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Family Road Trips and Your Health

Family Road Trips and Your Health

desert-roadway-200-300A family road trip can be a wonderful experience that creates life-long memories for parents and children alike. In fact, a recent survey by Jiffy Lube International suggests that road trips remain an American favorite, with 78% of those polled agreeing that they make the best vacations. However, spending long periods of time sitting in a car on the open road can have its drawbacks, too. This is especially true if you already spend a lot of time commuting or if you already have back or neck problems.

If you already spend many of your waking hours in a motor vehicle—either commuting to and from work or as part of your job—it’s fair to wonder whether a family road trip is really a good idea at all. After all, just the act of sitting for long periods of time has been called “the new smoking”. But if you do decide that a road trip is right for you and your family, there are some things that you can do safeguard your musculoskeletal health and to be more comfortable.

Tip #1:  Be sure that seats, seatbelts and head restraints are all properly adjusted. Remember that even the best safety equipment won’t provide as much protection as it should if it’s not positioned correctly.

Tip #2:  Get comfortable as early as possible in your trip. Little things that would only annoy or irritate you in the course of a 10-minute drive to the dry cleaner can translate into major aches and pains during a much longer trip. Avoid sitting on wallets or mobile phones and consider specialized supports or cushions that provide additional support for your lower back, neck or buttocks.

Tip #3:  Keep on moving. Sitting still for extended periods of time—even in well-designed car seats that have been properly adjusted—is bad for your back and for your health more generally. For this reason, it’s important to change the position of your seat and shift your weight slightly every 15-20 minutes. Plus, be sure to get out of the car to stretch your legs and back at least twice each day. Once every 60 to 90 minutes is even better. A little bit of exercise at rest stops is a very good idea, since regular movement helps to keep vertebral discs, muscles and ligaments healthy.

Tip #4: Keep hot and cold options on hand. If you’re already experiencing back pain, alternating between hot and cold can often provide relief. Preparation is the key—it’s important to have compresses or hot/cold water bottles and warm/cold packs on hand if you intend to use this strategy. It can also be handy to bring along an ice chest as well as a heating pad (with cigarette lighter adapter).

Tip #5: Get your chiropractic treatment before you hit the road and schedule a follow-up for the week you return. If you’re like most people, it’s easy to forget (or put off) important details in the hectic run-up to a vacation. With lots to accomplish at work and at home before you can leave, doctor’s appointments sometimes fall through the cracks. Don’t let it happen to you! Getting adjusted before you hit the road can improve your chances of having a pain-free, fun-filled experience.

While the prospect of taking long road trips might seem daunting for people who already have back or neck pain, a little bit of planning and a flexible itinerary can make all the difference. If you and your family are considering a summer road trip and would like some advice about how to get the most out of it, please call or visit our office today! We’re here to help!

Insect Repellant 101

Insect Repellant 101

mosquito-bite-200-300With warm summer weather in the forecast, many people take the opportunity to spend more time in the great outdoors. Camping, hiking and boating are all on the agenda! But beware—being outside means sharing the wilderness with all of the creatures that live there. This includes the insects!

A weekend getaway out in the woods by the lake can become a lot less relaxing if you’re spending your time constantly swatting at mosquitoes and other flying bugs. And it’s not just your weekend that’s at stake. Your health is at risk too! Many insects still spread diseases that can cause a great deal of harm. For example, mosquitoes can be carriers of encephalitis and West Nile virus and ticks can spread Lyme disease.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure (or even more) when it comes to insects. Common sense and a little advance planning can go a long way in protecting you from their bites and the serious health problems they can cause. If you’re hiking and the weather permits, consider wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts to keep the bugs off of your exposed skin. And wear a hat to keep them out of your hair. If you’re hiking through areas with tall grass, remember to tuck your pants into your socks to keep ticks from being able to leap onto your legs. Wearing light-colored clothing can help as well, since you’ll be able to see any tagalong insects more easily and remove them when you return home or to your campsite. Some specialty outdoor clothing has been treated with permethrin, which is an insecticide that has been rated safe for humans. If possible, always take a shower after your hike and check carefully for ticks. You should also avoid hiking or being outdoors near sunset, when many types of insects (especially mosquitoes) tend to swarm the most.

