Eat Your Greens
Insanely Easy Way To Add Years To Life: Eat Your Greens
Here comes March, and in the blink of an eye, it’s already National Nutrition Month! It’s the best time to revisit our eating routine. We’ve been busy with all sorts of things, enjoying the warm weather and waiting for spring (or summer), but when it comes to eating, we tend to lose focus. But come to think of it, the recent global health crisis is a call — stop patronizing convenience products and go back to basics. That is, eat your greens and ditch these five “killers” foods, which have been on our plates year-round. Diet Drinks Oh, what’s a holiday without some diet Coke or Pepsi, right? Soda is a no-no and has been known to contribute to obesity, tooth decay, cancer and diabetes. Sure, it’ll taste sweet at first, but it’s only the beginning of your headaches that will come thereafter. Here’s why it’s a no-no: It washes away nutrients from our bodies, causing deficiency and unhealthy weight gain. It’s also an easy “off the shelf” source of calories, followed by the high sugar content. Fast Foods That crispy fried chicken, beef stroganoff and chicken wings are part of your feast, but are they healthy? Not really. Fast food is high in calories and low in nutrition, with zero fiber and fat. It’s why it’s better to go for salad or vegetables instead. Processed Carbohydrates After a long tiring day, who wouldn’t be happy to go home and munch on some chips on the sofa? Or when we’re finished with work, who’s going to pass up on that pizza? But what we often forget is that too much of a good thing isn’t always a good thing. And while pizza and chips seem like the go-to choices in kick-back meals with family and friends, it’s not the healthiest. Going home with brownies or pasta? Yes, we all are guilty of it, but deep inside, you know you’re doing your body an injustice. Processed carbs from white flour, sugar and pasta are often full of trans fats, salt and preservatives. They can also be a major cause of inflammation, which can lead to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Instead of all that, go for brown rice; it’s full of fiber and healthy minerals. And even better, go for whole grain bread instead of white. It’s a much healthier choice. Alcohol Bottoms up! Cheers to that great job offer or the warm weather and a cold beer — just what we needed in this heat. But wait a minute, doesn’t alcohol mean you get to sit back and unwind? Well, not always. Alcohol has been shown to be linked to mouth and throat cancers and can lead to heart disease. Studies even show that people with an alcohol habit are more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke than those who don’t. It’s also proven that even one drink each day can increase your risk of early death by 20 percent. Even if you don’t plan on getting drunk, drinking too much of it can still have detrimental effects on your health. A better choice is to go for fruits, vegetables and juice as a substitute. Fries We are not trying to say that fries are not good — they are! But only in moderation. We all love the greasy, salty and crispy goodness of a french fry, but we often forget that eating too much isn’t good. Fries are not good for the heart, as they raise cholesterol and triglycerides. It also increases blood pressure and damages the heart-lung function. A better choice is to go for roasted instead of fried veggies. One way to ensure you’re getting a healthy serving of veggies every day is by mixing it with what you usually eat! Package it in a wrap or sandwich, or add it to a salad. For National Nutrition Month, make a switch! Let’s go green. If you still feel like you’re out of an answer, see a doctor and make an appointment with your family doctor. There are so many other ways to make healthy changes in your lifestyle. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it!
