Angrist Chiropractic Wellness Care

Avoid The Hospital

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:00:27 -0400

A most known stat from the World Health Organization: We have a 1 in 10 million chance of dying in a plan crash and a 1 in 300 chance of dying from a medical error in a hospital. A must read book by Joe and Teresa Graedons, “Top Screwups Doctors Make & How To Avoid Them”, gives you tips for stopping hospital blunders.

The key is not to get yourself in a position that you need to go to a hospital. Stay healthy by living a healthy lifestyle.

Better Health Through Better Living

Dr. Angrist

Motion Affects Emotion

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:00:16 -0400

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has found that regular exercise can lower a persons risk of many chronic disease, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Motion affects emotion. If you move and exercise more, you’re emotional state will be higher. By comparison, if you move less or don’t exercise much, you’re emotional state will be lower, commonly called depression.

It’s not uncommon for workers to be in a sitting position for up to nine hours. Think for a moment of how this constant immobility is effecting not only your emotional state but your physical state as well. Inactivity can be stopped in it’s track with simple 5 minute stretch breaks or going for a walk. This will undoubtedly improve your energy both mentally and physically.

So what are you waiting for? Get Up! Start moving and create some energy in your life!

Better Health Through Better Living

Dr. Angrist

Mantra of the Day: Don't Follow All Your Thoughts

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:31:54 -0400

hip-:

Thousands of thoughts travel the mind each day. You are not your thoughts. Don’t believe all of them. Laugh at them. Let them go. Pick the ones that feels right.

Find Your Inner Peace

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:17:50 -0400

“If you don’t go within…you go without”.

This is one of my favorite quotes because I believe all happiness and health is inside of us. Since I feel the highest level of health and wellness is inner peace, that can only come from within us. The opposite of inner peace is called turbulence, and the only way we can deal with this effectively is by staying calm, relaxed, and balanced.

Try it. When you come from a place that is loving, caring, giving, and kind, it doesn’t matter what happens on the outside.

Better Health Through Better Living

Dr. Angrist

Happiness; The Key To Life?

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:00:05 -0400

For a moment, think about the eldest person in your family. Got it? Ok.

What do you think it is about that person that brought them to their ripe old age? Was it healthy eating? Lots of exercise? A good outlook on life? Perhaps a combination of all three. Think for one moment, how does happiness play into their overall wellbeing?

In a recent powerful USA Today article, it documents for us that people who are happy tend to live 35% longer. We don’t know that happiness is associated with an extended life span but I invite you to imagine for one moment, that positive emotions could actually be the key to life.

Aristotle once said that “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence”. Many wise people have discussed that there is no way to happiness but have come to realize that happiness is in fact the way.

What could you do right now to experience even just the tiniest bit of happiness?

Share you comments with us!

Dr. Angrist

Better Health Through Better Living

Let's Move! Improve Your Physical Flexiblity

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:50:17 -0400

Flexibility or rigidity? Wellness or illness? Which direction are you going in?

Living in New York City where everything is constantly on the move, we most often find ourselves in sedentary positions for at least 8 hours during the day. If you work in an office setting and are mainly behind the computer, this can lead to not only poor posture, but rigidity throughout your body. Do you notice that clickity clack sound when you finally get up from your chair? This may be a sign that your body isn’t getting enough movement. And on a mental level, lack of movement can also effect your emotional state.

Motion affects emotion which means if you have movement (exercise) in your life, your emotional state is better. But if you don’t have motion or movement, your emotional state is lower or depressed.

Try doing exercises that increase mobility and flexibility. Even if it’s for a few minutes out of the day. You will begin to see the physical results and feel the changes emotionally.

So while you do not have to do what this lady is doing above, still learning how to be flexible physically and emotionally is essential. It is the key to better health.

Dr. Angrist

Better Health Through Better Living

Share Your Secrets

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:15:10 -0400

I read a recent article by Dr. Orly Avitzur, about the secrets patients should share with their doctor. This article detailed some of the most important pieces of information that should be shared with your doctors. This information can include changes in drinking habits, loss of healthcare benefits, smoking habits, and even trouble in the bedroom i.e loss of libido. These type of secrets can lead to new medical problems.

