Exercise Can Improve Your Mood and Trim Your Waist

Did you know that your muscles can effect your hormones? When your muscle move they can cause a change in your hormones that help with weight loss and new research is also showing they can change your mood too.

Regular exercise can increase fat loss and increase your metabolism for more efficient weight loss. However the type of exercise you perform can have a big effect on your hormones to assist in the weight loss process.

According to a 2005 study in the Journal of Sports Medicine, hormones that assist in the growth of muscle mass are elevated for 15-30 minutes after adequate resistance exercise. This adequate resistance exercise entails using a large amount of muscle mass with moderate to high intensity and short rest periods tend to stimulate the highest hormone levels.

A recent study published in the Journal of Endocrine Regulations found that regular exercise can also improve insulin sensitivity (lowering your risk of diabetes and lowering rates of fat building), balance cholesterol levels, improve your mood, improve memory and brain function, and assist with sleep hormones. They also found improved nutrition quality and less sedentary behavior can also assist with these hormones even WITHOUT weight loss.

This means if you are regularly exercising, blending moderate resistance exercise with cardio, and focusing on higher nutrition quality you can change your hormones, improve fat loss, and increase your metabolism. Don't get discouraged if you're not seeing weight changes right away because you are setting up your hormones and metabolism for more efficient weight loss long term. Always be concerned for long term benefits when it comes to weight loss, because if you focus on short term only you're weight will yo-yo up and down and you'll get discouraged!

So keep your chin up and stay consistent!


Resources:

1) Kraemer et al. "Hormone responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training". Journal of Sports Medicine. 2005;35(4):339-61

2) Bajer et al. "Exercise associated hormonal signals as powerful determinants of effective fat mass loss". Journal of Endocrine Regulations. 2015; 49(3):151-63

Top 3 Most Dangerous Pain Relievers

Over the counter pain medications are frequently used in the United States. In fact, there was $1,750,600,000 spent on over the counter prescription medication last year. (1)

The fact that these pain relievers are common does not make them safe. Every year more than 100,000 Americans are hospitalized due to OTC complications with 16,000 deaths annually as a result of these medications.

So What are the Top 3 Most Dangerous Ones?

1) Acetaminophen (aka tylenol)
This medication can cause liver, brain and kidney damage when taken in staggered overdose by taking more than recommended overtime. In addition, prolonged use is responsible for 50% of ALL cases of acute liver failure.

2) Non-steriodal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs aka advil, aleve, ibuprofen, naproxen)
Long term use of these medications can cause gastrointestinal disorders including severe and often fatal gastric bleeding, cardiovascular disease, and kidney failure. In addition, taking these with alcohol can increase your risk factors for gastrointestinal bleeding and perforated ulcers.

3) Aspirin or acetylsalicylate (also considered an NSAID)
This medication is actually an NSAID and long term use, even the buffered or coated variety, can increase your risk factors of gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers. Aspirin also has serious side effects for young children and even young adults including swelling of the brain and liver which is called Reye's Syndrome. This syndrome can lead to death.

Be careful not to overdose and don't underestimate the danger of OTCs, because when you combine tylenol with acetominophen and have a prescription with NSAIDs you can have TOXIC levels of pain relievers that can cause lasting damage and possibly even cause an overdose that can lead to death.

If you want safe alternatives, call my office to setup a free consultation (we also provide phone consultations) to talk more about safe pain management. AlignLife of Peoria can be reached at 309-689-6200 or peoria@alignlife.com.

Resources

(1)Annual Sales of the leading OTC pain relief products in the US in JUly 2014 in million US dollars. http://www.statista.com/statistics/322991/sales-of-otc-pain-relief-products-in-the-us/

Natural Blood Pressure Regulation

High blood pressure or hypertension effects over 65 million Americans. This is a growing problem and many Americans are relying on medication prescribed by their to control their blood pressure. Some of the most common medications being prescribed right now are Chlorthalidone and Propranolol. Some of the side effects associated with these medications include depression, dry mouth, thirst, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, alteration of heart rate, muscle pain or weakness, and even numbness and tingling. In addition, serious drug interactions can occur if you are taking anti-depressants, heart arrhythmia medications, blood thinners, MAO or ACE inhibitors, steriods, diabetic medications, and many others. Are the risks really worth it?


Are you taking a blood pressure medication right now or have you had your dosage changed in the past 6 months? There's a better way. There are natural methods and lifestyle changes that can help regulate your blood pressure with no associated side effects and you can make these changes today!


