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.

Bad Eating Habits Lead to Obesity

A lot of people miss breakfast, eat a skimpy lunch and end up ravenous at the end of the day. Because they are so hungry they eat while they are making dinner; eat dinner too fast; still feel hungry and either deprive themselves, or continue to snack through the evening. Disgusted with themselves, they console themselves with sweet foods or alcohol, which again adds more calories.

Dieting is the pits.... reduced food intake just sets up the desire to binge as soon as the diet is over. After weeks of deprivation, chocolate, candy and junk food are too desirable. So if you want to lose weight what do you do?

The Solution: Learn about Healthy Eating

To prevent weight gain, the solution is do not overeat. To prevent overeating, it is essential to modify your basic eating behaviors. 

Aside from the discomfort of the common 'on again off again' pattern of overeating and weight gain, there are health many risks. You have only to be really ill, to learn how valuable it is to be healthy.

During the weight gain period, there is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease because you are carrying around an overweight body. Dieting means a risking insufficiencies of calcium and other essentials minerals and vitamins you need for optimum health. In addition, weigh gain and weight loss have a negative impact on your mood and well-being.

Five Rules for Healthy Eating

First Rule: Shop for health: If you buy it: You WILL eat it.

Don't buy or order junk food then you cannot eat it. Buy the most delectable fruits and vegetables and eat plenty of them. Ounce for ounce they are less expensive than candy.

Avoid manufactured foods: buy fresh. Anything prepackaged in plastic, cans, or layers of paper wrappings is manufactured and probably has more sugar, salt and fat than you can afford to eat. Please note: high blood pressure can be affected by a high salt intake. Buy fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and fish. Eat only a little [less than 4 ounces] of pasta, potatoes, rice or bread. Buy only breads with 2 or 3 grams of fiber per slice and don't add margarine, butter or preserves.

Second Rule: Eat ONLY when you are sitting at a table.

This means no snacking while you prepare food, no eating between meals, and no eating after dinner is over. The one exception is a piece of fruit midway between breakfast and lunch and a second fruit halfway between lunch and dinner.

At work, no eating at your desk...go to the lunchroom or outside in fine weather.

Third Rule: No TV or reading while you are eating.

You need to be aware of what you are eating and how you are eating it. Remember when you were so hungry, you ate so fast the meal just vanished or, you were busy watching television and you ate the whole meal without being conscious of it. That is a trance state. If you eat with someone, remember, no talking with food in your mouth.

Fourth Rule: Put no more than a heaped teaspoonful of food into your mouth at any one time and empty your mouth before reloading your fork or spoon.

This slows the pace of eating and allows enough space in your mouth to properly mix the food with saliva. This starts the process of good digestion. Still eat too fast, use a teaspoon or a child's fork and eat off a small plate not a big one.

Fifth Rule: Chew each mouthful at least 20-25 times.

This breaks the food down into small particles for efficient digestion - and yes, the rule applies to soft foods too. It also slows the pace of your eating.

When you take time to eat, your stomach has the ten minutes it needs to signal to the brain: "I have food in me." Your brain then switches off the, "I am hungry" mechanism. This process takes about 10-15 minutes.

A fast eater can shovel in a lot of food before the switch is triggered so faster eaters may eat too much. Next time you are in a restaurant, try watching 10 overweight people and 10 people normal weight people eat. You will generally find that overweight people eat the same meal in much less time than the thinner people.

Don't forget:

Size matters: if your heart has to service 300 lbs that is twice the work of servicing 150lbs plus it has to use more pressure to do the additional pumping... Overeat causes many health problems...

Exercise is one of the most critical factors involved in weight control. The other major factor is eating the proper foods. It is difficult to reach and maintain weight and fitness goals when exercise is not done on a regular basis.

We suggest you find an exercise you enjoy and can fit into your lifestyle. By implementing a safe an enjoyable exercise program you will be able to stay motivated and move towards your weight loss goals.

Below are some common myths and negative thoughts about the value of exercise. Avoid excuses as an excuse not to exercise.

* Exercise Increases appetite.
* Exercise takes too much time and makes me tired.
* Exercise slows my weight loss down as I gain muscle.

Below are several of the benefits of exercise versus a sedentary lifestyle.

* Lowers the percentage of body fat
* Increases lean body mass
* Improves posture
* Increases metabolic rate
* Strengthens the cardiovascular system
* Reduces the risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis
* Lowers high blood pressure
* Reduces the severity and risk of developing diabetes
* Improves insulin efficiency
* Lowers depression
* Improves self-esteem
* Increases alertness & psychological functioning
* Reduces stress and anxiety
* Improves cholesterol levels

Types of Exercise

* Aerobic burns fat for fuel
* Anaerobic burns carbohydrates for fuel

The preferred exercise for weight management is aerobic. Consistent and lower impact activities during the weight loss process is the preference as opposed to the dynamic, start-stop activities.

Talley Chiropractic offers a lifestyle assessment and body composition analysis, to help you achieve the fastest and easiest way for your to lose weight and keep it off and achieve all your weight loss goals!