It parallels a common theme we talk about; I’m referring to expression v. suppression. I believe it is so important to express how we are feeling and let go as compared to holding on and being embarrassed to communicate. Health and wellness is all about expression not suppression.

Has this ever happened to you? How does sharing personal information with your healthcare provider make you feel? Share your comments with us below!

Before You Take Another Sip

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:00:06 -0500

Diet Soda = Weight gain + Calcium Loss + Headaches.

That’s right folks; this can all be caused by diet soda. A beverage that many of us thought to be a healthier alternative to regular soda drinks.

To me any form of soda diet or otherwise is considered a toxin to the body. At our offices, we teach our patients about the difference between acidic foods and alkaline foods. Soda is very acidic and for those of you who trying to lose weight, eating (or drinking) acidic foods is the worst thing you can do.

If you are interested in finding out what the acidic and alkaline foods are and healthier alternatives, contact us and we’d be happy to talk more about it with you.

We loving hearing from you! Comment below to share your thoughts!

Angrist Chiropractic & Wellness Care

Better Health Through Better Living

Alternatives To Sleeping Aids

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 10:00:05 -0500

In recent news, the risks associated with sleeping pills has become increasingly popular as many people have taken this type of medication at least once in their lives. New studies are showing that people who take prescribed sleeping pills, even if only once in a while, are at higher risk of premature death than non-users.

This article elaborates on the study.

While it is understood the desire for people with active busy lifestyles to look to sleeping aids to achieve adequate rest, we believe that there are alternative natural methods to get a good nights rest. Our office at Angrist Chiropractic discusses with patients everyday how to relax the mind and body so you don’t require medication to help you sleep.

When we have turbulence in our lives, it is very difficult for our mind and body to rest peacefully. Demanding schedules, unhealthy diets, or lack of exercise can be some of the factors that cause unrest and tension within the body.

We highly recommend holistic natural alternative approaches to sleep aids such as:

Acupuncture;
Meditation;
Yoga;
Pilates;
Chiropractic treatments;
Massages

Not only are these are great ways to help the mind and body relax but they also promote inner peace and a healthier lifestyle. To find out more, visit us for more information.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about sleeping aids and holistic approaches. Comment below to share your thoughts!

Angrist Chiropractic & Wellness Care

Better Health Through Better Living

Elevate Your Consciousness

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:55:12 -0500

Did you know that by asking yourself how you feel in a particular situation elevates your consciousness? Take a look at the tips we have to share with you this week to strengthen your consciousness to a healthy and happy state of mind!

This list was Inspired by 4 Mind 4 Life

Spending time with true friends - Find only friends that align with who you are, your beliefs, and your values - they will make you more conscious. These are your true friends who support and empower you. These kind of friends can be tough to find so when you do find them, they should be cherished. Give some of your true friends a call and make it a habit to spend more time with them.

Tell the truth - Anytime you tell the truth, you raise your level of consciousness. People in higher states of consciousness don’t lie because they want to be true to themselves, others, and make relationships in humanity more conscious. Even the tiniest white lies can lower your state of consciousness and bring unwanted negative energy.

Take conscious control of your decisions - When you take conscious control of all your decisions, you are actually activating certain neural pathways in your brain that help promote self-control, calmness, and inner peace. Every time you allow others to dictate your decisions or you don’t take full conscious responsibility for your decisions, you become slightly conditioned to be less conscious when making choices.

Challenge your belief system - This one can be difficult for many individuals due to the influence of imprinted beliefs by their parents or guardians during childhood. Some examples of beliefs that you could explore changing include: dietary (changing to a vegetarian), spiritual (from Christianity to Atheism - or vice versa), emotional (from sadness to happiness), etc. By changing your belief system and experimenting with new beliefs, you make yourself more open-minded, accepting , and conscious of life’s endless possibilities.

