There Are Things to Take Action About to Help Alleviate Your Back Pain.

• Relax. Worrying and stressing out about back pain tends to amplify pain, which makes you feel worse. Try breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to calm yourself mentally, and watch the effect that relaxation has on your physical body as well. Regular deep breathing can soothe your back.

• Get a new bed! A proper new mattress might cost hundreds of dollars but can provide better non-sagging back support that can make for both a better night’s sleep and less pain during the day. Changing it up to another firmer bed, different sleeping positions can all help in the short term.

• Stretching and Exercise. Search for easy stretching routines like the Hatha Yoga Sun Salutation online for a series of gentle, easy stretches that you can perform every morning and every night to strengthen your back and lengthen your spine. Performing a gentle series of stretching exercises for fifteen minutes, twice a day can help to a great deal to both prevent and eliminate your back pain. If you are unsure, take a stretching class – be gentle!

Chiropractor North Vancouver

There are many different types of doctors that can help with back pain. You can see a chiropractor, an orthopedist, or just your regular practitioner. It is wise before making an appointment with a specialist that your insurance will cover your appointment, and always find out if there will be any extra cost that you might be unaware of.

A Trip to the Chiropractor Might Just Cure What Ails Your Back

When your usual methods of easing back pain aren’t working, you can seriously consider seeing a chiropractor. Your pain may be caused by or being made worse by your spine being out of alignment. A chiropractor can make a adjustments to your spine to relieve pressure and reduce pain. They also can recommend exercises, stretching routines and icing regimens that have a tremendous beneficial effect.

If your medical plan does not cover Chiropractic, but you have back pain and the money to treat it, it is worth considering paying for a visit to the chiropractor. Chiropractors are trained in many different ways to help minimize pain in your body; they specialize in backs and chronic back pain. A chiropractor’s expert diagnosis can clarify what is causing your problem.

To get instant, lasting pain relief for serious back injuries, you need to get a prescription from a doctor. Unfortunately, over-the-counter pain relief is not designed to treat chronic back pain caused by serious injuries like ruptured discs. If you cannot get to your chiropractor right away, then ask your regular doctor about getting a prescription.

Back pain can be nagging or excruciating, and can interfere with all aspects of a person’s life. Various treatments are available to help alleviate the pain, including lifestyle adjustments, exercises, oral and topical pain relievers, physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture. When back pain strikes, the aforementioned tips can help provide relief.

We all know that we should eat more fruits and vegetables!

They are packed with nutrients and among other benefits, can reduce your risk for bowel, stomach and breast cancers and offer protection against strokes, heart disease and high blood pressure – but that’s easier said than done right?

It seems that there’s always something more convenient or more appetizing that keeps us from reaching Canada’s Food Guide’s recommended 7-10 serving per day for adults. I agree, those numbers can seem a bit overwhelming, but let’s break it down a bit and you may find out you’re getting more than you thought!

Think tennis ball… Now you’re thinking, “What does a tennis ball have to do with food?”

Nowadays, when it comes to food, everything seems to be bigger including the size of our fruits and vegetables. To help you tally up your daily count without having to measure out everything you eat, there are some simple tricks to eyeballing a serving. One serving of fruit or vegetables is just a half cup, or a piece the size of a tennis ball (for leafy greens its one cup or the size of a fist as they’re not as dense). Getting any clearer and do-able?

So how can you get more? What do you do when your favourites aren’t in season or if you don’t like the latest super fruit? There are ways to get your produce all year round, and when it comes to these nutritional gems, you don’t need to get into the nitty gritty of comparing nutrients. What you want to aim for is eating a rainbow of fruits and veggies. Each different color is packed with different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that all boast some major health benefits.

Fruit and vegetables can be convenient and tasty. Use these tips to eat your way to better health.

• Keep frozen vegetables on hand to throw into your soup or pasta sauce
• Add fresh or frozen berries to yogurt, oatmeal or other cereals for breakfast
• Be prepared! When you get home from the grocery store, cut up your vegetables and store
them in a tupperware container so they’re ready to grab on the go.
• Have some fun and make a homemade pizza! Fun for all ages, pick at least 5 of your favourite
vegetables and load ‘em on to a whole wheat crust
• Grab a banana and some peanut butter for a quick snack on the run
• Make a fruit smoothie for a nutritious dessert

Challenge yourself to increase your fruit and vegetables by 1 serving every day this week.

If you usually have two go for three! Remember it’s only half a cup of carrot sticks or one medium apple! Let me know how it goes and feel free to share any creative ideas you’ve come up with!

