Thanksgiving is tomorrow and you're waist line is likely cringing in anticipation. Before you prepare to unbutton your jeans, don stretchy pants, or swear to "be good" in the days following, check out our tips and tricks for surviving Thanksgiving!
1. Swapportunities. Seize them. I am a firm believer that labels such as low fat, low calorie, low sugar, or fat free are often much worse than the full fat goodness we tend to avoid. Save yourself the chemicals and artifical substitutes by sticking with the full fat ingredients. This Thanksgiving, a great place to perk up your nutritional content is in your mashed potatoes. That's right. The holy grail of thanksgiving delights. Here are two healthy swaps to make your mashed potatoes a friendlier side dish.
Swap out 1/3 of your potatoes for carrots. Peel them, dice them, and boil them just as you would potatoes. In fact, you can boil and smash them in the exact same pot as your potatoes- less dishes! Carrots are high in Vitamin A, low in carbs, and won't alter the texture or flavor of your potatoes. The best part, they add depth of color to your dish without any extra effort!
Not a fan of carrots? Allergic to potatoes? Go for Cauliflower Smash. Boil or roast a head of cauliflower until tender. Mash and prep as you would normal mashed potatoes and enjoy your low-carb swap that won't leave you feeling sluggish. Cauliflower is high in Calcium, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin C, Potasium, and Magnesium.
2. Movember! Now I know the actual "Movember" movement has nothing to do with physical activity but it was a pun I couldn't pass up. At InHealth, Movember is all about embracing the month of November with physical activity and exercise despite the limited daylight hours in the Northwest this season, every opportunity to get moving is one to seize!
If you aren't the primary cook in the house and can afford a few hours in the morning to run, take advantage of the Turkey Trot's happening in your neck of the woods. What better opportunity to burn some calories, increase blood flow, and embrace the last few days of fall.
Don't have time in the morning? Invite the family out for some exercise before your meal (since Lord knows getting anyone up after all that Turkey is a true challenge). You can head out for a walk, jog, bike ride, game of basketball or football. Whatever gets the family up and moving!
3. Eat! Whatever you do, do not, I repeat do not fast before your meal. Starving yourself silly will only lead to overconsumption at the table. Start your day off right with breakfast and lots of fluids to kick start your metabolism. Stay fed throughout the day leading up to the big dinner so you can enjoy the food's quality rather than gorging on a large quantity. Remember that your empty stomach is about the size of a fist as your begin to heap the food onto your plate.
Last but not least, enjoy! I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with good company, gratitude, and love.
Happy Thanksgiving!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
Enough stiffness, it is time to get limber in that office chair! Those long hours spent sitting, typing, and checking the clock take a powerful toll on your body. Every moment you spend sitting (often hunched over) harms your bones, joints, and muscles. As a result we see a great deal of lower back pain resulting from extended periods of immobility at work. If your office has yet to invest in stand-up desks or exercise balls in lieu of chairs, here are some office proof stretches to try. Start off by setting a phone alarm- choose a frequency that works for you and set a reminder to move around, stretch, and give those lower back's some relief.
Starting position for each stretch will be seated, fully upright in your chair, with your palms resting on your thighs or knees. For the first stretch, place your right hand outside your left knee and use your back to twist left. Follow your twisting core with your head and eyes, hold for 20 to 30 seconds, breathing deeply and fully. Then repeat on the other side. Be sure not to pull or over twist on this stretch! You are relying on your back to twist, not your arms.
For this next stretch, be sure to return to starting position. With your feet planted hip width apart, inhale slowly, and as you exhale lean forward over your thighs. Allow your hands to dangle beside your feet while continuing to breathe deeply. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, break, and repeat.
Lastly let’s get those legs moving! From starting position, bring one knee toward your chest. Grab the back of your thigh and pull it toward you- be sure to keep that back straight! Hold for 30 seconds, and enjoy the stretch in your lower back and upper buttock. Release slowly and repeat with the other leg.
These stretches are sure to relieve lower back pain but be sure to get up and move every opportunity you can! A quick break every 30 minutes or more will increase blood flow, keep your body loose, and increase overall productivity while at work.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
For today's podcast Scott sat down for a quick chat with InHealth's very own Gabrielle Anderson to talk Seattle Acupunture, Eastern Medicine and how it fits into the world of Western treatments.
Listen and Download:
Direct Download
iTunes
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
Hey gang! The always fantastic and extremely talented Scott Roth, a professional pole vaulter from Seattle, WA, sat down with Scott to talk about his experiences working his way up the ranks to become one of the best vaulters in the nation. They'll chat about how Roth made his start, how he battled back and hamstring injuries and how sports physical therapy helped in his recovery.
As always, thanks for listening, and feel free to send in your questions and comments to podcast@inhealthseattle.com
Happy Listening!
Download the Episode
Photo Credit: polevaultplus.com
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
The short-term benefits of Chiropractic care are felt almost instantly. Pain relief, improved mobility, muscle tension and headache relief, and increased stability are among the main immediate effects of Seattle Chiropractic care. But what happens when your initial acute injury is relieved, and you are still dealing with chronic pain? Investing time in long-term chiropractic care can prove beneficial on a broader scale, especially regarding chronic pain.
Many patients experience chronic muscle tension and tightness. Over time, long-term benefits of chiropractic care can reduce these chronic problems—tension, stiffness, and that “wound up” feeling. This means that overall, there is a greater sense of relaxation for the entire body.
In addition, over time systematic care can positively affect sleep. An increase in energy during the day, higher endurance during regular daily activities including tough work schedules, hobbies, or sports activities, and an overall vitality and vibrancy is much higher as a result of long-term care on a regular basis.
A common Seattle chiropractic care schedule would include at least one visit to your Seattle Chiropractor every month or quarter. The relationship you develop between your Chiropractor should be unique to your personal needs. Chiropractors locate and manually correct your areas of imbalance in the spine and extremities and then rehabilitate the structures surrounding these joints in order to achieve stability, thus correcting the underlying cause of the problem.
Your condition should be re-evaluated frequently, so that home exercises and continued visits are specific to your needs and will benefit you as much as possible. Treatments should evolve with your improvement!
To maximize your continued improvement, it is important to develop a routine that gets you moving. Whether it’s a daily exercise routine or an evening 20-min walk, staying active in addition to your home exercises will help keep your stress low and energy high!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.