Befriend like-minded individuals - On your journey towards becoming a more conscious individual, befriending like-minded people can be extremely helpful. If you are going through many spiritual, emotional, and mental changes without the company of others, the process can be much more difficult and confusing than when you have a guide, guru, or some friends that are traveling at a similar pace to you. Not only is being around like-minded individuals healthy, and optimal for your consciousness, it will ultimately give you more joy in life!

Express gratitude - Expressing gratitude on a daily basis is a very positive, fulfilling exercise to practice. Ways to express gratitude on a daily basis include: giving thanks for your food, expressing gratitude for yourself and others through prayer (as discussed earlier), complimenting others, and letting another person know that you are thankful for having them in your life. By sharing and expressing gratitude, you feel extremely satisfied and will become more consciously aware of the things that you truly appreciate in life. Make expressing gratitude a fun practice by taking a photo of whatever you’re grateful for i.e sunset, a rose, your child.

Choose empowering beliefs - In the process of changing beliefs, choose beliefs that are empowering to your soul. A good way to know what belief will be empowering is to simply ask yourself how you feel about adding the new belief. If you feel a strong connection with a new belief, such as feelings of excitement, it will probably be a very good choice of a belief to implement. Make a conscious effort to purge all beliefs that are less than satisfying. Understand also that as you become a more conscious human being, changing your beliefs will become a much easier, more natural process.

So how was that? Not bad huh? These are small but hugely effective ways to start creating a more positive conscious lifestyle. You’ll find that by engaging in these practices on a regular basis, you’ll begin noticing profound shifts that will ultimately better yourself and the world around you.

Connect with us on Facebook for more tips on how to bring a higher state of consciousness into your life. Until then remember, better health comes through better living.

Smile Like You Mean It

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:30:06 -0400

A professor of mine, when pushing a class to do very physical activity (usually some kind of methodical dance) at 9am, would force us all to smile. He said that simply the act of smiling sends little alarms to the rest of your body that it’s time to enjoy the situation. And, at this point, there’s no way to hit the snooze. It was a much more physical version of “fake it till you make it”.

Years later, I found myself forcing a smile on my way to work in the morning and, miraculously, by the time I walked into the office, I felt ready to enjoy the day. I did a little research and found that there are plenty of health benefits to smiling. It may sound like a joke, but smiling makes you healthier.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SMILE

So there’s actual science to back this up - and its pretty simple.

The muscles used during the act of smiling send signals to the brain’s mood evaluation center. This theory, known as “facial feedback hypothesis”, can be shown directly through laughter and happiness. People always aim to make people smile or laugh when they are feeling under the weather. That’s because laughing makes us feel happier, but why?

Because your brain looks to your facial muscles to discern mood. Smiling and laughter are linked and laughter causes your body to release endorphins, neurotransmitters in your brain that make you feel happy.

This theory has been tested using a simple cartoon. Volunteers who were told to smile while reading the cartoon found it funnier than volunteers who were told to frown. It’s a simple test, but even you can try it out. On your way into work one day, try frowning the entire way. (This is quite a difficult task.) Then see how your morning goes. When you go to lunch, try smiling. Then see how your afternoon goes.

LAUGH MORE, STRESS LESS

Smiling has other benefits. Here are a few:

- Smiling reduces stress. As you already know, laughter causes your body to release endorphins, but endorphins, in addition to causing a feeling of elation, are also a natural pain and stress reliever. Laughter may not be the best medicine, but it certainly is a strong one.

- Smiling boosts your energy. Cortisol, the dreaded stress hormone, is reduced in the body when you smile or laugh, giving you some much-needed energy.

- Laughter burns calories. This has always been a favorite, but here are the facts: 15 minutes of good, hearty laughter a day will burn 10-40 calories. That’s up to 4 pounds a year! And for our fitness buffs out there, smiling is a fun and easy to way to work out 13 muscles!

Laughing is also said to be good for your immune system, your lungs and, of course, your outlook.

