Chances are you are not as flexible as you used to be

This is a perfectly normal occurrence: as we get older, our activity levels decline and our sedentary endeavors rise while posture remains a constant struggle. It is only natural that as our bodies age and weight is harder to keep off, our flexibility suffers. But the degree to which we let it deteriorate could make the difference between and old age full of pain and one of independence. If you are an 8-hour a day office worker, we want to help you preserve your flexibility to empower your life. When your body is flexible, every day motions are easier: the lifting, twisting and turning that occurs from the first second you step out of bed should not cause you pain. 

Stretches to reverse the harm of excessive sitting and preserve flexibility: 

• Fold forward: move to the edge of your chair and extend your legs straight with feet hip width apart. Sit up straight and inhale deeply; on the exhale fold your upper body forward reaching with your hands toward your feet. Grasp as low down on the leg as you can reach and hold for 15 deep breaths. 
• Release the chest and shoulders: Simply take your hands off the keyboard, sit up straight and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for 10 seconds.
• Gentle twist: again take your hands off the keyboard, sit up straight and gently twist to the right looking with your head over your right shoulder. Hold 15 seconds and repeat on the other side. 
• Release the neck: sitting upright, turn your head to look directly left, feeling a stretch in the neck. Hold 10 seconds and repeat on the other side. 

Why stay flexible? 

Posture is, of course, tantamount to preserving the integrity of your spine, and these stretches will release tension from the muscles that support an upright posture, making it easier to sit up straight. Loss of flexibility is pervasive in the office, so let’s start doing something about it. At our office in Milpitas, we can help you identify harmful patterns of movement and turn them into something positive. Let’s start moving more and moving differently to change the way your body feels and impact flexibility. Give our office a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

A quesadilla could save your life 

With a hectic schedule, it helps to have some go-to meals. 

You arrive home from work exhausted, look in the fridge and find it’s (mostly) empty. For many of us, this necessitates a call for take-out or a delivery pizza! Now we are subjecting an already tired brain and body to insufficient nutrients and most-likely processed fats and sugars. We propose an alternative solution: create a meal from what you have.

Chances are you can find a spare red pepper and a can of black beans lurking in the back of the pantry, or a long-forgotten bag of rice. From this, we can create a meal that doesn’t follow a recipe, doesn’t require a trip to the store and utilizes whatever is in your kitchen to deliver a healthy meal that stabilizes blood sugar and gets your body the nutrients it needs. 

The formula:

When it comes to constructing something from nothing, it helps to keep this formula in mind: Grain + Healthy fat + Lean protein + Vegetable. This gets you the carbohydrates, fats and proteins you need to feel satiated and stable as well as certain vitamins from the vegetables. 

And what fits this formula for a go-to meal? Here are some ideas: 

• Whole grain pasta + olive oil + (red pepper) + chicken 
• Quesadillas: whole-grain tortilla + cheese + refried beans + corn + salsa
• Rice + vegetable + le

Think ahead: Prepping meals ahead of time makes your go-to even quicker

Do you have a spare hour on a Sunday night? While you are idling by watching your favorite show, try throwing some ingredients for chili into a pot. You can make enough for several portions and then portion/freeze each one to be thawed and reheated as you desire! No prep involved. Every time you go to the grocery store, pick up a bag of pasta, lentils or rice to have as the base of a healthy meal. In times of desperation, these can provide you with a delicious, satiating meal that will keep your diet on track. At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we know that nutrition is one of the best ways to empower yourself throughout the day. Don’t let a busy schedule defeat your diet!

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

Do you carry your head forward? 

Forward head posture is becoming almost as prevalent as breathing among humans. You know the look: head held forward in relation to the shoulder joint, hunchback-style. This position lends itself to overextension of muscles in the front of the neck and tightness and stiffness in the muscles in the back. When left unaddressed, this can lead to degenerative conditions in the vertebrae, nerve impingement and a generally unflattering appearance. Here is our question to you: how many times have you felt tightness in the neck and done nothing about it? 

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Technology is our friend

It’s our all-knowing, life-optimizing friend who lives in our pocket. And just like with all friends, sometimes we need some space. But this can be hard to come by- you put your phone in a drawer but there is the tablet on the dresser, the laptop on the bed and the TV on the wall. Sometimes we need to practice self-discipline and truly unplug. 

A formula for technology detox

Here are some things that aren’t so ambitious as reading a book, but will still help you to find some peace of mind and pleasure away from the internet. 

