Benefits of Yoga

With the holidays just around the corner, this time of year can be stressful. With events for family and friends every weekend until January it can be hard to find time to decompress. Make time for yourself this holiday season and give yoga a try! 

Yoga has significant physical and mental health benefits. Some of the physical benefits of yoga include increased flexibility and balance, increased muscle strength and tone, improved respiration and increased energy. All of these things can help reduce the risk of falls in the elderly. Yoga can also help with weight reduction, cardio and circulatory health and improved athletic performance. According to health line, studies show that yoga may reduce inflammatory markers in the body and help prevent pro-inflammatory diseases. Health line also says that in combination with a healthy lifestyle, yoga may help decrease the risk of heart disease.

In addition to all the wonderful physical benefits that yoga offers there are substantial mental benefits as well. Yoga is a great way to manage stress. The American Osteopathic Association says that “Stress can reveal itself in many ways, including back or neck pain, sleeping problems, headaches, drug abuse, and an inability to concentrate,” says Dr. Nevins. “Yoga can be very effective in developing coping skills and reaching a more positive outlook on life”. Yoga has been shown to ease stress and lower the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Several other studies have also shown that yoga is a safe and effective way to relieve anxiety, depression and promote healthy sleep patterns. 

So if this holiday season you are feeling a little stressed give yoga a try! To find out more ways to keep your family healthy and happy visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com. 

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic, P.A. 

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-benefits-of-yoga#section8

https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/benefits-of-yoga/

Fiber

The American Heart Association suggests that we should consume 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber from food a day. Yet in the United States, most Americans only consume an average of 15 grams a day. According to the University of California San Francisco "A high-fiber diet appears to reduce the risk of developing various conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, diverticular disease, constipation and colon cancer".  Fiber can also aid in lowering cholesterol and maintaining the health of the digestive system.

Unlike some of the other health trends, increasing your fiber intake is easy! You can get fiber from a variety of foods including grains and cereals. Generally try to include one serving of whole grain in every meal. When picking out bread and cereals look at the labels and choose the ones with the highest fiber content per serving. Also try making the switch in your kitchen at home. Cook and bake with whole wheat flour or use brown rice instead of white.

Another great source of fiber is legumes and beans. Though this switch may be tricky for picky eaters, it is well worth it! Beans and legumes are packed full of plant protein, fiber, vitamin B, iron, folate, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and zinc. In addition to being full of nutrients they are also low in calories. The U.S. National Library of Medicine also says that "Eating more legumes as part of a healthy diet can help lower blood sugar, blood pressure, heart rate and other heart disease and diabetes risks". Try substituting legumes and beans for meat in a few meals a week and try new recipes that include our high fiber friends.   

Fruits and vegetables are also a good high fiber addition to your diet. This one is easier. The recommendation is eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Aim for fresh fruits and vegetables when possible. Try to eat fruit for dessert or eat an apple in place of sugary juices. Add fresh fruit to your morning cereal or oatmeal. Put veggies in with your whole grain pasta or use riced cauliflower instead of starchy potatoes. Use trial and error to find out what works for you and your family. Either way eat more fruits, veggies, beans and whole grains and your body and mind will appreciate it!

To learn more ways to keep you and your family happy and healthy, visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com.  

By: Julia Jacobson

Office Manager

Source:

https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/increasing_fiber_intake/

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000726.htm

https://www.choosemyplate.gov/vegetables

Taking a Tech Break

There are many wonderful benefits of technology. You can see loved ones that live thousands of miles away, monitor your health, catch up with friends you haven't seen in years, find activities and events in your area and catch up on the news with the touch of a button. With all the great things technology has to offer there is also a down side. Too much screen time can cause, memory failure, emotional instability, strained vision and muscle and joint pain. 

Here is why you should take a break from technology. With technology always around it is difficult to unwind and set boundaries on your work communications. Drawing a line between work and your personal life allows your mind to recharge so you are refreshed for the next day at the office. It also relieves tension on personal relationships and allows you to focus on the present. 

Multitasking has been proven ineffective and decreases the likelihood of retaining the information we are processing. When you are constantly giving the projects in front of you half of your attention your performance level drops. When multitasking it is increasingly difficult to filter out irrelevant information and tasks. Multitasking actually takes longer than when you are focused on one thing at a time. In a 2011 study, ivy league students retailed facts and information more effectively when they knew they couldn't get them from the internet. 