1. See a chiropractor.


Treatment of hypertension or high blood pressure with an upper cervical chiropractic adjustment, according to George Bakris, MD of the University of Chicago hypertensive center,  "has the effect of not one, but two blood pressure medications given in combination and it seems to be an adverse-event free treatment. We saw no side effects and no problems." A 2007 study compared the two treatments and found that on average systolic numbers dropped 14 mm and diastolic numbers dropped 8 mm of mercury with upper cervical chiropractic care. Read more about it here.  


2. Talk to your doctor about taking a supplement.


Supplements can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke by lowering dangerously high protein levels like homocysteine and C-reactive protein. These proteins are just as high of a risk as high cholesterol levels and many people either haven't heard of these proteins or have NEVER had their levels checked. Supplements can completely and naturally manage these risk factors with proper guidance from your doctor. 


3. Cut back on coffee and switch to caffeine-free.

Many experts agree that switching to decaf coffee can lower your risk for blood pressure, however new studies have been showing its the amount of coffee you drink and not just the caffeine that has the biggest impact on your blood pressure. Limit your cups of coffee to two per day and switch to decaf. Read more here. 

4. Indulge in anti-oxidants such as those found in dark chocolate.

Researchers have found that the anti-oxidants found in dark chocolate and cocoa has a healthy effect on blood pressure and blood glucose levels as well. The study found that insulin resistance was reduced after 15 days of dark chocolate consumption of 100g or 3.5oz per day. Read more about it.

5. Cut back on sodium.

Doctors have been saying to lower your salt intake for years to help with blood pressure. Listen up! Studies and more research has not proven otherwise and suggest that lower than 1500mg of sodium per day has great blood pressure lowering effects. Read more here.

6. Get to a healthy weight.

Reducing your weight can help decrease the stress and demand on your heart and have other healthy effects as well. It can reduce your risk for many diseases and improve your blood sugar as well. Talk to your doctor about options for reducing your weight and healthy diet tips you can adopt on your own.

Superbowl Sunday!

Football players that are taking the field today understand the importance of chiropractic in their daily lives, and even more so when on game day. They use chiropractic before and during the game to ensure proper biomechanics and free joint mobility so that they can perform at their best.
Read more here about how the Giants and Patriots are using chiropractic to enhance their game.
Read more here about Dr. Rob DeStafano, the Giants Team Chiropractor.


Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on the musculoskeletal system. The musculoskeletal system is made up of all the muscles, nerves, and bones in your body. Chiropractors focus on making sure that your bones (this includes your spine, extremities, jaw, and even the bones of your skull) are able to move freely and properly to ensure that your body can function properly without causing degeneration or exacerbating health problems further. For example, osteoarthritis is frequently found in the knee and is caused by improper joint space and mobility that can lead to calcium buildup and pain in the knees. In addition, by aligning the joints of the body the normal muscle tone can be restored which can lead to less soreness and increased flexibility and nerve function can also be improved due to decreased inflammation and compression on nerve roots that travel through the spine and other joints. Chiropractic is not just for your bones! It helps your muscles and your nervous system as well! 


Chiropractors use their hands (and sometimes handheld instruments) to aid in an adjustment of your bones. The adjustment helps to realign and restore proper joint movement to the segment or joint that isn't moving properly. Adjustments are a low force and high speed technique that chiropractors use to restore alignment. Some people may experience a popping sound that is caused by gases within the joint being released when an adjustment takes place, but that is not always the case. Chiropractors can adjust the bones in many different ways, such as sitting in a chair or laying on a specialized chiropractic table. Due to the numerous ways to adjust, chiropractors can tailor their treatments to a specific individual and their needs. 


Chiropractors are also able to perform physical therapy, spinal decompression, massage, acupuncture, kinesiotaping, and even cold laser treatments in their offices as well. (Most of these procedures require additional testing and licensure depending on the state they practice in. Check with your local chiropractor so see what additional services they offer in their office.) Many of these other procedures focus on restoring muscle function and tone to make sure that the bones and muscles are working together for optimum body function.


Chiropractors can help with spine and joint pain and some have even reported improvements or resolution of problems such as torticollis or wry neck, Bell's Palsy, neck pain, back pain, neuropathy such as pain into the arms and legs, pregnancy pain, hormonal imbalances, infertility, migraines, headaches, ADD and ADHD, behavioral disorders, Arnold Chiari malformation symptoms, tempormandibular joint pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, golfer or tennis elbow, wrist or hand pain, carpal tunnel, hip pain, knee pain, ankle or foot pain, digestive issues, lung function, immune function, improved posture and scoliosis, and some have even reported improvement in disc herniations before and after surgery.


If you have any questions about this article or wish to discuss about what chiropractic can do for you, send me an email or leave a comment. I am also open to engaging in speaking events about what chiropractic is and how it can help you.