Archive for June, 2014
Increasing Your Longevity – Are You Moving in the Right Direction?
Will you live a long & healthy life?
By Dr. Greg Steiner
CA Acupuncture & Chiropractic Clinic
Living a long life sounds like a great thing, right? Fortunately, our society has made leaps and bounds in finding ways to preserve the lifespan (medical procedures, devices, medications, etc…) but what is truly important is the quality of the life you have left. In this case, quality can lead to quantity (translated: living better=longer # years alive). There are many ways to deal with the aging process, and following a pro-active approach to optimal health and fitness can be your means to extended longevity.
The “Quality” of food you eat can make a big difference in your health. Much of our food today has been grown with a considerable amount of pesticides and chemicals. Opting for organic whenever possible can increase the quality of the food you consume.
The “Quantity” of food you eat can also determine how overweight you may be. I firmly believe that if the diet is right, our appetites should be as well. If diet is correct and we are sedentary and not expending much energy, then our appetite should be less. We should require a lower quantity of sustenance than if we were exercising regularly.
The “Composition” of our food, or the type of food we eat, also affects health. I personally follow a lowered carb approach. Choosing the right type of carb is important. I prefer broccoli and spinach along with a lot of vegetable carbs, but not much corn or potatoes (too starchy). If a person follows a solid diet with protein like chicken & fish, they can get full and be satiated for a while but if they stuff themselves with bread or potato chips until they’re half sick, 30 minutes later they’ll want to eat again when their blood sugar spikes.
The “Structure” of our bodies, how we’re put together, our skeletal structure, muscles and joints can define how we move and the quality of our bones & cartilage as we age. It can also determine how comfortable you are when you try to become more fit. If you hurt too much, you’re not going to want to exercise too much, and if you can’t exercise enough, you won’t be able to take care of yourself the way you should.
All in all, the older individuals who look good, live good. If you decide you want to increase your longevity, some of the aforementioned suggestions can help. Consider undergoing a thorough chiropractic examination by a qualified professional to determine how fit you currently are and to make sure to catch any potential structural problems before they develop or to correct issues you may already have. Also, modifying your nutrition and eating habits can result in more youthful skin, increased vitality, and subsequent weight loss. And lastly, I’ve found that acupuncture is a great therapy to tie everything together increasing energy and overall balance.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )
Why You Should Cleanse & Detox
By Dr. Greg Steiner
CA Acupuncture & Chiropractic Clinic
Cleansing & detoxing seem to be all the rage these days. There are 2, 5, 7, 10, or even 21 day cleansing programs available that promise to clean out all those harmful toxins that are currently ravaging your body and wreaking havoc on your immune system. But if you think about it, our body is seemingly bombarded on a daily basis from toxins we get from water, household cleaners, air pollution, chemicals, food additives and the list goes on and on. Some of these things become neurotoxins in our systems and impair proper nerve function, cause tremors, lack of sleep, inability to focus, unexplained weight gain, etc… Or they can become hormone disruptors, interfering with testosterone or estrogen. What these neurotoxins & hormone disruptors do is block or disrupt normal metabolism. They build up within your system and the effect can be cumulative.
What happens if you’re toxic?
The two organs most affected are usually the kidneys and the liver. The liver is the metabolic powerplant, but a lot of these toxins get stored in the fat as well. When you go on a diet to lose weight and detox yourself, some of these toxins can still be released into your system and be metabolized or even remetabolized in the body. If they get into the liver, metabolic pathways may not function optimally.
These symptoms can be very broad and vague with headaches, muscle pain, body odors, or fatigue. Sometimes it’s hard to nail down exactly the issue, but you know you just don’t feel right. In my own practice, I’ve seen many people vigorously & diligently clean up their diet, use a detox regimen along with drinking lots of water, allowed a little bit of time (patience being a key ingredient in this process), go through almost miraculous changes. They feel a whole lot better and many have been able to minimize the medications they’re on and in some cases even come off of them.
How do I benefit from doing this?
Detoxification is a lot about supporting organ function while minimizing exposure. When you support the kidneys and liver and give them a rest from exposure to toxins or even regular food, the theory is that your body will work to get rid of the garbage in your system and allow itself to recover and heal. The real benefit is that while going through your “cleansing & detox” process, the herbs, clean “green” type drinks, and ample supply of water you drink help create the bridge over to living a better lifestyle afterwards. Cravings for caffeine, sugar, and salty foods become greatly reduced, energy increases, and even your attitude towards exercise and staying healthy becomes predominately positive!
Be sure to do your “due diligence” in research when you start a cleanse/detox. There is no magic drink or pill. You’ve got to combine the program with the right type of nutrition for optimal success.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )
CA Clinic Acupuncture & Chiropractic Wellness 