Calm in the Midst of Chaos

During these stressful times of rampant corona virus fear, I want to bring some peace to the minds of those suffering. We may not be sick with symptoms, but this sickness seems to be affecting our minds and attitudes. I would say fear spreads faster than any germ or virus. It is hard to get through the day without every conversation being centred around social distancing, closed businesses, loss of income, empty shelves in grocery stores, etc.

I propose having our focus on something else, something bigger. This is not to say we shouldn’t be aware of what is recommended for our overall health and safety, but I would like to encourage us to think and talk about something bigger. What is this something bigger?

We need to focus our attention on the good and positive, instead of feeding the fear of the negative. Easier said than done, right? Let’s take some steps to uplift those around us and change our mindset during this crazy time.

A suggestion would be to wake up every morning and say out loud what you are grateful for. The kids being out of school can be an opportunity to spend more quality time together. Work closing can be a mini stay-cation with time to start that book you were wanting to, or tackle a project you have been putting off. Sparse shelves in the grocery store can give you the opportunity to use some of the older cans of non-perishables in your pantry or dig deep into the caverns of your freezer.

Mindset is the key…focus your attention on the good, or on helping others and you will take yourself out of fear and into love and gratitude.

Stay healthy,

Andrea

What exactly is Sciatica?

Have you ever experienced pain that radiated from your low back, through your hips or glutes and down one leg? If so, you probably had sciatica. Sciatica is the irritation of the sciatic nerve which is a very long nerve that branches from the nerves in the lower lumbar spine and runs the length of each leg down to your heels. The sciatic nerve affects the functioning of many muscles including the hamstrings, calf muscles, lower leg muscles, and some foot muscles. The sciatic nerve also goes through the piriformis muscle deep in the glutes, so a tightening of the piriformis can irritate the sciatic nerve. In addition to the piriformis being a probable cause of sciatica, misalignment of lumbar vertebrae and the sacrum or pelvis can cause sciatica, as well as disc herniations or injury. Many people who sit a lot for work can experience sciatica, such as machine workers, truck drivers, or office workers.

So if you are experiencing sciatic pain, what can you do about it? First off, get a chiropractic assessment to determine what is causing your sciatica. Gentle and specific chiropractic adjustments can restore the alignment of the spine relieving pressure off the nerves to bring relief. Also, get your chiropractor to show you some stretches for the piriformis muscle. Create some healthy habits such as regular stretching, being conscious of your posture, improving your core strength, and proper lifting techniques. It’s important to get regular exercise so find something you like to do such as swimming or yoga to add to your weekly routine and keep your core strong. If you sit for work, make a habit of getting up regularly (every 30-40 minutes) to stretch your legs and change position.

If you have any questions about sciatica, contact me via email at drandreabologna@gmail.com.

Can Chiropractic "Treat" Your Children's Conditions?

Parents concerned with their child’s symptoms or conditions may want to apply new options especially after traditional methods are unsuccessful. The choice to use chiropractic care, or anything else, to treat your child’s symptoms is a choice only you can make. Chiropractors do not work to treat conditions and they explicitly represent a non-treatment model of care. However, many parents have achieved positive results using chiropractic as a first line of action for their child’s symptoms. How is this possible?

The stated purpose of chiropractic is to improve nervous system function through correction of spinal misalignments called subluxations. In the chiropractic model of care, there is no such thing as “treatment.” This is because the body is responsible for all healing successes. The role of the chiropractor is to support the body’s nervous system and to free it from internal constraints and imbalances.

When this happens, the body achieves a renewed ability to adapt and thrive. The alleviation of symptoms is not to the credit of chiropractic, but of your body’s own innate intelligence. You can experience this for yourself viscerally after a single adjustment. What is happening is the chiropractor removes imbalances called subluxations which enables the body to function in profound ways. These functional improvements may appear to be the result of chiropractic adding something new, i.e. treating the body, but the reality is they are normal functions innate to the body’s natural design.

To “treat” conditions using chiropractic is a private consideration any parent has the right to make, and it may align well for any parents needs, since the stated purpose of chiropractic is to improve overall nervous system. This approach resonates with many people, is less costly and inherently safe. The safety of chiropractic care can be established by considering first, the complete absence of parental distress voiced in the public sphere, and second, by recognizing that chiropractic care does not add anything new to the body, but works only to align with body’s own natural state of being and normal function.

Provided and published by ICPA. For more information, visit discoverkidshealth.com

How to Keep Fit in the Winter Months

Winter can be hard to motivate yourself to stay active. In the summer it’s easy since we almost live outside. It’s convenient to grab a bike and meet your friend at the coffee shop, or walk around the neighbourhood basking in the sun. A day like today at -18 without wind chill takes a bit more imagination to get going and keep fit.

