health
4 Foods Your Joints Will Love
- Strawberries: Why? They are packed with vitamin C. Some studies suggest vitamin C may stymie the progression of osteoarthritis and the accompanying cartilage loss. Other good C sources: oranges, peaches, and red bell peppers.
- Olive oil: You know how the Tin Man’s joints loved oil? Well, your joints may love olive oil just as much. Research shows that polyphenols in olive oil may help reduce inflammation in the body — always a good goal if you have arthritis.
- Salmon: This fish is loaded with two joint-soothing nutrients: vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. If you are deficient in D (and many adults are), boosting your intake could help with osteoarthritis pain and disability. And omega-3 fatty acids have long been promoted by health experts for their anti-inflammatory qualities.
- Leafy greens: The more plant-based foods you add to your diet, the better it probably is for your joints. A Mediterranean-style diet that emphasizes fruit, nuts, and veggies may help quiet inflammation. (Leafy greens also happen to be rich in vitamin K, a nutrient that seems to play a role in osteoarthritis prevention.)
Lose Weight N O W.
Stop Frying, Start Grilling
The method in which food is cooked plays a very important role in good health and nutrition. Instead of eating fried foods, it is better to eat food that has been grilled, steamed, baked or roasted. You always want to avoid eating anything fried because it is harmful to your health.
Grilling the food kills any bacteria that the meat, fish, or vegetable had, whereas frying the food adds unnecessary grease that can cause cholesterol and bring serious heart problems. Grilling, steaming, baking, or roasting the food will make it healthy while keeping it’s good and fresh taste!
If Your New Year’s Resolution is to Get Fit, Chiropractic Can Help
We know that when one thing is imbalanced, the whole system becomes less effective. The truth is, regular maintenance (getting that tune-up, having that spine adjusted) can play a significant role in overall “fitness.” When all systems are fully supported and functioning properly, we run, work, and play better.
Though it can be difficult to define, physical fitness refers to a state of overall health that includes the ability to perform a range of activities, from a hard workout to working comfortably at a desk, with ease and efficiency. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, there are four interrelated types of fitness that contribute to complete health: muscular fitness, which includes muscle strength and endurance; flexibility, which includes muscle/tendon elasticity and range of motion; cardio-respiratory fitness, which includes the heart, lungs, and blood vessels; and body composition, or the percentage of body fat to nonfat tissues (bones, organs, etc.). Because no one system functions independently, the fitness of each affects all the others.
While it’s important to get adequate exercise, eat right, and treat our bodies kindly to maximize health in all of the above categories, regular alignment or “maintenance” through chiropractic adjustments can be a big step to improving overall fitness. Because chiropractic works toward balancing the body’s systems—bones, muscles, nerves, and organs—through proper posture and alignment, regular chiropractic care allows the whole body to perform at its best, increasing energy reserves as it decreases the stress and fatigue that can result from improper alignment.
Though it may feel like a miracle, the principle of chiropractic is simple. When the body is well aligned, muscles, joints, and ligaments function together with greater ease. Internal organs aren’t hindered—the lungs and heart are better able to do their jobs. Perhaps even more importantly, chiropractic care helps prevent injuries that can result from overtaxing a particular part of the body that may be compensating for those that aren’t functioning as well. Through chiropractic the body gets a tune-up. We’re ready to roll—more efficiently and with a greater sense of well-being.
Let us at Harbor Family help you reach your fitness goals for the New Year!
Laughing Your Way Back to Better Health
“Seven days without laughter makes one weak.” -Mort Walker
Why is it that we all think we need to be serious in order to achieve all of our goals each day? Who says we can’t be productive and crack a joke here and there? If we all knew how beneficial laughing is for our health, everyone we see encounter in our day would be consumed by an uncontrollable laugh attack. According to Dr. William Fry, associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Stanford University who has studied the effects of laughter for 30 years, laughter increases your heart rate and improves blood circulation while working muscles all over the body. He even compares laughter to “inner jogging” and claims that laughing 100 times a day is the equivalent of ten minutes of rowing. The author of Humor: Its Origin and Development suggests that humor can create a more relaxed atmosphere, encourage communication on sensitive matters, be a source of insight into conflict, help overcome a stiff and formal social style, and facilitate the acting out of feelings or impulses in a safe, non-threatening way. Laughter is also known for increasing endorphins which is the body’s natural painkiller and protector against depression. Clinical studies have shown that laughter decreases serum cortisol levels, increases T lymphocytes and increases the number of natural killer cells, therefore decreasing stress hormones and stimulating the immune system. Put simply, laughing can only lift your spirits and boost your health. Let’s try and view laughter from Milton Berle’s perspective and that is that “Laughter is an instant vacation.”