• Cook for yourself: from scratch. Devoting time to purchasing, preparing and consuming your own meal is a relaxing and rewarding process as long as you don’t pick a recipe that is out of your skill-level!
• Hang out with friends: phone off the table. Phones have a way of becoming a third party just by their inanimate presence. And then they start chirping mid-conversation to everyone’s distraction.
• Legs up the wall: an amazing yoga technique for relaxation. Lie on your back and inch your legs up a wall until your buttocks are pressing against it. Let the blood flow and the stress drain out of your feet.
• Explore your neighborhood: walk, people watch, observe. The world is, in reality, so much wider than our phone’s can ever know.  

Starting small

It doesn’t matter if you’ve got 20 minutes, 2 hours or 2 days, every chunk of time is just as valuable as the next.  Technology is often a crutch that let’s us escape from our own thoughts and live through the memes of the day; in this way, being away from your phone and alone with your thoughts is an amazing refresher. Call our office in Milpitas today and let’s start finding time to go unplugged!

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

For something you can’t even digest, fiber is critically important

Most of us don’t even know the recommended daily amount for fiber, let alone what it does for our body. The plain fact is: we need fiber; it is a nutrient that regulates the digestive process, helps keep us energized and boosts health across the board. How much you need depends on your diet, but the general guideline is between 20-25 grams per day depending on calorie consumption.  

Benefits of fiber

High fiber foods are being shown to have great value in fighting cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. These properties aside, let’s focus on how fiber affects you on a daily basis:

• Fiber is another key to regulating blood sugar: when combined with carbohydrates, fiber slows the absorption of sugar, preventing the body’s insulin response from shooting up and then dropping off. Fiber is an essential component of defeating the dreaded sugar crash. 
• Fiber makes you feel full for longer, helping to ward off hunger throughout the day and preventing you from over-eating; in this way, it is immensely helpful with diet control and weight management. 
• Fiber is important in keeping cholesterol levels down 
• Finally, fiber helps promote smooth bowl movements and prevent constipation. 

Fast and full-flavored

No surprise here: most fiber is derived from unprocessed foods. Grains, nuts, seeds, beans, fresh fruit and vegetables are your greatest sources of fiber so it is important to seek out foods that please you but still contain fiber. Here are some sneaky and some not-so-sneaky ways to add in fiber: 

• Certain cereal brands, whether the whole grain variety or a brand that is fiber-enriched. 
• Substitute whole grain bread for white.
• Add chopped nuts and seeds to salad
• Consume whole fruits such as pears and apples 

Fiber awareness starts now. Give our office in Milpitas a call to schedule an appointment and start feeling better today!

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

Blood sugar is a balancing act

Your cells need glucose to function- this is an indisputable fact, and the most direct way to get your body glucose is through carbohydrates. If we don’t have enough, we feel low, light-headed and dizzy which makes us unproductive and irritable- veritably “hangry.” When we have too much, the body goes into insulin-producing overdrive causing the body to uptake and exhaust glucose supplies quickly, leaving us exhausted- the veritable “sugar crash.” As with everything in life, we need balance! A great way to do this is with a snack. 

Snacking is important for the busy individual 

Make no mistake: meals are more important. Eating three balanced meals a day is the best way to regulate blood sugar levels and perform your best at all times. However, snacks have a place too: in between meals. They are useful because they help regulate blood sugar, keep hunger at bay and prevent the release of stress chemicals in the brain.  The key here: as long as you snack properly. 

But snacking is an art, and it takes a refined touch

Let’s put together a toolkit for the perfect snack: 

• Avoid refined sugar and saturated fat
• Remain within 150-200 calories 
• Healthy mix of carb, protein and fat: carb for energy, protein and fat also for energy but also to sustain and prevent a spike. 
• Nutrient density

Snacking should be tasty. Here are some of our favorites

• Trail mix
• Hard-boiled egg with hummus
• Apple and peanut butter 
• Turkey and low-fat cheese 

Have fun with it and remember, the point is to prosper throughout the day! Listen to your body and if you are on the verge of feeling low, get yourself a healthy snack!

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

Breakfast is a sensitive subject

You have no time for breakfast and you are never hungry in the morning. Perhaps your brain and body have gotten used to going without a morning meal- they have forgotten what it feels like to be fed between 9 and 12. Whatever the case, breakfast is a casualty of the busy lifestyle and often we end up gorging ourselves later or opting for something insufficient (such as a doughnut) to suffice in its place.

What you forego when you forget about breakfast:

• Metabolism gains: leading to less calories burned throughout the day.
• A substantial boost in energy: breaking the fast can also be a time to power up your morning with an energy-rich diet. 
• Stabilizing blood sugar levels: glucose levels need to be restored in the blood to prevent feelings of “hangriness.” 
• A chance to regulate stress hormones: cortisol levels are often at their highest around 7 AM and eating a balanced breakfast helps to lower them. 

A breakfast challenge

So here’s our challenge: can you carve out ten minutes (or less) in the morning to chow down on one of these delicious, easy recipes? 