Steps on Prepping for Football
Don’t go all out for the big game without some preparation! Here’s a few exercises to get you ready for kickoff. They will help you get your heart pumping and keep your muscles loose so you can last the entire game without tiring out! Don’t go all out for the big game without some preparation! Football is a physically demanding sport that requires a high level of fitness and conditioning. To perform at your best on game day, it’s important to properly prepare your body through a combination of cardio, strength, and flexibility training. The following exercises are designed to help you improve your cardiovascular fitness, build muscle strength and power, and increase your flexibility, all of which are essential for success on the field. Importance Of Fitness & Exercise For Football Players Cardiovascular fitness is important for football players because it helps to increase endurance, allowing you to perform at a high level for longer periods of time. Some great exercises to improve cardiovascular fitness include running, cycling, and swimming. Incorporating interval training, such as sprints, into your cardio routine can also help to improve your overall fitness. Strength and power are crucial for football players, as they allow you to perform at a high level and make powerful plays on the field. Exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses are great for building overall strength and power. Incorporating plyometric exercises, such as jumping and bounding, into your routine can also help to improve power and explosiveness. Flexibility is also important for football players, as it helps to prevent injuries and improve overall performance. Yoga, stretching, and foam rolling are all great ways to increase flexibility. Relaxation is also important to remember to give your body time to recover after intense workouts. Make sure to schedule rest days and actively work to prevent injury by stretching before and after exercise and warming up before games. By incorporating these exercises into your regular training routine, you will be better prepared for the big game and less likely to get injured. It’s also important to consult with a coach or trainer to build an individualized workout plan that fits your specific needs and goals. how to prevent injuries in prepping? Here are a few exercises to get you ready for kickoff. They will help you get your heart pumping and keep your muscles loose so you can last the entire game without tiring out & injuries! Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Comment * Name * Email * Website Useful Links Anti-Discrimination Disclaimer Healthcare Disclaimer Good Faith Estimate Privacy Policy Ridgefield Chiropractic & Wellness Center Monday – Wednesday: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm Thursday: CLOSED Friday: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm Saturday: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (1st and 3rd Sat of the month) Sunday: CLOSED Connect With Us Facebook Instagram Youtube Twitter Linkedin Site Map (C) Copyright 2022 . All rights reserved. Ridgefield Chiropractic.com
Pregnancy Pain? What your Chiropractor can do to Help!
Pregnancy can be a wonderful and beautiful time in a woman’s life, however; it can be painful, uncomfortable, and come with lots of unexpected side effects. Fortunately, there are a lot of things you can do to help alleviate unwanted side effects. If you are experiencing uncomfortable pregnancy call your chiropractor today, we can help you feel your best and enjoy your pregnancy. Call our office today, we can help you feel your best and have a great pregnancy!
Pregnant? 4 Natural Therapies You Should Be Using To Help Ease Your Pregnancy Pains!
Finding out you are pregnant is a joyous and overwhelmingly excited event. However, the realization that your body is no longer just your body soon sets in and can provoke a fear like no other. Knowing that everything you consume, put on and do to your body may affect that little person growing inside of you, can become beyond stressful. Mothers-to-be will often choose to suffer with pain because of not knowing what is harmful and what is not. The worry of taking any medication for pain becomes too much so they choose the “better safe than sorry” approach as opposed to taking action to combat their aching back, head or legs. Good news Mommas! There are very safe alternative methods to help you overcome those pregnancy pains without the conventional methods of overused medication for pain! In order to understand why different approaches to pain relief for pregnancy work, it is best to understand why the pain begins in the first place! The following is a little information on how the changes in your body from pregnancy affect the pain that you feel. Why is my head pounding? With pregnancy comes headaches. At some point along that 40 week pregnancy journey, you will have a headache. Women who have never had headaches will get them, and women who suffer from them will feel as though their headaches are more severe and more frequent. So, what’s the deal with headaches? During the first trimester of pregnancy your hormones surge and go crazy! This along with a huge increase in the volume of your blood will cause headaches to come on out of nowhere. However, it’s not just the hormones and blood. As your belly grows, your posture becomes harder to maintain and becomes far from perfect. The bigger the belly, the more your low back is pushed forward. This