Everyone deserves a little time off, but at what cost.  Sometimes we get tired of the good behavior, rigorous workouts or tracking food.  Sometimes a road block is in our path - Thanksgiving, a holiday party, Christmas, a bad day at the office.  There always seems to be something that is blocking our path to being the healthiest that we could be.  Here's the bad (or reassuring) news...no one's perfect and we're all going to slip up at some point.  So, what do you do after indulging a little too much? Here are my simple tips to move forward:

1.                                Get back on track: Remember how I mentioned "Guilt Free Thanksgiving"?  Well, how you get rid of that guilt post-indulgence is by getting back to your old routine.  It's not going to be easy - have you ever noticed how after a bad day or two, the thought of eating all the healthiest foods or getting back to the gym can be less than intriguing.  Many people feel that way.  It is true that others want to get back faster than full throttle so that they can feel better sooner, but most people feel sluggish and not-too-inspired.  Getting back to your fitness routine can be the best way to feel better about what you did on Thanksgiving.

2.                                Journal: Keeping a log of what you eat, when and why (how you are feeling at that moment) for a week or so is a great way of getting in touch with your eating patterns.  When you get in touch with your eating patterns you are able to learn to eat more intuitively, which is how you get healthy. 

3.                                Get in touch with cravings: Many people will crave things that they recently ate.  Have you noticed how you can stay away from junk food for weeks and as soon as you eat it you want more, like there's a monster in your belly?  This is not by accident.  Did you know that food recipes for "junk" food are actually made to make you want to eat them more?  It makes sense when you realize that the food supply in America is almost 3000 calories per person and most of us only need 1200 - 1700 of them.  If you would like to know more about this I recommend "The End of Overeating" by Dr David Kessler.

4.                                Keep Your Health Goals in a Visible Place: Being constantly reminded of what you want to achieve for your health, while tracking your food is a great deterrent when you want to eat that extra piece of pie.

5.                                Arm yourself with knowledge: What is the actual cost of "taking a break" over the holidays?  Most people gain between 7 and 10 lbs over the holidays.  I found a really interesting blog post on Spark People that highlights some wonderful examples of what different decisions will do to your goals.  To read this blog post click here.

6.                                Make it FUN!  There are some wonderful tools out there to have some fun with staying healthy with your friends.  Sites like www.dietbet.com allow you to make bets with your friends.  A little healthy competition never hurt anyone

Emotional eating – it’s the biggest obstacle that most people face trying to get healthy whether they want to lose weight, have more energy or simply feel better in their day to day lives.  When I look at the diets of my clients so often I hear comments like “I can’t give up my dessert”,  “I deserved that ice cream”, ” I had a tough day so, I’m allowed this beer after work”, “I’m not giving up my wine”.  But, what are you really giving up? 

All of the substances I mentioned break down into sugar eventually, so have you ever really paid attention to what these substances do in your body? For most of us when we think of sugar, we think of  how wonderful it will taste.  We think of that chocolate cake and how delicious it will be when we first bite into it.   We think of how it will feel in our mouths.  But what about what is really going on in your body? 

So often we look at cravings as a sign of weakness.  We think to ourselves: “What’s wrong with me that I need candy(or substitute your “go-to” food here) to get through the day?”  But, that’s not what cravings are at all.  Cravings are a sign from your body that you need something.  I know for me sugar cravings (yes, I do get them) happen when I’m tired, or if I’m upset about something. You see, what you could really be craving is that instant burst of energy that most people get from sugar or you could be craving more “sweetness” in your life.  It does not always have to be literal.  Think out what people do when they’re upset about something…most girls have a night in with their good friends; Ben and Jerry.  Couldn’t it be that the sweetness, let’s say from a relationship is gone and they’re looking for it in other places?

But, is that sugar really rewarding you?  After you eat that pint, do you feel any better about your failed relationship?  After eating dessert every night, work out for two hours the next day to burn off the calories you consumed and never getting anywhere with your weight loss goals, is that frustration you feel worth the cup or two that night that you eat to ease your frustration?  And, for some of you, is the hangover that you feel all Saturday morning, worth the two hours of drinking the night before.  Do you really deserve to wake up with a headache or a bulging waist line? NO!!!! Do you deserve the sugar CRASH that happens after that initial “high”? NO!

What you really deserve is true health.  What you deserve is the waistline of your dreams.  What you deserve is to look good in that little black dress and what you really deserve is to be happy, vibrant and full of energy to live out your dreams.

We all need a little reminding now and then.  Love yourself to make the better choice for your body.  Put yourself first, for once.