• Apples and peanut butter
• Oats and yogurt (and strawberries)
• Toast, avocado and egg

Even pre-packaged protein bars can give you a healthy boost that will keep your satiated and productive until lunch time. For the busy person, focus on getting between 300 and 500 calories of good fat, protein and fiber in your mornings!

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

What quality of breath are you drawing?

Many Americans practice chronic shallow breathing; this leaves us well short of our best when it comes to staying happy and healthy. Here are reasons why it helps immensely to relearn how to draw a good breath!

• Every single cell needs a constantly refreshing supply of oxygen to perform cellular respiration go about its daily business. 
• We breathe up to 18 times a minute This translates to a lot of opportunities for you to get either not enough or just the right amount!
• Better circulation keeps you keep sharp and focused and your immune system and skin strong in their fight against bacteria and infection. 
• Your heart rate will lowers and blood pressure will flow more evenly. 
• Breathing thoroughly will detoxify your body

And these are only the physiological benefits! Deep breathing has been shown to make you feel calmer and happier. 

It feels best when your lungs are getting their fill 

This is a matter of using the diaphragm, the sheet of muscle that separates the thorax from the abdomen; the diaphragm is the main muscle involved in the breathing process- many people are unaware of this fact. When it comes to relearning how to breathe, it is best to start here. 

Known most commonly as deep breathing, a diaphragmatic breath begins when you contract the diaphragm and air enters the lungs. In this way, the abdomen expands (rather than the chest) and oxygen saturates all of the necessary cells. Diaphragmatic breathing is the natural state of resting breath for mammals when they are relaxing in the wild. 

Chiropractic helps make diaphragmatic breathing easier by adjusting nerve interference in the phrenic nerve, which is the main power source for the diaphragm located between C3 and C5 in the spine. We can help you relearn how to breathe and ensure that your diaphragm and the accessory breathing muscles are in great working order! 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

Cardio is exercise at its most basic: it is rhythmic and continuous; it gets your heart rate up and utilizes major muscle groups to burn calories. The reason it works for so many people is that it is relatively low intensity, requires next to zero knowledge and equipment, and conditions your heart to operate at a higher level. Check out our article on walking for some of the most basic health benefits you can get from aerobic exercise.

Cardio is one of the least efficient ways to burn calories. 

If you are trying to lose weight however, your time and energy could be spent in better ways. Cardio lacks in efficiency because you burn a baseline of calories while working out and none after. Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption is a scientifically measured rate of elevated oxygen intake in the period after strenuous activity. Essentially the body is trying to erase its oxygen deficit and this afterburn effect helps you lose weight faster. Exercises such as high intensity interval training, while more difficult in nature, are much more efficient in the weight loss department. By constantly forcing your body and heart to adjust to different levels of intensity (think spring, jog, uphill, downhill), your metabolic rate remains elevated for a long time after workout.

If you love cardio, stick with it. 

I would never tell you to stop doing something that is good for your body, especially if it is something you enjoy. This blog is simply to show you that if you are interested in losing weight, there are more efficient methods. In fact, combining weight training with aerobic exercise is one of the most efficient methods for burning calories (while simultaneously building muscle). Above all, eating well is the key to losing weight effectively. So keep doing what you love and come visit us if you are looking to optimize your health plan this new year! 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

Stiff necks are epidemic among deskbound workers.

As the main portal between head and body, the neck is subject to the weight and position of the head above and the curvature of the spine below. Spending hours at a desk, often hunched over in front of the computer in the forward head and shoulder posture destabilizes your entire support structure.

• The forward pull of the head magnifies weight to the spine, creating excessive pressure on the intervertebral discs in the lower neck
• Muscles of the upper back are constantly firing in order to maintain a counterweight against the pull of gravity on the head
• The upper back and shoulders round, further intensifying the problem. 

Given long enough, this repetitive trauma will contribute to degenerative problems in the neck, but more likely you will go through an agonizingly long period of muscle strain. That stiff neck is not normal and it’s time we start doing something about it. 

Healing a stiff neck with the help of Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center

At our office in Milpitas, we focus on the following when it comes to healing a stiff neck: 

• Begin by relieving muscle tension

• Improve blood circulation to the injurious region, to bring healing nutrients and oxygen to the embattled cells

• Improve range of motion

Our techniques involve gentle adjustment of the spine to release pressure from nerves. Furthermore, we provide spinal traction that targets tight muscles and helps to elongate them, creating space for the blood to flow in to the aid of the muscles in your stiff neck! Once we have established a lessening of the stiffness and a trajectory of healing, we show you simple exercises and stretches that can be employed throughout the work day to keep those muscles from returning to that stiff state! To create a coordinated plan for healing your stiff neck, give our office a call in Milpitas to schedule an appointment today.

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C.