diabetes management.

No more processed foods
Cut the junk out of your life. Processed foods are full of sugar. You now need to be eating fresh, nutrient dense meals with lots of protein and healthy fat. Remember, don’t cut carbs completely, just be sure they are good quality. Fruit is full of carbohydrates, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad for you. And be sure to keep healthy snacks with you for times when your blood sugar drops. Think almonds, fruit or string cheese.

Put down that cigarette
In addition to causing inflammation and vasoconstriction, smoking raises your blood sugar levels. Therefore it’s extremely important that you quit right away. Smoking increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, and so does diabetes.

Take your medication, and monitor your sugar daily
You need to take your insulin! Just because you don’t notice any symptoms when you forget to take your medication doesn’t mean you don’t need it. When diabetes goes untreated, it can lead to nerve damage or heart disease. And make sure you’re checking your blood sugar each day! It’s the only way to know if your diabetes is being properly managed. It’s also important to know your blood sugar levels because taking too much insulin can be life threatening. Taking too much insulin can cause blood sugar levels to drop which may lead to coma or even death.

I hope you have found these tips helpful for managing your diabetes!

For more healthcare news and tips daily follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.

Posted on Thursday, October 6, 2016

6 Benefits of Chiropractic Care

Did you know that spinal manipulation has been around for over 2,500 years? Back in ancient times, practitioners would perform spinal adjustments to treat a wide variety of misalignments. Chiropractic, meaning “done by hand,” was founded by DD Palmer in the late 1890’s.

A common misconception is that chiropractic care is only beneficial for treating back pain. However, chiropractic can be used for a wide range of things including ear infections and headaches, as well as treat nutritional deficiencies. In fact, I started seeing a chiropractor a little over two years ago for this very reason. I was burned out, not sleeping, and I had always suffered from lower back discomfort. She discovered that I needed some help nutritionally and suggested I take some supplements. Now, I see her on a fairly regular basis for nutritional consultations and occasionally for my lower back. It’s much better now thanks to my workout routine, but I still have trouble bending at times. Not many people know about the benefits of chiropractic care. October is National Chiropractic Health Month; therefore, today we are going to discuss the benefits of Chiropractic care.

It’s safe for all ages
You may be surprised to know that spinal adjustments are safe to perform on day-old babies. Birth is extremely stressful on an infant’s spine and cranium. All of that pushing and pulling can cause many different spinal misalignments. It’s often common for newborns to have trouble latching to their mother’s nipple to breastfeed. Performing a manual manipulation on a newborn’s skull and jaw will realign their bones and allow them to begin breastfeeding. It’s truly miraculous. Chiropractic care is also safe for the elderly, even if they have osteoporosis. The doctor must be careful, but it is still appropriate to do spinal manipulation on people who have disorders similar to this.

It relieves pain
Chiropractors look to find the root of the problem as opposed to treating the symptoms on the surface. The spine and spinal cord have a hand in everything the body does. Therefore, if these areas are misaligned it can cause discomfort. Returning them to their proper alignment can relieve that pain.

It can improve your posture
Chronic postural issues can cause harm to the spine and spinal cord. Regular chiropractic care can help shift one’s weight back on their heels, allowing the spine to be in its proper alignment. Mechanically, the spine has normal curves, which resemble an “S” shape. However, many people have over-exaggeration of these curves leading to chronic pain. Many people work on computers for most their day. This causes a forward head posture, rounded shoulders, a hunched back posture and an exaggerated curve of the lumbar spine. Spinal manipulations will help move these bones back in to their proper place and improve posture. You can also feel and look taller after getting an adjustment. Chiropractors can also offer examples of exercises that you can do at home based on your specific postural needs. They may even suggest you start a strength training program, such as Pilates, to improve your core strength.

It can save you money
Some insurance plans cover chiropractic care. However, even if chiropractic isn’t a covered benefit, it can still save you money in the long run. Things such as physical therapy and surgery usually have a pretty big copay tied to them. Seeing a chiropractor regularly may help keep you well and save money.

It can help you stay off drugs and antibiotics
Chronic ear infections are a common reason that children go to the pediatrician. The doctor puts them on antibiotics, their ears clear up, yet several weeks later the infection is back. Chiropractic care, as well as nutritional supplementation, can help rid your child of ear infections for good. It’s important to keep in mind that chiropractic care doesn’t specifically treat ear infections, however it restores the body to its natural function. Receiving regular adjustments can also help relieve joint and bone pain allowing patients to stop taking medications for arthritis and other pain conditions. Chiropractic care offers a different perspective, one that isn’t all about drugs.

It can keep you well
Chiropractic care isn’t solely beneficial for times that you’re in pain. Many people see chiropractors on a regular basis to help them to stay well. A regular spinal adjustment can help reduce the amount of inflammation in your bones and joints. Inflammation can wreak havoc on the body and lead to all sorts of illnesses and diseases. Regular chiropractic care can also improve sleep. When people are sleep deprived their immune system gets run down. Many chiropractors also offer nutritional consultation and supplementation to help keep one well.

Chiropractic care has truly changed my life. If you don’t already see a Chiropractor on a regular basis, schedule an appointment today and try it out! If you do see one on a regular basis I would love to know – why did you start seeing a chiropractor?

For more healthcare news and tips daily follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.