Choosing The Right Nut Butter For You The best nut butters are those that are made with the simplest ingredient: the nut! Look for organic varieties that are made with only a little added salt, seek out jars with minimal added sugars and shun hydrogenated oils. Here are our favorites: ALMOND BUTTERS Ounce for ounce, almonds are one of the most nutritious nuts. They’re a great source of riboflavin, magnesium and manganese (which is great for the prevention of osteoporosis as well as a healthy metabolism), and also provide an impressive amount of vitamin E per serving. By choosing almond butter as your spread, you’ll also get flavonoids, compounds that are extremely useful in fighting heart disease and cancer. SUN BUTTERS A great alternative for those with tree nut allergies, sun butter is a powerful seed-based butter. Sunflower seeds can provide even more fiber, magnesium and vitamin E than traditional nut butters. Sun butters are also a wonderful source of protein, vitamin E, B vitamins, folic acid and selenium. Studies have shown that sunflower seed butter is also anti-inflammatory and preventative against cancer and heart disease. PEANUT BUTTERS While the classic nut butter shares some health benefits with other nut butters, there tend to be fewer healthy versions available on the market. Peanut butters are most often processed with hydrogenated oils and sugar, so make sure you check the label carefully. Organic is always your best option! CASHEW BUTTERS
With a rich, smooth texture, cashew butter is slightly lower in calcium than other varieties, but can still pack a nutritional punch. It’s a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and copper, and shouldn’t be overlooked. Magnesium boasts a myriad of health benefits, such as helping your body relieve various conditions like constipation, insomnia, headaches and muscle cramps, as well as regulating the immune system and supporting brain function. Cashews also contain a good amount of biotin, which will help keep your locks shiny and lustrous.
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| Chest/Shoulder Opener Sitting on the edge of your chair, clasp your hands behind your back, opening up your chest and shoulders. Inhale/exhale several times, noticing that when you inhale your stretch increases. Release and repeat 2-3 times. |
Eagle Arms
Sitting at the computer all day can do a number on your shoulders and upper back. This may help. While sitting, reach your arms straight out in front of you, keeping them parallel with your shoulders and shoulder-distance apart. Bend the left arm upward and sweep the right arm under it. Wrap your right arm around the left until you are able to grab the outside edge of the left arm or until you are able to clasp your palms together.
Lift the elbows away towards the ceiling and pull your hands away from your face. Turn your head side-to-side. Repeat on the other side.
This will stretch the muscles under the shoulder blades, the upper back, shoulders, and neck. Hold each side for approximately 8 to 10 breaths.
Sitting at the computer all day can do a number on your shoulders and upper back. This may help. While sitting, reach your arms straight out in front of you, keeping them parallel with your shoulders and shoulder-distance apart. Bend the left arm upward and sweep the right arm under it. Wrap your right arm around the left until you are able to grab the outside edge of the left arm or until you are able to clasp your palms together.
Lift the elbows away towards the ceiling and pull your hands away from your face. Turn your head side-to-side. Repeat on the other side.
This will stretch the muscles under the shoulder blades, the upper back, shoulders, and neck. Hold each side for approximately 8 to 10 breaths.
Seated Forward Bend
Purpose: Stretches and lengthens the entire spine
Sit upright in a chair, keeping your spine straight and holding your head erect.
Place your palms in your lap and relax your shoulders and arms.
Place your feet hip width apart. If this is not comfortable, you can place your feet farther apart, however, if you do so turn your toes slightly towards one another.
Inhale while leaning forward over your thighs. Allow your hands to dangle on either side of your feet, keeping your shoulders relaxed and your neck elongated.
Breathe deeply into your lower back, holding this stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.
Sit up slowly.
Managing Chronic Pain
Accepting the fact that you have chronic pain and thus it will be with you for a long time— maybe for the rest of your life – offers a realistic approach that enables you to move forward and make changes that will allow you to live a rewarding existence with your pain. When we resist the pain, fighting against it, resenting it, even hating it, this negative attitude can actually aggravate the pain, resulting in tighter muscles, decreased circulation, and greater suffering.
Emotions and thoughts drive the experience of chronic pain and make us miserable.