Many Patients Arrive For the First Visit Having a Clear Immediate Goal: Pain Relief!

However, once that goal is reached and if pain relief is still the only goal, there are some worthwhile benefits of chiropractic care beyond pain relief. Let’s discuss some long-term goals and benefits of chiropractic care.

Many patients can wonder when their doctor of chiropractic recommends regular visits to maintain good spinal health for as long as possible. Of course, if you end up suffering with low back pain, neck pain or tension headache, it’s totally understandable that you have got one important goal – end the pain.

However, once this outcome has been achieved, the time is right to consider your long-term spinal health.

Not one person thinks it’s odd when their dentist recommends regular visits to maintain good oral health. In the same vein, it’s not peculiar when their optometrist suggests regular visits to maintain good visual health. Of course the same is true for your spinal health!

In developing your long-term goals, it is important to keep in mind that your spinal health concerns more than just getting rid of pain. Spinal health has a proven potential impact on every body function guided by the spinal nerves, which influence every organ system in the human body.

Breathing is a useful example of a body function most people would not normally connect with their spine.

In a situation published during the Eighties concerned a 53-year-old man who had a 20-year history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. After 14 months of chiropractic care, the volume of air he could forcibly exhale in one complete breath – “forced vital capacity” and the volume of air he could expel in the first second of that complete breath – “forced expiratory volume in one second” had both improved considerably. This example is part of growing evidence and research indicating that improved spinal health through chiropractic care is often accompanied by improved lung volumes and better breathing.

Why Is This Significant?

In most adults, even those without pulmonary disease, lung volumes don’t improve as time passes. In fact, lung volume almost always declines as you get older. Less than normal lung volumes are directly connected with shorter lifespans. Worse, reduced lung volumes have recently been linked to increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and other potentially life-shortening cardiovascular problems. On the other hand, the better your lung volumes, the longer your lifespan is generally expected to be. Further body functions that are seen to benefit from improved spinal health include reaction time, balance and vision.

Of course, in the moment it’s great and valid to reduce or eliminate pain. Chiropractic care can help most people achieve this short-term goal of less pain.

In the long run, it’s a good goal to retain as much lung capacity, visual acuity, reaction time, balance, and cardiovascular health as possible. Emerging research strongly suggests spinal health has a role to play in these long-term outcomes as well.

Please consider this when your doctor of chiropractic recommends regular follow-up visits.

Chiropractors examine the biomechanics, structure and function of your spine

They also examine your skeletal system, nervous system and muscular systems and their effects on your specific health issue.

Chiropractic care is often the most important method of treatment for many conditions, such as lower back pain. Chiropractic care can support medical treatment for many conditions by relieving the neuromusculoskeletal problems associated with a particular concern.

Chiropractic care is also often used to provide symptomatic relief for patients with chronic conditions. Chiropractic treatment has been shown to improve the general well-being of patients according to patient surveys, by treating the neuromusculoskeletal parts of complex ailments.

A North Vancouver Chiropractor at Avita Health Practices a “Diagnostic First” Approach

Our Chiropractors take a thorough history of the patient to help with diagnosis. Then treatment and preventive care for pain related to your spine, pelvis, nervous system and joints can start.

Chiropractors can use a combination of treatments including body manipulation, spinal adjustments, massage exercise, stretching, electronic machine based techniques (infrared heat, laser, etc ) and ice therapy. The treatment chosen matches the specific needs of the individual patient.

After taking a complete history and diagnosing a patient, your chiropractor develops and acts on a thorough treatment plan to resolve your issues. This can often include recommended exercise, stretching and other non-invasive actions, and nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counselling. For example, this could be as simple as paying attention to how you sit, or adjusting your chair height.

There Are Many Reasons to Seek Chiropractic Care:

Back pain
Neck pain
Headache
Whiplash
Work and sports injuries
Arthritis
Limited range of motion in the back, shoulder, neck or limbs
General health and well-being
Strains and sprains
Repetitive strain injury (RSI)

Chiropractic is a regulated health profession, recognized by statute in all Canadian provinces.

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Beans and Legumes

The fact is that most Canadians get enough protein in their diet.

Adults generally need 10 to 35 percent of their total daily calories to come from protein. Based on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet, this amounts to about 50 to 175 grams a day. Of course, you can get protein from sources other than meat.

In fact, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends choosing a variety of protein foods, including eggs, beans and peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds. The guidelines also suggest replacing protein foods that are higher in solid fats with choices that are lower in solid fats and calories. The fats in meat, poultry and eggs are considered solid fats, while the fats in seafood, nuts and seeds are considered oils.

