May You Live To Be 120 Years Old!

By Alisa Blumberg, BSc, DC
Doctor of Chiropractic 

There is an ancient Hebrew blessing, "May you live till 120".  I have to admit, as I reached another 'mile-stone' birthday this year, the significance of these simple words crystallized a bit more for me . Yes, I want longevity for my family, my patients and myself because there's soooo much more we all want to see and accomplish in the coming years; but I don't want just quantity, I demand quality too. As 50 becomes the new 40 (heck why not the new 30!) and so on, I'm being asked by my patients what chiropractic's role is in keeping us feeling and behaving young right into old age.

To understand why 120 might seem so unrealistic we need to understand what might be keeping us from it. From a purely 'engineering' standpoint, science says we might very well be built to run for 100+ years. But we don't treat ourselves to ideal conditions, and thus struggle to get there. Many of us take our cars in for more regular maintenance than we do ourselves. Our mechanics check that all moving parts are in proper alignment to prevent wear-and-tear and premature aging - when was the last time you had an expert on bio-mechanics do the same for your body? We give our machines proper fuel that's customized precisely to the ratio of ingredients required for optimal performance and yet give our bodies food chosen for convenience, cost or comfort rather than for nutritional value (and often we skip putting fuel into ourselves at all because we're too busy to stop for a proper meal). We've all experienced what happens to a motor when it's left too long without movement - parts seize. Moving parts need lubrication, be they animate or inanimate. We have built-in 'motor oil' between all of our moving parts called synovial fluid, but it only gets spread around when our joints are in motion.

A good mechanic - as in this instance I'm claiming a Chiropractor is - looks at the cause of breakdown as well as the result. Chiropractic looks at three causative stresses - trauma, toxins and thought. Trauma can occur on macro or micro levels. We all acknowledge the damage of collisions and sports injuries, etc. but many of my patients forget about repetitive stress, sleeping postures or bad ergonomics. To return to a car analogy, think of what happens when you bump a curb or drive through a pot-hole. No immediate damage might be perceived, but the alignment shifts just a little bit. And driving many miles on that bad alignment causes premature wear to all the moving parts that are slightly askew. Months down the road you notice a squeal that shouldn't be there - parallel to the ache that 'appears' out of nowhere and gets worse, which my patients often seek my help to relieve. Toxins were already discussed - the less than adequate food we put in our bodies, the less than clean air that we breathe, and the other-than-water we drink. The contribution of thoughts to better or worse health is an emerging field of understanding that I look forward to diving into with readers of this newsletter at a later date. Suffice it to say that our thoughts are a bath that we are immersed in 24/7 and may very well be the largest contributor to our feelings of wellbeing (or not) on a moment to moment basis.

Drs. Hoffman and Porter, in their recently published book, Your Flourishing Brain, relate all of these forms of stress back to the toll they take on our health and on premature aging, and discuss how chiropractic can play an integral role in mitigating the effect. They say, "All forms of stress cause brain stress. When the brain is stressed, it goes out of balance, and unfortunately, the body always follows and goes out of balance as well. This shows up as illness, disease, behavioral problems, loss of vitality, and rapid aging. The chiropractic adjustment rebalances the brain and when the brain is balanced again, fortunately the body will follow and heal."

Dr. Alisa Blumberg is proud to be bringing her passion for holistic, natural, self-directed healing to the north-Toronto area through her work at Pinewood Natural Health Centre.

As a Chiropractor and Master level B.E.S.T. Practitioner, Dr. Blumberg's mission is to educate and empower patients of every age, symptomatology and health goal on their unique journey towards optimal health and absolute wellness.

You can book an appointment with Dr. Alisa Blumberg by calling (416 ) 658-8100.

Detox 101

by Karen Gilman

Registered Holistic Nutritionist
www.nutrilicious.ca


Why detox?

The basic idea behind a ‘detox diet or cleanse' is that the modern world puts so much stress on our bodies that the natural detoxification mechanisms in place in our bodies cannot keep up the demands.  "Detoxing" refers to taking extra measures to ensure that your body rids itself of this ‘toxic load’.

What is a toxin?

"A toxin is a chemical or poison that is known to have harmful effects on the body. These toxins can come from food, water or the chemicals used to grow the food or even the air we breathe. Our bodies process these toxins through the liver and kidneys and eliminate them in the form of sweat, urine and poop."

A ‘toxic’ food is one that is processed or genetically modified and contains additives, refined sugar and flour, food dyes and artificial sweeteners.

The body itself produces toxins or waste through biochemical and cellular activities and eliminates them through everyday functions.  These toxic substances are called free radicals and an accumulation of them in the body is considered a common factor in disease.

What to avoid when detoxing:

Processed foods that contain additives or sugar that can interfere with metabolism and blood-sugar levels.

Common allergens like dairy, eggs, soy, shellfish and nuts.  Also avoid less common allergen foods like the nightshade family of vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant as they may have an inflammatory effect on the body.

Gluten grains such as wheat, spelt, barley and rye may have an inflammatory effect on some people and should be eliminated for a few days. 

Caffeine, alcohol, drugs or over the counter medication that place additional stress on the liver.

