Spring Cleaning: how to prepare for a food-based detox.

The first version of the phrase “you are what you eat” was documented in 1826 by Anthelme Brillat-Savarin when he wrote “tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are”. In 1863, Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach wrote “man is what he eats”. Neither of these men meant the sentence literally; they were simply stating that the food one eats has an impact on one’s state of mental and physical being. This phrase, and the meaning behind it grew in popularity in the 1920’s and 30’s, when early studies on health and nutrition started linking food to disease.

Nowadays, this phrase is a well-known slogan for promoting healthy eating because it has been proven to be true, time and time again. What you eat really does matter when it comes to your health. Eating a diet composed of high quality foods will help you build strong organs, bones and muscles, which sets a strong foundation for good health. Low quality food (like processed items and fast-food) produces weak structures and inefficient metabolism.

High quality foods can not only be used to build a strong foundation for health, they can also be used to promote detoxification of the body as well. Certain foods have been found to have stimulatory effects on the main organs of detoxification, like the liver, kidneys and skin. Pairing these types of foods with those that are of high nutrient status, while avoiding foods founds that are commonly found to aggravate symptoms, has a cleansing effect on the body. By cleaning the body, you are promoting the proper function of organs, and thus the elimination of toxins or waste products that have been stored up over time, hence detoxification! Some well-known benefits of a detox diet are increased energy levels, improved digestive function, clearer cognition and memory, as well as weight loss.

Gentle detoxification through diet modification is one of the best things you can do to personally take charge of your own health. Listed below are several general recommendations in which you can follow to start a detox through diet:

1. Drink water and green tea throughout the day. Add lemon to a glass of warm water in the morning to jump-start your digestive tract with enzymatic processes. Green tea contains anti-oxidants known as catechins, which have been found to improve liver function.
2. Eat fresh fruits. They are high in water content, which aids in flushing toxins from the body, and provide your body with antioxidants, nutrients, fiber and a range of vitamins.
3. Eat plenty of fresh green vegetables. Wheat grass, kale, spinach, arugula and other leafy greens provide a range of healthy benefits, including chlorophyll, which helps rid the body of environmental toxins from smog, cleaning products, herbicides and pesticides.
4. Choose lean sources of healthy protein for meals, such as salmon, chicken and turkey breast and egg whites. Pair these with healthy fiber-rich grains, such as brown rice and quinoa.
5. Replace sugar- and salt-laden snacks, such as sweetened yogurt and chips with healthier options, such as unsweetened Greek yogurt, walnuts, and almonds.
6. Do not stop taking any prescription drug for a detox diet. Many health conditions require a constant amount of the medication in the body and discontinuing them can have serious, possibly life-threatening consequences.

Considering the touted benefits, it’s easy to see why a detox diet might be appealing to some – but there are important things to consider before starting. To detoxify your body as safely as possible, it is best to seek guidance from a medical professional. Together, you will be able to factor in your specific needs and goals to ensure you do not overburden your body by the release of toxins and wastes, which will minimize the occurrence of symptoms. They will also be able to make lifestyle, nutraceutical, botanical and mental/emotional recommendations to benefit you during the detoxification period. For more information on detoxification through diet, please inquire about the Naturopathic services available through ChiroActive.

References:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/you%20are%20what%20you%20eat.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_7580245_detox-food.html#ixzz1scUhxIac

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/detoxcleansing/a/before_you_detox.htm

In today’s age of health and fitness, more and more children are involved in sports. Although being part of a hockey, football, soccer or Little League team is an important rite of passage for many children, parents can be overlooking the importance of proper nutrition and body conditioning needed for preventing injuries on and off the playing field for their kids.

“All sports are good for children provided that the child prepares appropriately,” says Dr. Brian Martyniuk, co-founder of ChiroActive in Carleton Place and Kanata / Stittsville and former Personal Trainer.  “Without proper preparation and stretching, playing any sport can turn into a bad experience. There are structural and physical developmental issues that need to be taken into consideration before children undertake certain sports.”