Finding small ways to take control of your life, without letting the pain consume you, can make a positive impact on your life, during a time that can be very discouraging. Here are a few steps that help some people dealing with chronic pain:
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1. Stay active
Exercising may be the last thing you want to do when your body hurts. But physical activity has been shown to ease chronic pain. Staying active also helps you maintain your ability to do everyday tasks, which is essential to good health and independence. The goal of many chronic pain programs, in fact, is to help people maintain function despite pain. Research suggests that low to moderate exercise—walking or pedaling a stationary bike—can reduce pain and improve your fitness level. Talk to your doctor about activities appropriate for you. Try to do at least half an hour of physical activity most days of the week.
2. Try something new
If conventional activities don’t inspire you, try something new—water aerobics, for instance, or yoga. Tai chi, a Chinese practice that combines meditation and movement, is also popular. Qigong, another Chinese discipline, focuses on posture, concentration, balance, and confidence. Try a new fitness class or join a gym. The Smith Clinic offers great membership and class prices. More details HERE. Be sure to talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.
3. Eat well
You’ve no doubt read that certain foods, such as tomatoes, broccoli, fish, and green tea, may have an anti-inflammatory effect. But rather than focus on single foods, most experts agree it’s smart to focus on an overall healthy diet. The best advice: help yourself to plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and legumes. Avoid processed foods, especially those loaded with salt or sugar. Keep an eye on portion sizes to help avoid weight gain.
4. Distract yourself
When you suffer from chronic pain, it’s easy to withdraw into yourself, which can make your discomfort even worse. Instead, find ways to distract yourself by doing something you enjoy, especially something that engages your mind. Call a friend, go to the movies, do a crossword puzzle, pursue a hobby that you enjoy. Post encouraging Bible verses around so that you can turn to them when moments of despair hit you. Finding something that can turn your thoughts away from the understandable discouragement you are feeling can help. These things will not stop the pain, but they can help give you hope during moments of potential despair.
Exercising may be the last thing you want to do when your body hurts. But physical activity has been shown to ease chronic pain. Staying active also helps you maintain your ability to do everyday tasks, which is essential to good health and independence. The goal of many chronic pain programs, in fact, is to help people maintain function despite pain. Research suggests that low to moderate exercise—walking or pedaling a stationary bike—can reduce pain and improve your fitness level. Talk to your doctor about activities appropriate for you. Try to do at least half an hour of physical activity most days of the week.
2. Try something new
If conventional activities don’t inspire you, try something new—water aerobics, for instance, or yoga. Tai chi, a Chinese practice that combines meditation and movement, is also popular. Qigong, another Chinese discipline, focuses on posture, concentration, balance, and confidence. Try a new fitness class or join a gym. The Smith Clinic offers great membership and class prices. More details HERE. Be sure to talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.
3. Eat well
You’ve no doubt read that certain foods, such as tomatoes, broccoli, fish, and green tea, may have an anti-inflammatory effect. But rather than focus on single foods, most experts agree it’s smart to focus on an overall healthy diet. The best advice: help yourself to plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and legumes. Avoid processed foods, especially those loaded with salt or sugar. Keep an eye on portion sizes to help avoid weight gain.
4. Distract yourself
When you suffer from chronic pain, it’s easy to withdraw into yourself, which can make your discomfort even worse. Instead, find ways to distract yourself by doing something you enjoy, especially something that engages your mind. Call a friend, go to the movies, do a crossword puzzle, pursue a hobby that you enjoy. Post encouraging Bible verses around so that you can turn to them when moments of despair hit you. Finding something that can turn your thoughts away from the understandable discouragement you are feeling can help. These things will not stop the pain, but they can help give you hope during moments of potential despair.
5. Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can be an effective treatment for some people dealing with chronic pain. The treatments may include:
Education to improve your knowledge and understanding of chronic pain -- how it occurs, and what you can do about it. Your therapist will teach you how to manage your pain and help you work toward performing your normal daily activities again.
Strengthening and flexibility exercises to help you move more easily with less discomfort. Your therapist will design a program of graded exercises for you -- movements that are gradually increased according to your abilities. Graded exercises help you improve your coordination and movement, reducing the stress and strain on your body, and decreasing your pain. Carefully introducing a graded exercise program will help train your brain to sense the problem area in your body without increasing its danger messages.