So if you’re stuck in a situation and feel the urge to frown, remember the words of my professor, “Smile until you feel it.”

And Today Marks 32!

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:30:06 -0400

Dear Patients and Friends,

Today, I am proud to announce that I will be celebrating my 32nd year in private practice. Where does the time go?

I want to thank all of you, my patients and friends, for giving us the opportunity to share our message of wellness. I want to thank you for being a continuing source of inspiration and affirming the principals of good health and wellness.

I want to thank you for being a part of our practice family for all of these years, and I look forward to continuing to serve you and motivate you to living a life of wellness, which is simply a life of love, inner peace, flexibility and action in all aspects of our lives.

Thank you so much for your kindness and support.

Sincerely,

Arnold Angrist

The Workout Effect

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:37:06 -0400

It’s been in the news and all over the sweaty faces of gym bunnies everywhere: working out makes you feel good. But what if working out could help you in other ways?

Here are 7 benefits of working out that aren’t tied to a sexy physique (though that is a perk).

CLARITY AND CONCENTRATION

An active body equals an active mind. Exercise increases blood flow to your brain. Think of how going for a walk can clear your mind. When you’re at work and can’t concentrate, talk a walk around the block. For an even better brain workout, try a new exercise, like yoga or spinning. Learning new ways to exercise leads to increase functionality in the brain, just like learning a new activity at work or reading a book.

CLEANSING

Sweat builds up. And it brings along a few of its toxin buddies. Take a few weeks off exercising and you will notice an increase in the amount you sweat. Regular exercise cuts down on the amount of toxins being released at once. (A tip for those who have lived through New York summers: try some hot yoga. It will get your body used to sweating in a high-humidity, high-temp environment and you won’t suffer as much when the weather channel reports make you want to flee to Antarctica.)

ENJOYMENT

Don’t make working out a chore. Exercise can be a fun way to spend an afternoon. Think about getting friends together for a hike or a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. (Walking from Union Square across the Brooklyn Bridge and back is over 5 miles!) Live near a beach? Walking on sand is excellent for your thighs and butt. Go for a run along the shore. Everybody else busy? Crank up some tunes!

BETTER SLEEP

Exercise improves the quality of sleep. A study showed that 29 women and 14 men with mild sleep complaints, after 16 weeks of moderate exercise (30 minutes of exercise, 4 times per week), were able to fall asleep 15 minutes earlier and sleep 45 minutes longer. That’s a full hour of gained sleep!

The sleep-exercise connection takes time. Make sure you schedule your exercise 5-6 hours before bedtime, as a drop in body temperature will help you sleep more soundly. The exercise must make you sweat, as studies have shown that non-aerobic exercise did not aid sound sleep. And you must keep at it. The improvement could take around 16 weeks to begin. (But if you look at the other benefits of exercise, why would you stop?)

STRESS RELIEF

Combining the aspects of cleansing and clarity, exercise also brings stress relief. Aerobic exercise is a great way to take out aggression. If you’ve ever taken a spin class, half of the people look like they are about to be thrown into a boxing ring, but we don’t think it has anything to do with the instructor’s choice of music. Physical exercise is a great outlet and an excellent way to get your body and mind pumping. The post-workout experience also has a calming effect on many, which will allow you to not overreact.

LONGER LIFE

It may sound corny, but exercise helps you live! Exercise is an investment in your health. Exercise strengthens your body so it can battle diseases and be resilient. People who choose to exercise regularly live longer lives and stay healthier into old age.

SELF CONFIDENCE

Yes, looking good helps this, but we’re mainly talking about strength and endurance. Many begin exercising to achieve a goal, be it to run a marathon, complete a perfect chin-up or just not lose their breath getting to their 4th floor walk-up apartment. Success builds self confidence. Feeling like you are working towards an accomplishment will build self confidence.

Remember, small accomplishments lead to bigger accomplishments.

Pain in the Neck

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:16:52 -0400

Despite who is causing it - pillows, mattresses, even your family - nobody wants a pain in the neck. It seriously cuts down on time that should be spent practicing your interpretation of dramatic look groundhog.