When it comes to insect repellents themselves, the clear winners in terms of effectiveness are commercial preparations that contain DEET (diethyltoluamide). Although it is chemical-based, it has been in use since 1957 and studies show that in concentrations ranging from 5% to 30% it can effectively keep insects away for up to five or six hours. Both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control rate it as safe for adults and for children over the age of two months. However, it is worth mentioning that some health-conscious consumers have worries about its long-term effects since it does come in contact with the skin and may enter the bloodstream.

A more “natural” alternative to DEET that has appeared in recent years is picaridin, which is sold in strengths ranging from 7% to 20%. Some fans believe it even has a few advantages over DEET, including the fact that it doesn’t adversely affect clothing made from plastics (DEET does). Some also think that it smells better.

Oil of lemon eucalyptus is another more “natural” insect repellent that may be safer than DEET and compares favorably in head-to-head tests. It has also received very favorable consumer reviews for its effectiveness. One commercial formula called Repel Lemon Eucalyptus was recently tested by Consumer Reports and found to be effective, but its manufacturer advises against its use on children under the age of three years.

Some “completely natural” outdoorsmen even make their own insect repellents out of lavender and vodka. Seriously. However, many popular products that contain plant oils like citronella, lemongrass and rosemary don’t seem to work.

Whichever insect repellent you choose, be sure to apply it to all areas of exposed skin before you go outdoors, including your wrists and ankles if you’re wearing long pants and shirts. When using spray repellents, it’s important to avoid getting any into your eyes, nose and mouth. The best way to do this is to spray a little into your palm and use your hands to rub the repellent onto exposed areas of your face.

Remember—a bit of common sense and a little planning are all it takes to make sure your weekend in the woods is relatively insect free! Get out there and enjoy!

Modern Treatment for Back Pain: Beyond Bed Rest, Pain Pills and Surgery

Modern Treatment for Back Pain: Beyond Bed Rest, Pain Pills and Surgery

chiro_counseling-whiteboard-200-300According to the National Institutes of Health and Dr. Michael S. Wilkes of the Western Journal of Medicine, “Despite a plethora of research intended to guide physicians in their management of back pain, physicians still hold strong non-evidence based beliefs dating back to the 19th century.”  What beliefs is Dr. Wilkes referring to?  He’s talking about the long-held conventional wisdom that says bed rest is one of the best ways to treat back pain.

And it turns out that physicians aren’t the only ones who hold “strong non-evidence based beliefs” about how back pain should be treated.  One study, according to the Daily Mail, found that 35% of people thought bed rest is the best way to handle such aches and pains. The study included 1,000 people from 25–65 years of age.

So why are many doctors so quick to prescribe bed rest?  And why are so many patients inclined to comply?  Simple—pain avoidance.  Certainly our minds are part of the feedback loop in any therapy, especially where intense pain is involved. Dr. Michael Vagg, Clinical Senior Lecturer at Deakin University School of Medicine has pointed out that the mind’s expectation of pain “can itself cause protective movements to persist for longer than necessary.”  Thus, the tendency to use bed rest as a solution.

The Evidence Against Bed Rest

For most types of back pain, there is powerful evidence that extended bed rest does not help. One study showed that when comparing routine care, bed rest and exercise, bed rest seemed to result in greater intensity of pain, greater disability and more work days lost. Exercise had the most favorable outcome. According to Wilkes, “14 of 18 controlled studies do report that active exercise can improve outcomes.”

Short-term bed rest can be helpful to reduce painful muscle spasms when such spasms are an attempt for the body to limit movement in an injured part of the body.  However, bed rest restricts the spine’s motion and, unlike other body parts, spines require motion in order to get nutrients to stay healthy.  Restricted movement can result in lost strength and can make it harder for the spine to recover.  When the patient is experiencing their most acute back pain, they may need to temporarily change their routine, but the majority of such patients should minimize bed rest and return to their normal routine as soon as possible. Exercise can help produce better results and quicken the healing process.