Nutritional Value

You might already be aware of the health benefits of chick peas, beans, lentils and other members of the legume family, but that doesn’t mean you’re eating them.

Legumes — a class of vegetables that includes beans, peas and lentils — are among the most versatile and nutritious foods available.

Legumes are typically low in fat,contain no cholesterol, and are high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium. They also contain beneficial fats and soluble and insoluble fiber.

A good source of protein, legumes can be a healthy substitute for meat, which has more fat and cholesterol. They come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, and are available as fresh, dried, canned or frozen products. Legumes have many of the B vitamins and are rich in antioxidants –- these can prevent cell damage.

Many kinds of beans, including soybeans, are rich in saponins –- an anti-inflammatory compound which helps your immune system protect you against cancer while it lowers your cholesterol.

Just don’t overcook your beans, because overcooking and tossing out the pot liquors can result in loss of saponins. And people who eat only plant-based foods — aka vegetarians — generally eat fewer calories and less fat, weigh less, and have a lower risk of heart
disease than nonvegetarians do.

Just eating less meat has a protective effect.

Tips for Reducing Flatulence from Beans

Beans and other legumes can lead to the formation of intestinal gas they contain a sugar –- oligosaccharide — that your digestion can’t break down.

Here are several ways to reduce the flatulence-inducing quality of legumes:

• Change the water several times during soaking. Don’t use the soaking water to cook the beans. The water will have absorbed some of the gas-producing indigestible sugars.
• Try using canned beans — the canning process eliminates some of the gas-producing sugars.
• Simmer beans slowly until they are tender. This makes them easier to digest.
• Try digestive aids, such as Beano, when eating legume dishes to help reduce the amount of gas they produce.

As you add more beans and legumes to your diet, be sure to drink enough water and exercise regularly to help your gastrointestinal system handle the increase in dietary fiber.

So how to incorporate these unique and powerful foods into our diet?

Here are some thoughts, ranging from simple to increasingly complex.

If you rarely eat beans or legumes, one of the easiest ways to start is with hummus. The now-ubiquitous dip is made from mashed chick peas, along with variable amounts of garlic, lemon, salt and tahini (sesame seed spread). You can find variations made with different spices and peppers, or even made from different beans.

Calorie-wise, hummus is neither the lowest (salsa), nor the highest (artichoke) of the common dips, so most people can safely enjoy anywhere from 2 tbsp (50 calories) to 1⁄4 cup (100 calories) without blowing their caloric budget. As an added benefit, you get a nice balance of protein (5 grams per 1⁄4 cup), fibre (4 grams per 1⁄4 cup), and healthy fats (from the tahini), not to mention antioxidants from the chick peas and garlic.

Chili is another simple way to add beans to your diet. Be it a vegetarian chili or a more traditional recipe made from lean ground beef or turkey, beans (most commonly red kidney beans) add flavour, texture and fibre to this popular dish.

For those who frequent salad bars or the fresh counter at the grocery store, a mixed bean or chick pea saladmakes an easy

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choice, no culinary skills needed. A bean salad can make a nice side dish at meal-time, but it can also be used as a filling afternoon snack.

If you’re ready to try cooking with beans or lentils, but don’t know how, it’s easiest to start with the canned stuff. The salt content can be high, but washing the beans and discarding the liquid will help — and canned varieties tend to be less gas-producing than dried beans. Since no cooking is needed, simply grab a can opener and start experimenting with a range of dishes. Try adding lentils to soup, black beans to salad, or chick peas to a stir-fry.

You can also mash or purée beans and use them in dips, soups or wraps. Puréed lentils can be used as the base for a hearty lentil soup, black beans can be used to make quesadillas. Try adding some cumin, a bit of salt and pepper, and blend with grated cheese to make a quick meal that becomes well-balanced with a side salad or vegetable soup. Of course, chick peas can also be tossed into a blender to make hummus.

Try easing into meatless meals. Consider going meatless one day a week. If you don’t like the idea of a whole day without meat, start with a couple of meatless dinners each week. Plan meals that feature entrees you like that are typically meatless, such as
lasagna, soup or pasta salad.

Preparing Legumes

Dried beans and legumes, with the exceptions of black-eyed peas and lentils, require soaking in room-temperature water, a step that rehydrates them for more even cooking.