Manual therapy, which consists of specific, gentle, hands-on techniques that may be used to manipulate or mobilize tight joint structures and soft tissues. Manual therapy is used to increase movement (range of motion), improve the quality of the tissues, and reduce pain.
Posture awareness and body mechanics instruction to help improve your posture and movement. This training helps you use your body more efficiently while performing activities and even when you are resting. Your therapist will help you adjust your movement at work, or when performing chores or recreational activities, to reduce your pain and increase your ability to function.
Please call our office at 901-756-1650 if you have any questions!
Physical therapy can be an effective treatment for some people dealing with chronic pain. The treatments may include:
Education to improve your knowledge and understanding of chronic pain -- how it occurs, and what you can do about it. Your therapist will teach you how to manage your pain and help you work toward performing your normal daily activities again.
Strengthening and flexibility exercises to help you move more easily with less discomfort. Your therapist will design a program of graded exercises for you -- movements that are gradually increased according to your abilities. Graded exercises help you improve your coordination and movement, reducing the stress and strain on your body, and decreasing your pain. Carefully introducing a graded exercise program will help train your brain to sense the problem area in your body without increasing its danger messages.
Manual therapy, which consists of specific, gentle, hands-on techniques that may be used to manipulate or mobilize tight joint structures and soft tissues. Manual therapy is used to increase movement (range of motion), improve the quality of the tissues, and reduce pain.
Posture awareness and body mechanics instruction to help improve your posture and movement. This training helps you use your body more efficiently while performing activities and even when you are resting. Your therapist will help you adjust your movement at work, or when performing chores or recreational activities, to reduce your pain and increase your ability to function.
Please call our office at 901-756-1650 if you have any questions!
It can be very frustrating when you work out but the pounds still do not come off like you hoped they would. Did you know that there are certain habits and physical changes that can undermine even the best weight loss strategies, especially after you reach age 40. These three targeted fat-fighting tips are the key to turning the tide—so your body will finally shed the weight.
1. Make some extra muscle
Lift weights three times a week. It's the fastest way to build muscle and get results when the scale is stuck. "Research shows that regular strength-training can increase your resting metabolic rate by up to 8%," says Wayne Westcott, PhD, fitness researcher in Quincy, MA, and author of Get Stronger, Feel Younger. In one 8-week study, women and men who did only cardio exercise lost 4 pounds but gained no muscle, while those who did half the amount of cardio and an equal amount of strength-training shed 10 pounds of fat and added 2 pounds of muscle.
Rest less: If you already strength-train, shorten the time you linger between sets. "Taking a brief, 20-second break after each set burns extra calories and accelerates metabolism more than waiting the standard 60 to 90 seconds, studies show," says Westcott.
Do double-duty moves: Trade exercises that isolate a single muscle, such as biceps curls, for multi-joint, multi-muscle moves like chest presses and squats. "The more muscles you engage at once, the more calories you'll burn," he says.
Lift weights three times a week. It's the fastest way to build muscle and get results when the scale is stuck. "Research shows that regular strength-training can increase your resting metabolic rate by up to 8%," says Wayne Westcott, PhD, fitness researcher in Quincy, MA, and author of Get Stronger, Feel Younger. In one 8-week study, women and men who did only cardio exercise lost 4 pounds but gained no muscle, while those who did half the amount of cardio and an equal amount of strength-training shed 10 pounds of fat and added 2 pounds of muscle.
Rest less: If you already strength-train, shorten the time you linger between sets. "Taking a brief, 20-second break after each set burns extra calories and accelerates metabolism more than waiting the standard 60 to 90 seconds, studies show," says Westcott.
Do double-duty moves: Trade exercises that isolate a single muscle, such as biceps curls, for multi-joint, multi-muscle moves like chest presses and squats. "The more muscles you engage at once, the more calories you'll burn," he says.
