Tips on Avoiding Winter Weight Gain

The New Year is upon us and for some, new resolutions are made to lose those holiday pounds and to get in shape. During the winter months, however, many people have a pretty hard time keeping their weight under control. As the days get short and dark, many of us crave carbohydrate-rich foods. Breads, potatoes and pasta become irresistible, not to mention cookies, cake and donuts. And carbohydrates beget more carbohydrates. One potato chip invites another. And who has ever been able to keep a resolution to eat just one oreo? All that delicious food combined with a low level of activity tends to make a person go into hibernation. Hibernation leads to lots of excess weight, which of course needs to be dropped once again in time for warmer weather and bathing suit season.

This winter, you can take charge of your waist line and your health by applying some of these common sense tips on how to never gain those extra pounds in the first place!

First of all, don’t deny yourself all of the things you love. People who diet by refusing themselves treats (a candy bar here and there, a latte) tend to gain more weight than people who occasionally indulge themselves. It’s human nature not to be happy about removing something from your life that you want-so when you fail, you fail big. It’s OK to have a candy bar once in a while, or a latte. But do it in moderation. Don’t eat the second candy bar, or have the latte every day. If you give yourself a reward or two when you deserve it, weight loss won’t have to control your life, and you won’t annoy your friends and family by counting calories all the time!

Take a walk and enjoy the winter wonders. Or take up that yoga class you’ve always wanted to take! Small choices like these are key to keeping the weight off. The more active you are every day, the less likely you are to pick up extra winter weight. Don’t give in to the temptation to just sit around and be a “couch potato” all weekend, you can find chores to do…even in the winter months! Clean out your closet, or your basement. Shovel the snow, do whatever is necessary to stay active. You’ll end up burning the winter calories, and end up feeling energized and happy that you’ve gotten so much accomplished! If you’re experiencing aches and pains that are preventing you from getting up and getting moving, visit your Doctor of Chiropractic. Gentle spinal manipulation can help you feel better and minimize the chance for injury when you’re working out.

If you slipped up and gained some weight over the holidays, don’t go on crash diets. Lose weight fast diets don’t give you the nutrients you need or the discipline needed to keep the weight off when the diet is through. Stick to eating three healthy meals a day and avoid fast food. If you have a sweet tooth, don’t sit down and eat the entire chocolate cake, have an apple, or a banana instead. Get in some moderate exercise 3 to 4 times a week for at least a half hour. Do this and you’ll be much happier, and lose more winter weight faster than with the quick fix diets. You can also remove some of the “extras” from your routine. Drink your coffee black, cream and sugar add a ton of calories. Cut back on chocolate and other sweets unless it’s an occasional thing, skip the cheese and mayo on your sandwich at lunch, skip the soda in favor of some tea (but no sugar!), and look at your daily food choices and try to cut out the extra calories. In no time at all, you’ll shed those extra pounds and you’ll have more energy to do the things you love to do!

High Blood Pressure and Chiropractic in the News
Research indicates Blood Pressure can be lowered Naturally

According to Mayo Clinic, High Blood Pressure is a common condition in which the force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke. Common treatment options include various medications and lifestyle changes including exercise and diet, however, a recent study documents significant decrease in blood pressure following one specialized Chiropractic ‘Atlas Adjustment’, indicating that Chiropractic may be a natural treatment option for lowering high blood pressure.

Study validates decrease in blood pressure
Results published online in the March 2007 Issue of Journal of Human Hypertension validate decrease in blood pressure after an ‘Atlas Adjustment’ is equivalent to taking two blood pressure drugs simultaneously.

A Chicago-area study of 50 individuals with misaligned Atlas vertebrae (located high in the neck) documents reduced blood pressure following one specialized chiropractic “adjustment” and continued results after eight weeks. The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness of the benefits of chiropractic, points out that these results, as published in the March 2, 2007 online issue of the Journal of Human Hypertension, are equal to taking two blood-pressure drugs simultaneously.

According to lead author George Bakris, M.D., director of the hypertension center at the University of Chicago Medical Center, unlike other vertebrae, which interlock one to the next, the Atlas (also known as C-1) relies solely upon soft tissue (muscles and ligaments) to maintain alignment. It is uniquely vulnerable to displacement which can occur without pain and often goes undetected and untreated.

Individuals enrolled in the study displayed high blood pressure and misaligned C-1. Half of the patients received a customized, tailor-made adjustment while the other half received a “sham intervention,” designed to be indistinguishable to the patients from an authentic adjustment. Eight weeks after undergoing procedures, 25 patients with early-stage high blood pressure had significantly lower blood pressure than 25 similar patients who underwent the sham adjustment.

Compared to the sham-treated patients, those who received the customized procedure saw an average 14 mm Hg greater drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure count), and an average 8 mm Hg greater drop in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom blood pressure number). None of the patients took blood pressure medicine during the eight-week study.

“This study confirms the value of chiropractic adjustment to significantly lower blood pressure in patients with a misaligned C-1,” states Gerard W. Clum, D.C. president of Life Chiropractic College West, Hayward, California, and spokesperson for the Foundation. “These findings are significant because they demonstrate to patients the benefits of incorporating chiropractic into their lives.”

