Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Chiropractic care has been shown to help the following in children:

Babies should be checked by a Chiropractor if they experience any of the following

  • Colic
  • Poor feeding
  • Unsettled sleep patterns
  • Crying, restless, easily startled
  • Unhappy lying on his back
  • Prefers to feed on one side
  • Reflux
  • Tendency to face one side
  • Plagiocephaly, or flat head
Children:
  • ADD/ADHD
  • Ear Infections
  • Scoliosis 
  • Cognitive Function
  • Immunity
  • Coordination
  • Gait

Chiropractic Care for Kids

  •     How early should children be adjusted?
  •      Is it safe?
  •      Aren't their bones still soft?
  •      Why do they need adjustments?
  •      What if they cry? 

All of these questions and more go through the minds of parents who are considering chiropractic care for their kids.  Some parents are hesitant about getting their children adjusted even though they are under care themselves.

Our kids are so special to us that sometimes, in an effort to protect them, we become overprotective and deprive them of necessary and valuable experiences.

If chiropractic care is necessary to your good health and for reaching your full potential in life as an adult, then it logically follows that it is even more necessary for a child!

After all, they have nerve systems that control and coordinate all of their body functions just as you do.  And, just like you, they can get subluxations that will interfere with the full outward expression of their Life force.

The only difference is that they still have an entire lifetime ahead of them in which to manifest the results of what they do today.


It's Never Too Soon

Subluxations can occur at any time.  The first one may very well have occurred at your baby's birth.  That is why parents who understand the importance of being subluxation-free have their newborns examined by their chiropractor as soon after birth as possible.

By correcting subluxations at an early age, the damage that inevitably comes from functioning at less than optimal levels can be prevented.  The longer a subluxation is present, the greater the damage.  In addition, the longer a subluxation is present, the longer your child's body will continue to "reproduce itself" (i.e., grow) in the wrong way!

"As the twig is bent, so grows the tree!"

Many people who come into a chiropractor's office for the first time as adults would have had far greater potential for regaining their health if they had received regular chiropractic care as children.


Kids Make Great Patients!

Adjusting a child is not a difficult procedure.  In fact, in most cases, a child's spine is much easier to adjust than an adult's.  They have not had the long-standing subluxations, their muscles are usually not as tense and they are usually more relaxed in general than adults.

Not only are kids easier to adjust, but also in most cases, they hold their adjustments for longer periods of time and their corrective adjustment plans are almost always significantly shorter than the average adult. However, with the falls, accidents and the generally active lives most kids experience, regular check-ups are vital.


It's Worth The Effort

Chiropractic adjustments are generally painless.  Children may, on the first visit or two, be somewhat reluctant.  However, they rarely hesitate to get on the table to be adjusted, especially when they see that visiting the chiropractor is a family affair.  When they see Mom, Dad and their brothers and sisters getting adjusted, they are usually more than willing to be checked for subluxations too.

We will work with you so that your children will become accustomed to their adjustments.  In fact, in a very short period of time, most kids really look forward to their regular chiropractic visits.

Those children that are reluctant at first should be lovingly told that they must be adjusted and why it is so important (to keep their Power on!).  As parents, we realize that our children are not going to like or enjoy everything that is good for them.  Spinach is not enjoyable for most kids, and naps aren't much fun either.

Chiropractic adjustments are vital to their good health, and the few tears that may occur on the first visit (usually because of fear of the unknown), are well worth the benefits to our precious little ones.

Obviously, children who are adjusted regularly from infancy think of their visits to the chiropractor as a regular part of their lives and are not the least bit hesitant to climb onto the adjusting table.


Chiropractic Care is Vital to Your Child's Health and Life!

Lastly, it is of great importance that parents not think of adjustments for their children as "something they might as well do since their kids have come along to the office with them anyway."  Chiropractic care for your children is vital to their health and is an absolute necessity to their development and for actualization of their full potential in every area of life.



Thursday, March 31, 2011

What If It Was All A Big Fat Lie?





The beginning of every year you see an increase in sales for gym memberships and the latest diets.  And now that spring is in the air many of you are thinking about summer and the dreaded swimsuit season. With goals in mind, we pursue the latest diet or exercise fad in attempt to lose ten pounds or fit into that dress again, etc. Ultimately, diets do not work over the long-term nor do they support true wellness.

Think about it.  Of course you're going to lose weight if you starve yourself for three months or cut out carbohydrates but such actions are not sustainable over a lifetime. 

First and foremost, it's important to consider the reasons for lifestyle changes. Please take a moment to review the the benefits of exercise listed at the end of this article. Healthy lifestyles also include dietary changes. 

Did you know that dietary changes account for 70-80% of the lean muscles in professional body builders? 

Now, I know most of you don't want to be a professional body builder, but we do want to see the muscle tone we've built, right? That means you also have to incorporate dietary changes as well to reap the benefits. 

Let's talk and get real about dietary changes. I know we can be bombarded with advertisements so I am going to give some great tips for healthy eating and squash some key misconceptions about dieting. 

Low fat products will help you lose weight. Wrong. Let's think back about when this belief was popularized. Since then, we've had a surge of low fat products; however, people have become more and more obese. Why is that? Because when the manufacturer takes the fat out of a product it tastes horrible so they often compensate for this by adding sugar. If you pay close attention to the labels, low fat products have more sugar than the whole fat products. More importantly, your body needs fat. Your brain is 60% fat. When a product has fat (mono and polyunsaturated fats, in particular) it is more satisfying to the body, which ultimately decreases your appetite and sugar cravings. So fat is important.

Avoid food like substances. Ultimately, eat real food (not processed food). If it rots, it's real food. Of course, we know to eat more fruits and vegetables because they provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants keeping us young and full of energy. We've also all heard the benefit of these foods preventing heart disease, reducing risk of cancer, etc. Many weight loss programs preach counting calories to lose weight. I disagree with this approach. Mainly because many of the "allowed" foods are still terrible for your health. These programs help many who have proportion control issues but many of the allowed foods have little nutrients. When you eat processed foods you still feel hungry because you are starving your brain and body from the nutrients needed to survive. If you never eat real food, it will be impossible to maintain weight and achieve optimal health. 

Health = Nutrient/Calorie

So remember when you choose foods choose real food that has the most bang for the buck. Of course, an apple has more nutrients than a granola bar. Real food not only has the nutrients but also the fiber to keep you full longer.

Now I know many people get discouraged about maintaining a healthy diet because we see others who look healthy and thin while eating food like substances. But don't be fooled by thin people who don't eat real food.  While they may appear thin on the outside, they may have other risks like internal fat surrounding their vitals organs, which many doctors are finding more dangerous than external fat.  

Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly is the best health insurance. 


References: 
Eat for Health by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
In the Defense of Food by Michael Pollan




Aerobic Exercise
Improved Cardiac Function
Weight Loss
Improved Mental Health (less stress & anxiety)
Better Immune Function
Reduces Diseases
Lowers Blood Pressure
Increases HDLs (the good cholesterol)
Better Sleep
Improves Glucose Metabolism (reduce insulin resistance) 
Increases Longevity 
Weight Resistance
Improves Posture
Reduces Body Fat
Improves Balance & Coordination
Prevents Osteoporosis
Increases Muscle Tone & Endurance
Increases Metabolism

Exercise can slow the aging process and improve the quality & quantity of your life.