In this issue of To Your Health:

• Time for a Spinal Tuneup
• A Total-Body Workout in 5 Easy Steps
• Fighting Cold and Flu
• Living With Arthritis Without Resorting to Drugs or Surgery
• Healthy Habits 101
• Catch Some Zzzzs

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Time for a Spinal Tuneup

When you care about your car, you take it to the shop for the tuneups it needs - oil changes, tire rotations, new brakes, etc. Your spine is no different. It needs a regular "tuneup" as well, complete with chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic tuneups can serve three purposes:

1. Evaluate the state of your body, even if you have no pain. Even people who feel fine have areas of their spine or extremities that are out of normal alignment. When we adjust those bones back into place, people feel better in some way. If we waited until we felt pain, we would all wait until we needed root canals or crowns before going to the dentist!
2. Address major or minor pains you currently have, but haven't been too worried about. Have you had any nagging discomforts or pains coming from your spine or extremities? Do these discomforts prevent you from doing the activities you enjoy? Instead of wondering if the pain will continue to get worse or stay that way for the rest of your life, give chiropractic a try. You don't have to live with pain.
3. Prevent future problems that can and likely will arise from your joints being out of alignment and not functioning at 100 percent. Our society is moving toward preventative health care. Chiropractic has been at the forefront of this concept since the chiropractic profession was founded in 1895. Arthritis, overuse injuries (like carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow), rotator cuff injuries and knee problems are just some examples of conditions that may be prevented with chiropractic care.

Scheduling chiropractic tuneups allows you to take care of your body so that your machine functions as well as it possibly can. Please remember to make time to care for yourself; you are worth every penny.

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A Total-Body Workout in 5 Easy Steps - Part 5: Abdominals

The abdominal area is probably the most talked about area for both men and women, but it is one of the most difficult areas to define correctly and effectively.

The abdominal wall is made up of clusters of muscles separated by connective tissue. Ab exercises strengthen those clusters and burn off the surrounding fat. In extremely fit individuals, the clusters become visible, resulting in ridges or "washboard" abs. Your abs are a major component of your core, which is composed of the transversus abdominus, internal obliques, pelvic floor musculature, diaphragm, transversospinalis and multifidus. Researchers have found that individuals with chronic low back pain (85 percent of U.S. adults) have decreased use in these muscles. The following ab exercises can be done daily, but if there is any soreness the next day, you may want to rest for a day.

CORE

Prone Iso Abs
Side-Lying Iso Abs

ABDOMINALS

Ball Crunch
Long-Lever Ball Crunch with Medicine Ball
Seated Oblique Twists with Medicine Ball

Ask your doctor for more information on how to perform these exercises and for an overall assessment of your health and fitness needs. This concludes the five-part series on the total-body workout. As you prepare for the holiday season, remember to keep yourself motivated by constantly challenging yourself to new levels. Good luck and stay fit!

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Fighting Cold and Flu

It's cold and flu season, and the sounds of coughing, sneezing and runny noses can be heard in nearly every home, office and shopping mall across the country. But don't run to the doctor and stock up on prescriptions just yet.

Colds, flus, most sore throats and acute bronchitis are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not help fight viruses. Your prescription medication won't fight the virus, make you feel better, yield a quicker recovery or keep others from getting sick. In fact, because of the potentially serious side effects, taking antibiotics to treat a virus can do more harm than good.

In addition to failing to solve your problem, taking unnecessary antibiotics can result in an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in some way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections. This means the next time you really need an antibiotic for a bacterial infection, it may not work.

When the scratchy throat, sinus headache and sniffles get to be too much to handle this season, resist the urge to reach for the easy answer. Talk to your doctor about natural alternatives for treating your cold or flu.

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Living With Arthritis Without Resorting to Drugs or Surgery

Arthritis is one of the oldest known afflictions and can affect virtually every part of the body, from the feet to the knees, back, shoulders and fingers. More than 50 million (about one in six) Americans suffer from arthritis. The most common types are rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and gouty arthritis.