Part of a Broader Pattern

Unfortunately, the outdated (and ill-advised) bed rest recommendation is part of a broader pattern that some healthcare observers believe they see in the treatment of back pain.  Dr. Bruce Landon, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, and a team of researchers have found that many medical doctors ignore expert clinical guidelines when it comes to treating back pain.  And the results aren’t limited to inappropriate guidance about bed rest.  They include unnecessary medical imaging, needless exposure to addictive painkillers and surgeries that are often risky, expensive and ultimately ineffective.

Interestingly, a study published in the September 2014 edition of the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association found that chiropractors, physical therapists and medical doctors have very different rates of adherence to current evidence-based practice guidelines as they relate to treating nonspecific back pain.  Their analysis found that medical doctors follow such guidelines only 52% of the time, compared with 62% for physical therapists and 73% for chiropractic physicians.

Whether you’re suffering from acute or chronic back pain, it’s important to seek out the best evidence-based treatment you can find.  Chiropractors are experts in diagnosing and treating health conditions that affect the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, especially those that involve the back and the neck.  Chiropractic treatment has been shown in studies to be both safe and effective.  Plus, chiropractic patients have consistently reported high levels of satisfaction with the results as well as the experience.

If you or someone you care about is suffering from back pain, there’s help available.  Remember—you have options!  We encourage you to call or visit our office today!

Golfers Swing into Summer with Chiropractic Care

Golfers Swing into Summer with Chiropractic Care

afternoon golfing
afternoon golfing

PGA golfers Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington have relied on chiropractic care for years to stay healthy and to improve their performance over the course of their professional careers. Fred Funk and Suzann Pettersen have too. So have a great many others. So there’s really little doubt that elite golfers (and their coaches and trainers) recognize the value of chiropractic care. But what about the weekend warrior? Can chiropractic care help the average golfer play better, longer and with fewer injuries?

If you’re a golfer, you might already know first-hand that your musculoskeletal health plays a huge role in your enjoyment of the sport as well as your performance.

One of the most important things to understand is that the biomechanics of your golf swing can affect your health (back, hips, neck, elbows, etc.) and vice-versa—that your health can affect your swing.  It’s really a feedback loop that can have either a positive or negative effect on your game over time.

Many professionals around the broader golf community—from instructors and trainers to healthcare providers who specialize in sports medicine—are becoming increasingly interested in this feedback loop.  The Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) is one very good example:

“…TPI has analyzed how physical limitations in a player’s body can adversely affect the golf swing and potentially lead to injury.”

“TPI’s mission is to educate golfers and industry professionals on the body/swing connection…”

Let’s talk health first.

The very nature of golf and the biomechanics associated with swinging a club make chiropractic care a great fit for golfers. Golfing can involve considerable strain on the spine as a result of the need to generate club head speed. This requires good swing mechanics—posture, balance and timing. Poor swing mechanics have the potential to create exaggerated or flattened spinal curves that can seriously affect performance. In fact, Tom Ward, PGA Golf Instructor, says, “Over 50% of all golfers will experience some sort of pain due to poor posture and the problems that arise from loss of proper curves in the spine.”

By helping to improve your spine’s stability and range of motion, chiropractic care can help prevent injuries and enhance swing performance. An individualized treatment plan including chiropractic adjustments combined with structured stretching and exercise programs may make a significant difference in how well you golf and how much you enjoy it—as well as in how long you’re able to play the game.

Now what about performance?

Recent research suggests that chiropractic care can indeed lead to improved golf performance. A recent study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine demonstrated that the combination of chiropractic care and stretching are associated with greater improvements in golfers’ swings when compared to stretching alone.

Two groups of golfers participated in the study. One group received a program of stretching only, and the second received both stretching and spinal manipulation. The stretching program was the same for both groups, and both groups had similar average ages, handicaps, and initial swings. All 43 participants initially performed three full swing maneuvers, and the average distances were recorded. Over a 4-week period, all participants hit 3 balls before and after treatment.

After 4 weeks, the stretching only group showed no improvement in swing performance.  However the stretching and manipulation group did improve their swing performance and there was greater driving distance right after treatment each week. So it appears that yes, chiropractic care can help not only top golfers such as Woods and Harrington, but it can help you improve your golf game too.

