Our fall series on optimizing overall health began last month with nutrition.  Hopefully you have been able to take a few steps in this area of health…remember, a little goes a long way and if you need help we are only a phone call away!  And just like nutrition, small amounts of exercise & movement when done the right way can go a long way.

As many of you may already have experienced there is a mass amount of research on the benefits of exercise.  From decreasing risk of many diseases & surrounding medical complications, improving stress management & mood, boosting metabolism and circulation,  improving energy levels and more it seems that exercise would be a no brainer for most people.  But if you are like most people you have become frustrated with the one of the major reasons you wanted to exercise…TO LOOK BETTER.  This is not a bad thing as part of your self-esteem is not only feeling good but looking good.  We will try the million different exercise programs out there to see which one will be our “golden ticket” to look like the Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie.  Well I am going to tell you a little secret.  It is easier than you think.  Exercise, is not as much about WHAT you are doing as it is  HOW you are doing it.  Body awareness and understanding how you move is bigger than you think.

Body awareness type of exercise has been around for decades and even centuries.  Body awareness in it’s most simplist definition is to be able to “feel” how you are moving or holding a position.  Yoga, pilates and Feldenkrais are to just name of few that incorporate body awareness into their programs. Yoga (working on flexibility and strength in sustained holds), Pilates (engaging what they have coined the “power house”) and Feldenkrais techniques (small movements laying down to aid in improving movement & decreasing pain) may address different components of health & fitness but they all incorporate “feeling” and breathing to aid in improving quality of movement and isolation of specific muscle groups.  This is why the effectiveness of these 3 is absolutely amazing.  The more specific we are at  what we are working the more effective we will be.

Let me make a even more common example for you. Abdominal crunches.  Most of us have tried these and pride ourselves on being able to do 300 of them.  But I can’t tell you how many of those same people are still frustrated with their waist size and now have  pain from doing them wrong.   Majority of people use momentum and their hip flexors to complete a crunch along with thinking about their grocery list or anything else for that matter besides what they are truly trying to work.  Instead, visualize the abdominals.  If you don’t really know what they look like get an anatomy book!  Once you visualize and are thinking about the abdominals engage this area by drawing in the belly button & ribs along with exhaling on the way up. Rememer, visualize & engage first before coming up.  By doing this we are able to isolate the abdominals more effectively.  By implementing this technique of visualization, engaging the area and breathing you can become even more effective in all areas of your workout.  Whether it be walking on a treadmill or doing bicep curls while engaging your abdominals or taking a Pilates class, you will have to spend less time at the gym to get the job done.  Fluidity Physical Therapy incorporates these type of exercises into your program.  These exercises are a beautiful way to to compliment the alternative & integrative manual therapy at our clinic and transition you into the life you want to live outside our walls…the life you deserve!

So say good bye to 300 sit-ups and 3 hours at the gym!  You can feel better AND look better by incorporating body awareness into your program.  Remember what you focus on is what you will engage.  The power of the mind is an amazing thing…use it to your advantage!

To your health,

Jennifer

Hello All!  I hope you had a wonderful summer.  One of my favorite times of year here is the summer but if you are like me you realize the “lazy days of summer” are gone and the school buses are back in main stream traffic.  But as the kids go back to school the fall also seems to be the time to “jump start” you.   When we feel better doesn’t that seem to make everything seem better?  Our body is our machine and our daily choices can truly effect whether this machine thrives or breaks down.

This fall I will be offering a series of information on ways to make a healthier you.  One that allows for optimal body function and ultimately allows you to have the quality of life you deserve and the tools you need for a demanding & stressful schedule that many of us have.  It may seem overwhelming at times to “fit in” another task but it is the small steps that we will show you that can make the biggest difference.  What a great thing to know that we have control to improve our quality of life and decrease risk factors of diseases! 

