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Eat Right, Be Fit, Think Well By Dr. Peter Martone D.C.
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In this day and age we are exposed to more stress than ever before in human history. We experience stress with the toxins in our environments, with the economy, and through the past-faced life that we live. During the Holidays we usually add even more stress into our lives. One of the best ways to protect yourself from all of these external stressors is to simply put a smile on your face. There are many things that we don’t have control over. We can’t control whether the person driving next to us on the freeway is paying attention to his driving or texting on his cell phone. We can’t control whether or boss is in a bad mood that day, or whether a crisis in the Middle-East raises gas price by two dollars a gallon. However, we can control our inner state. When you are feeling happy and positive, you are less likely to internalize stress and more likely to come up with creative solutions to your problems. Researchers have shown that the effects of positive thinking and optimism include: increased life span, lower rates of depression, lower levels of distress, greater resistance to illness, better psychological and physical well-being, reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and better coping skills during hardships and times of stress. When you start thinking in a more positive manner, your body is much more likely to be in a parasympathetic state; which means that your body is able to focus on growth and repair instead of survival. Here are some tips to help you think more positive: Laugh! – Dr. Norman Cousins has wrote several books demonstrating the healing power of laughter. When we laugh, our body releases internal stresses that have been building up and negatively affecting our health. Affirmations – One of the best ways to start thinking in a more positive light is to repeat positive statements to yourself over and over in the morning. The more these statements are repeated, the more your subconscious brain will start to accept them as your new reality. Follow a Healthy Lifestyle – By following a healthy lifestyle, your thoughts will naturally become more positive. Exercise has been shown time and time again to raise your mood, produce endorphins, fight depression, and detoxify your body. Relax – By taking some time every day to relax, breathe deeply, and meditate; you will build an internal state of calm that will protect you from the external world. In addition to this, your body will become more saturated with oxygen; which will help fight off disease.
SIX WAYS TO PREVENT THE FLU NATURALLY Get your Wellness Check-Up By Your Chiropractor Chiropractic care has an incredibly powerful effect on your immune system. Your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) control every organ, tissue, and cell in the body. In order to work properly, muscles and organs need a signal from a nerve (which comes from the brain and spinal cord). Misalignments in your spine greatly interfere with this communication. By removing interference to your nervous system, chiropractors are able to ensure that your brain and all of the cells in your body are communicating at 100%. Take 3000 IU’s of Vitamin D per day in the fall/wintertime Vitamin D plays a very important role in the health of your immune system. Without enough vitamin D, you will be more vulnerable to infections from bacteria and viruses (such as the flu). Vitamin D is normally made by your body when your sun’s rays hit the skin. During the summertime our body is able to make plenty of vitamin D, as long as you get adequate exposure to the sun (and your skin isn’t covered with sunscreen). When you are living in New England during the wintertime, it is impossible for your body to make the amount of vitamin D it needs without supplementation. Drink at least ½ your body weight in ounces of water per day One of the simplest and most powerful things you can do that has a dramatic impact on your health is to get hydrated. When your body is hydrated, everything simply works better. During the wintertime, we are actually more vulnerable to dehydration because the air becomes very dry. Stay bundled up! In the wintertime, it is very important to bundle up. By layering your clothes, it is easier for your body to maintain the right temperature around your core (your heart and organs). When you don’t bundle up, your body has to spend a tremendous amount of energy working to keep you at the right temperature; energy that normally would be spent on healing and repair. Get 8 hours of sleep per night Your body heals at nighttime when you are sleeping. If you are getting less than 8 hours of sleep per night, your body will not have sufficient time to heal and repair from stress. To have even more of an effect, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each night. When you are rested you feel better, your immune system works better, and you are less vulnerable to viruses like the flu. Eat at least 300 calories from live food every day Live foods are foods that are organic, raw, and unprocessed. When we process or heat foods, we destroy many of the enzymes and vitamins in the food that our bodies need. In our culture, many people eat almost no live foods, which makes them much more at risk for all illness. The more live foods you eat, the healthier you will be overall! Get your Wellness Check-Up By Your Chiropractor Chiropractic care has an incredibly powerful effect on your immune system. Your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) control every organ, tissue, and cell in the body. In order to work properly, muscles and organs need a signal from a nerve (which comes from the brain and spinal cord). Misalignments in your spine greatly interfere with this communication. By removing interference to your nervous system, chiropractors are able to ensure that your brain and all of the cells in your body are communicating at 100%.
Managing Stress "Every stress leaves an indelible scar, and the organism pays for its survival after a stressful situation by becoming a little older." - Hans Selye How often do you come home after a long, stressful 40 hour work week feeling exhausted? What if you weren’t? When you are under too much stress, many bad things happen to your mind and body. It doesn’t matter if that stress was a physical stress like a fall or car wreck, a chemical stress in the form of a happy meal, or an emotional stress in the form of a rocky relationship. In each moment, your body is in one of two modes: growth or defense. When you are stressed your body is in defense mode! Your body produces the same chemicals and hormones whether you are on a stressful phone call or running from a tiger. When this happens, blood is shunted from your organs to your muscles. The same thing happens in your brain, where blood is shunted from the areas that help you think and communicate and is instead sent to areas that help keep you alive. Over time, stress breaks your body down tremendously. When you are in stress mode, you are not healing! Your body is not repairing! This is why you can look at someone who has lived a stressful life, and they look years older than they really are. The more stress you are under, the more important it is to do things to combat that stress. When you are able to relieve stress in your body, you will feel a greater sense of wellbeing, happiness, and an increase in your creativity. Remember, your body can’t heal and react to large stresses at the same time. The more stress you put yourself under without taking time off to heal your body and mind, the faster you will age. The better your body functions, the better you are able to handle stressful situations in the future! Every single day of your life, your body is going to change. It is either going to get a little bit healthier, or a little bit sicker. By making some easy changes today, you can be healthier today, tomorrow, and the years to come! What you can do to combat stress: 1) Get Adjusted! – Chiropractic ensures that your body is functioning at 100% of its potential. When you are aligned and your nervous system is functioning without interference, you are better able to handle stressful situations! 2) Exercise! – Exercise gets your body moving, produces endorphins to boost your mood, keeps you at a healthy weight, and causes the neurons in your brain to function better and make new connections! 3) Avoid Sugar/Caffeine – It is very easy for us to get in patterns where we are chronically tired, and then either reach for a sugary snack or cup of coffee to boost our energy. Every time you do this, you are making a bad situation worse! 4) Sleep! – Sleep is the time when your body heals and repairs! If you are not going to bed by 10 o clock each night, and getting at least 8 hours of sleep; your body will not be able to heal and repair. 5) Take vitamins/supplements to protect you from stress – Unfortunately, stress is a part of life for today’s society. Since it is impossible for us to totally remove stress, we need to make sure that our body has the building blocks it needs to make energy and remove stress chemicals. B-vitamins, magnesium, and fish-oil are great for this.
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