Use these moves to kick that neck pain and speed up your journey to YouTube stardom.

CHILD’S POSE

Oh, children. Able to sleep in any crazy position without waking with the terrible neck demons. Perhaps this is why balasana is so comforting to the cervical spine.

To begin, kneel on your mat. Your big toes should be together and you should be resting comfortably on your heels. (This position should, in no way, be uncomfortable.) Roll down your spine and rest your head on the mat in front of your knees, placing your torso between your thighs. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and create space between your shoulders and ears, relaxing your shoulder blades down your back.

Lay your hands on the floor in front of you and give them a stretch. Then release your arms and breathe into the pose for 1-3 minutes. Child’s pose is a resting pose, so try not to hold any tension in your body.

CAT/COW

What do cats and cows have in common? They can both help you to a more flexible spine. Usually paired together, marjaryasana (cat) and bitilasana (cow) are easy to get into and out of and require very little space (think: cubicle yoga!).

We’re going to begin with Cat. Start on all fours with your knees directly below your hips and your wrists in line with your elbows and shoulders. Your back should be in tabletop (flat-back). Keep your head in a neutral position with your eyes gazing towards the floor. Inhale. As you exhale, round your spine up towards the ceiling without changing the position of your knees, shoulders, elbows and wrists. Use your core to create a smooth movement and elongate the spine. Release your head towards the floor, but don’t force your chin downwards. Leave your neck relaxed.

Come back to “neutral” (tabletop) position. Exhale.

We then move directly onto Cow. From tabletop position, inhale and lift your sit bones and chest upwards towards the ceiling, allowing your stomach to move towards the floor. Lift your head to look straight forward, but keep your neck relaxed. Exhale and come back to neutral position.

Repeat this flow 10-20 times.

EXTENDED PUPPY

Given a name like Extended Puppy, you would assume this pose would, in some way, be painful. Alas, it is quite the opposite. Stretching the arms, spine and neck, uttana shishosana is quite comfortable.

Begin on your hands and knees. Align your wrists with your elbows and shoulders and place your knees under your hips. Inhale and walk your hands forwards a few inches and curl your toes under.

Exhale and move your butt halfway towards your heels. Do not release in your arms. Make sure to keep them active and do not let your elbows touch the ground.

Let your forehead drop to the mat and let your neck relax. You can keep a slight curve in your lower back. To deepen the stretch, keep your hands down and elongate your arms while pressing back through your hips. Breathe into your back and side ribs and allow your spine to lengthen. Hold this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then release your butt down to your heels and release your arms, folding into Child’s Pose.

We hope you had a happy September and a wonderful National Yoga Month!

Curve Your Enthusiasm

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:10:16 -0400

Continuing on our journey for National Yoga Month, we take a step into the unknown. Okay, that’s a little dramatic, but we are going to outline a few intermediate poses to help you on your way to a better back.

PIGEON POSE

Unlike those that strut the streets of New York, this pigeon will not get in your way. Quite the opposite, really. Pigeon, or kapotasana, is one of the best poses for testing balance in your hips.

From Downward-facing Dog (see last week’s post, Flex Appeal), bring your right knee onto your mat behind your right wrist. Ideally, your leg would be bent at a 90-degree angle from your knee, but do not attempt this if it hurts or feels strained in any way. If this is comfortable for you, make sure your foot is flexed, which will protect your knee. Stretch your left leg out long behind you with your knee and the top of your foot facing the floor. Your hips should be centered in between your wrists. Press them down to the floor. If they cannot reach, place a towel under the side that is lower to the ground (usually the side where the leg is extended back). The goal is to have your hips balanced and not to be pressing more onto one side.

Press your palms into the mat and press into the top of your left foot. Allow your legs to stretch and feel your low back curve and lift. Draw your navel in and reach your heart up.

Allow yourself 5-10 breaths here, then fold forward over your bent lower leg, your arms stretched in front of you.

