Be Slim Blog

Take the guesswork out of weight loss How do I lose weight quickly and easily? Which diet will work the best for me? We all agonize over the choices while our health suffers from carrying extra weight. Because of the serious health consequences associated with being overweight, obesity is a medical problem that deserves treatment by a doctor.

Our Doctors Weight Loss Solution solves the biggest weight loss problems by offering personalized, comprehensive weight loss programs under the supervision of a doctor. We have created a program that is both easy to follow and will allow you to lose weight very quickly and safely.

Call us to schedule your complimentary weight loss consultation today 618-931-4000!

“There I am,” a very fit patient is saying, “out on my five-mile run, motoring my way up a steep incline. Suddenly, I feel a throbbing pain in the middle of my right shin. Oh, no,  I think, not again.”

As things turned out, the patient recovered from the shin splints quickly, but he knew he’d dodged a bullet. “Why did I get hurt?” he wanted to know. “I wasn’t doing anything wrong.…What can I do to make sure this doesn’t happen again?”
All very good questions. One answer is – basically − we need a plan for exercise. A powerful strategy that helps us train smart and train safe. When you’re working this way − training smart and safe − then you can also train hard.

Training safe and smart means paying attention to what’s happening in your body as you do your workout. “Paying attention” is a learned skill. It requires focus and repetition. Visualization is an important part of focus ─ and, if you’re working on visualization, you’re definitely paying attention!

You can visualize when you’re running, too.
•    Visualize an erect, fluid spine and strong abdominal muscles.
•    Your head is upright, you’re looking forward and slightly down, and your chest is open.
•    Your arms are active yet relaxed, and your shoulders sit comfortably on your rib cage.
•    Visualize a long stride, a soft landing, and a strong pushoff, with your leg kicking straight behind you.

Dr .Jason Talley specializes in sports injuries, call the office today to schedule your appointment.  Let's put a healthy exercise plan in place to avoid sports injuries.

Kids don't have that strong a relationship to vegetables. Kids will go through the motions, pushing broccoli spears and lima beans around their plate a few times, but few veggies actually reach the inside of a kid's mouth.

And yet, we want our kids to eat vegetables on a regular basis. The best way to do this is to serve fresh veggies daily, and make sure WE eat all the vegetables on our plates!

Why bother? It turns out that vegetables - all kinds of vegetables - contain super-powerful ingredients that help keep us healthy and help us ward off a wide range of serious illnesses.^1,2 These magical substances - phytochemicals - give fruits and vegetables their big nutritional kick!

"Phyto" is Greek for "plant". Brightly colored fruits and vegetables contain the most nutrients and the most phytochemicals.

Well-known phytochemicals include lycopene, found in tomatoes; isoflavones, found in soy; and flavonoids, found in fruits such as blueberries and cranberries.³ Phytochemicals have wide-ranging effects - some are antioxidants, others stimulate enzyme activity, and others have hormonal action. All phytochemicals act to enhance health and well-being and human performance.

Antioxidants provide significant protection for your body's cells against the destructive oxidation potential of free radicals. Free radicals are produced by normal metabolic activities, and they are neutralized by antioxidants which we obtain in a well-balanced diet.

But if we're not consuming our daily requirement of fruits and vegetables, our reserves of antioxidants are decreased, and free radicals can destroy cells and create disease. For example, certain types of cancer are linked to free radical damage.

Bottom line - broccoli spears are much more than flowery green things your Mom used to make you eat. Broccoli is a superfood, rich in antioxidants and rich in cancer-fighting ability.

Carrots - another superfood- are rich in beta-carotene, an important antioxidant. Your body converts a portion of beta-carotene into Vitamin A, which helps strengthen the immune system and protects the digestive tract.

Tomatoes round out the list of the top three super-veggies. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene - a potent antioxidant. Lycopenes give tomatoes their rich, red color. These phytochemicals have proven health benefits in the areas of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

Eating vegetables daily provides so much benefit for people of all ages. Five to nine portions of fruits and vegetables are recommended in a balanced nutritional program.