Please welcome a new member to our acupuncture team Jennifer Makihara, Lac. She joined our team in March of 2011. Jennifer graduated from the Traditional Acupuncture Institute in Columbia, Maryland. She has been practicing for 10 years and is certified by NCCAOM, and the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA). She deepened her experience in Five Element Acupuncture by teaching at Tai Sophia Institute on topics as Point Location, Diagnosis, and Qi Gong and supervising at the student clinic. If you are interested in her work please call her at:

508-776-845

 

Please welcome Chantell Baptiste, HCAADP as our Holistic Health Counselor.  She was trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York.

When was the last time you talked with someone about your health and received the personal attention you deserve? Chantell Baptiste facilitates individuals who are looking for help around: eating habits, increase energy, losing weight, preparing and buying healthy foods.  Please join her for your free initial telephone or in-person consultation at the wellness center. Please call: 508-360-8114

It is clear that during a recession most individuals reevaluate what is financially of value in their lifestyle. During the beginning of the recession a lot of people asked me how my business was doing, my answer was always "great" and honestly, I was gratefully busy.you for taking care of yourselves and also supporting my business during these challenging economical times. Since most businesses were down, some wondered why my office was active.

Usually during a recession there are two ways clients will spend their health care dollars on receiving chiropractic care.

The first way a client will spend their health care dollars is for acute pain. This individual will wait until they're in so much pain that they have to get an adjustment ASAP. Although I don’t recommend this, I often see this in my practice. Unfortunately, that individual in the long run is not saving money or seeing the benefits utilizing chiropractic wellness care as an investment in their health. These individuals will see me more for several visits in a short period of time to get them symptomatically free and functioning at their best. Did they save money? Do they understand the value of chiropractic wellness care outside of acute pain relief?

The other client sees chiropractic care as a long term investment in their overall health and wellbeing. It's like an insurance policy to combat future disease. These individuals see chiropractic wellness care outside of the benefits of just pain management care. They understand that during a stressful period of time they need more attention not less and receive their chiropractic care on a regular basis regardless of the economy. Why do these individuals understand chiropractic care in this way? These types of clients tend to be advocates for their own health and want to play an active role in their wellness. They want to function at their very best so they can enjoy their lives without pain. These individuals also tend to ask a lot of questions about chiropractic care. They also attend some of my health talks to further their knowledge and understanding. 

During my chiropractic talks, we learn about the value of how chiropractic adjustments affect your neurophysiology. 

•For example, one study showed that by getting adjusted over a long period of time, your body replicates your DNA on a higher and healthier level.1  That suggests that not only are you slowing down the ageing process, but your reducing the effects of oxidative stress that can cause cancer.

·Another study demonstrated how a chiropractic adjustment boosts your immune system. One of the studies showed that "individual immune systems were boosted by 200 to 400% !"So, during the fall/winter flu season wouldn't be a worthwhile investment and time saver?

 

·A great study for the Baby Boomers and Medicare clients stated that: "The first conventional HMO in the US to use chiropractors as a primary care physician, found that after just two years of utilizing chiropractors, their hospitalizationswere reduced by 80%, out patient surgery was reduced by 85%, and prescription drug use was reduced by 56%."

That study exemplifies a wise investment in ourselves in two ways.

#1. It demonstrates that chiropractic care will help us spend less money on expensive medical procedures by getting regular adjustments that will help our body to naturally heal.

#2. If we are health conscious and use the medical system less, with less expensive alternatives, perhaps we can turn this health care crisis around.

·Two high blood pressure studies showed how chiropractic adjustments reduce blood pressure. George Baker, MD says: “This procedure (adjustments) has the effect of not one, but two blood pressure medications given in combination, and it seems to be adverse event free."

How much money would you save over your lifetime if you were able to reduce or stop your blood pressure medication just by receiving an adjustment?

What is the value of your chiropractic care in your lifestyle and your health/wellness? Do you merely see it as a quick fix therapy to reduce or eliminate neck and low back pain? Or do you see that chiropractic wellness care can naturally facilitate a healing of your body from the inside out? , during economic turmoil, what type of investments do you want to make in the quality of your own life?

Don’t let your Nervous System fall into recession!

There are a few sites whose newsletters I subscribe to.  One of those is Natural News.  I found this article  there that I would love to share with you.

It talks about negative calorie foods.  What a negative calorie food is, is a food that you eat that basically has less calories in it than it takes to chew and metabolize the food.  This is key for when you would like to lose weight.  Obviously many people struggle to lose weight because they overeat.  Eating a food like this though would enable you to eat as much as you want and still lose weight – a great tool when trying to lose weight!  Natural News lists the top five as the following:

• Celery
• Lettuce, Onions and Greens
• Kelp noodles
• Pickles
• Grapefruit

So, next time you stop by your local grocery store try to some pick up.  But, don’t forget the water!  That will always be your number one weight loss tool.

To Your Healthy Life!