My favourite activity in the winter is cross country skiing. It’s cheap to buy equipment ($200 should get you skis, poles, and boots) or you can rent them very reasonably. Another bonus is the cost of the passes. Whether you get a season pass to your favourite local spot or a day pass, it’s very affordable. This is a great winter substitute for your regular summer cardiovascular workout.

Another way for you bikers to stay fit in the winter months is a turbo trainer. This piece of machinery allows you to mount the rear wheel of your own bike and creates resistance for you to get a great peddling workout in the comfort of your living room. Put on a movie, listen to some music or a podcast, and get sweating! My husband bought one on the Whistler Buy & Sell for under $100. For those with a bigger budget, you can get really fancy and connect online with other bikers and race against them, or even purchase a home exercise bike that comes with live instructors to kick your butt into action like a traditional spin class.

If I don’t feel like leaving the house, I often check out a yoga class on YouTube or follow a personal trainer-designed workout on Livestrong. You don’t need any equipment other than your own body. If you have a small space, you can purchase TRX straps that hook over any door and follow their personal trainers tips to full body workouts using your own body weight as resistance.

Heck, you can even go up and down stairs for 10 minutes and work up a sweat that earns you that latte. Whatever you choose to do, don’t let cold weather stop you from achieving your fitness goals.

Welcoming 2020!

I have to admit I have been very bad with my blog posts. I started doing them regularly, but the last blog post was written in 2018! I am ashamed…

2020 is a new decade and January ushers in resolutions and self-promises, so my intention is to be better with blogging. So here goes…1st blog post of 2020!

I don’t want to write about cliched resolutions or things you should do to be healthier in 2020. Instead I am going to share what I am personally promising myself. After all the indulgences of the Christmas season, I ate enough chocolate and junk to last me the rest of the year. So, I have promised myself to eat a clean diet. Basically I am eating meat, eggs, and vegetables. The key for me was to cut out gluten and sugar. The first day I felt like I had nothing in the house to eat, but I quickly realized there is a ton of great meals to make. I have made a few meals over the weekend as well to last me in case I am hungry and need something fast during the work week.

Breakfasts have been omelettes with spinach, mushrooms and green onions. I made a huge slow cooker pot of leek and cauliflower soup pureed with coconut milk for some creaminess. I even threw in some left over turkey from Christmas in it for added protein. I also made a pork roast in the slow cooker and sauteed half a green cabbage with onions and garlic and chilli peppers with a drizzle of tamari (gluten free soy sauce) as the veg. These meals are very simple and extremely tasty, but don’t take a lot of time.

It doesn’t mean I can’t cheat now and then for a good reason. Like my husband’s Christmas party a few days ago. I enjoyed the meal out, but the very next day went right back to my simple diet. I am committing myself to do this for 3 months. And I know that after doing it for a few weeks, old habits will be broken and new habits will form.

Much love to you all in this new year. Make steps to be healthier this year, and know that we are in it together!

Dr. Andrea

The Truth About Eggs: Part 2...How To Tell the Good From the Bad

As last week’s blog started the conversation about eggs and cholesterol, this week’s post will dive into if all eggs are created equal. As mentioned previously, this information is taken from an article called The Truth About Eggs: How To Tell The Good From The Bad by Health Realizations.

Some things that can affect the quality of the egg include production methods and feed for the chickens, which can drastically differ with different brands. The majority of eggs produced in the United States (95% or more) come from giant factory farms housing 75,000 laying hens or more. These major industrial operations result in poor conditions for the chickens and inferior-quality eggs as a result.

According to the American Egg Board (AEB), most facilities keep their chickens entirely indoors in crowded conditions and feed them genetically modified soy and pesticide-laden grains, whereas their natural diet includes seeds, plants, insects, and worms naturally foraged from pasture.

Eggs from hens raised on pasture compared to eggs from commercial farms were found to contain 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3’rds more vitamin A, 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E, and 7 times more beta carotene (2007 Mother Earth News egg testing project). A separate study found that over 23% of hens from caged farms tested positive for salmonella compared to just over 4% in organic flocks and 6.5% in free-range flocks. It also found that salmonella was much more common in large flocks, and with 30,000 birds or more having over 4 times the average compared to smaller flocks.

So is organic better? I personally buy only organic eggs, but a new report from the Cornucopia Institute reveal that many organic farming operations are actually very similar to the large-scale industrial factories. Many “organic” companies only feed the chickens with organic feed, so you must look for a USDA-certified organic logo which follows federal organic regulations which requires access to the outdoors and smaller flock numbers. The study also found that many of the family-scale farms were adhering to organic standards and allow hens access to pasture. For more details, go to www.cornucopia.org, but it seems to mostly be American brands.