Highly competitive sports such as hockey, football, and gymnastics follow rigorous training schedules that can be potentially dangerous to an adolescent or teenager’s spine.

The best advice for parents, who have young athletes in the family, is to help them prepare their bodies with sport specific exercises.  This will protect them from injuries before they happen.

“A Proper warm up, stretching and core training are essential for kids involved in sports, but many kids do not learn proper stretching or weight-lifting techniques, making them more susceptible to injury”. “Parents need to work with chiropractors and athletic therapists or sport trainers to make sure they receive the proper sports training.”

“Young athletes should begin with a slow jog to warm up the legs and arms and stretch all the major muscle groups,” says Dr. Brian. “Kids involved in football, baseball, gymnastics and swimming should develop a routine that includes strengthening exercises for the abdomen, the low-back muscles, arms and shoulders.”

Proper nutrition and hydration are also extremely vital. “A student athlete may need to drink eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water for proper absorption. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and be sure to include lots of fruits.  Eating a healthy meal before and after practice or a game allows for proper replenishment and refuels the body,” adds Dr. Brian.

The following tips can help ensure your child does not miss a step when it comes to proper fitness, stretching, training and rest that the body needs to engage in sporting activities.

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Today’s modern living often entails hours hunching over workstations, driving long distances in cars, and having poor posture at home on the couch.  These all play havoc with our necks. So it is no surprising that neck pain is the second most common condition that chiropractors treat. While neck pain is less common than low back pain, millions of people experience neck pain and related arm pain at some stage in their lives and therefore seek chiropractic care.

Neck pain results from abnormalities in the soft tissues – muscles, ligaments, and nerves, as well as in the bone and the joints of the spine. The most common causes that chiropractors identify and treat are soft tissue abnormalities from injury or prolonged wear and tear and in many people it is also the source of pain in the upper back, shoulders and arms.

When neck pain is caused by muscle strain, you may have aches and stiffness that spread to the upper arm and forearm. Shooting pain that spread down the arm into the hand and fingers can be a symptom of a “pinched nerve” or nerve entrapment in the neck. When a nerve is “pinched” in the neck, numbness, weakness and possibly pain of the hands or arms may occur. Disc injuries are rare but it is the most common cause of nerve entrapments.

Call us today for a consultation if you are suffering neck pain and you live close to Stittsville / Kanata or Carleton Place.

The Beginning

We decided to get a puppy, you know the kind – soft, cute, endearing….boy were we in for a treat!  Milo and Me is the ongoing saga of our little puppy who is now 7 months old. You’ve heard us talk about him, lose sleep over him, and laugh about our experiences with him.  Now you can read about all the funny moments and see the pictures too.

When we were picking a breed we settled on a “golden doodle” which is a cross between a golden retriever and poodle.  We decided on the “standard” size.  So we were thinking ‘standard’ meant something like the size of a large Labrador.  Yes, well, we may have been slightly misinformed.

We picked Milo up from the breeder and she handed us a cute fuzzy little puppy, exactly what we were expecting.  Well, except for one thing, when we looked at his paws they seemed a little large compared to the size of his body.  Yes, that was our first clue that our “little” puppy was not going to be little for very long!

We decided we would be very firm with our rules for the dog – no dogs in the bedroom, no dogs on the bed, no feeding the dog from the table etc. We had a long list for Milo, and slowly one by one he began to challenge, manipulate, and test out his cuteness factor (worked like a charm on Brian) until many of those rules seem to slip by the wayside.

We started with house training, which he picked up fairly quickly and easily within days with only a few accidents here and there.  At this point we were thinking “wow, we are fantastic dog owners! We’ve got this. I don’t know what all the fuss is about trying to train a puppy.”  And in the next few weeks we finally began to understand…

Crate training – a lesson in torture, and I mean for the owners.  Let me see if I have this right, according to most “crate training is the way to go – your dog will love it and be better for it.” This is our version: put puppy in crate, puppy gets hysterical, we get upset, eventually we take puppy out, everyone is relieved.  Next we try to put puppy in crate with treats, toys, blankets, and a bed. Puppy eats the treats then gets hysterical, and the cycle repeats.