A good golf swing is the result of a complex combination of balance, flexibility and strength.  And doing it repeatedly over the course of 18 holes (or even more in tournament play) takes a high degree of conditioning as well. If you’re serious about golf, chiropractic care can help you play better, play longer and avoid injuries while you’re doing it!

Call or visit our office today to learn more!

Modern Treatment for Back Pain: Beyond Bed Rest, Pain Pills and Surgery

Modern Treatment for Back Pain: Beyond Bed Rest, Pain Pills and Surgery

chiro_counseling-whiteboard-200-300According to the National Institutes of Health and Dr. Michael S. Wilkes of the Western Journal of Medicine, “Despite a plethora of research intended to guide physicians in their management of back pain, physicians still hold strong non-evidence based beliefs dating back to the 19th century.”  What beliefs is Dr. Wilkes referring to?  He’s talking about the long-held conventional wisdom that says bed rest is one of the best ways to treat back pain.

And it turns out that physicians aren’t the only ones who hold “strong non-evidence based beliefs” about how back pain should be treated.  One study, according to the Daily Mail, found that 35% of people thought bed rest is the best way to handle such aches and pains. The study included 1,000 people from 25–65 years of age.

So why are many doctors so quick to prescribe bed rest?  And why are so many patients inclined to comply?  Simple—pain avoidance.  Certainly our minds are part of the feedback loop in any therapy, especially where intense pain is involved. Dr. Michael Vagg, Clinical Senior Lecturer at Deakin University School of Medicine has pointed out that the mind’s expectation of pain “can itself cause protective movements to persist for longer than necessary.”  Thus, the tendency to use bed rest as a solution.

The Evidence Against Bed Rest

For most types of back pain, there is powerful evidence that extended bed rest does not help. One study showed that when comparing routine care, bed rest and exercise, bed rest seemed to result in greater intensity of pain, greater disability and more work days lost. Exercise had the most favorable outcome. According to Wilkes, “14 of 18 controlled studies do report that active exercise can improve outcomes.”

Short-term bed rest can be helpful to reduce painful muscle spasms when such spasms are an attempt for the body to limit movement in an injured part of the body.  However, bed rest restricts the spine’s motion and, unlike other body parts, spines require motion in order to get nutrients to stay healthy.  Restricted movement can result in lost strength and can make it harder for the spine to recover.  When the patient is experiencing their most acute back pain, they may need to temporarily change their routine, but the majority of such patients should minimize bed rest and return to their normal routine as soon as possible. Exercise can help produce better results and quicken the healing process.

Part of a Broader Pattern

Unfortunately, the outdated (and ill-advised) bed rest recommendation is part of a broader pattern that some healthcare observers believe they see in the treatment of back pain.  Dr. Bruce Landon, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, and a team of researchers have found that many medical doctors ignore expert clinical guidelines when it comes to treating back pain.  And the results aren’t limited to inappropriate guidance about bed rest.  They include unnecessary medical imaging, needless exposure to addictive painkillers and surgeries that are often risky, expensive and ultimately ineffective.

Interestingly, a study published in the September 2014 edition of the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association found that chiropractors, physical therapists and medical doctors have very different rates of adherence to current evidence-based practice guidelines as they relate to treating nonspecific back pain.  Their analysis found that medical doctors follow such guidelines only 52% of the time, compared with 62% for physical therapists and 73% for chiropractic physicians.

Whether you’re suffering from acute or chronic back pain, it’s important to seek out the best evidence-based treatment you can find.  Chiropractors are experts in diagnosing and treating health conditions that affect the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, especially those that involve the back and the neck.  Chiropractic treatment has been shown in studies to be both safe and effective.  Plus, chiropractic patients have consistently reported high levels of satisfaction with the results as well as the experience.

If you or someone you care about is suffering from back pain, there’s help available.  Remember—you have options!  We encourage you to call or visit our office today!

Summer SAD Explained

Summer SAD Explained

sad woman near windowSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in winter is a widely-known phenomenon. There is less sunlight during winter days, which affects the serotonin (“happy” hormones) produced in response to light striking our pineal gland, causing depression and listlessness. But not many people are aware that SAD has a summer equivalent as well. Studies performed on people in countries near the equator have found that their populations often suffer from SAD in the summer months. But what can be its cause?