So for the most nutritious and most humanely produced eggs, buy from a small local farmer either directly or through a farmer’s market or food coop near you.

The Truth About Eggs: Part 1... Are They Really High in Cholesterol?

The amount of cholesterol in eggs has been a controversial one for decades now. What really is the truth about cholesterol in eggs? Should we be concerned? This excerpt is taken from the article “The Truth About Eggs: How To Tell the Good From the Bad” from Health Realizations 2019.

Are Eggs Healthy?

Eggs have been demonized for years because they contain a lot of cholesterol (about 212 milligrams in an average large egg). But eating eggs is not likely to send your cholesterol levels soaring, or cause you to develop heart disease, as many fear.

Cholesterol is actually an essential part of your body, used to produce cell membranes, steroid hormones, vitamin D and the bile acids your body needs to digest fat. Your brain needs cholesterol to function properly, as does your immune system, and if a cell becomes damaged, it needs cholesterol in order to be repaired. So cholesterol is not only beneficial, it is a vital part of your body.

Further, eating cholesterol is not what gives you high cholesterol. According to the Harvard Heart Letter, it’s a myth that all the cholesterol in eggs goes into your bloodstream and arteries. “For most people, only a small amount of the cholesterol in food passes into the blood. Saturated and trans fats have much bigger effects on blood cholesterol levels”, the Heart Letter states. “The only large study to look at the impact of egg consumption on heart disease-not cholesterol levels or other intermediaries-found no connection between the two.”

Eggs are also an excellent source of healthy nutrients, including choline, a B vitamin that may help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia, and more. Egg yolks also provide the most readily absorbed form of lutein, a yellow-hued carotenoid that may help to fight everything from cancer to cataracts to macular degeneration and aging.

As Jen Allbritton writes for the Weston A. Price Foundation:

“Besides providing all eight essential protein-building amino acids, a large whole fresh egg offers about six to seven grams of protein and five grams of fat…, which comes in handy to help in the absorption of all the eggs fat-soluble vitamins. One egg also serves up about 200 milligrams of brain-loving cholesterol and contains the valuable vitamins A. K, E, D, B-complex and minerals iron, phosphorus, potassium and calcium. Choline, another egg nutrient, is a fatty substance found in every living cell and is a major component of our brain. Additionally, choline helps to break up cholesterol deposits by preventing fat and cholesterol from sticking to the arteries. So the bottom line is, don’t be chicken about eating eggs, especially the cholesterol-rich yolks!”

Stay tuned for Part 2 where I will talk about different types of eggs and organic versus non.

The Benefits of Turmeric

There has been a lot of talk lately about turmeric and it’s health benefits. I thought to break some of it down and explain why it is good for us and how we can add it to our diet. I will include a recipe for Golden Milk which is a lovely warm drink that is delicious and super good for you!

Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and strong antioxidant. Since the curcumin content of turmeric is not that high (only about 3% by weight), many experts say you get the best bang for your buck taking it in a supplement form. Also, another thing to note is that it is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream, so taking it with black pepper in your recipes will increase the absorption by 2000%! Curcumin is also fat soluble which means it will be absorbed better with some fat in your meal.

It’s anti-inflammatory properties are important since chronic, low-level inflammation plays a role in almost every chronic Western disease such as heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s and various degenerative conditions.

It’s antioxidant properties decrease oxidative damage at the cellular level which basically ages the cells including the DNA, and works by decreasing free radicals.

You can easily add turmeric to your foods without really noticing it much. Try adding it to scrambled eggs, soups, rice, steamed or roasted vegetables, smoothies, or curries.

Golden Milk:

1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp fresh ginger chopped finely or 1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 pinches of ground cardamom

1 1/2 cup coconut or almond milk

dash of black pepper

raw honey to taste

Blend everything together and simmer in a small pot for 3 minutes and enjoy!

Chiropractic Journey into Motherhood

Chiropractic represents a new current for maternity care. It is the promotion of health with an emphasis on safe outcomes through alignment of the spine for greater nervous system function. One can think of chiropractic care during pregnancy as an assurance for the nervous system—that miraculous conduit of intelligence—to be working to its fullest potential. One important outcome of this form of care is improved physiological function working on behalf of the pregnant and birthing woman. With normal physiology being the single greatest aid toward achieving a desired birth outcome, chiropractic offers a reassurance that is unparalleled.