COBRA POSE

Venomous and sneaky? Not this one. Bhujangasana can, however, make you look ultra sleek while helping pump up your arm muscles and your core. Top it off with an excellent low back stretch and this pose will have that back ready for a hike through the African jungle.

To get into Cobra, begin with Downward-facing Dog. Slide forward onto your stomach, allowing your knees, chest and chin to touch the ground. Suck up your navel so that your stomach hovers above the mat. Your hands should be level with your chest on either side of your body. Pressing your elbows into your sides and squeezing your shoulderblades down and in, push into your hands and partially straighten your arms. Lift your head and chest upwards, but do not push back into your neck or strain your neck. Another way to think about this is to move your stomach forward as if someone is pulling on your arms.

To get a greater stretch, fully straighten your arms and then rebend slightly. This should not feel like a relaxed stretch. Breathe into this pose for 5-10 breaths, then release your head, neck and shoulders to the ground. Place your arms behind you and turn your head to the side. Take 2 breaths and switch your head to the opposite side.

LOCUST POSE

Plague you, this pose will not. Though it is not as easy as it looks, salabhasana will give you an upper and lower back stretch that many other poses cannot. Take your time getting into it, though, and don’t overestimate your spine’s flexibility. I’ve seen some seasoned yogis get crushed by this sly pose.

To begin, lie on your stomach with your arms alongside your body, palms facing up. Rest your forehead on the floor. Gently and slowly lift your head. Begin to squeeze your feet, inner thighs and butt together and allow your upper torso and arms to lift as well. Press your shoulder blades in and down. Stretch from your arm sockets and not from your neck. Keep your neck relaxed, and do not crunch your cervical spine. Once you are up as far as you can comfortably go (remember - don’t push it), squeeze your legs together even more and lift them as well. Keep your arms parallel to the floor. You will be resting on your abdomen and lower ribs. Focus on your breathing. It’s completely normal to rock back and forth a bit with your breath. Stay for 5-10 breaths.

To release, let your arms and legs lower onto the mat. Slowly rest your forehead onto the mat. Rest for 2-3 breaths, then repeat the pose once more.

Next week, we’ll introduce 3 moves to release neck tension!

Namaste!

Flex Appeal

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:47:59 -0400

September is National Yoga Month. It’s time to break out the mats, slap on the headbands and twist, flex and stretch our way to better backs.

For the month of September, we’re going to outline a few simple yoga moves that can assist with back stiffness, reduce and sometimes even alleviate back pain and create a greater flexibility in an area that, well, let’s face it, can be utterly inflexible.

If you’re a yogi and know these poses well, we urge you to teach them to a friend, who may not be aware of the incredible benefits yoga has for the back, spine, circulatory and nervous systems.

The most important thing to remember during yoga is to breathe. There is no weakness in taking a break and starting over. A good student knows when to stop. Yoga is a process and takes practice. Breathe deeply through your nose and listen to your body and you will be fine.

DOWNWARD FACING DOG

A yoga staple, Downward Facing Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana, may feel a bit demanding to the beginner yogi.

Standing in an upright position, you bend so that your palms are flat on the floor. Your objective is to press your heels towards the floor, while extending upwards through the tops of your thighs. Similarly, press the pads of your fingers into the floor so as not to grip with your palms and internally rotate your arms, so that the knobby parts of your elbows are facing inwards. Your neck should be loose and your head should be by your chest. Try not to grip your shoulders and concentrate, once you have the above stance, pulling your shoulder blades away from your ears.

Beginners should hold this pose for 30 seconds. If you are more advanced, try holding for two minutes. Do not force yourself to do more than you are able.

BUTTERFLY POSE

A favorite of hippies, Baddha Konasana stretches the muscles surrounding your pelvis and allows any pressure on the sciatic nerve to have a bit of release.

