Health experts, such as chiropractors, and the U.S. government all recommend getting daily exercise — about an hour a day of moderate exercise for most adults — to keep weight off and prevent heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Plus, we chiropractors are well aware that keeping weight off not only helps to prevent the diseases just mentioned, but it also helps to slow down, and often prevent, arthritis and stress injuries of the musculoskeletal system caused by excess weight.

But, excess weight is not only caused by, and sustained through, lack of exercise. Here are some more “fun facts” from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics:

• The prevalence of obesity among adults aged 20 and over has increased from 19.4 percent in 1997 to 28 percent in 2009.
• In 2009, 9 percent of adults 18 and over had diabetes, up from 8.2 percent in 2008 and 5 percent in 1997.
• 20.6 percent of adults smoked, about the same as in 2008.
• Nearly 23 percent of adults had at least one day of binge drinking in 2009, defined as having five or more drinks in a day.
• Most Americans believe they are healthy. More than 66 percent said they had excellent or very good health, down from 68.5 percent in 2008. 2.4 percent said they had poor health.
• Just over 4 percent of all Americans said they had an asthma attack in the past year

There are no shortcuts and no way to get around it: Good health and vibrant wellness is created and maintained through an overall healthy lifestyle.

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First of all, if you are someone who reads my Santa Clara chiropractic blogs, then you know that as your Santa Clara Chiropractor I am a passionate advocate of living a healthy lifestyle that, as I’ve written so many times, includes a healthy diet, good hydration, plenty of exercise and, of course, regular chiropractic care!  In addition, I’m sure that if you are someone who is already concerned about your health, you don’t get your diet and nutrition guidelines from watching television. We all know that most TV advertisements that are about food, especially “convenience” food, are meant to sell, sell, sell, whether or not the product is actually good for you. That said, it always nice to take a moment to reflect on just how “unhealthy” TV ads can be. So, I read with great interest an article today in the

Taping 28 days of prime-time TV (as well as Saturday-morning programming) on the four major broadcast networks, researchers identified 800 foods promoted in 3,000 ads. Then, using a nutritional software program, they analyzed the content of the items, comparing the foods’ nutritional values with the government’s food guide pyramid and recommended daily intake values for various nutrients (based on a 2,000 calories per day diet).

Are you ready for this?  Not only would a 2,000-calorie diet made up solely of foods from commercials provide too much cholesterol, saturated fat and salt, and not nearly enough nutrients like iron, calcium or vitamins A, D and E, just one advertised food item by itself would provide, on average, three times a person’s daily recommended servings of sugar and two and half times the daily recommended servings of fat.

The study will be published this month in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

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So, yet another wake up for you procrastinators out there. The bad habits you eliminate and the good habits you develop will tip the scales significantly in your favor. Don’t put healthy changes off one more day. A healthy lifestyle can profoundly affect your chances of living to a happy old age.

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As a chiropractor, I always advise weight loss for my overweight patients, not only as a way to keep organs such as the heart healthy, but every system of the body, including the musculoskeletal system (my specialty). Excess weight puts a burden on every part of the human body, including the vertebrae of the spine and joints such as those in the knees and hips. My patients tend to take my advice, so many of them ask my opinion on how they can lose weight in a healthy way. I’m always looking for information to share with them that will help to turn their “temporary” diet plan into a permanent lifestyle. The good news is that not everything that tastes good is bad for you, including fats. Recently I read an article that discusses “good” versus “bad” fats that I think you’ll find helpful when choosing a healthy diet.

• Monounsaturated Fat and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

  Monounsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids are the so-called “good” or healthy fats. They are referred to as healthy fats because they do not adversely affect your health and may actually contribute to good heart health. These types of fat come mainly from plant sources (e.g., vegetable oil), nuts, and fish (certain varieties).

  Whenever possible, you should try and get your “good” fats from food sources rather than supplements. Eating more fish, walnuts and flax seeds will help. You can also take a supplement, but be sure to talk to your doctor first.

  Add some sources for healthy fats to your next grocery list. These include: Extra virgin olive oil, avocado, wild-caught Alaskan salmon, ground flax seeds, walnuts (and most other nuts).

   

• Polyunsaturated Fat

  Polyunsaturated fats provide omega-6 fatty acids and should be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy diet. Sources of polyunsaturated fat include corn oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil.

 

• Saturated Fat

  Saturated fat should be limited as often as possible. Diets high in saturated fat raise cholesterol levels and can lead to cardiovascular disease. Saturated fat is found mainly in foods from animal sources. Foods that contain saturated fat include: whole milk, butter, cheese, red meat and coconut oil.