Source: Foundation for Chiropractic Progress

Spinal Manipulation and Home Exercises Better than Medication for Relieving Neck Pain

Annals of Internal Medicine  Jan. 3, 2012

Most people experience neck pain within their lifetime. While not serious, neck pain can interfere greatly with daily activities. Usual care for neck pain may include medication or chiropractic, yet there has been little published evidence about the efficacy of spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) for neck pain. Researchers conducted a randomized trial to test the hypothesis that SMT is more effective than medication or home exercise with advice for acute and subacute neck pain. Two-hundred-seventy-two patients aged 18 to 65 with nonspecific neck pain for two to 12 weeks were randomly assigned to receive SMT, medication, or home exercise with advice for 12 weeks. Up to one year after treatment, patients having 12 weeks of SMT reported greater pain relief than patients in the medication group. Patients in the home exercise with advice group reported just as much pain relief as those in the SMT group over the same period. However, patients having SMT reported that they were more satisfied with care than those in either of the other groups. The researchers conclude that SMT and home exercise are similarly effective to each other and both are more effective than medication for neck pain.

Stand like Prince Charles to banish back pain: Surprising and simple ways to transform your health

For perfect posture — and to reduce back pain, among a host of other things — interlink your fingers from each hand behind your back, just like Prince Charles.

This will open up your chest and get your shoulders back and down, reversing the slumping posture many people have while sitting. Poor posture will throw the body out of its correct alignment, so certain muscles become overworked, while others, such as the stomach muscles, start to weaken through lack of use. This can cause undue stress and strain, especially on the lower back.

Top Ten Vitamins for Winter

In the darker winter months—and year round, really—everyone can benefit from eating lots of brightly colored foods, including fruits, vegetables and dark leafy greens, and cutting back on junk food, coffee and alcohol. In addition to eating the right foods, taking the right vitamins and supplements can go a long way to keeping you healthy and well.

Below is a comprehensive list of the top 10 vitamins and supplements to help counteract the common (and not-so-common) effects of winter:

10. Biotin. While technically classified as vitamin B, this one is all cosmological. Brutal winter air can bring hair, skin, and nail problems. Biotin gets to the root (no pun intended) of the problem and rebuilds from beneath the skin, unlike most topical ointments and shampoos. Biotin can also have enormous benefits for pregnant women and diabetics.

9. Vitamin A. This vitamin, like others, has valuable antioxidant qualities. Antioxidants help to prevent the invasive actions of free radicals, substances that can lead to common and uncommon ailments. Vitamin A also helps your eyes adjust to different levels of incoming light, and with unpredictable winter driving weather, top-notch vision could never hurt.

8. Magnesium. Cold months and dry air can lead to stress and dehydration, which can lead to headaches and even migraines. Magnesium deficiency has recently been “uncovered” as a possible underlying cause of certain kinds of headaches. The supplement has also been linked to important heart functions, and in return, the cause of certain heart problems.

7. Fish oil. A lack of outdoor exposure can often lead to a lot of brain fog and concentration problems. Fish oil can help you concentrate and stay on task. According to Mayo Clinic, fish oil also has many heart health benefits as well.

6. Vitamin B-12. The cold, cloudy winter months can often lead to signs of depression and anxiety, and even the disorders themselves. B12 is one of the first vitamins depleted during times of depression and anxiety. According to healthaliciousness.com, seafood, beef, eggs, and cheese are all often high in B12.

5. Vitamin D. Needless to stay, for a lot of us, winter brings some pretty dreary weather. Sometimes you may not see the sun for weeks at a time. Since vitamin D is relayed through (but not limited to) sunlight, northern residents don’t get a lot of it. WebMD reports that vitamin D deficiencies can lead to cognitive problems, asthma, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer.

4. Calcium. Not getting the usual amount of exercise during the winter can lead to muscle weakening. When our muscles aren’t up to par, more pressure is exerted on our bones. Calcium strengthens your bones in preparation for a potential rise in exercise with warmer temperatures. ScienceDaily even reports that calcium supplements reduce fracture incidences, regardless of age or gender.

3. Vitamin C. Although other forms of immunity are emerging as effective, vitamin C is still crucial in the cold/flu season battle. Drink pure fruit juices, many of which contain 100% of your daily vitamin C requirement in a single glass.

2. Water. OK, so it’s not technically a vitamin. However, increased time indoors goes hand-in-hand with the arrival of winter, and indoors usually involves turning up the heat. What goes hand-in-hand with “faux” indoor heating? Dry skin and chapped lips, which many times represent dehydration. That pound of lotion and chapstick you’re using every day may only be covering up the underlying cause.

1. Zinc. The closest you can get to a “magic” vitamin during cold and flu season. Not only does Zinc boost your immunity, but it has been proven to shorten a cold when you already have one. Emerging science suggest that even those with mild Zinc deficiencies are much more susceptible to “a variety of infectious agents.” The main ingredient in the over-the-counter nasal gel Zicam (which is supposed to shorten the duration of a cold) is none other than Zinc Gluconate.

Note:

As always, check with your doctor before starting any vitamin or supplement regimens. Everybody reacts differently to different treatments and should check with a professional to determine dosage amounts. If you do start to feel run down, visit your Doctor of Chiropractic. Doctors of Chiropractic are experts in spinal adjustments and other manual therapies that can help keep you healthy and well and they can also provide nutritional counseling, exercise recommendations and other advice to promote good health year-round.