For some people, the seasonal change to summer can cause depression, agitation and irritability. Although it is thought to affect only 1% of the population, it is a real phenomenon nevertheless. Not everyone is happy with hot temperatures, and many people suffer through the increased heat and humidity. It becomes more difficult to sleep, many suffer a loss of appetite and/or just don’t want to cook in hot, steamy weather. They may exercise less because of the heat and spend hours in an air-conditioned living room watching TV because it’s too hot to do anything else.

We are also very much creatures of habit, and any change to our daily routine and circadian rhythms (which are responsible for the sleep-wake cycle) can upset our balance. In summer the kids are home, families often go to sleep and wake up at different times and have a whole new daily routine. In the midst of all that, many Americans and Europeans choose to take their annual vacation during these months, which further upsets their regular schedules (as pleasant as that interruption usually is). Your habits of sleep, work and meals can change radically in the summer months.

Then there’s the issue of body image. In the cooler months, those of us who do not still maintain the body of an active 20-year-old can cover up our various bumps and bulges in loose sweaters. Not so in the summer.  Even a modest bathing suit at the beach reveals more than many of us would like. And many people starve themselves in an effort to get their “bikini body” back for their two-week holiday by the sea, adding to the stress their body must endure.

Finally, the financial strain that a summer vacation puts on the budget can also take its toll. In addition, many working parents have to pay for childcare in the summer, or have to fork out a significant sum for camp, so summer is not always the best time for a family financially, increasing stress and rates of summer depression. And for families who can’t afford either childcare option, three solid months of having the kids at home all day can drive even the most patient parent up a wall.

To combat summer depression, there are a number of things you can do. First, be sure you give yourself sufficient sleep and exercise. It’s tempting to stay up later than usual in the summer months, but remember that 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night are necessary in order to function at your best. If it’s too hot to exercise, try exercising late at night or early in the morning before things heat up. You can also join an air-conditioned gym for a couple of months until things cool down.

Eat a sensible, balanced diet high in fruits and vegetables, which help to keep you hydrated while providing important nutrients. Don’t try to lose a bunch of weight all at once. Planning ahead is your best option, as you can put away a little money every month toward your summer holiday and can also gradually lose any excess weight before beach season without putting stress on your body. Finally, plan to do something fun. Call a friend to come over and join you to share a movie in your air-conditioned house or go out for exotic cocktails with your partner. The good news is that summer depression can be prevented or managed with a just little advance planning.

Those who suffer from summer SAD often find that the symptoms disappear with the return of fall and a more “normal” lifestyle rhythm. However, if you find that your depression continues well after the seasons begins to turn, it may be a good idea to consult your physician.

 

The Joys of Swimming for Fun and Fitness

The Joys of Swimming for Fun and Fitness

man-swimmming-200-300With summer weather heating things up across much of the country, swimming is a great way to cool off and have some fun!  But did you know that it’s also an excellent way to increase your fitness, help control your weight and improve your overall mood?  Plus, swimming is a type of exercise that people of any age and physical ability can enjoy.  It’s easy on the musculoskeletal system while at the same time providing a good aerobic workout.

Swim for Fun

Even among avid swimmers, boredom in the pool is one of the common reasons for losing interest in sport.  While swimming laps in the pool may not seem like a recipe for fun, here are a few things you can do to add some variety to your in-water workouts.

  • Plan your in-pool workout ahead of time and vary your activities so that variety is built-in.
  • Swim with buddies who have the same water fun and fitness goals that you do.
  • When swimming laps, do things to keep your mind engaged in your activity and help sharpen your technique.  Counting how many strokes you need to complete a length of the pool and how quickly you can do it is one way to look for improvements.  Experimenting with stroke length is another.
  • If you have the option, change up the locations of your swimming workouts.  A change of scenery—from an indoor pool to an outdoor one, or from a lake to the ocean—can make a big difference in how your workout feels.
  • Add to your “playbook” of swimming drills.  You can reach out to others or go online for suggestions to help mix things up.
  • Learn some new strokes or make up some of your own.  You might look silly doing it, but it adds to the experience!