results in compromises all the way up your spine into your neck and head. Your shoulders roll forward and your neck straightens to compensate for you low back. These postural changes can cause the bones in the neck to not articulate as they should. This is known as a misalignment of the spine. These postural changes and spinal misalignments will bring on headaches quickly due to the compromising of the nerves that run out of your cervical spinal column into your neck and head. Why do I feel like I can’t breathe? Oh those hormones! Believe it or not, hormones can make you feel as though you are short of breath. Progesterone is a key hormone that increases when you are pregnant. Progesterone causes you to breathe in more deeply and makes you feel like you are not taking in enough air. Hormones are not the only culprit taking your breath away. As your baby grows, so does your uterus. Your uterus is located below the muscles of the lungs known as the diaphragm. The larger the uterus, the more pressure being put on the diaphragm, the harder it is to breathe. During the third trimester, your baby maybe the actual cause of feeling like you cannot breath. Depending on how the baby is positioned, he or she may actually be kicking you in your ribs! Kicking is not the only issue with these little mobile guys, even stretching out underneath your ribs or moving by your ribs can cause pain or a misalignment of the ribs. Your ribs serve to protect the vital organs of your body such as the heart and lungs. When the ribs are misaligned or not in their proper place, breathing in will cause severe pain due to the misarticulation of the bones, stretching of the muscles and compromising of the nerve function. Why does my back constantly ache? Ahhh, the backache like no other. It seems to only get worse as you progress through pregnancy. Why does this happen? Early onset of back pain in pregnancy can be because of those fun hormones we’ve been talking about. From the second you become pregnant, your body goes into stellar “getting ready for birth” mode. Your body releases hormones that allow for the ligaments holding your bones together to loosen. This, along with some bloating and cramping that can occur in early pregnancy, can make for a killer backache. As your pregnancy continues and your baby gets bigger, your weight increases. A typical pregnancy weight can can be from 25-35 lbs. The majority of this weight goes right to your belly, forcing your pelvis to widen and your lumbar spine to sway inward toward the baby. This forces the rest of your spine to change accordingly and alter your posture. Misalignments of the pelvis and lumbar spine occur due to the pulling of muscles and ligaments and because of the altered posture, putting pressure on the discs, muscles, and nerves in the low back, producing a constant low back pain! Why are my legs on fire? That sharp, aching, burning feeling in your legs. Almost every pregnant woman will have this pain at some point during her pregnancy. What is it? The answer maybe not one you would expect because it is mostly associated with an injury to a bulging or herniated disc. But the answer is a simple one. It’s sciatica. Sciatic pain is that deep, dull, aching, burning pain you can feel in your hips, thighs, buttocks, legs and feet. It can be in one area or travel down from your buttocks to your feet leaving no region unaffected. Sciatica is caused when the sciatic nerve becomes compressed or irritated. This nerve is the longest nerve of the body and travels from your lumbar spine down through the buttocks, to the back of the thigh and down through the back of the leg into the foot, on both sides. During pregnancy, sciatic pain comes on because of the changes in your lumbar spine, pelvis and posture. Your anatomy shifts and it is common that the sciatic nerve
Postpartum Care and Recovery, Why You Should See a Chiropractor
Having a baby is hard work, your body goes through so many changes to bring a new life into this world and those changes don’t stop after delivery. Any mother knows that postpartum recovery can be hard, the good news is that a few visits to your Chiropractor can help you recover faster and easier. We want to help you feel your best and be your best, being properly aligned will help with that and help you feel your best after delivery. Every mom deserves the best care and we look forward to helping you on your motherhood journey.
My Newborn Won’t Stop Crying! Can Chiropractic Care Help With Colic?
Colic: it’s every new parent’s worst nightmare. A digestive condition that leads to comfortless crying in babies and young kids, colic can feel impossible to treat and even harder to live with. What most people don’t know, though, is that chiropractic care can help treat colic and promote comfort and wellbeing in kids and toddlers of all ages. What is Colic? The term “colic” is a common one, and most parents have heard it tossed around for years. You might be surprised to learn, though, that there’s not a true medical definition for colic. Generally understood as “inconsolable crying,” colic applies to any baby that cries for an extended period. Here’s how The American Pregnancy Association defines colic: “According to many experts, colic is inconsolable crying in an infant that lasts many hours a day, starting in the second week of life and lasting until about three months of age. About 40 years ago, a pediatrician named Dr. Morris Wessel conducted a breakthrough study on excessively fussy children. The