Constantly being surrounded by social media and technology can also cause mental instabilities like anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, dangerous codependence and leaves no time for solitude. Social media can be especially dangerous to young impressionable minds. Comparing yourself to the people you see on the internet can set unrealistic expectations of how you should look and what your life should look like. It is also difficult because we typically only see the best life scenarios on social media. 

Too much screen time can also cause physical health problems. According to a 2008 survey by the American Optometric Association (AOA); "About 40% of optometrists’ patients experienced eye strain due to computer vision syndrome (conditions related to “near work”), while 45% complained of neck and back pain associated with computer or handheld device use". Posture while using cell phones and computers can also cause back and neck problems as well as pain in your wrists and fingers. Experts recommend limiting the time spent in front of a computer as well as cell phone usage. They also suggest being conscious of your posture and how you're positioning yourself while using these devices. 

If the first thing you do when you wake up is check your phone, try taking a technology break. Even if it is a few hours give your body and mind a break. Become comfortable by yourself. Try meditating or giving a new hobby a try. Find meaning connections in person with the important people in your life. To find out more ways to keep yourself and your family happy and healthy visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com. 

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Source: 

https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/internet-addiction/real-effects-technology-on-your-health/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2013/02/06/feeling-disconnected-5-reasons-to-unplug-from-technology-after-work/#4a60b67076ce

National Chiropractic Health Month

October is national chiropractic health month and this year the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) is promoting the benefits of movement to overall health and the prevention of low back pain. The ACA has termed this year's theme as "Move 4 Life" and are encouraging people to get out and move to improve health and prevent disease.

There are many benefits to maintaining an active lifestyle, however according to the department of health and human resources (HHS) less than 5 percent of adults report getting enough exercise in a day (about 30 minutes of exercise) and only one in three children are physically active every day. This is a worldwide pandemic that is leading to an array of health conditions. Inactivity can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, colon cancer, osteoporosis, depression and a wide variety of other health concerns. 

It is recommended that adults exercise at least 30 minutes per day and kids get 60 minutes of activity per day. The type of exercise varies from individual to individual and can include aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, running, swimming or anaerobic like weight training. These activities help to increase energy and combat the diseases listed above. 

Physical movement and exercise are extremely important in maintaining a good, healthy lifestyle and regular chiropractic care should be a part of your lifestyle as well. Chiropractic care works by improving the movement of the spine and removing additional stresses on the body to help improve the function of the nervous system. 

Everybody understands that the purpose of the spine is to protect the spinal cord, but that is not it's only purpose. The spine was designed to move! When we talk about the anatomy of the spine we talk about segments of the spine. One segment includes a vertebral body on top, the intervertebral disc (disc) in the middle and then another vertebral body on the bottom. It is important for each segment to move properly because this is how the disc gets its proper nutrition and blood supply. This process occurs via imbibition, or a form of osmosis. When the spine is not properly moving the disc can become injured because it is not properly hydrated nor does it have the proper nutrients to withstand stresses applied to it. When we have a weakened disc this can lead to a "slipped disc" or disc bulge/herniated disc. In addition, when a disc is weakened it will be more susceptible to injury or inflammation that can lead to nerve irritation and subsequently pain and dysfunction. 

It is important for the entire spine to move properly to help ensure we have a good functioning nervous system. Every tissue, muscle, cell and organ has its own nerve supply that tells it how to function. When we have a nervous system that is under unnecessary stress it can lead to tissue dysfunction and a variety of health conditions. The most common conditions that present to a chiropractic office include low back pain, neck pain and headaches, however chiropractic care has been shown to help with an assortment of conditions including ear infections, vertigo, colicky babies and many more ailments. 

Maintenance care is also important to help maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce the risk of injury or re-injury. A recent study published in the journal PLOS One found that maintenance chiropractic care was more effective than symptom-guided treatment in reducing the total number of days over 52 weeks with bothersome non-specific low back pain. Maintenance care helps to improve function and health throughout the body and should be part of your everyday lives!

For more ways to keep your family happy and healthy, visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com and check out the links below!

By: Travis L. Klug, D.C.

Source:

https://www.acatoday.org/News-Publications/Newsroom/News-Releases/National-Chiropractic-Health-Month-2018-Starts-Oct-1-Get-Moving

https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/resource-center/facts-and-statistics/index.html

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0203029