Luckily the only time he didn’t get hysterical was when we put him in the crate for the night to sleep, that is as long as the crate was in our bedroom.  So Rule #1 of No Dogs in the Bedroom was broken on night 1 of bringing him home.  However, by month 3 Milo decided that he was a big boy and he didn’t need the crate and then he got hysterical if we tried to put him in the crate overnight.  He eventually wore us down, so in the best interest of his owners being able to sleep  we decided  he was allowed to roam free, never to go back to the crate again.  Our conclusion: For Milo, crate training was NOT the way to go, and he is better for it.

As the puppy stages continued and control was quickly slipping away from us,  we decided puppy school was in order.  We chose Carolark – a well known dog training school in Stittsville which we found to be excellent (despite some of our funny stories you will read about). Puppy school involved the dogs on leashes with the owners sitting on chairs in a large circle desperately trying to listen to the instructor while at the same time trying to control the barking and incessant whining from their puppy.  Milo was uber excited to be sitting in the same room as so many furry companions and was anxious to play.  In contrast most of the other puppies seemed a little nervous and hesitant.

Near the end of class the instructor announced it was time to let the dogs socialize off-leash while the owners sat back and watched.  So we all let our dogs loose. The puppies  all start to take timid steps, that is except for Milo who as soon as the leash was off instantly tore around the room running like wild crazy animal around the circle of chairs, wagging his tail at each person.  We averted our heads slightly as if we too were looking around the room wondering who were the owners of such a wild beast?

Milo kept going, it was like he was doing a victory lap around the circle of owners and dogs.  And then he claimed his prize – he stopped, put his paws up on a person’s lap, went in for a big kiss to distract them and then as they leaned away he grabbed the bag of treats that had been hiding on the back of their chair. Milo quickly snatched up his prize and pranced around the room, at which time all the other puppies started getting riled up. Then just as soon as the instructor noticed the plastic bag in Milo’s mouth the owner of the missing treat bag yelled “He’s got the whole bag of treats!” and all pandemonium let loose as the instructor yelled “EVERYONE GET YER DOGS!” .  Suddenly 20 pairs of legs and dogs were all running around chasing and being chased.

I’m sure the most important lesson the puppies learned that day was how to play this new fun game of chase.  Still to this day Milo will pick up something he knows he isn’t supposed to have and then there is the familiar high pitched yell and a game of chase ensues.  Oh, if only we realized all the other lessons we are really teaching our dogs!

Some exciting news for those requesting massages on Saturdays! You’ve asked for it and now it’s here.  Jason is now offering limited timeslots for registered massage therapy on Saturdays in Stittsville Kanata.  If you’ve already experienced the treat of Jason’s deep yet relaxing therapeutic massages then you will know these slots will go quickly, best to book in advance.  Jason is best known for his traditional techniques of deep Swedish style massage that allows one to enjoy the massage while he deftly works out the adhesions and tension in the soft tissues. You can call or email the clinic to book an appointment with Jason in Stittsville.

Via: Medical Billing And Coding

After being in an Ontario car accident, motorcycle accident or other motor vehicle accidents, people turn to Chiroactive to help navigate through the insurance claims process for personal injury/injuries to spinal, bone, joint, or soft tissue.

As an Ottawa Chiropractic Care provider centre, Chiro-Active puts their patients immediately at ease by explaining the insurance claim process. In each Ontario MVA accident case, there are some immediate questions that must be considered.

What forms do I need to fill out if I have sustained minor or major injuries in a car accident in Ottawa, Ontario?

Disability Certificate (OCF-3)

If the insurance company asks you to, please fill out the first section and give this form to your chiropractor. This form is completed by you and by your health practitioner (chiropractor). The most important section is Part 3 (The Accident Description). Please Give a brief description of the accident and what happened to you. Please describe any
injuries you sustained as a direct result of the accident.