We are beginning our health series with FOOD & NUTRITION.  Many of you have heard the phrase “you are what you eat.”  Some of us may know the basics but unfortunately most of us don’t even know where to begin to be healthy in our food choices.  The first step is to realize what foods should be in your diet.  Recommendations for a balanced diet include: 40-50%  carbohydrates, 25-30% fruits & vegetables, 25-30% protein.  (numbers based on standard serving size: 40-50%= 9-11 servings, 25-30%= 5-9 servings) 

Carbohydrates are the foundation for our caloric intake.  It is carbohydrates, when broken down into sugar,that gives us the energy we need to carry out the body’s processes and ultimately our daily tasks.  Carbohydrates can include but not limited to: wheat/rye products (breads, pasta, cereals, etc.), rice or corn based products, potatoes.  Many people can have a sensitivity or intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye & barley. Understanding other options you have such as corn/rice based products will help give you the calories you need. 

Fruits & vegetables are the key for improving overall body system’s function but many times are the forgotten food.  Fruits & vegetables give us the vitamins and minerals that we need for improving immune system, metabolism, circulation, digestion, skin health, brain function & more.  It is true…”A through Z” can make you feel better than you ever have!  From anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C, to bone builders such as calcium & vitamin D, to energy/metabolism boosters and stress reducers such as iron & vitamin B these are just a few of the amazing processes vitamins and minerals enhance.   Many vegetables & a variety of beans also have one of the highest sources of fiber which help maintain gut integrity and assist in bowel production. There are so many fruits & vegetable choices, what are the best?  Green, leafy vegetables have a huge amount of all the vitamins/minerals mentioned.  Also, staying with fruits that have a low glycemic index (low sugar/serving) is best…one of my favorite fruits, blueberries, is very high in anti-oxidants but low in glycemic index.

Protein makes up the last group and is one of the major building blocks of cells!  It is the second largest building material in the body (second only to water).  It is important in maintaining integrity of muscle, blood cells, brains and much more.  Foods high in protein can be found but not limited to: soy products, poultry, fish, and a variety of beans.  Some dairy products such as cottage cheese are also high in protein.  Although not high in calories, protein is mandatory in maintaining body functions and also influences carbohydrate/sugar levels in the blood stream.

Taking in the recommended amounts of carbohydrates, fruits/vegetables and protein is only half the story.  THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD AS WELL AS WHAT YOU  SHOULDN’T EAT ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT.  The topic of the quality of food  as well as what foods to stay away from will be addressed in future sessions.  And although not mentioned in length, DO NOT FORGET THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER, WATER, WATER!  It makes up the majority of our body and is important in all body functions ranging from metabolism, to digestion, to elimination of waste, to brain & muscle activity and more!  The recommended 8 cups/day is the average depending on your past medical history and activity level. 

***Remember, these are guidelines and may vary from person to person depending on you past medical history.***

Does some of this information seem overwhelming? That’s okay!  This is why it is important to get the support you need from the right sources.  The first step is making an appointment with a nutritionist near you.  They can go through your specific diet, past medical history and come up with a game plan that is easy for you to implement quickly.  If unsure where to find a good nutritionist, please feel free to call as I work with some of the best ones in there field. 

Working with the patients I have over the years I have seen the effects of good and bad food choices.  From a pure physical therapy stand-point those that eat better have a much better chance of healing and healing more quickly.  Our comprehensive & integrative systems approach at our practice addresses not only the current areas of dsyfunction for healing and prevention but addresses exercise, stress management, and the food choices we make.  If you, like many Americans, are sick & tired of pain, fatigue, & stress…if you are looking for an alternative to popping pills that don’t seem to work or worse yet, make you feel even worse the answer is cheap and can absolutely change your life… FOOD, FOOD, FOOD.  Remember, you have control of how great you can feel!

For questions or feed back please feel free to contact us via email on our contact page or by phone.   If you would like to set up a consultation for prevention or for current injury/pain,  please feel free to contact us as well. 

We look forward to hearing from you! 

To your health…

Jennifer

Sources/references: www.shakleeuniversity.com