Benefits of Berries

If your new year's resolution is to eat healthier, then adding or increasing berries to your diet may be the key. In an Eating Well article they discuss a recently published study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that found that eating about a cup of mixed berries a day for 8 weeks was associated with increased levels of HDL, "good cholesterol", and lowered blood pressure. Berries have many healthy attributes, are high in fiber, nutritious and loaded with antioxidants and vitamins.

Berries are loaded with antioxidants which can help protect cells from free radical damage. Free radicals are unpaired electrons that are a byproduct of many physiological processes that occur within the body. Free radicals cause damage to cells, proteins and DNA. A recent study found that blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are the highest in antioxidant activity in fruit consumed right behind pomegranates. In addition, according to a Healthline article "One study in healthy men found that consuming a single, 10-ounce (300-gram) portion of blueberries helped protect their DNA against free radical damage".

Berries are also low in calories yet very nutritious. Strawberries are high in vitamin C and blackberries have vitamin C, manganese, vitamin K, copper and folate. The antioxidants in berries have also been shown to help fight inflammation, protect against cancer and are good for your skin. Berries being low in calories and rich in several vitamins and minerals makes them the perfect addition to any meal or snack.

Berries are also a great source of fiber! Increasing fiber has been shown to help decrease appetite and increase the feeling of fullness. Increasing the amount of fiber you consume can also help reduce the number of calories absorbed from meals. In addition berries may help improve blood sugar and insulin response and help lower cholesterol levels.

Lastly, berries are easy to enjoy. They taste delicious and are included in almost every diet. Try berries for breakfast just by themselves or with granola and yogurt. You can also add some whipped cream to a bowl of berries to make a yummy dessert. Or add them to a salad or include them in a smoothie. There is no lack of way to eat these delicious fruits.

To find more ways to keep your family happy and healthy, visits our website oxborochiro.com.

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic, P.A.

Sources:

http://www.eatingwell.com/article/9567/the-total-body-benefits-of-berries/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-reasons-to-eat-berries#section11

https://www.livescience.com/54901-free-radicals.html

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

Healthy Aging

It is never too late to reinvent yourself. This week we will discuss tips to living your best life and aging gracefully. Keep yourself, your thoughts and the people around you positive. Be positive in your conversations and interactions. Try to eliminate any negative thoughts or complaining. Misery loves company so avoid people who are unconstructive. Instead surround yourself with joyful, lively and positive people! 

Often times we hear the old saying of "act your age".  Healthy Aging Magazine recommends to pick an age that you felt was the best and picture yourself at that age. This will help to create positive thinking and help you feel younger and more vibrant! Additionally, walk like a vibrant, younger, healthier individual. This helps to improve energy and actually reduces aches and pains by properly lubricating your joints. Movement is key for a healthy body and joints, so improve the gait and overall activity levels. Go for walks, play pickle ball or tennis and play with the grandkids. All of these things improve mental health and physical health. 

Chiropractic care is certainly a good lifestyle modification to help maintain your youth. As previously stated, movement is key to maintaining healthy joints and an overall healthy body. Regular chiropractic maintenance care can help keep the body functioning properly by restoring the nervous system and by getting the joints to move more fluently. A few benefits to chiropractic care include pain relief, increased range of motion, increased balance and coordination and decreased joint degeneration. To find out more ways to keep your family healthy and happy visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com.

By: Dr. Travis Klug, D.C.

Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

https://healthyaging.net/healthy-aging-month/september-is-healthy-aging-month/

https://patch.com/new-jersey/newmilford-nj/bp--7-amazing-benefits-of-chiropractic-care-for-seniors

Exercise Your Brain

Did you know that when you exercise it isn’t just good for your body,  it is the brain that benefits from it as well. The reason we feel so good while working out is because we get our blood pumping and with that the brain functions at its best. Exercise can help with alertness and how we perceives things. When exercising the brain releases serotonin which is what influences our mood, impulse, anger and even aggression. It also releases dopamine which is what we use for attention and learning.

Our brains are more active when our bodies are more active; this makes the neurons fire in unison which creates our brain waves. Keeping active and exercising can help your brain with memory and even help with creativity and imagination. Studies show that people who have mental illness and who exercise can manage it without medications. Even though taking a run can be like taking a bit of Prozac, not everyone can benefit from this type of mental health help. Exercise can also help the brain balance hormones. MRI scans have shown that while someone is doing a stationary bike ride it can make your glutamate and game-aminobutyric acid swell and that will help with your mood. So if you keep up the exercising you should be able to keep your brain young, happy and healthy. Learning new motor skills is another way to keep our brain sharp. So if you are learning more complicated motor skills; it will challenge the brain.To find out more ways to keep yourself healthy, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com.

Source: https://experiencelife.com/article/this-is-your-brain-on-exercise/

Intelligence and Emotions

Erin Gabriel writes in her article titled “Can you Improve Your Emotional Intelligence?” about the importance of being able to sense and manage feelings and emotions in ourselves and others. Having emotional intelligence allows someone to understand, express, and manage emotions. Many people tend to overestimate their emotional intelligence according to the director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Marc Brackett. Emotional intelligence can predict things such as health, happiness, and success. In 1990, the theory of emotional intelligence was developed at Yale and University of New Hampshire. Robin Stern, the associate director for the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, explains that emotional intelligence is being informed about your feelings, how to use emotions to inform thinking and using your thinking to inform your emotions. Some personality traits for those with emotional intelligence include empathy, seeing others viewpoints, being resilient, and pursuing goals even with challenges. Brackett states that people who possess emotional intelligence are typically healthier, happier, and more effective. Emotional intelligence has actually been proven to be a better indicator of success in careers than a high IQ score or an impressive resume. Emotional intelligence can be measured using self-assessment tools. 

