No Miracles-Just Results!

There are three proven steps to take in order to avoid an early death. #1- Don't smoke. #2- Wear your seat belt. #3- Have a healthy body weight. Sound simple? Yes, but simple isn't always easy. Gena Kay Shealy, of WorkLife Solutions, explains the principles behind achieving a healthy body weight. Gena Kay is a Certified Health Coach with Take Shape for Life.

Follow the B.E. S.L.I.M. approach.

Breakfast- You must eat within one hour after waking up. Your body needs fuel to kick start your metabolism, otherwise it will slow down, and you will not lose weight.

Exercise- If you are not in the habit of exercise, then just start off walking more each day. Build up the intensity over a 4 week time period, but remember- you cannot simply exercise your way to a healthy body weight- you must eat right too.

Support- Be accountable to someone who is knowledgeable about healthy eating habits and wants you to succeed. It could be your partner, a friend, your chiropractor or a Certified Health Coach like Gena Kay.

Low Fat- Some fat is necessary to sustain our health, but we eat too much of it. We need to feed ourselves frequently with low fat and modest calorie foods. This will keep our blood sugar level and put us into a higher metabolic state for losing weight.

Individualize- Feeding yourself six times a day takes some thinking and planning. Take a look at your life, and figure out what can work for you. Take Shape for Life uses Medifast Meals to help make choices easier.

Moniter- You have to keep track of how you are doing, if you make sure you get there. Helpful monitoring tools are a tape measure, a scale and a pair of jeans that you want to fit back into.
Blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol measurements are important, if you have issues with hypertension, diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Roswell Bicycle Festival Chiropractic Booth

Our chiropractic intern, Barney Roca and I spent the day on Sunday providing check-ups and muscle work for participants of the Roswell Bicycle Festival, along with their family members and festival goers. Sunday was a gorgeous day after the torrential downpour on Saturday.

The most common physical complaints from bicycle riding are neck pain (from drop-down handle bars), pain and numbness in the wrist (from leaning on your wrist), low back pain (from keeping your spine flexed too long) and numbness in one foot (from having a short leg).
Chiropractic care is a safe and effective method to detect and help correct these disorders, and keep bicycle enthusiasts in the saddle.

Holiday Stress- Busters

The holidays bring stress in all kinds of ways.
Some are physical, like wrestling boxes of decorations from out of the attic. Some are mental like trying remember all the people who need presents, what they got last year, and what you want to get them this year. Emotional stress comes from dealing with relatives, memories of past holidays and unfulfilled expectations. Metabolic stress comes from holiday cookies, eggnog and too much time on the couch.
What can we do to make sure that holiday stress doesn't turn into holiday illness, injury or disease?

1. Stretch- Even 5 minutes in the morning can help prevent knots, strain and spasms from ruining your holiday celebration. Remember to stretch slowly and don't bounce.
2. Breathe- If you are feeling tense and rushed, take a moment, stop what you are doing and just take 4-5 slow, deep breaths. The pause and intake of fresh oxygen to your system is good for you.
3. Drink- Water. Dehydration is just as easy in the wintertime as in the heat of summer. Keeping your body hydrated helps to ward off exhaustion and aids in weight control.
4. Take your vitamins-Stress can deplete your body of essential nutrients like B vitamins and Vitamin C. Exposure to germs can compromise your immune system, increasing your requirement for zinc.
5. Get adjusted.-Chiropractic adjustments help put your nerves and muscles at ease, which reduces stress in your body. The less stress that is pent-up in your body, the better you sleep and quicker you heal.