Depending on how much time you have, choose one of the following soaking methods:

• Slow soak. In a stockpot, cover 1 pound dried beans with 10 cups water. Cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
• Hot soak. In a stockpot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 pound dried beans and return to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover tightly and set aside at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.
• Quick soak. In a stockpot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 pound dried beans and return to a boil. Boil 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Gas-free soak. In a stockpot, place 1 pound of beans in 10 or more cups of boiling water. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Then cover and set aside overnight. The next day 75 to 90 percent of the indigestible sugars that cause gas will have dissolved into the soaking
water.

Cooking tips

After soaking, rinse beans and add to a stockpot. Cover the beans with three times their volume of water. Add herbs or spices as desired. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender. The cooking time
depends on the type of bean, but start checking after 45 minutes. Add more water if the beans become uncovered.

Other tips:
• Add salt or acidic ingredients, such as vinegar, tomatoes or juice, near the end of the cooking time, when the beans are just tender. If these ingredients are added too early, they can make the beans tough and slow the cooking process.
• Beans are done when they can be easily mashed between two fingers or with a fork.
• To freeze cooked beans for later use, immerse them in cold water until cool, then drain well and freeze.
• One pound of dried beans yields about 5 or 6 cups cooked beans. A 15-ounce can of beans equals about 1 1/2 cups cooked beans, drained.

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Holiday Season – Stay Healthy!

Being healthy and following a well balanced diet does not necessarily mean that you can’t enjoy the holiday season. It simply means that you should continue to be vigilant and be prepared for the festivities.

Here are some ways to maintain balance between maintaining a healthy diet and enjoying the fun:

1) Do not skip meals, eat regularly: If you are going to a dinner party, do not skip a whole days worth of meals in anticipation. You’re in danger of arriving there feeling famished and end up eating everything in sight. Instead, have small well balanced low-fat healthy meals throughout the day. By doing this, you’ll be less likely to over-indulge whilst you are out.

2) Exercise: Do not skip going to the gym. Most of us have extra time available, especially if we are off from work. Take this opportunity to get into a regular exercise program which will help burn off the extra calories and fat eaten over the holiday season. Why wait for the new year’s resolution on January 1st – start right away.

3) Change your way of cooking: Instead of frying – grill or broil your food. If you are roasting, use cooking spray oil and make sure to remove the skin before splurging. Steam your veggies which will also retain more of the nutrients.

4) Be creative with your cooking ingredients: Change the milk to skim milk, use half the fat or sugar whenever possible. This may not make a big difference in the taste of the final product. By simply making these small change, you can easily reduce your fat and calorie intake.

5) Balance on the plate: Don’t fill up your plate with all high calorie dense foods. Instead, Follow Canada Food Guide which recommends having more colors on your plate ie fruits and vegetables should take up at least half of your place.

6) Moderate your alcohol consumption: Alcohol also helps to add on calories, lots of it. Drink in moderation. Choose a lower calorie beer or wine whenever available.

7) Don’t finish it all: Are you full? Then simply stop eating. Along the same lines, when someone offers you food, seconds or a drink, don’t be shy to say no if you aren’t hungry. Don’t feel obliged.

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Childhood is a time of rapid growth, and meeting the nutritional needs associated with normal development is critical to a child’s well-being. It is parents’ responsibility to teach them proper eating habits.

Kids are often very fussy about food, preferring “sugary” junk food over more nutritious options. Children opt for junk as they feel it is tastier and looks more attractive. They can have the misconception that healthy food is boring.

Kids like to add some fun to their food, so why not serve a little creativity on the dining table in order to attract them? Children generally prefer finger foods, colorful dips, different toppings and frostings, fun shapes and foods that they can quickly eat and go.

Here’s Some Simple Ideas to Help Your Children Eat More Nutritious Foods:

1. Offer breads and crackers made of whole grains.
2. Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of their sandwiches.
3. Give them homemade healthy dips made of yogurt, hummus, cottage cheese or guacamole served with fruits and vegetables.
4. Combine dried cranberries, raisins, dried apricots, and apple rings with sunflower and pumpkin seeds, along with your kid’s favorite cold cereal.
5. Offer various types of cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, Swiss) in different forms (cubes, strings, slices and balls).
6. Give different shapes to pancakes for breakfast.
7. Spread mashed banana (or other spreads) on mini rice cakes or small pita bread.
8. Make pizza at home using whole grain dough and adding the vegetables of their choice as toppings.
9. Involve your children in decision making by taking them grocery shopping and letting them choose some of their favorite foods like breads, vegetables, fruit and yogurts.
10. Choose whole grain noodles. Kids will not be able to taste the difference.
11. Make shakes and smoothies with fruits and yogurt.
12. Quench their thirst by offering water, milk, vegetable juices or yogurt beverages.