Starting in a sitting position, place the bottoms of your feet together at your pelvic area with your knees facing outwards. Do not force this movement in any way. If you feel pain, move your feet further outwards. You will need to push your knees down a little to get a good stretch through the pelvic muscles and hips. Place your hands out in front of you and, with a flat back, slowly walk your hands forwards. If your back begins to curve, stop where you are and hold that stretch. If you’re able to place your nose to your feet with no problem, try moving your feet towards you, but only if you can do this without causing any pain.

SUPINE SPINAL TWIST

And now for a little relaxation. In yoga, the rest is just as important as the work. And you cannot stress your back and spine without giving it a little bit of peace.

Begin on your back. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Press your hips up and shift them slightly to your right. Draw your right knee into your chest and extend the left leg on the floor. Allow your right knee to drop to the left side of your body. Your lower torso will twist, but keep your shoulder blades firmly on the floor. Open your right arm to the right side and rest your left hand on your right knee. Turn your head to the right and look past your right hand. Hold this for 5 to 10 breaths.

To release, draw your right knee back into your chest slowly. Then slowly extend it back along the floor. Take a minute to feel the difference between your right and left sides. Then repeat for the left side.

And remember, have fun!

Taste the Rainbow

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:45:26 -0400

Skittles had it correct, even if they aren’t using their motto in the most healthful way.

Eating the rainbow is a terrific way to incorporate color into your healthy diet. It’s fun for kids and also satisfies the Top Chef judge in us all.

Plus, it’s a pretty simple concept. Just fill your meals with as many colors of the rainbow as possible. Bright colored foods are perfect, but think fruits and veggies, not processed or fast foods.

Reds - Apples, Red Bell Peppers, Red Kidney Beans
Oranges - Clementines, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots
Yellows - Corn, Bananas, Pineapples
Green - Peas, Asparagus, Kiwi
Blues/Purples - Blueberries, Plums, Eggplant
Pinks - Guava, Watermelon, Pink Grapefruit
Browns - Ginger, Potatoes, Dates
Blacks - Blackberries, Currants, Grapes
Whites - Mushrooms, Lychee, Onion

Healthy is always in season!

Eating Without Labels

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:56:32 -0400

Labels are for cans. And boxes. And plastic containers. And bags.

Health is as much as mindset as a physicality and most people don’t take that into consideration. Keeping a healthy mind and a healthy diet will create a healthy lifestyle. And what you eat affects more than just your diet. Feeling good about what you put into your body is a huge component of a healthy attitude.

Inspired by FiveGirlsChiropractic’s post about Whole Foods’ Four Pillars of Healthy Eating, we present to you:

EATING WITHOUT LABELS

Eating foods without labels is the key to good health. Chances are, if you’re eating food out of a box or a can, there is a label. And with a label comes a greater chance that the food contains a fair amount of chemicals, additives and, of course, extra calories.

Think of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, nuts, beans and water. Every one of them you can pick up without a label. There are no labels because what you see is what you get.

We understand that eating without labels in this consumer-driven society is a daunting task, so if you find yourself needing to eat foods with labels, here are two quick tips to keep your choices on the healthy side:

Make sure that you can pronounce and understand every ingredient in the product. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient or have no idea what it is, don’t buy the product. This is just as dangerous as eating or drinking something while blindfolded. Why take the risk of putting something into your body if you don’t know what it is?

Some labels only contain whole foods. For example, Trader Joe’s has hummus ingredients listed as: garbanzo beans, tahini (ground sesame seeds), water, vegetable oil, garlic, concentrated lemon juice, salt, pine nuts, olive oil and spices. All foods that you can recognize and so, when choosing, this hummus would be a good option compared to others.

Beware of hidden sugars. Sugar is the Jason Bourne of additives. In addition to being able to jump off buildings and land safely, it also has many faces and many names. Today’s nutritional labels don’t distinguish between sugars from fruit, vegetables, etc. and manufactured, processed and added sugars. One of the major tells that this sugar isn’t the kind you want to be eating is to check the ingredients list for the suffix “-ose” as in sucrose, dextrose and fructose. For more of sugar’s many aliases, check out FitSugar’s guide.

