Let’s talk about repetitive stress disorders, managing family time, finding time to exercise, and glucose for your brain
FYI: I will be on my annual mission trip with Azusa Pacific University from Saturday, March 2nd through Wednesday, March 6th. If you have a chiropractic emergency, you may call Dr. Jay Thompson at 805.494.3388 in Thousand Oaks. Otherwise, I will be back in the T.O. office on Thursday, the 7th and Tarzana on Friday, the 8th.
Is your chronic pain a repetitive stress disorder?
Do you have a nagging pain in your neck, wrist or shoulder that ebbs and flows with increased pain and annoyance? RSDs can develop over long periods of time and are chronic in nature. This is why it is necessary to get up and move often throughout the day and to incorporate a regular stretching program which will relax and release accumulated stress and tension.
*Common causes will occur from over-activity involving constant repetitiveness, lifting heavy loads or improper body mechanics How you sit, stand, grip, lift, carry, type, sew, repair, pull, push, assemble, or play a sport has an inherent risk of injury, particularly if there are faulty body mechanics and/or the absence of adequate rest.
*Because stretching affects the muscles, tendons and joints, the first line of defense against RSDs is to stretch daily to prevent, or at least reduce, the risk of creating a RSD somewhere. This stretching should be coupled with adequate rest in order for the body to repair itself and recover from prolonged activity.
*Another line of defense against RSDs is good posture. This comes from an awareness of your body position, how long you stay immobile, and how much excess stress is influencing your activity. Often simple adjustments to the chair or desk height and repositioning equipment to a more accessible place helps in eliminating potential problems.
*RSDs are preventable, and in most cases repairable. Any questions, give me a call.
Dr. Ben, “Your Biomechanic on the Road to Good Health”
NUTRITION FOR THIS MONTH & FOR LIFE
Why your brain needs a glucose fix
This is a summary from Lisa Mosconi, PhD., of the Weill Cornell Medical College. For more complete information, read her book Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power.
While most of our organs and tissues rely on carbohydrates and fats, 99% of the fuel your brain needs is glucose. When in the brain, glucose turns to ATP, the fuel that powers all cellular activity; helps produce neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that sends signals from neuron to neuron (without them you wouldn’t be able to think, feel or move); and stimulates the plasticity of neurons so they don’t shrivel and die off. Without enough glucose, your memory, focus and reasoning decline. The worst case scenario is could end up with Alzheimer’s Dis.
The best way to get glucose in your diet is eating all types of vegetables, fruit and whole grains, basically what’s in the Mediterranean Diet. These foods provide the needed glucose while lessening the total amount of sugar ingested to avoid high blood sugar and other health problems. Examples of glucose-rich foods are scallions, turnips, rutabagas, dried apricots, kiwifruit, grapes, onions, whole grains, red beets and raw honey.
So, if you wish to help improve your memory, boost your energy, reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, then improve your glucose intake.
IMPORTANT TIME MANAGEMENT
EXERCISE OF THE MONTH (and rest of your life)
If you’re looking for a standing desk, check out Flexispot. Use the code word: feelbetter to get $15 off whatever you buy.
http://flexispot.refr.cc/yourhealthmyconcern
THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTH
“In politics as in philosophy, my tenets are few and simple. The leading one of which, and indeed that which embraces most others, is to be honest and just ourselves and to exact it from others, meddling as little as possible in their affairs where our own are not involved. If this maxim was generally adopted, wars would cease and our swords would soon be converted into reap hooks and our harvests be more peaceful, abundant, and happy.” ― George Washington
“Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to appellation. ” ― George Washington