Your chiropractor is an expert on nutrition and will be glad to help you construct food plans that work for you and your family.

¹Hayes JD, et al: The cancer chemopreventive actions of phytochemicals derived from glucosinolates. Eur J Nutr 47(Suppl 2):73-88, 2008
²Nair S, et al: Natural dietary anti-cancer chemopreventive compounds: redox-mediated differential signaling mechanisms in cytoprotection of normal cells versus cytotoxicity in tumor cells. Acta Pharmacol Sin 28(4):459-472, 2007
³Vinson JA, et al: Cranberries and cranberry products: Powerful in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo sources of antioxidants. J Agric Food Chem June 2008 (in press)

While some fitness enthusiasts relentlessly seek out the latest, trendiest exercise crazes, many others are returning to good, old-fashioned walking to help them feel great and get into shape. Whether enjoying the wonder of nature, or simply the company of a friend, walking can be a healthy, invigorating experience. And thanks to its convenience and simplicity, walking just might be right for you too, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).

Benefits

You don't need to become a member of an expensive gym to go walking. And except for a good pair of walking shoes, it requires virtually no equipment.

"A sedentary lifestyle has debilitating influence on people's health as they age" says Dr. Jerome McAndrews, national spokesperson for the ACA. "Exercise is imperative." Walking accomplishes all of the following and more:

• Improves cardiovascular endurance
• Tones muscles of the lower body
• Burns calories: about 80 if walking 2 miles per hour, and about 107 if walking 4 1/2 miles per hour
• Reduces risk of heart disease

Shoes

The first item of business when beginning your walking program is to select the right pair of shoes. Dr. McAndrews recommends the following tips:

Make sure the shoes you purchase fit properly. The balls of your feet should rest exactly at the point where the toe end of the shoe bends during walking. Avoid high-top shoes, that, often cover the entire ankle, limiting your foot's ability to move freely and naturally. Opt instead for shoes that offer your ankle a fuller range of motion.

Select shoes with plenty of cushioning in the soles to absorb the impact of your walking.

Getting Started

Walking just 12 minutes every other day can offer important health benefits. Walking 20 minutes every other day is even better. But in order to increase your longevity, try to eventually work up to 30 minutes, five days per week. The following tips should help you get started safely and smoothly:

• Move your arms freely, in coordination with the opposite leg.
• Don't stoop your head or look down as you walk. This will challenge the normal forward curve of your neck, which, in turn, will cause you to carry your weight improperly.
• Don't carry weights or dumbbells while walking.
• They're better used as a separate part of your exercise regimen. If you do carry weights while walking, be sure that they are light enough that they do not interfere with the "rhythm" of your arms and legs; in order to counterbalance the body, when your right arm moves forward, the left leg should be moving forward, etc.
• Expect a little soreness in the thighs and calves for the first week or two. If you experience more than soreness, check with your doctor of chiropractic.
• Walk briskly, with "purpose." Simply "sauntering," while relaxing and enjoyable, is not an effective form of cardiovascular exercise.

Keep in mind that, if you have not previously been physically active, you should consult your doctor before. Begin slowly with a walk of perhaps half of a mile at a pace that does not cause discomfort. Continue this for about two weeks, then start to increase the pace and length of time walking. Eventually - depending on your age - you can build your "target" heart rate/pulse to either 120 beats per minute or, if younger, as many as 140 beats per minute. For the average adult, a heart rate of 120 beats per minute would require walking at about 2 miles per hour, while a heart rate of 140 beats per minute would require a pace of 4 1/2 miles per hour.

HYDRATION

Drink 10 eight-ounce glasses of water a day to help keep the kidneys active, dilute and remove toxins from the body, and replace lost fluids. (Coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcohol are diuretics/dehydrators. Don't substitute them for water.) If you perspire during walking, you may need to drink even more.