Application for Accident Benefits (OCF-1)

Fill out this form when you are applying for benefits for the first time as a result of an accident, including if you are injured and are applying for income replacement benefits. You may be eligible for weekly benefits even if you were unemployed or retired at the time of the accident. This Application for Accident Benefits form must be returned within 30 days after receiving the package. If you are unable to return it within 30 days, submit it to your insurance company anyway and explain why you were not able to complete it within 30 days. Return the original form to the insurance company and make a copy for your records.

Your Chiropractor at Chiro-Active will help ease this process by taking the time to help you with these forms by doing a thorough history, exam, and report of findings.

What happens if I have extended Health coverage through my company?

Your Auto Insurance will ask that you pay up front for any care you receive immediately after the accident, and your private company health extended insurance will these bills with the chiropractor. After this has been exhausted with your extended insurance, your Auto Insurance will cover the bill for any remaining costs, usually up to $3500 Maximum.

What if I DO NOT have extended Health coverage through my company?

Don’t worry, your Auto / MVA Insurance will cover the costs. The Chiropractor will submit the bill directly to the insurance.

The Chiropractor will fill out a Treatment Confirmation Form (OCF-23). This form will be completed to confirm treatment received under the Minor Injury Guideline for accidents which occurred on or after September 1, 2010.

Thousands of people in Ontario are seriously injured in accidents each year and turn to Chiro-Active (Chiropractors in Ottawa). Accidents can occur without warning, and within seconds your life can be turned upside down. Accidents often result in broken bones (orthopaedic injuries), torn ligaments, neck and back injuries, chronic pain, whiplash, and soft tissue injury.

Most times these personal injuries lead to permanent injuries, inability to work, and a life of pain and suffering. The best Ottawa chiropractic services at Chiro-Active can help you rebuild your life after these injuries by ensuring that you are properly examined and treated by professional staff to ensure you have the proper care to help with healing and
moving forward.

Treating these personal injuries can often overtake your life and demand all your time.

At the same time you are trying to regain control of your life, you need to be filling out complicated insurance forms and negotiating with your car insurance company to ensure you received all the financial compensation you need for now and years to come.

As experienced Chiropractors with Auto / MVA claims, we have treated many Ottawa car accident victims who have suffered from an accident and were not getting the proper therapy they were entitled to from their insurance company.

In addition to whiplash/neck injuries, the mid and lower back are also frequently injured in motor vehicle accidents (MVA’s).

The Mid Back

The mid back or thoracic spine is most commonly injured as a result of the asymmetry of most seat belt designs. As the torso moves forward the seat belt locks and the torso is forced to stop at the end of the shoulder strap. Because the shoulder strap crosses only one shoulder (usually the left), the side without a strap (usually right) is able to travel forward further which results in a forward flexing and twisting injury to the mid back.

The Lower Back

The lumbar spine is also frequently injured, but the mechanism differs from the above. As the torso and pelvis move forward the pelvis is stopped by the lap belt. However, the torso continues to move forward which producing a shearing force in the lumbar spine. These injuries often result in lumbar disc injuries.

When spinal injury occurs, spinal muscles often reflexively spasm to protect the area from further injury – whether or not the muscles are injured. This spasming can lead to muscle ischemia (lack of oxygen) due to increased energy demands. This ischemia can then lead to scar tissue build up and cause tightening and weakening of the muscle and tissues. If left untreated, loss of mobility and range of motion at the joint can occur. Active Release Therapy and acupuncture are two techniques that help the restoration of muscle function and increased oxygen to the tissue to promote healing and repair.

If you have been involved in a car accident, most whiplash injuries cause Headaches and Migraines.

Headaches are the second most common complaint following motor vehicle accidents (MVA’s). Like the many other MVA symptoms, headache may not be present immediately following the accident and may take several weeks and often months to eventually surface.

Most post-traumatic headaches are thought to originate from the soft tissues and facet joints of the neck as well as injury or irritation to the nerves of the upper cervical spine.

The literature has shown there to be multiple types of headaches which can be experienced following a MVA. These include the following:

• Cervicogenic Headaches
• Muscle Tension Headaches
• Migraine Headaches
• Myofascial Trigger Point Headaches
• Site-Of-Impact Headaches
• Drug-Induced Headaches (following excessive or prolonged analgesic use)