Swim for Fitness

While swimming may not be as accessible as walking, running or even biking in some communities, it has distinctive health benefits that make it well worth the trip to a local pool.  The organization that governs all swimming-related activities in the UK (called the ASA) compiled a report of scientific findings from all over the world about the health benefits of swimming.  Some of them are truly striking.  For instance, researchers have found that swimming regularly reduces men’s risk of dying early by a staggering 50% relative to those who run, walk or do no physical activity.  Experts estimate that just two and a half hours per week of swimming can significantly reduce your risk of chronic disease.

A good all-around exercise, swimming involves both aerobic activity and working against resistance.  Unlike most aerobic activities, however, swimming involves little in the way of jarring impact (like the shocks and jolts involved with running) and doesn’t require you to support your full body weight while doing it.  When submerged up to your neck in water, your body weight is effectively reduced by 90 percent.  As a result, overweight and obese people can get a good workout without placing large amounts of painful stress on the lower body’s muscles and joints.  This removes a common deterrent to exercise for a large (and growing) part of the US population and suggests that swimming could be an attractive option for people trying to manage their weight.

Arthritis sufferers or those with musculoskeletal injuries can also benefit from swimming, since studies have shown that it improves range of motion without causing a worsening of symptoms such as pain and stiffness.  In fact, according to the UK’s Chief Medical Officer, swimming as a form of exercise (as opposed to running or practicing other impact sports) can reduce your risk of osteoarthritis.

Beyond increasing fitness levels and helping to manage weight, swimming may provide a variety of other health benefits:

  • Studies performed on people suffering from fibromyalgia have found that exercise performed in a warm pool reduced anxiety and depression and caused an improvement in mood.
  • For older adults, swimming has been shown to improve quality of life and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.  Post-menopausal women in particular are at increased risk of bone loss, and swimming provides a safe and effective form of the resistance exercise that is needed to maintain bone density.
  • Pregnant women find that swimming strengthens their shoulder and abdominal muscles, which are put under increased stress during pregnancy.  Obstetricians recommend swimming as a good form of exercise for most pregnant women, as it provides them with temporary relief from the extra weight they are carrying.

It’s hard to exaggerate the potential fitness benefits of swimming.  Swimming helps to build cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and endurance.  It tones your muscles and helps to maintain healthy heart and lung function.  It also improves flexibility, reduces blood pressure and alleviates stress.  Whether in a community pool, at a nearby lake or in the ocean, swimming offers an ideal way for most people to keep fit that’s also easy on the body’s musculoskeletal system.

So get out there this summer and have some fun in the water!

Seven Deadly Health Sins

Seven Deadly Health Sins

jolly-roger-200-300Behind many of the debates about healthcare in the US—its availability and cost as well as its effectiveness—is an important phenomenon. The demands being placed on healthcare providers are growing and changing (at least in large part) because of the way we live our lives.  Day-to-day choices we all make are contributing to a wide variety chronic health conditions that are sometimes referred to as “lifestyle diseases.” And while our healthcare system is very good at treating acute medical problems, it is not very good at preventing or treating chronic ones.

In many cases, it’s fair to say that the health we get in the future is a result of the lifestyle decisions we make in the present. With this idea in mind, it’s also fair to ask whether it makes good sense to ask our healthcare system to single-handedly save us from the effects of our own unhealthy habits. This is why, as chiropractic physicians, we work closely with our patients to help them be more active in their own health by taking more responsibility for their own lifestyle choices.

So which lifestyle choices are causing the most trouble? While we could obviously point out harmful behaviors like smoking, drinking too much alcohol or using harmful drugs, the behaviors that really need more attention from most people are much more fundamental. We call these the “Seven Deadly Health Sins” that compromise longevity and quality of life.

Sitting Too Much. According to the Mayo Clinic, those who have a sedentary lifestyle are in danger of things like “obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels.” A recent study showed that those who spend a large amount of time in front of a television or other forms of screen entertainment had a roughly 50% greater risk of death from any source.

Eating Too Much Fat, Sugar and Salt. The typical American diet not only contains too many calories, it’s also too high in fat, salt and sugar. In excess, these ingredients (all too common in processed foods) trigger a wide range of complex, self-inflicted health problems.