• Trans Fat

  Trans fat should be avoided as often as possible. Trans fat is a type of unsaturated fat that actually elevates blood cholesterol levels more than saturated fat.

  Trans fat is typically found in “junk” food, such as prepackaged baked goods and snacks. To locate trans fat on food packages, look for the words “partially hyrogenated oil” or check the nutrition label. Foods that commonly contain trans fat include most margarine, fried foods and commercially-baked goods.

  Trans fat has been widely used in fast food for frying, but is now being limited or eliminated by many fast food restaurants. Ask about trans fat at your favorite restaurant and request nutrition data for their menu items.

You can view the nutrition data, including fat content, for many popular foods, fast food eateries, and restaurants online at About.com’s Calorie Count.

Posted via email from chiropracticforever’s posterous

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Let’s face it, wherever there is a musculoskeletal system, for instance within the human body, there is the possibility of musculoskeletal disorders such as low back pain and neck pain, pain in the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee joints, and ankle and foot pain. No one is immune from misalignment of the spine and joint inflammation, even though a wide range of troubles are often the result of sports injuries, accidents, and the aging process. Irrespective of the reason, though, any type of motion on a traumatized area of the body can not merely lead to more pain or suffering, but incapacity. And, obviously, certain musculoskeletal conditions, if left untreated, can result in irreversible disability.

It has been said of chiropractic treatment that its “pros exceed” just remedying a particular condition. In actual fact, a patient who comes in to see a chiropractor for low back pain, for example, not only benefits from pain relief, but also improved circulation, a lowering or elimination of lactic acid, easier travel of oxygen and nutrients within the body, more flexibility, much less everyday pain and tenderness, better recuperation time, a more stress-free experience, and the deterrence of future harm! Is it any mystery why chiropractic care has become the treatment of choice for so many people?

In combination with offering skilled musculoskeletal treatment, chiropractors also promote education and assistance when it comes to improving your overall health and wellness. Chiropractors recognize that in order for you to get healthy and stay that way, it is important for you to decide on a healthy approach to life, e.g., consuming a sensible amount of water to keep the body hydrated, following a nutritiousl diet program, and developing a daily stretching and exercise routine.

Chiropractic treatment doesn’t quite work “miracles, ” however it can come fairly close in numerous areas that may well surprise you. For example, chiropractic treatment helps women that are pregnant give birth more easily. It can improve the developmental abilities of babies, particularly improved motor skills, and can often protect against scoliosis. Chiropractic adjustments for kids may help eliminate bronchial asthma discomforts, ear infections, and bed-wetting. In addition to the health benefits just mentioned, routine chiropractic management can help adults to feel more vital and stay more active, which in turn makes them more productive. And, as a final point, for maturing baby boomers and the growing senior population, not only can chiropractic treatment help to reduce age-related troubles and keep a person more active in later years,  chiropractic treatment can reduce the balance problems that all too often end up in critical injury from falls.

If you are currently seeing a chiropractor, that’s great! You’ve no doubt already experienced many of the plus points mentioned above. And, in that case, have you thought to tell a friend about chiropractic? Don’t let a person you care about fall victim to the kind of misinformation about chiropractic care that can keep them from experiencing their day more completely. Tell a friend or loved one to give Dr. Hoewisch, your chiropractor in Santa Clara, a call. He can help!

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The findings were based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a regularly conducted government health survey. Researchers focused on surveys conducted between 1988 and 1994 and between 2001 and 2006, which together included more than 15,000 Americans between the ages of 40 and 74. They looked at rates of five lifestyle factors involved in preventing a range of health risks: maintaining a normal weight, getting regular exercise, eating enough fruits and vegetables, not smoking, and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol.

Though the study cannot tell us why healthy lifestyle habits are on the decline, lead researcher, Dr. Dana E. King, of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, said that one reason may be that these changes are just difficult to make. “People’s increasingly hectic lives may be making it hard to fit in regular exercise, or to sit down to healthier, home-cooked meals rather than eating take-out.” He suggested some simple steps can make a difference. “It’s not hard, for example, to take some fruit to work with you, instead of going to the vending machine.” (Parking a little farther away from your destination and walking a bit can help, too.) Most importantly, Dr. King stressed that “it’s never too late” for middle-aged and older adults to make lifestyle changes for the better. In fact, in an earlier study, King and his colleagues found that when middle-aged adults newly adopted a healthier lifestyle — including regular exercise and eating more fruits and vegetables — their risk of developing cardiovascular disease or dying over the next several years fell by as much as 40 percent.

If you think about it, there aren’t many things in life that carry an “it’s never too late” guarantee. So, why not start today, no matter what your age may be? Your healthy future is depending on you!

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