So give it a try. Even for a week. See how you feel.

Good Vibrations

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:52:55 -0400

Perhaps the Beach Boys were ahead of their time and, for the purpose of this post, we’re going to assume they wrote the song during a time of great scientific discovery, where they figured out that their emotions emitted specific vibrations into the world.

And maybe this song was written when they reached level 500, the level we should all be aiming to reach. It also just so happens to be the level of love. And one of our goals at this office is to motivate our patients to seek out a healthier life.

And how do we get to that idyllic level? Well, first we need to take a step back to 2002, when Dr. David Hawkins published a book called Power vs. Force. In this book, Dr. Hawkins posits that, as atoms and sub atoms are made of energy, all objects possess energy - even human beings.

In a scientifically validated doctorate dissertation, Hawkins states that energy vibrates on what is known as the Scale of Consciousness. At the highest level of this scale - level 1,000 - a human being would be an “Enlightened Master”. At the lowest end - level 1 - a human being would not be thinking at all.

And so, to determine where people stood on this scale, Dr. Hawkins used muscle testing and kinesiology. Heavy emotions, such as sadness, guilt or humiliation vibrate at very low frequencies, whereas uplifting emotions like love, bliss and enlightenment vibrate at high frequencies.

Hawkin’s dissertation may have scientifically proved the saying “misery loves company” as your energy doesn’t just affect you, but those around you. Holding onto low-frequency emotions can cause the energy level of those around you to drop. On the other hand, people operating at a level of 500 or higher can pull up to 750,000 people around them above the 200 level. Now that’s power!

So how do you get to be one of those people? Christie Marie Sheldon, an intuitive healer who has helped over 10,000 people in the past 15 years break through their energy roadblocks, gives these suggestions for getting your energy vibrations to a higher level on her website Love or Above.

Build relationships based on empathy and trust. Eliminate unnecessary guilt and shame, which will pull down your energy.
Create a healthy wealth mindset. Think about saving and investing.
Seek a healthy work life by aligning your career with your life purpose. Connect with your colleagues and work collaboratively.
Listen to your body and make healthy lifestyle choices for your physical and mental wellbeing. (Your chiropractor can assist you with a plan for getting on track.)

Interesting in hearing more? Kinesiology is one of our specialties! Give our office a call at 212.245.2099.

The Rhythm of the Spine

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:04:05 -0400

They Might Be Giants loved this collection of 24 articulating vertebrae so much that they named an album after it, but did they know that the spine has a rhythm all its own?

The spine is affected by breath, its movement and the space it creates, but the bones of the spine carry their own independent motion. This motion affects alignment and so, just like a man with two left feet may not be the best dance partner, your chiropractor will tell you that a spine with an out-of-sync rhythm can cause problems for its muscular buddies.

The spinal motion is generated by changes in the amount of cerebral-spinal fluid in the sack of tissues around the brain and spinal cord. A gentleman by the name of Dr. John Upledger, famed for his research on the topics of cranial bone movement and the concept of cranial rhythm, estimated that changes in the amount of fluid volume in the sack caused the bones of the skull, the spine and even the sacrum to flex and extend about 14 a minute, on average.

Dr. Upledger found that the power of touch could be used to sense the cranial rhythm and could also be used as a method of coaxing stubborn bones into the natural flexion and extension caused by the fluids.

Chiropractic utilizes this rhythm to heal the body and by understanding that flow. Chiropractic work is all about flow: the connection of energy between the bones, muscles, tissue and nerves; the flow of blood from one bodily system to another; the connection between every part of the body, no matter how small it may be.

And just as Dr. Upledger focused on the emotional and psychological aspects of a condition when dealing with craniosacral therapy, our approach to chiropractic uses the same technique. Emotions and stress affect your bones just as much as anything else. A feeling of extreme stress or a negative outlook on life can be more detrimental to your health than the boxes you carried all weekend.

So next time you’re in pain, consider your rhythm. It’s okay to dance to the beat of a different drummer, but just make sure that drummer has your best interests at heart.