2. Outsmart a plateau
It's a common scenario: The first 10 or 20 pounds come off easily, but then the scale won't budge. Plateaus can happen in as little as 3 weeks, find Drexel University researchers. As you drop weight, your body doesn't have to work as hard simply because there's less of you to move around, says Michele Kettles, MD, medical director of the Cooper Clinic in Dallas. That means your workouts produce a smaller calorie burn. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds and lose 35, you'll melt about 100 fewer calories in an hour-long cardio class—which can slow down further weight loss. And as you get older, injuries or arthritis can make it difficult to do vigorous, high-impact activities that help compensate for this calorie deficit.
Diversify: The more comfortable you become with a routine, exercise class, or fitness DVD, the less effective it gets. To continue to lose weight, you need to challenge your body in new ways. "Even replacing one exercise can create enough of a surprise to keep results coming," says Kettles. Try this: The first week of every month, do a new upper-body exercise; the second week, a new lower-body one; the third, a new abs move; and the fourth, a different type of cardio (cycling instead of walking, for example).
It's a common scenario: The first 10 or 20 pounds come off easily, but then the scale won't budge. Plateaus can happen in as little as 3 weeks, find Drexel University researchers. As you drop weight, your body doesn't have to work as hard simply because there's less of you to move around, says Michele Kettles, MD, medical director of the Cooper Clinic in Dallas. That means your workouts produce a smaller calorie burn. For example, if you weigh 180 pounds and lose 35, you'll melt about 100 fewer calories in an hour-long cardio class—which can slow down further weight loss. And as you get older, injuries or arthritis can make it difficult to do vigorous, high-impact activities that help compensate for this calorie deficit.
Diversify: The more comfortable you become with a routine, exercise class, or fitness DVD, the less effective it gets. To continue to lose weight, you need to challenge your body in new ways. "Even replacing one exercise can create enough of a surprise to keep results coming," says Kettles. Try this: The first week of every month, do a new upper-body exercise; the second week, a new lower-body one; the third, a new abs move; and the fourth, a different type of cardio (cycling instead of walking, for example).
3. Be a stealth calorie burner
It may happen subconsciously, but studies show that some people move less after they begin an exercise regimen. The reason for the slowdown, experts speculate, may be post workout fatigue or the perception that if you exercise, you can afford to skimp on the small stuff. Wrong! Little activities such as standing instead of sitting, and walking more throughout the day can add up to an extra 350 calories burned per day, according to Mayo Clinic studies.
Track non-exercise activity: Record your daily step counts a couple of days when you don't work out. Then calculate your average (add up your daily totals and divide by the number of days tracked). If you don't maintain at least this level of activity every day, your fat-burning ability will decline. For instance, if you normally log 5,000 steps a day but skip half of them on days you work out, it could slow weight loss by up to 50%—even though you're exercising.
Post reminders: One study showed that signs encouraging people to take the stairs increased usage by 200%. To motivate yourself, stick notes on your bathroom mirror, microwave, TV remote, steering wheel, and computer that simply say: Move more!
Set up weekly physical outings: You'll be less likely to blow it off if you make a commitment to someone else. Plan a hike or bike ride with your family, help clean out a friend's garage, or volunteer to walk your neighbor's dog.
It may happen subconsciously, but studies show that some people move less after they begin an exercise regimen. The reason for the slowdown, experts speculate, may be post workout fatigue or the perception that if you exercise, you can afford to skimp on the small stuff. Wrong! Little activities such as standing instead of sitting, and walking more throughout the day can add up to an extra 350 calories burned per day, according to Mayo Clinic studies.
Track non-exercise activity: Record your daily step counts a couple of days when you don't work out. Then calculate your average (add up your daily totals and divide by the number of days tracked). If you don't maintain at least this level of activity every day, your fat-burning ability will decline. For instance, if you normally log 5,000 steps a day but skip half of them on days you work out, it could slow weight loss by up to 50%—even though you're exercising.
Post reminders: One study showed that signs encouraging people to take the stairs increased usage by 200%. To motivate yourself, stick notes on your bathroom mirror, microwave, TV remote, steering wheel, and computer that simply say: Move more!
Set up weekly physical outings: You'll be less likely to blow it off if you make a commitment to someone else. Plan a hike or bike ride with your family, help clean out a friend's garage, or volunteer to walk your neighbor's dog.