There are several ways to increase emotional intelligence. Children can develop emotional intelligence at an early age by recognizing their emotions, figuring out what they mean, and label them so they can manage them themselves. For adults, an action plan can be implemented in order to improve emotional intelligence. If you want to learn to control your anger some activities that may be useful are yoga, meditation, or boxing. It is important to learn new perspectives through being around others who have different thoughts than you. This can be done by taking active steps to be around new people. When facing a challenging situation, it can be beneficial to pause, slow down, and take a deep breath in order to gain greater control. Positive self-talk is another important strategy for gaining greater emotional intelligence because it can assist with our health. Oftentimes, we would never talk to others the way that we speak to ourselves. Emotional intelligence can assist people in becoming healthier in their emotions and when working with others. To find out more ways to keep yourself healthy, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/11/health/improve-emotional-intelligence/index.html

Protecting Your Brain

In an article written by Michael Dregni titled, "CTE Found in 99 Percent of NFL Players Studied" he discusses information from an interview with Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist, about the impact that high-contact sports can have on the brain. CTE stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and it has been found to be quite prevalent in football players. CTE is associated with repeated trauma to the head. 202 deceased football players' brains were researched and CTE was found in 177 of those players. 110 of the 111 players that played in the National Football League had been found to have CTE. Families were interviewed about their loved ones to discover more information about their histories. Among those diagnosed with severe CTE, 89 percent were found to have behavioral disorders, mood disorders or both. 95 percent of them had cognitive issues and 85 percent had indications of dementia. The research is limited by the fact that the participants of the research may have been motivated to participate because of the awareness that repetitive blows to the head can cause CTE. 

Bennet Omalu was the first person to discover it in 2002 when he was performing an autopsy on former Pittsburg Steelers lineman, "Iron Mike" Webster, who died at the age of 50. Webster was known for never missing a football game from 1975 to 1986. Webster suffered from ailments such as dementia, delusions, paranoia and explosive moods for the last years of his life. Omalu states that CTE is caused by trauma by blunt force or acceleration-decleartion injuries through sports or car accidents. Some of the symptoms of CTE include depression, bipolar disorder, decrease in executive processing, substance abuse, impulsivity, memory loss and decreased intelligence and language. CTE can be diagnosed based on symptoms in those who are living but only a definitive diagnosis can be made after death. Omalu believes that eventually CTE could have a treatment or at least an intervention that can slow down how the disease progresses. 

Omalu believes that pharamological interventions may be more helpful than technological devices. He states that no children under the age of 18 should participate in activites like boxing, football, hockey, wrestling, mixed martial arts or rugby because the brain is not fully developed. In sports like soccer, he suggests removing "heading the ball" for those under 18 years of age and participation in soccer to start around the age of 12-14 years old. Some noncontact sports that could serve as alternatives include track and field, basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis, swimming, table tennis, etc. He states that high-impact, high-contact sports put people at an increased risk of developing a brain injury, and that we should keep our children away from such activites. To find out more ways to keep you and your family healthy, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com. 

Source: https://experiencelife.com/article/cte-concussions-nfl-football/

Quality Sleep

In the article titled, “Sleep Tips: 6 Steps to Better Sleep” the Mayo Clinic staff discusses way to improve your overall sleep. Quality sleep can be difficult to come by due to stress, illness and family responsibilities. It is important to stick to a sleep schedule that includes at least seven hours. It is recommended to get to bed and wake up around the same time everyday to regulate your sleep schedule. On the weekends, it is best to stay to a schedule similar to the weekdays, and make sure the difference is no more than one hour. Before bed, it can be beneficial to engage in something relaxing like taking a bath. Once asleep, if you are not able to fall asleep within 20 minutes of getting to bed, it is best to just leave bed and try to do something calming. Once you feel tired again, you can try going back to sleep. 

It is best to not go to bed hungry or too full. In general, large meals should be avoided at least a couple of hours before bed. Substances such as nicotine, caffeine and alcohol should also be avoided before bedtime. Nicotine and caffeine can cause you stay to up later and alcohol can ruin sleep later in the evening. The environment of sleeping is important to the overall quality. Your bedroom should be cool, dark and quiet. Screens should be avoided before bed. It could be beneficial to get room darkening shades to avoid exposure to light. 

Naps during the day can be beneficial for some, especially those working nights to make up for the loss of sleep. For others, it is best to limit naps to only 30 minutes and to make sure they aren’t too late in the evening. Physical activity can promote better sleep in the evening but as with naps, do not do it too close to bedtime. Time spent outdoors could help promote better sleep, too. It can be easy for people to not be able to fall asleep at night because of their worries or concerns. Managing stress by journaling before bed and meditation can help with this. If lack of sleep is still concerning, it may be best to speak with your healthcare provider to find alternative ways to improve your sleep. To find out more ways to keep yourself healthy, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379?pg=1