definition he chose to use to describe colicky babies was not considered scientific, but it stuck with physicians. His description of a colicky infant was a child who cried for more than 3 hours a day, for more than three days a week, for over three weeks. This is often referred to as the “Rule of 3’s” and these rules came to be known as the Wessell Criteria, which is now used in most current studies of babies with colic.” The Signs and Symptoms of Colic How do you know if your baby has colic? What’s the difference between a colicky child, and one who is just fussy? Here are a few key facts about colic: First of all, a colicky baby is not a sick baby. Colic is a digestive condition that, while sometimes challenging to treat, can be resolved. Some pediatric experts believe that all babies experience colic, although the differentiation between one case and another comes down to the degree of discomfort and crying. According to Wessell’s Criteria, an estimated 20-25% of babies experience “colic.” Colic has many physical signs. Most colicky babies pull their legs up to their chest. They may also stretch their legs, clench their fists, beat the air, or pass gas repeatedly. Another surefire sign is a baby with a distended abdomen. Although gas is not the cause of colic, it’s a symptom – as babies gulp air as they cry. Colic crying generally increases in the evening hours and is at its worst 6-8 weeks after birth Colic can self-resolve. In most cases, it ends for 50% of babies at three months of age, and 90% of babies by the time they reach nine months. What Causes Colic? As a parent, it can be wrenching to watch your baby grapple with colic. The discomfort is evident, and many parents feel powerless to provide relief for their little one. The first step in doing this, though, is understanding what causes colic. Here are a few of the primary factors: Children that are naturally sensitive and require more attention Children with underdeveloped or immature nervous systems Kids who become overwhelmed easily or are sensitive to stimulation Breastfed babies who may be vulnerable to something in their mother’s diet Bottle-fed babies who are reacting to the proteins in their formula Babies who eat too quickly or who are being overfed Babies whose mothers smoked throughout their pregnancies Babies who gulp air when they cry or feed, and who are not burped afterward Babies with low birth weight or acid reflux In some cases, a baby can have a single risk factor. In other cases, babies may experience several of these issues at once. If your baby is experiencing any of these, don’t fret. There are improvements you can make to your little one’s condition. They don’t have to be in pain forever. 2 Big Ways Chiropractic Care Helps With Colic The fact that chiropractic care helps babies with colic find relief is not a theory. Instead, there is ample scientific evidence to back the claim up. According to one 2012 study published in the Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapy, “One hundred four patients were randomized. In parents blinded to treatment allocation, using 2 or fewer hours of crying per day to determine a clinically significant improvement in crying time, the increased odds of improvement in treated infants compared with those not receiving treatment were statistically significant at day 8…In this study, chiropractic manual therapy improved crying behavior in infants with colic. The findings showed that knowledge of treatment by the parent did not appear to contribute to the observed treatment effects in this study. Thus, it is unlikely that the observed treatment effect is due to bias on the part of the reporting parent.” With that in mind, here is how chiropractic care can help your baby with a case of colic: 1. Chiropractic Care Stimulates the Digestive System Colic originates in the digestive system. Fortunately, chiropractic care stimulates and activates the digestive system, offering remarkable benefits for babies and young children. Compared to other treatment options, like the administration of anti-gas medication, chiropractic care provides a holistic, more effective method of treatment that can lessen or resolve the issue entirely. 2. Chiropractic Care Improves Body Function Chiropractic care works with the body, never limiting the body’s natural functions. This allows specific systems to “get out of their way,” so to speak. While many parents are nervous about the idea of taking their baby in for adjustment by a chiropractor, chiropractors are specially trained to deal with infants and will provide a gentle, comprehensive adjustment that can help your baby’s body thrive. Chiropractic Care: Your Go-To for Colic If your baby has a sore, sad tummy, chiropractic care can help. For more information or to book your first appointment today, contact ou team now. We’ll be happy to answer all your questions and help you settle on a treatment plan for your little one.
How A Chiropractor Can Help your Child with Growing Pains
One fact anyone with children know is that kids grow, and they grow fast which means growing pains. There are no fast and easy solutions to help your child deal with growing pains, there are some great alternatives to help your child feel their best. Helping your child feel their best and not suffer from growing pains can be done in a natural and safe way. Our office is here to help you and your child feel your best and care for your whole family in any way we can!
How Much Sleep Does my Toddler Really Need?