We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with joy! The Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Holidays are a great time of year for family and reflection. We spend time together and eat well-prepared food (hopefully!), talk, pray, and laugh as a family.
So why would anyone needs tips to help avoid pain during the Holidays?
First off, we’re talking about physical pain here. The demands of the Holiday season with all the shopping, lifting of boxes, standing while cooking, and general preparations can wreak havoc on the body if these demands are not performed properly or if you are weak in certain areas of your body. This weakness in certain muscle groups can cause muscle soreness or muscle pain, joint stress, and even minor injuries, because your muscles and joints are not accustom to being used in this way (or at all).
Maybe you remember last year’s back pain, neck pain, foot pain, ankle pain, hip pain, knee pain, or general headache associated with everything that you went through during the Holiday season. It doesn’t have to be a painful experience!
“The added demands of the holidays stresses the body, which may increase the risk of injuries related to the extra activities,” says APTA spokesperson and physical therapist E. Anne Reicherter, PT, DPT, PhD. “Using proper body mechanics can help prevent muscle and joint discomfort this holiday season.”
So let’s look at some tips that you can use to truly help avoid pain during the Holidays:
Shop, Don’t Drop: Nobody is saying you can’t go shopping just because it might hurt your back, but just be smart about it! Hopefully you stayed safe during the Black Friday rush and didn’t suffer any injuries while being trampled.
So why would anyone needs tips to help avoid pain during the Holidays?
First off, we’re talking about physical pain here. The demands of the Holiday season with all the shopping, lifting of boxes, standing while cooking, and general preparations can wreak havoc on the body if these demands are not performed properly or if you are weak in certain areas of your body. This weakness in certain muscle groups can cause muscle soreness or muscle pain, joint stress, and even minor injuries, because your muscles and joints are not accustom to being used in this way (or at all).
Maybe you remember last year’s back pain, neck pain, foot pain, ankle pain, hip pain, knee pain, or general headache associated with everything that you went through during the Holiday season. It doesn’t have to be a painful experience!
“The added demands of the holidays stresses the body, which may increase the risk of injuries related to the extra activities,” says APTA spokesperson and physical therapist E. Anne Reicherter, PT, DPT, PhD. “Using proper body mechanics can help prevent muscle and joint discomfort this holiday season.”
So let’s look at some tips that you can use to truly help avoid pain during the Holidays:
Shop, Don’t Drop: Nobody is saying you can’t go shopping just because it might hurt your back, but just be smart about it! Hopefully you stayed safe during the Black Friday rush and didn’t suffer any injuries while being trampled.
- Try to do a little warmup before you get out in the chaos. Riding a stationary bike or doing some simple at-home exercises will go a long way.
- Stretch the muscles of your lower back, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves to make sure these muscles are lengthened before you start shopping and walking long distances. Stretching these muscles will help prevent them from tightening up so much and causing muscle pain.
- Wear comfortable shoes. House slippers don’t count. Your shoes need adequate support. Think “tennis shoe”, not “high heel”. You’re going to be walking around on concrete more than likely.
- Always use a shopping cart and push it all the way to your car before unloading.
- It may be tough but try to find shopping times when the rush is as slow as possible. This will keep you from having to stand in line for long periods of time on hard ground.
Lift With Your Legs, Not Your Back: this is a tip physical therapists will always advocate. After you shop your bags, boxes, and presents are going to have to find a way into your house. Proper lifting and carrying form is crucial to avoid unwanted pains and injuries.
- If you have to pick up a box or group of bags off the ground, or even your trunk, focus on keeping your back straight and vertical while bending at the knees to grasp your items.Lift by simply straightening your legs. Your legs are much stronger than your lower back and much less susceptible to injury. The worst thing you can do is bend straight over at the waist with a rounded back (the same is true if you maintained a straight back at this point), kept your legs straight and then lifted the object with your lower back muscles. Even if you think the object is not heavy, don’t lift it this way.
- Keep the load close to your body when lifting it off the ground. An easy way to get hurt is to get the object out away from you.
- Make a few trips. Don’t try to be a hero and carry it all in one trip. This is a fast-track way to hurt yourself.
