Don’t let Allergies and Asthma get you down this year!

Bacteria often has a negative connotation. But what if I told you bacteria can actually be good for you? Even help with your asthma and allergies this time of year? Probiotics are your answer.

What are PRObiotics?

They are GOOD live bacteria that promote health, help with proper digestion of food and help our immune systems defend itself against BAD bacteria, viruses and fungi, which promote illness. This “good” bacteria, or “intestinal microflora” which live primarily in our gastro-intestinal tract (your gut) promote optimal health and prevent illness, so long as there is a sufficient amount.

How do Probiotics work?

An aspirin a day to improve your health?

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in North America.  It claims over 700,000 lives each year.  It has been strongly associated with poor lifestyle and while much of the public health focus is on ‘prevention’, its numbers continue to climb.

Does an aspirin a day do what it promises to?

Let’s be clear – prevention is an act of avoidance of a negative event.  I’ve never liked the term ‘preventative medicine’.  What that truly implies is avoiding sickness or disease rather than moving towards optimal health.  Many ‘preventative measures’ are encouraged from health care practitioners – don’t smoke, exercise, eat healthy, avoid saturated fats and take a baby aspirin every day to prevent heart attacks.  While I agree that smoking is awful and exercise and proper eating are a must (INCLUDING SATURATED FATS), I decided to dive in a look a little deeper at aspirin.

Get outside and live life fully!

The anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle is very much in the news these days.  Is it Fact, Fiction or Fad?

I’m very much learning as I go so I will take a basic intro to the anti-inflammatory world of do’s and don’ts and share them with you!  And would love your ideas, feedback and recipes.

First let’s talk about inflammation. What is it? Why does it happen and why is it bad for us? Or is it?

Inflammatory cells are cells that cause inflammation. They release different molecules and mediators that can cause an area to become hot, hyperperfused (red), painful and swollen. In some cases, inflammation is a good thing.  A mosquito bite gets puffy and red.  It’s the body’s way of isolating a problem or intruder, rushing blood cells to the area to fight and heal.

It is important to let the body heal itself.  But when is it a problem and what is chronic low level inflammation doing to our bodies? Let’s look at what today’s lifestyles throw at our bodies, things that previous generations never had to deal with and as a result we are seeing more and more chronic illnesses and even fatal diseases. Things such as chronic fatigue, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Let’s take a look at contributing factors;

·         Sedentary lifestyles – we work more, exercise less.

·         Diet and Nutrition – we think of diet predominantly as a number/result issue as opposed to nutrition/wellness  – Processed foods may be fast  and easy but it’s also a fast and easy way to wreck your health.

·         Environmental contributors – pollution, second hand smoke and even medications.

Hence the Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle! Or as we like to say around here “ a balanced lifestyle”. Identify in your life what could be contributing to unnecessary inflammation in your body.  Some of these things you can change some you can’t. Cut out ONE simple anti-inflammatory causing food at a time.  Replace it with an anti-inflammatory fighter!  Follow a vitamin regimen and modify it as needed. GET ADJUSTED!  A well-functioning nervous system is the hub to wellness.  Discover a fun way to exercise that will keep you motivated and committed. Hiking, dancing, skating or even just walking.  I have friends that have recently discovered photography and bird watching.  Get outside and live!  Do everything possible to help your body fight todays challenges!

Here are a few more anti-inflammatory ways to fights;

·         Omega 3 – in its purest form

·         Spices such as turmeric, ginger, curry and garlic

·         Whole grains such as wild rice, quinoa and oats

·         Go fresh!  Stay in the fresh food isles and explore new ways to add foods (for me it’s some I don’t enjoy) as smoothies and soups

·         Tea, dark chocolate and yes even a little red wine is good for you!

So when (not if) we choose a balanced approach to an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, we will be helping our bodies be inflammation fighters when they need to be!

After seeking chiropractic help in her twenty’s for the usual (and expected –or so she thought) lower back issues that go with horseback riding, she experienced a new level of health. Not only has she made chiropractic a regular part of her life but she has made a commitment to changing her lifestyle and coaches others how to do the same. She is an avid outdoors person. You can find her walking her beagle, biking, painting and drinking great coffee. Her true passion is riding horses and has been a competitive rider/jumper for years.