Sleeping Too Little. According to a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation, a combination of daily stress and lifestyle choices (including nighttime activities as well as eating and exercise habits) is causing more than a third of the U.S. population to get fewer hours of sleep than they need.

Drinking Too Little Water. Most of us would be much better off if we drank lots more water and fewer sugary drinks. While there’s no real evidence that Americans are chronically dehydrated (despite all the hard work of bottled water companies), there is plenty of evidence that the things we are drinking aren’t particularly good for us from a nutritional point of view.

Mismanaging Stress. Our relationship with stress is a complicated one. The simple truth is that stress itself isn’t inherently positive or negative for our health. The thing we actually have to pay attention to is how we respond to it. While the physiological stress response we’ve inherited through evolution is designed to help us confront immediate physical dangers, most of today’s threats aren’t immediate or physical. The result of this mismatch is that our “fight or flight” response may stay switched on for much longer periods than nature intended. This in turn can cause a variety of health problems. Since stress is an inevitable part of modern life, it’s important for us to embrace the positive view of stress that helps us grow and develop while also learning how to turn off the harmful effects.

Ignoring Posture Problems. The way we carry ourselves while sitting or standing can have lasting implications for our musculoskeletal health. The bad news is that poor posture can reduce our strength, flexibility, and balance and—at the extreme—can cause pain and even compromise organ function. The good news is that posture problems can be corrected once they’ve been recognized. Even better, it’s possible to prevent them by developing good habits in the first place.

Putting Off Preventive Healthcare. The best time to pay attention to your health is while you still have it. Unfortunately, many Americans still cling to the reactive “sickness care” model and don’t take full advantage of the expanded preventive care options that have been made available to them as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The US Department of Health and Human Services estimates the ACA made 76 million Americans “newly eligible” for free preventive care. But a Kaiser Health Tracking Poll in March 2014 revealed that only 43% of the population was aware of the change, meaning that many people are probably foregoing preventive care out of cost concerns. Remember—it’s always better to recognize and treat a health problem early before it grows worse and becomes more difficult to address!

By avoiding these Seven Deadly Health Sins, you can also avoid many chronic health conditions. If you or someone you care about has health questions or concerns, we encourage you to call or visit our office today. We’re here to help!

Summer Water Safety for Kids

Summer Water Safety for Kids

happy boy
boy-with-water-wings

For lots of kids, there aren’t many activities in the summer that are more fun than swimming, whether it’s in a pool, lake, or ocean. And while it’s great exercise for your children to be spending a lot of time in and around the water, there are (of course) dangers that they should be aware of. As a parent, you undoubtedly want to keep your child safe in the water this summer, so here are a handful of simple precautions to take and instructions to give your children before they put a toe in the water.

Explain to your children the importance of water safety. Make sure they know and understand the following:

  • That they must always stay in the line of vision of a supervisor, be it you, a caretaker, or a lifeguard.
  • That they must obey all rules of the place they are swimming—for example, if a public pool says “No Diving,” then your kids should absolutely not dive. Remind them to respect the regulations laid down by lifeguards or other authority figures.
  • That they should never, ever swim unattended until they have proven they thoroughly understand the rules and dangers of the water. This rule applies only to older children, and swimming in the ocean alone is not acceptable, no matter how careful your child is—there are too many variables and dangers that even the most cautious swimmer cannot avoid, such as riptides and undertows.

It’s a good idea for your child to take a water safety course with a certified water safety instructor. Check your local YMCA if you don’t know where to start.

If you have a residential pool, there are some essential safety precautions that you and your children must take.