Chiropractors have served as a preferred choice for many mothers who recognize its benefits, values and freedoms. Some of the benefits include an increase in physical ability and physiological well-being referred to above, but there is also the support and trust offered by the community of like-minded mothers and the collaborative network of experienced birth professionals aligned with the chiropractor. In an environment of trust without negative judgment, a woman has the room to find her own autonomy as she transitions into motherhood. To inspire this end, chiropractors inform us of the innate intelligence within every cell of the body, and work to align the nervous system with it.

Some chiropractors understand that this living intelligence influences biological function only, while others see it affecting the very decisions and actions we take in life. Regardless of this distinction, chiropractic represents a truly holistic approach to health, with a global perception of what causes well-being. The chiropractor focus on salutogenisis, a word that translates as the 'origins of well-being' offering pregnant women an important alternative to the pathogenic-centric care most often seen today.

The reality is that culture has successfully relegated pregnancy to the status of a disease requiring technocratic intervention. But even with very limited recorded improvements to birth outcomes, and sometimes even increased risks, provided by many of these interventions, millions of women are still led to give over their autonomy to the authority of technocratic procedures. Pregnancy should be a time to become informed. This does not mean new fears or authorities must dominate your life or informed conscious decisions.

Pregnancy is something quite different than a disease, (perhaps it’s exactly the opposite of it) and there should be no doubt about this in the mind of any pregnant woman under any form of care. Birth is at once a socio-cultural, biological, emotional, and spiritual event. And it gives any women undergoing it a unique opportunity to positively impact future generations instantaneously.

Mothers who are given the confidence and support to give birth without looming fears or unnecessary interventions are on a path of well-being that transcends the individual, culture, and time itself, affecting nothing less than the whole world for the better.

With the integration of the nervous system and with the support that honors a woman’s strengths and autonomy, we can harness the birth experience, “take birth back” so-to-speak, and become the natural guardians of the future of our family and the human family at large. It’s time that women reclaim this power.

Chiropractic care that focuses on the natural power and ability of the birthing woman inspires the pathway forward into motherhood. Pregnancy can be a time of building confidence and trust in the body. It can be a time for positive emotional and physical well-being.

*This article was taken from Pathways To Family Wellness Magazine September 12 2018

Surprisingly Simple Ways to Detoxify

In this day and age, we are well aware there are toxins we are exposed to in our food, water, and air. We need ways to detoxify the body and here are a few easy things you can do.

• Take A Probiotic

A high quality daily probiotic supplement is a great way to get a huge number of the essential good bacteria we need to keep our gut healthy and happy. But, you don’t need to take a pill to do that. There are many cultured foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, yoghurt, and kombucha that you can include in your diet to promote a healthy microbiome. Probiotics actually help us break down food such as gluten (in wheat) and casein (in dairy), and chemicals such as pesticides.

• Breaking A Sweat

Exercise is essential to release uplifting and regenerative hormonal and neurochemical secretions, as well as activating the lymphatic system. Although you don’t need to actually sweat to have a benefit, sweating does have a great benefit by eliminating various heavy metals and chemicals to help detoxify the body. Antiperspirants and deodorants block that channel of detoxification, so when you can, do a workout without using them so your body can sweat the toxins out!

• Fasting

This one seems intimidating, but in reality a fast can be as simple as not eating after sundown and skipping breakfast. A period of 10 to 12 hours overnight is a good way to rest the digestive system and help boost your metabolism. Some people do it daily, others once a week or for a determined period of time, depending on your goals and overall health. Fasting has been around for thousands of years, but it seems to be gaining popularity more recently as we are learning ways to use ketones as the body’s fuel source instead of glucose (the keto diet, as an example). I’ll write more about that in an upcoming blog post.

• Spice Up Your Life!

There are spices you probably have in your cupboard or ingredients commonly found in your kitchen that can be added to many dishes to stimulate bodily detoxification. Things like garlic, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon and ginger, among many others, are amazing at naturally detoxifying the body and adding beautiful flavour to meals.

• Avoid Chemicals

This seems obvious, but often we do things that directly put harmful chemicals in our body without even knowing it! Anything you put on your skin like lotions, sunscreens, and cosmetics are full of toxins that are absorbed directly into your bloodstream through your largest organ…the skin. I use coconut oil as a moisturizer, avoid sunscreen unless I absolutely have to, and buy organic products without parabens, chemicals, mineral oils, etc. to put on my face.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but I wanted to bring some awareness of some of the little things we do that we can do better. Health comes in many facets, so keep it simple and change the easy things you can first and the rest will follow.

Some of this information is taken from an article “8 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Detoxify” written by Sayer Ji of Green Med Info.