We all make them. We all break them. It’s like there’s a societal pressure to make resolutions every January, only to stop mid-February and feel like a complete failure. Gyms thrive on this time of year; hundreds of new memberships sold, a large percentage of which will go unused within a few months. Countless healthy cookbooks bought, new workout equipment, self-help gimmicks that are going to change lives! I’m not saying some don’t stick with it and we should celebrate those who do, but there’s a definite noticeable difference in the gym parking lot come March.

What if you didn’t NEED to resolve to do better each New Year because you always strive to do your best regardless, and if you slip, you’re ok with it? A novel idea, but one that everyone should adopt.

Here are my 4 ways to stop the madness and be your best all year:

1. Stop pressuring yourself!

   You’re not perfect, no one is! Stop trying to attain a level of fitness, healthy eating or mental clarity that you’re not ready for. Stop comparing yourself to others. You are your own independent person and you should act that way. Unfortunately in this day and age, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stay our own course and feel like we are doing OUR best. Stand strong and know that as long as you are doing what is best for YOU and for YOUR family, that’s all that should matter. Do not let other people’s opinions influence your daily life. Only YOU have the power to let anyone make you feel a certain way.

2. DO NOT buy a Gym Membership in January! 

   At any time of the year that you feel you should step up your workout game, do it then! Don’t wait until the New Year. January is the time that you can’t find a parking spot, classes are packed and personal trainers are hunting for new clients. If you want to join a gym, do it at a time where not everyone has the exact same idea. This way if you want to try classes, they are of a reasonable size so you can ask for help and you have access to most equipment without waiting. That being said, it is not wrong to join a gym in January if that is when you feel inclined to do so. But remember to start slow, ask for help when you need it and do what you enjoy.

3. If you fall, dust yourself off and get back up! 

   You only fail when you stop trying. Working out and eating healthy is HARD! Saying you’re only going to eat kale salad and boiled chicken everyday is a recipe for disaster. Sure, that can absolutely be a goal, but most people are going to get sick of kale salad and chicken and may indulge in something way over the top, feel horrible about themselves and decide it’s not for them. So try this: when you get to that point of hating what you’re eating, switch it up. Add in some of those indulgences but in a healthy way. Or indulge once in a while and start fresh at the next meal. Don’t beat yourself up. If you’re too tired to make it to the gym one day, listen to your body and be ok with it. Start fresh the next time, don’t fall into a trap of thinking “I can’t do it”.

4. Be realistic! 

   Going to a gym everyday is not for everyone. But it’s also not the only way to workout. Find what works for you. Do you really have time to lug your kids to the gym daycare, do your class and get home? Find an at-home exercise program you can do while they entertain themselves, or better yet, do it with them! Does running on a treadmill bore you? Get outside! Research what you should wear when it’s cold, how you should pace yourself throughout your run etc. You want to try some new diet because everyone else says it’s amazing? Look into all aspects of any new way of eating before you try it and see if it realistically fits into your life first. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for the next. As long as you are avoiding foods that you know are harmful or do not work for you, THEN try to add in the good stuff.

The main point here is to pace yourself. Don’t jump out of the gate January 1st trying to change everything in your life all at once. That’s how people fail. Make small but impactful changes throughout the whole year. Or if January is your time to start, start small and slow. Add in the good and the bad will eventually fall to the wayside. Be yourself and enjoy your life. Like the cliche says, it’s often too short. Remember this: Be Fit. Eat Right. Think Well. Get Adjusted. Follow my 4 ways of maintaining your goals in each of these aspects and you will be just fine.

Kayleigh Read

Chiropractic and a wellness lifestyle changed her life. She had such an incredible experience and change in her health, that she decided she help change people’s lives. In addition to being the Director of First Impressions at Synergy, she is also a Certified Holistic Health Coach. When she’s not at the office, you will find her either at the gym kickboxing, or with my husband, Mike, and their 3 dogs. She is a philanthropist and founded a non-profit charity, Families First Community Cancer Support, which supports and provides financial relief to cancer-burdened families in the community.