There are natural ways to improve your arthritis symptoms. Dairy products, caffeine, citrus fruits, paprika, salt, tobacco and sugar should be reduced or eliminated from your diet, as these foods may increase joint inflammation. Additionally, nightshades (e.g., red, green and yellow bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, white flesh potatoes) should be avoided because they have a tendency to intensify arthritic symptoms. Foods containing sulfur, such as asparagus, eggs, garlic and onions, are important for the repair and rebuilding of bone, cartilage and connective tissue, and also aid in the absorption of calcium. Other good foods include green, leafy vegetables (which supply vitamin K), fresh vegetables, non-acidic fresh fruits, whole grains, oatmeal, brown rice and fish. Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, a powerful natural anti-inflammatory agent, which works by stimulating the body's production of prostaglandins.

One of the most overlooked approaches to improve the discomfort associated with arthritis is hydration. Depending on your level of activity, a good rule of thumb is to drink half of your weight in ounces. Thus, if you weigh 180 pounds, you should consume 90 ounces of pure, filtered water per day.

Arthritis in any form can be a debilitating condition that prevents you from living the life you want. Rather than immediately accepting the dangerous side effects of drugs and risky surgeries, talk to your doctor about natural alternatives to keep your muscles and joints in optimal condition.

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Healthy Habits 101: 10 Ways to Teach Your Children the Value of a Healthy Lifestyle

1. Practice what you preach. It's considerably easier to convince your children to adopt healthy habits if you're doing the same.
2. Involve the whole family. Establishing a regular pattern of exercising as a family accomplishes two important things: It keeps everyone in shape and serves as important bonding time.
3. Limit screen time. Too much time watching television or playing video/computer games can lead to excessive snacking and a sedentary lifestyle.
4. Make it fun. Let your children discover which specific healthy activities they truly enjoy. If they don't like it, they won't stick with it.
5. Focus on the positives. Celebrate your children's successes and help them develop a healthy self-image. Low self-esteem can lead to poor eating, exercise and lifestyle habits.
6. Set goals and limits. If goals are excessively restrictive or vague, children are less likely to rise to the challenge. Establish clear nutrition and exercise goals (dessert two times a week; a half-hour walk five times a week, etc.).
7. Reward wisely. Rather than rewarding children with desserts or sugary snacks (a common tactic), find healthy ways to show a job well done.
8. Turn them into chefs. Get your children involved in planning and preparing meals; then sit down at the dinner table together and enjoy the healthy meal you've created together.
9. Knowledge is power. Teach children the value of reading food labels and being aware of the healthy (and not so healthy) ingredients in the foods they eat.
10. Don't pass the buck. You're the parent - that means it's up to you to teach your children about good health. School and health care providers can only do so much.

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Catch Some Zzzzs

Experts generally recommend that adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night - a goal most people fail to achieve. What about your children? How much sleep should they be getting?

In a study that followed nearly 1,500 Canadian children from birth to age 6, researchers discovered that those who slept less than 10 hours per night in their preschool years were more likely to show problems with their verbal and spatial skills when they entered school. They also tended to be more hyperactive and impulsive than their less sleep-deprived peers.

Overall, children who persistently underslept were three times more likely to score poorly on a standard language test than children who consistently slept at least 10 hours nightly. Even if children increased their sleep time as they got older, the risk of hyperactivity and poor visual/spatial skills remained. Thus, experts recommend that preschool-age children sleep 11 to 13 hours per night; children ages 5 to 12 years should sleep 10 to 11 hours; and teens should get 9 hours per night.

Sleep has the power to refresh and restore, and it can help keep you and your family functioning at your best. Make sure your children are ready for life's challenges by ensuring they sleep at least 10 hours per night, particularly if they are age 3 or younger.

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James Bogash, DC and Amy Strock, DC
1830 S. Alma School Rd, Bldg 7, Ste 135, Mesa, AZ 85210
(Alma School Road, just south of the Superstition Freeway/Highway 60)
Chiropractic Health Care Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert & Tempe, Arizona
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