New Year’s
resolutions…They
often include things having to do with diet. Here are some tips to help: From the Gazette, human studies show that
processed sugars directly affect obesity, elevated triglycerides, heart
disease, sexual dysfunction, premature aging, and some cancers. But we all know that sugary snacks can be hard
to avoid when we have a craving for it.
One idea for a sweet tooth satisfying snack is 6 walnut halves and a
piece of fresh fruit. Sugar cravings
need to be handled with some fruit, protein, and a glass of water.
In my conversations with people who visited Asia I learned more helpful tips from their dietary habits. In Japan, China, and Korea the restaurants serve much more vegetables and fruit, with less fried foods and less emphasis on animal protein. They use smaller plates and bowls with chop sticks which usually mean smaller bites. In Japan they have a social ‘rule’ of no eating after 8 PM. Over eating is frowned upon. The national health system there has all of society learning health rules and practicing good nutrition. They understand that if the whole population is more careful about their nutrition, the health system will be more affordable for everyone. Even the candies and children’s cartoons emphasize nutrition. Probiotics are in the children’s crackers and cookies. Imagine a package of animal crackers that had fiber and probiotic labels in pictures for a parent to read at a glance. What you eat is more important than how much you exercise. Patients often tell me they can’t lose weight because they can’t exercise. But I tell them that a person CAN lose weight without exercise if they can adopt very careful dietary habits. Although activity helps with weight loss, it is much more important to use portion control and make food choices that exclude processed foods, sugary foods, and deep fat fried foods.
That said; allow me to show you some very gentle movement to try. Put some music on and do them aerobically for 15 minutes twice a day.
Marching and variations: Holding chair back for balance, lift leg up and hold for 5 seconds. Pulse it 5 times before lowering it, and then switch legs and repeat. Keep your stomach muscles tight.
Get down on the floor on your hands and knees, and slowly push on feet to lift your rear up. Then lower to almost tap knees on the floor. Raise and lower your rear 5 times per set.
Holding on to a chair for balance, pick one foot up and then swing it back and forth.
Lay on the floor on your side. Put your elbow, your hip and your knees all on a line. Rest your free arm on your side. Lift your hip off the floor a couple inches. Lower it back to the ground. Repeat this four times. The fifth time, hold the hip in the air for five seconds and then relax. Rest a moment, and then repeat.
Push-ups made easy by using steps. As you get stronger, you use a lower step.
Other notes…I realized I didn’t give out any Christmas patient appreciation gift this December. Instead, I am offering a $10.00 off coupon in this newsletter. Also, watch for monthly ‘new patient specials’ throughout 2014. I plan on getting signs up for these and announcing them in each month’s newsletter. We are also planning to do fund raisers at the indoor farmer’s market. And, as always, when you refer a new patient who comes in for their first visit you get one free adjustment!
Newsletter Alert…we are currently archiving old files. If you haven’t been to the clinic for more than 2 years, your file will be archived and your name removed from our newsletter mailing list. If you have not been in for over 2 years but would like to remain on our mailing list, please inform us by phone or email ([email protected]) and we will be happy to keep sending you the newsletter. This and past newsletters can also be found on our website, www.activelifechiro.info
In my conversations with people who visited Asia I learned more helpful tips from their dietary habits. In Japan, China, and Korea the restaurants serve much more vegetables and fruit, with less fried foods and less emphasis on animal protein. They use smaller plates and bowls with chop sticks which usually mean smaller bites. In Japan they have a social ‘rule’ of no eating after 8 PM. Over eating is frowned upon. The national health system there has all of society learning health rules and practicing good nutrition. They understand that if the whole population is more careful about their nutrition, the health system will be more affordable for everyone. Even the candies and children’s cartoons emphasize nutrition. Probiotics are in the children’s crackers and cookies. Imagine a package of animal crackers that had fiber and probiotic labels in pictures for a parent to read at a glance. What you eat is more important than how much you exercise. Patients often tell me they can’t lose weight because they can’t exercise. But I tell them that a person CAN lose weight without exercise if they can adopt very careful dietary habits. Although activity helps with weight loss, it is much more important to use portion control and make food choices that exclude processed foods, sugary foods, and deep fat fried foods.
That said; allow me to show you some very gentle movement to try. Put some music on and do them aerobically for 15 minutes twice a day.
Marching and variations: Holding chair back for balance, lift leg up and hold for 5 seconds. Pulse it 5 times before lowering it, and then switch legs and repeat. Keep your stomach muscles tight.
Get down on the floor on your hands and knees, and slowly push on feet to lift your rear up. Then lower to almost tap knees on the floor. Raise and lower your rear 5 times per set.
Holding on to a chair for balance, pick one foot up and then swing it back and forth.
Lay on the floor on your side. Put your elbow, your hip and your knees all on a line. Rest your free arm on your side. Lift your hip off the floor a couple inches. Lower it back to the ground. Repeat this four times. The fifth time, hold the hip in the air for five seconds and then relax. Rest a moment, and then repeat.
Push-ups made easy by using steps. As you get stronger, you use a lower step.
Other notes…I realized I didn’t give out any Christmas patient appreciation gift this December. Instead, I am offering a $10.00 off coupon in this newsletter. Also, watch for monthly ‘new patient specials’ throughout 2014. I plan on getting signs up for these and announcing them in each month’s newsletter. We are also planning to do fund raisers at the indoor farmer’s market. And, as always, when you refer a new patient who comes in for their first visit you get one free adjustment!
Newsletter Alert…we are currently archiving old files. If you haven’t been to the clinic for more than 2 years, your file will be archived and your name removed from our newsletter mailing list. If you have not been in for over 2 years but would like to remain on our mailing list, please inform us by phone or email ([email protected]) and we will be happy to keep sending you the newsletter. This and past newsletters can also be found on our website, www.activelifechiro.info