Try these ideas and watch your kids develop healthy eating habits!

A new report suggests that eating overcooked meat is twice as likely to cause cancer than previously thought, scientist warned. The new alert over the hidden dangers of a roast dinner or cooked breakfast means the nation is unwittingly putting itself at serious risk of developing the deadly disease.

Healthy Eating Session

Join Dietitians Lindsay Jang and Sabrina Hemraj Thobani 

When: December 1st, 2012 19:45

Where: Avita Health and Massage Therapy Center

What: Informative session on Meatless Meals.

Get information on the health benefits followed by a taste testing of delicious meatless meals.

The dark crust formed on the outside of a well done steak or joint of red meat more than doubles the risk of intestinal tumors, researchers have found. Frying and grilling are particularly risky because the intense heat turns the sugars and amino acids of muscle tissue into high levels of cancer-causing compounds.

Doctors say that to combat cancers of the bowel, bladder and pancreas, people need not only limit the amount of red and processed meat they eat but must also ensure that it is not overcooked.

“Large studies in humans have helped show that eating lots of red and processed meat can increase your risk of bowel cancer and possibly stomach cancer. Eating smaller and fewer portions of red and processed meat could help reduce cancer risk.”

The new research comes months after the World Cancer Research Fund warned that eating just 1 lb of red meat a week raises the chances of developing bowel cancer by up to a third.

Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society suggest we follow the basic guidelines of Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide to help stay cancer free.

Lindsay Jang, RD

With the Holiday season fast approaching, sticking to your health and nutrition goals can feel next to impossible!

From specialty seasonal coffees to extra treats around the office, and of course those holiday parties taking over your calendar, there’s just no escaping it! But believe it or not, you can survive this social season without the burden of those extra pounds come January 1st.

Here are some tips to help you tackle the common culprits and still enjoy your favourite Holiday treats!

Plan ahead for Parties

• Don’t skip meals to “allow for extra calories later”! While the intention might be good, this will only leave you ravenous and more likely to overindulge. Instead you may want to plan for lighter, healthier meals that day to allow for a little extra indulgence! Think whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables and lean proteins.
• Grab a snack before you head out. This will help keep blood sugars level and decrease your temptation to gorge. Choose something with some fiber and protein for a bit of sustenance (an apple and 1 oz low fat cheese, a piece of whole grain bread with nut butter or yogurt with a small piece of fruit.
• Bring a healthy option to the buffet. Make your own chips by baking whole wheat pitas and a homemade salsa or bean dip. Add some spice to traditional veggies and dip with roasted mushrooms, peppers, eggplant and zucchini to accompany a homemade tzatziki (tip: no fat Greek yogurt will give you the creaminess you’re after without all that extra fat. No one will know the difference!)

Choose Drinks Wisely

• A single rum and eggnog will set you back a whopping 375 calories and 17 grams of fat (1 oz rum, 8 oz eggnog). A glass of red or white wine might be a wiser choice with only about 120 calories per 5 oz glass (not sure what that looks like? Measure out 5 oz into a glass before you leave the house).
• Tempted to try the latest seasonal coffee drink? Choose skim milk, skip the whip and consider a sugar free syrup! A Grande “skinny” peppermint latte from Starbucks is a great way to indulge with only 120 calories, zero grams of fat while a peppermint mocha with whip cream can do some damage with its 470 calories and 18 grams of fat for the same size! Eek!
• Don’t forget about good ol’ water or sparkling water (add a splash of lemon or cranberry juice for flavour). Our bodies can mistake thirst for hunger, so staying hydrated may help keep us in check at that buffet table.

Enjoy with Awareness

• Choose a small plate or napkin to help manage portion sizes and then take the time to scan your options before you dive in. Just because it’s there doesn’t mean you have to eat it! Skip the ones you could live without and choose a couple you’d still be thinking about tomorrow if they were left behind.
• Be mindful. Exactly as it sounds, take your time and be aware of the flavours, textures and aromas as you savour these once-a-year treats. I guarantee this will leave you more satisfied and less likely to go back for more.
• Don’t stand by the food and graze, take your plate and find a friend across the room. The more you talk the less you eat!

There’s no reason why this eventful season has to be all or none. By being mindful and planning ahead, you’ll be able to enjoy your favourite treats and leave those extra pounds in the dust along with that fruit cake you never liked anyway!