- Always call us if your back or neck pain last longer than 1 day or feels severe enough to need immediate help.
These simple tips will help you avoid pain during the Holidays. If you are experiencing muscle pain in any area of the body you feel needs the attention of a physical therapist, please don’t hesitate to call us today to come meet with either Michael or Chris for a thorough evaluation to help get the relief you need this Holiday season!
Learning how to stay healthy while on vacation can be tough, but it is absolutely doable. You may take a lot of vacations and just tell yourself, “It’s vacation. I’m going to eat bad, because there’s no other way around it.”
It’s no secret that Summertime and vacations do go hand-and-hand! They get us out of the monotony of life. Vacations get us to a new location where we can actually RELAX a little!
It’s no secret that Summertime and vacations do go hand-and-hand! They get us out of the monotony of life. Vacations get us to a new location where we can actually RELAX a little!
That being said…
Vacations can be a doozy on someone’s health. The first step is telling yourself that you can make good, healthy eating choices while on vacation. The setbacks vacations can cause on one’s health are not simply due to what they consumed (or didn’t) while on the vacation, but rather due to the challenge of getting BACK INTO IT when they get home.
If you take a 7-day vacation and give yourself 100% freedom on food and drinks, you better believe that the first day back will be rough – and so will the second, and the third…
Now, for some of you, it’s a worthy trade-off. You are experienced at taking time away, and for you, eating like this ENHANCES your life. But for many, many others, it may be a ticking time bomb waiting to go off!
So what are we supposed to do???
Allow this trip to be a full splurge, or try to find some middle ground? Sometimes you might choose the last option, and sometimes you might choose the former. Ultimately the choice is yours. That’s the key to living a healthy life. You always have a choice, and you are in control of your decisions. The important thing is to get back on track when you return from your vacation.
Vacations can be a doozy on someone’s health. The first step is telling yourself that you can make good, healthy eating choices while on vacation. The setbacks vacations can cause on one’s health are not simply due to what they consumed (or didn’t) while on the vacation, but rather due to the challenge of getting BACK INTO IT when they get home.
If you take a 7-day vacation and give yourself 100% freedom on food and drinks, you better believe that the first day back will be rough – and so will the second, and the third…
Now, for some of you, it’s a worthy trade-off. You are experienced at taking time away, and for you, eating like this ENHANCES your life. But for many, many others, it may be a ticking time bomb waiting to go off!
So what are we supposed to do???
Allow this trip to be a full splurge, or try to find some middle ground? Sometimes you might choose the last option, and sometimes you might choose the former. Ultimately the choice is yours. That’s the key to living a healthy life. You always have a choice, and you are in control of your decisions. The important thing is to get back on track when you return from your vacation.
There really is not “perfect” time or conditions to get and stay healthy. Becoming a parent, taking on more responsibilities at work, having less free time as your children grow up… these are all examples of ways that living and eating healthy can bring new challenges to your life.
However…
God hasn’t asked us to only take care of our bodies when it’s easy. He asks us to take care of the temples we have… PERIOD. We must work THROUGH our challenges, work WITH our resources, and EMBRACE the life God has given us!
If you feel overwhelmed by al these suggestions, or any of the tips we’ve laid out as we’ve blogged about making this Summer as healthy as it can be for yourself, just choose one to try and implement it this week!
You don’t have to do ALL of these. Only do something that might lighten your load!
We hope the tips were helpful in giving you some new ideas and a fresh outlook on the Summer. Most importantly, we want you to know that you aren’t alone in the Summer transition!
Here’s to your health!!!
However…
God hasn’t asked us to only take care of our bodies when it’s easy. He asks us to take care of the temples we have… PERIOD. We must work THROUGH our challenges, work WITH our resources, and EMBRACE the life God has given us!
If you feel overwhelmed by al these suggestions, or any of the tips we’ve laid out as we’ve blogged about making this Summer as healthy as it can be for yourself, just choose one to try and implement it this week!
You don’t have to do ALL of these. Only do something that might lighten your load!
We hope the tips were helpful in giving you some new ideas and a fresh outlook on the Summer. Most importantly, we want you to know that you aren’t alone in the Summer transition!
Here’s to your health!!!
Your transformation starts here.
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