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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.

Are you part of the majority of people who are deficient in D? 

Vitamin D is one of the most important fat-soluble vitamins that we just simply can’t get enough of. In the summer time, 10-15 minutes of exposure to the direct sunlight allows our skin to produce enough of what we need on a daily basis, but this dynamic shifts in the winter when few places in North America receive enough sunlight to allow us our daily ration. So even if you are out in the winter sun, you may not be reaching your daily allowance for D. This vitamin is well known for its importance in preserving bone density and allowing for calcium and phosphorous absorption, but it is also important for supporting the immune system and fighting illness. Vitamin D also helps to fend off weight gain and even encourage weight loss, as well as fight depression, especially the Seasonal Affective Disorder which is thought to occur in some 20% of Americans. 

Getting enough vitamin D in winter means adding it in through your diet

This would be the easiest (and tastiest) way to add it in, although supplements are also a consideration. Many dairy products are fortified with vitamin D, but consuming it naturally means getting fishy: among some of the best sources of vitamin D are cold water fish such as salmon, cod and halibut, and shellfish including shrimp and oysters. A less thought of, but steady source of D are mushrooms, with some varieties even being fortified with more of the vitamin. 

Pay special attention to your body this winter with a little help from Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center. 

We want to help you feel your greatest even when the hours of daylight are shorter and the weather is dreary. Whether this means regulation of the nervous system through chiropractic adjustment or the treatment of tense muscles; improving range of motion or creating dietary awareness, we are there for you! Give our office in Milpitas a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

How do you finish your work out? 

We ask this question because there is one important little step which is often left out of many exercise routines: the cool-down. You have worked hard and earned the endorphin boost that is surging through your body and now you are ready to hit the shower and get on with your day. But consider taking a few extra minutes to gently stretch the body and practice deep breathing, to make the transition back to normal life extra smooth! Cooling down is low-key and it feels great: it’s all about lowering your heart rate and treating any regions that may have incurred even slight stress during the exercise (think: lower back; shoulders). 

Try Child’s Pose

Child’s Pose is a basic yoga move that has wide ranging benefits. In the wake of a work out in can be used to release tension in the back, stretch the hips, thighs and ankles and lower the heart rate. This is a resting pose that encourages you to relax and focus on releasing tension while breathing deeply.

1. Start on hands and knees
2. Spread knees as wide as hips; keep big toes touching
3. Sit on your heels
4. Exhale; lay torso down between thighs
5. Lay hands, palm up, beside the torso and feel tension release from shoulders
6. Rest and breathe deeply between 30 seconds and three minutes

Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center helps you optimize every work out. 

From the warm-up to the cool-down and everything in between, we believe passionately in the importance of exercise and we want to make sure that your body is firing optimally while you perform. Our services help you by regulating the nervous system, improving range of motion and treating tense muscles, all factors that help you excel in working out and in life! Give our office in Milpitas a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

With winter fast approaching, there is no better time to talk about warming up! 

Warming up truly means warming: a gentle routine should see your body temperature rise and the muscles follow: the transition from cold, contracted muscles to loose and warm ones makes a world of difference when it comes to injury prevention and range of motion improvement. At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we want our warm ups to lend elasticity to the muscles, allowing you to move on to deeper exercise with your muscles fully able to contract and relax without injury. 

When it comes to warming up, patience is a virtue. 

Especially in cold weather, your muscles need a little more time. Rather than blitzing them with static exercises, focus on dynamic warm ups that use only your body weight (or simple things like a foam roller) to get your muscles in a state of optimization that will allow you to reap the greatest reward from your work out. 

Keeping your fitness up in winter takes dedication. 

The reality is we are less likely to be as proactive about working out during winter and this is a reason why we see increased reports of muscle and joint pain during winter months. We help you stay on top of your fitness during winter so that you can: 

• Maintain and control weight
• Improve circulation
• Keep muscle pain and joint stiffness down
• Strengthen muscles 

These are things that keep you truly healthy, despite the grey weather! Give our office in Milpitas a call to schedule an appointment today!

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

Tight shoulders are epidemic

If you are coming home from a day spent at the desk with tight shoulders, or an upper back full of knots, you are among a legion of Americans whose entire spine is up against it in the workplace. What will differentiate you from the crowd is your willingness to do something about it. We are able to function with a stiff, sore upper back because it usually doesn’t progress beyond this stage; our muscles get used to that tight, scrunched up position you constantly demand of them and they adapt: the upper trapezius constantly contracts, pulling the shoulders up and holding them there while the middle and lower trapezius weaken from lack of use. 

How do we fight tight shoulders on the job?

Stretching is the number one way to fight against the physical (and mental) stress that accumulates during your eight hour work day. You can relax a stiff neck and tight shoulders from the space you are sitting in, which will help you reset, refocus and refresh. Remember that if your muscles are super tight, they probably don’t want to be stretched too aggressively for fear of injury. Keep the movements simple and always remember to breathe. 

1. Try a deep breath. Inhale and lift your tight shoulders up slowly toward your ears. Exhale and let your shoulders fall and the tension along with it. Repeat as many times as feels good. 
2. Neck circles: lower right ear to the right shoulder, then roll it down across the chest so that left ear is down toward left shoulder. 
3. Squeeze shoulder blades together to open up your chest

Try doing these once every hour or whenever you think of it. 

How does the chiropractor help your tight shoulders?

We help by identifying the root cause of your pain and stiffness- for example, a sore neck could be symptomatic of tight hips, but it may not appear that way to you. We help identify and adjust spinal imbalances that create nerve irritation and focus on improving range of motion. We show you the zones that matter for maintaining good posture- the core, and load-bearing regions, and focus on strengthening them so that a day at the desk doesn’t take too big a toll. For help on protecting your body against the rigors of daily work and releasing those tight shoulders, give our office in Milpitas a call to schedule an appointment today. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C.