Sleep: if you have a young child, it’s a mythical, mystical topic. During the baby days, it’s virtually non-existent. As your child reaches toddlerhood, though, the paradigm surrounding sleep shifts. Suddenly, your child is sleeping a lot, but how much sleep does he or she need? And how can you help promote the healthiest sleep possible? Here’s what you need to know. Children and Sleep, by the Numbers Sleep is an essential process for all living creatures. During deep sleep, the body and mind regenerate, short-term memory is converted to long-term memory, and muscles and bones grow. A toddler has different sleep needs than an adult. While most people know this by virtue of common sense, it can still be shocking to see the difference between these two groups broken down into actual numbers. How Much Sleep Newborns Need By the time we reach adulthood, most of us have established a regular circadian rhythm. What most people don’t know, though, is that these circadian rhythms take some time to develop. According to the National Sleep Foundation: “Circadian rhythms, or the sleep-wake cycle, are regulated by light and dark, and these rhythms take time to develop, resulting in the irregular sleep schedules of newborns. The rhythms begin to develop at about six weeks, and by three to six months, most infants have a regular sleep-wake cycle. By the age of two, most children have spent more time asleep than awake, and overall, a child will spend 40 percent of his or her childhood asleep.” Because of this, newborns between the ages of 0-3 months sleep around-the-clock. The sleep/wake cycle is not yet established, and it interacts simultaneously with their other needs: to be fed, changed, and held. As a general rule, newborns will sleep between 10-18 hours each day. The sleep schedule is irregular, and newborns are generally very active during sleep. Sleep and Infants Infants are babies aged 4-11 months. By about six months of age, a baby’s stomach has increased in size to the point that most no longer require nighttime feedings, and many will sleep through the night. During this period, infants usually sleep about 9-12 hours each day and take length naps one to four times each day. According to the National Sleep Foundation: “Infants who are put to bed drowsy but not asleep, they are more likely to become “self- soothers” which enables them to fall asleep independently at bedtime and put themselves back to sleep during the night. Those who have become accustomed to parental assistance at bedtime often become “signalers” and cry for their parents to help them return to sleep during the night.” Toddlers and Sleep Toddlers are children ages 1-2 years old. Children this age require a large amount of sleep each day – generally between 11-14 hours in a given 24-hour period. Most children of this age take one-three naps each day, with a length of about one-three hours each. Toddlers at this age might start to resist bedtime and nighttime routines, even if they’ve been strong sleepers until this point. These children are exploring their independence, and have the increased motor skills necessary to allow them to climb out of their beds or play in their rooms instead of sleeping. 4 Smart Tips to Encourage Better Sleep for Your Toddler Does your toddler’s sleep schedule leave something to be desired? Don’t worry. There are ways to take children that don’t sleep well and transform them into all-star sleepers. Here are a few tips: 1. Maintain a Sleep Schedule After an age of about six months, children will benefit from a regular sleep schedule. Not only does this promote the development of healthy circadian rhythms, but it encourages sleep independence and helps babies develop healthy sleep habits that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. The sleep schedule you develop should take your child’s natural patterns into consideration and should remain as consistent as possible at all times, including vacations and travel. 2. Establish a Sleep-Friendly Environment Toddlers will sleep better if their bedrooms are geared toward deep, restful nights. According to Sleep.org, simple things, like installing blackout shades and curtains, red bulb nightlights (the warm light is less activating for the brain, so your toddler is less likely to “wake up” during night time stirrings), proper storage, and a white noise machine can go a long way toward creating a relaxing, sleep-friendly environment. As you can see, you don’t have to overhaul a bedroom to make it a haven for sleep – just a few simple shifts can go a long way. 3. Address Underlying Issues In some cases, sleep problems can come from underlying issues, such as pain, sickness, or discomfort. If you notice that your toddler is having trouble sleeping consistently, consider taking the child to the chiropractor. Chiropractic care is excellent for addressing structural issues, slight injuries, and other issues that can keep toddlers uncomfortable and make sleeping difficult. 4. Set Limits With toddlers, it’s especially important to establish and maintain boundaries. While kids this age may sleep well once they’re in bed, many start resisting nighttime routines and bedtime. To counteract this, parents must establish routines and boundaries around bedtime, and make sure they’re enforced each night. While this may be a difficult process at first, it will get easier with consistent reinforcement. Remember: kids love structure, and imposing some structure around bedtime will do everyone in the household good. Better Sleep for Your Little One Toddlers are growing and developing rapidly, and they need a great deal of sleep to facilitate this process. If your little one isn’t sleeping as well or as long as you’d like, it’s worth evaluating your bedtime routine, sleeping space, and toddler’s health. Any number of things can contribute to sleep problems, and it’s smart to attack the issue from all angles. Once you’ve identified the issues underlying your baby’s sleep issues, you’ll all enjoy a more restful, comfortable night of sleep. Ready to make
6 Concussion Recovery Tips
Concussions are not enjoyable and can cause issues long after they are gone, it is very important that after a concussion a proper recovery is followed. A proper recovery can take time and seem frustrating, the only way to lessen the effects and long lasting repercussions is having a proper recovery, there are some great ways to help you feel better and recover faster. Concussions can be scary and cause lasting side effects, they do not have to keep you down long. Recovery can be difficult and the symptoms can be frustrating, however; if you follow our suggestions you will be on your way to feeling better in no time!