 

  • When the pool is not in active use and there are no adults present to supervise, it is important that you set up a barrier so that young children do not fall in or use the pool without permission. A gate with a lock around the entirety of the pool is one way to accomplish this. The Red Cross recommends that you “Ensure that pool barriers enclose the entire pool area, are at least 4-feet high with gates that are self-closing, self-latching and open outward, and away from the pool. The latch should be high enough to be out of a small child’s reach.”
  • You should teach your child to always, always ask permission to use the pool. This can cut way down on unauthorized use of the pool, and thus cut way down on the risks involved with having a pool with children in the house.
  • For younger children who don’t quite have the hang of swimming on their own, water wings or a life jacket are a must, even if an adult is supervising.
  • When you are supervising, pay close attention. org advises: “Put the cell phone away, forget about all the other things you have to do and give young children 100% of your attention when they are near or around water.”
  • Learn CPR. This is something every parent should do regardless of whether their kids swim or not; it’s simply a responsible thing to learn, and it could save your child or someone else’s life—and that makes learning it worth more than gold.
Summertime Grilling and Your Health

Summertime Grilling and Your Health

summertime-grilling-200-300For many people, summertime just isn’t summertime without a barbecue! It’s a generations-old cultural phenomenon that combines three things American families love—food, family and fun!

Unfortunately, though, there are also some potential downsides to grilling when it comes to your health. This article presents a quick overview of the risks and offers some advice to help make grilling a little bit safer for you and your family this summer.

What’s unhealthy about grilling?

The first issue has to do with HOW the food is actually cooked. Grilling meat or fish over high heat produces carcinogens known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which have been linked to increased risk of various cancers. The second issue has to do with WHAT KINDS of food many people choose to grill. Many of the most popular foods for grilling can be high in fat and sodium and have little other nutritional value. With these two issues in mind, here are some tips on how you can enjoy healthier grilling all summer long.

Clean the grill. You don’t want to incorporate rancid grease and the charred buildup from previous barbecues into your meat before you’ve even begun cooking it. Use a sturdy wire scrub brush and warm soapy water to scrape any residue from the grill’s surface, both before and after you grill. This will also greatly improve the flavor of your food!

Use a low flame and cook briefly. When direct flames touch the meat it can add to the HCAs produced. To reduce these HCAs, keep the gas flame low or, if you’re using charcoal, wait until the coals have been reduced to glowing embers. The heat will still be sufficient, but will not be as likely to char the meat. Try not to overcook your food, as overdone meat has more HCAs. Discard any charred parts.

Flip burgers often. To reduce the chances of E. coli contamination in your ground beef, be sure to flip your burgers every 30 seconds or so. The USDA advises that you cook burgers to an internal temperature of at least 160°F to kill any possible bacteria. However, if you are someone who thinks that a burger cooked beyond medium-rare is a travesty, buy a cut of beef and grind it yourself and form your patties just before grilling. Or, if it is commercially prepared, be sure to flip your burgers often. A study found that when two burgers were cooked to the same temperature, the one flipped more often had a fifth of the E. coli.

Pre-treat your meat. To allow you to cook your meat for a shorter time while still retaining flavor and tenderness, consider marinating it first.  A marinade will tenderize the meat, and by using some flavorful spices in the marinade or in a dry rub, you can add a host of antioxidants to your meal that will reduce the production of HCAs. Researchers from Kansas State University found that marinating meat reduced carcinogens by 57 to 88 percent. Red wine, ginger, turmeric, rosemary and garlic are among the great-tasting, cancer-fighting ingredients you can include in a marinade.  And by combining two parts onion, two parts garlic and one part lemon juice in your marinade, you can reduce HCAs by 70%, as some researchers in Germany have found.

Choose healthier meat. Grass-fed organic meat is a far healthier choice than conventionally raised meat. Compared with conventionally raised meat, organic grass-fed beef and chicken are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and higher in omega-3 and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which has been shown to reduce cholesterol and abdominal fat. It is also free from hormones and antibiotics.

Go veggie. Though meat is certainly tasty, grilled vegetables are delicious too, and vegetarian versions of burgers and hot dogs have come a long way from their early roots, when they had all the flavor of foam peanuts or confetti. Fortunately, there are now a host of excellent veggie “meats” on the market that don’t force you to sacrifice good taste for good health. And there’s nothing quite like grilled red peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini and onions. A good way to grill veggies is to cut them up into small chunks and put them on skewers. You’ll get a healthy serving of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in each bite. And topping your burger with some slices of avocado will give it a nutrition boost as well as a taste boost. Its mono and polyunsaturated fats have been shown to reduce cholesterol and can be a good substitute for mayonnaise.