For more information on which foods to choose to help your body detox consider a consultation with Karen Gilman at the Pinewood Natural Health Centre.

Dedicated to healthy eating for more than 25 years, Karen Gilman is passionate about helping others eat well and love what they eat. Karen graduated from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in 2011 where she received a diploma in Natural Nutrition. Karen is also a certified food handler and a member of the Canadian Association of Holistic Nutrition Professionals.

                     

You can make an appointment at the Pinewood Natural Health Centre with Karen Gilman by emailing

toronto@pinewoodhealth.ca 

or

Phone: (416) 656-8100 

The Healthy and Active Program Summarized by Pinewood Doctor Audrey Sasson

by Dr. Audrey Sasson

We all know that the key to sustaining a healthy body is a combination of both a proper diet and physical activity. One without the other usually results in regression to your start point.  We often look for quick weight loss solutions usually resulting in severe caloric restrictive diets to reach our target weight and forget that we actually have to get up and start moving to sustain our goals. The German designed program, Healthy & Active, brings to light these two concepts by creating a program specifically tailored to you. Each profile is created based on your own blood chemistry, providing an inclusive list of foods that are optimal for your body. While most plans usually focus on what we cannot eat, Healthy & Active focuses on what you can!

The beauty of the program is that both diet and physical fitness are embedded within and its profile is created based on your body’s capacity to extract nutrients of selected whole foods in order to restore optimal health. No need for costly supplements and complicated shakes - we choose food! Call us to learn more about Health & Active and how it can help you reach your optimal health.

7 tips to boost your metabolism!

• Don’t eat late at night- try to stop 3 hours before bedtime
• Build muscle mass- will help you burn calories even when you aren’t working out
• Never skip breakfast- include healthy proteins like eggs and antioxidants like berries. Awaken your metabolism from its overnight fast
• Early morning intense exercise- can be a quick 5min run in place
• Eat spicy foods- try cayenne, cumin, curry, ginger, turmeric to heat things up and start burning calories!
• Keep your thyroid healthy- include minerals like zinc, selenium, iodine
• Drink lots of water- helps to rev up metabolism

Dr. Audrey Sasson is committed to optimizing her patient's well being and quality of life by presenting her patients with customized treatments tailored to their lifestyle and wellness goals. Dr. Sasson is a naturopathic doctor who provides comprehensive family practice. 

For an appointment email us at:

toronto@pinewoodhealth.ca 

or

Phone: (416) 656-8100 

Eating Right Before and After A Workout - Advice From A Pinewood Holistic Nutrition Professional

Diet and physical activity go hand in hand so eating well before and after a workout will help with maintaining blood sugar levels and provide the necessary protein for muscle repair and growth.

Carbohydrates provide the body with energy so eating low glycemic carbohydrates before your workout will ensure you have a steady stream of energy throughout your routine. Good options are as follows:

Gluten-free bread with almond butter and sliced banana is easy to digest so you won’t get indigestion during your workout. The almond butter adds some protein to provide you with sustainable energy and the bananas contain potassium which you’ll need to replenish after a sweaty workout.

Oatmeal is the workout buddy you never have to nag to exercise. It sticks with you throughout your workout by gradually releasing sugar into your bloodstream. Adding fruit to your bowl will help increase the fluid content of your pre-workout snack, keeping you hydrated.Oatmeal is another good pre-workout meal.  Add a sprinkling or nuts and seeds or fruit for added antioxidants and to help replenish fluids lost during your workout.

If you are pressed for time and are looking for a quick snack, cut up an apple and dip into almond or other nut or seed butters. You’ll get vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and a boost of energy.

Post-workout food must repair and rejuvenate muscles.  Recent research has shown that chocolate milk is a good option because it has everything you need in one glass; carbohydrates and protein for muscle recovery and water content to replace lost fluids.  Choose organic, low fat milk and add your own cocoa powder.

Glass of Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seeds are also a good post workout food that you can sprinkle on a salad, toss into a smoothie or make into a pudding.  One ounce of chia seeds contains 4 grams of protein, 18% of your daily calcium requirements and 30% of the daily value of manganese, a trace mineral required for optimal carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption and proper regulation of blood sugar.

Eggs make another great post-workout option as they are an excellent source of high quality protein required for muscle repair.  They are also very versatile and good food for those on the go, hard boil a few eggs and carry with you in your gym bag.

Chia Pudding

1/3 cup white or black chia seeds

1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (rice, almond or soy)

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Combine all the ingredients in a jar, cover and give it a vigorous shake.

2. Chill for about an hour, then return to the jar and shake it up. Let chill for at least another 4 hours or

   overnight.

3. Serve cold with sliced fruit, toasted nuts, cinnamon, honey, cloves or maple syrup.

Dedicated to healthy eating for more than 25 years, Karen Gilman is passionate about helping others eat well and love what they eat. Karen graduated from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in 2011 where she received a diploma in Natural Nutrition. Karen is also a certified food handler and a member of the Canadian Association of Holistic Nutrition Professionals.

                     

You can make an appointment at the Pinewood Natural Health Centre with Karen Gilman by emailing

toronto@pinewoodhealth.ca 

or

Phone: (416) 656-8100