No more caffeine!

What’s one thing I can do to be healthier?

Quit caffeine! Did we just suggest that you give up your soda or coffee? Well, unfortunately, caffeine contributes to lowered blood sugar levels, which also causes cravings for refined sugars and causes fatigue. There are many other problems with caffeine. For example, the Department of Health lists caffeine along with nicotine and heroin as an addictive substance. In a book by Stephen Cherniske called Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America's #1 Drug, he links drinking sodas to malnutrition, depression, fatigues, decreased learning skills, childhood obesity, and osteoporosis!

How can you get off it? Well, weaning is the best, so if you currently drink 5 cups of coffee or 5 sodas per day, then we recommend that you only have 4 per day for a week or two. Next, decrease to 3 per day for a week or two and so forth. You get the idea?! Some people can go “cold turkey” but most of us who have tried to do that and are not the “cold turkey” type are back to drinking our 5 cups of coffee on the 3^rd day. Instead of drinking the coffee or soda, we recommend no-caffeine herbal green tea or freshly prepared juices that aren't loaded with sugar. You also have to watch out that you're not getting caffeine through foods like cookie with chocolate or chips, coffee flavored snack foods, cake pudding, brownies and fudge, just to name a few!

If you'll take the time to wean yourself off these items that contain caffeine, you'll likely find yourself having an easier time sleeping at night, a decrease in fatigue and generally better overall health!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year to everyone! We hope that you had a blessed Christmas and enjoyed time with family and friends. As we look back on 2010, it is also time to look forward to 2011 and all it has to offer. Do you feel like it’s time to shed a few pounds? Do you need to lose more than a few? Well, we have the program for you! We’re calling it “Why Weight? Get Healthy!” It’s a 12 week weight loss challenge that starts Tuesday, January 18^th with an informational meeting at 6:30pm. Please call the office at 620-665-5076 to RSVP or for additional information.

Knee pain

Do you have trouble going up and down stairs because your knees are stiff? Do you have pain after walking or standing long periods? This could be a sign of a problem with the knee joint. There are a number of things that can be causing the pain or stiffness so it’s important to get the knee evaluated. Problems such as torn meniscus, ligament tears as well as arthritis should be cared for promptly to avoid further injury.

We realize that there are a number of you who may be thinking that if you have a knee problem, you’ll have to have surgery. Not all evaluations will result in you having to have surgery. In fact, in our office we see a number of people with knee problems. Through chiropractic treatments, therapy and/or acupuncture, many have experienced decreased symptoms and improved functioning.

Are there things you haven’t been able to do because of knee pain? Call us today for an evaluation.

It’s getting colder and colder outside so we want to caution you not to stay out too long, as you might get FROZEN SHOULDER!!...NO! That’s not what frozen shoulder is! Also known as adhesive capsulitis, it generally starts with an injury or pain in the shoulder, causing one to not move the joint as far as normal. After a period of time of underuse, the shoulder capsule starts to “stick” and will not move as far. This, in turn, creates more pain and further movement avoidance. You can see where we’re going here…one painful, nearly immobile shoulder! Treatments are available in our office, including chiropractic, physiotherapy and acupuncture. Though the treatment often requires time, many patients experience increased mobility and decreased pain plus improved quality of life as a result. If you’re suffering with this condition, don’t’ hesitate to call to schedule an evaluation with one of the doctors. We evaluate the shoulder through palpation, range of motion testing and orthopedic tests to determine what's going on. If you're unsure about whether it's frozen shoulder or some other condition, come in and we'll examine it for you!

Keeping your sweets and treats under control…It is pretty hard to avoid the yummy candy, cookies, cakes and punches that are available at the multiple parties you’ll attend between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. However, you’ll maintain a healthier weight and avoid illness and disease by eating well throughout the season.

If you struggle with a sweet tooth, your body may be lacking valuable nutrients that can help you feel fuller and less likely to be reaching for sodas and candy bars. Eating your veggies, though it seems like a simple solution, can provide you with vitamins that your body needs to function properly. When the cells of the body are getting the nutrients and vitamins that they need, your brain senses that no other food is needed and you can avoid cravings. Also, if you eat a diet mainly of carbohydrates like breads, rice and pasta with very few vegetables and healthy fats, you can actually become addicted to carbs. This causes you to feel the need to eat carbohydrates, if you try to withdraw them from your diet. In that case, you may need additional assistance through dietary supplementation. The supplement Inositol is a wonderful addition to your day as it helps to maintain a healthy blood sugar *

Dr. Jennifer Peterson can help assess your current health condition and give you suggestions on how to avoid the treats. She can also let you know if you need additional vitamins and minerals to be successful. Call 620-665-5076 to schedule a consultation.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Migraine Headaches

The holidays can be stressful, can’t they? We often see more patients in with complaints of low back pain and shoulder pain due to the long hours of shopping or driving OR from getting those decorations out of the basement. However, migraine headaches can also come creeping back into our daily lives.

A migraine headache can be caused by many things:

1. Misalignment of the spine

2. Inadequate water intake or drinking too much caffeine

3. Eating lots of carbohydrates like cookies, candies, holiday punch and fruit cake (We don’t do any of that around the holidays!) J

4. Changes in hormones

5. Drinking wine

Migraine headaches are a type of headache where you'll often get a throbbing type pain in the head which is not usually relieved or improved by lying down. It may be accompanied by nausea, dizziness or problems with your vision. There are some folks who have an "aura" before the migraine comes, such as tingling in the fingers or lips or visual disturbances.

In order to combat migraines, don’t forget to keep well adjusted with chiropractic care this holiday season. Freeing up the nervous system by aligning the spine and relaxing the muscles in your neck can make a difference in the frequency and intensity of your migraines. Also, try to drink mainly water or herbal teas, keeping caffeine intake to a minimum. Limit your intake of carbohydrates like bread, rice and pasta as well as processed foods. Many of the items down the interior aisles of the grocery store are processed, stripping the foods of nutrients and leaving you nutritionally mugged. Instead, eat lots of vegetables, some lean meat and then a minimal amount of fruit and carbohydrates. The carbs you do eat should mainly be whole grain bread (make sure that the first ingredient on the package is NOT "enriched") and brown or wild rice.

If you suspect that your headaches are hormone-related, we have a doctor available who uses alternative methods of hormone testing and is skilled in helping women (and men) balance their hormones through the use of diet and nutritional supplements. In that way, you may be able to avoid the use of medications to treat the symptoms.

Don't hesitate to contact our office to schedule a consultation with one of our doctors to discuss chiropractic care and/or nutritional counseling to get control of your migraines! 620-665-5076