3 Exercises to Improve Your Core!

Last week at True Chiropractic we had the awesome opportunity to learn some core strength exercises with our friends at Anytime Fitness of Little Canada! According to Anytime trainer Mara, “Strengthening your core will enable you to keep your chest up higher and your spine stronger, which correlates with upper and lower back pain relief.” Read below for 3 core exercises you can do at home without any equipment that can help you with your spinal health! (Try for 10-20 reps for each!)

1. Bird Dog Crunches: abs, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders

Start on the floor on all fours with hands under your shoulders and hips in line with knees. Simultaneously extend your right arm to shoulder height and lift your left leg straight back. Return to beginning position and repeat on other side. Do this slowly to maintain balance!

2. Spidermans: lower abs, obliques, shoulders, and glutes

Start in a push-up position, hands under shoulders, body in a straight line. Lift right leg to the outside of right elbow. Return to plank. Repeat on left side.

3. Shoulder Taps: abs, shoulders

Start in a push-up position, hands under shoulders, body in a straight line. Lift right hand to tap the left shoulder while keeping hips square to the floor. Return to plank. Repeat on the other side.

These exercises were given to us by our friends at Anytime Fitness. If you are interested in improving your physical fitness talk to Dr. Wing at your next appointment!

Lose the weight : Eat bacon?

Obesity is a major issue in the United States today. In fact, as of 2013, 25-30% of Minnesota adults were considered obese according to the CDC.¹ That’s every 1 in 4 adults! And, let’s face it – losing weight can be difficult. According to the Monte Nido Eating Disorder Treatment Center, “95% of diets fail and most will regain their lost weight in 1-5 years”.² So that begs the question – what are we to do? How can we go about losing our excess weight and living healthier lives?

According to Gary Taubes in his book, “Why We Get Fat”, the answer to losing weight is quite simple – ditch the carbohydrates.³ Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t fat that is making humans fat, but those pesky carbs. But how can this make sense? The answer lies in a little chemical called insulin.

Insulin is a hormone produced by our pancreas. The main purpose of this hormone is simple – to stimulate our body cells to take up the extra glucose in our bloodstream after a sugary snack. Insulin is surely our body’s friend – continually keeping our blood sugar in balance. However, this hormone has other very important functions related to fat metabolism, or fat burning, in our body.³

Insulin also affects two other hormones in the body, namely lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL). The first, LPL, is a cell membrane protein responsible for pulling the fat in our bloodstream into fat cells. Insulin activates this protein, especially in our abdominal regions, which causes more fat storage in the body. The second hormone, called HSL, is inhibited by insulin activity. HSL is responsible for breaking fat down from an unusable to a usable form so that it can be burned for energy. Therefore, when insulin is around, two main things happen - we store more fat and stop the body from burning fat.³

It seems that avoiding carbohydrates could surely help our body in burning its fat stores. Therefore, a great way to shed some excess weight would be to avoid foods that spike our blood sugar (and insulin secretion) such as bread, cereal, pasta, beer, fruit juice, soda, potatoes, rice, and corn.³ Furthermore, don’t be afraid to eat fat and protein – they have no effect on insulin secretion and will keep you from feeling hungry for a longer time period. If you want to lose weight, it may be time to change that breakfast cereal for a little bacon!

1. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/prevalence-maps.html
2. http://www.montenido.com/pdf/montenido_statistics.pdf
3. Taubes, Gary. “Why We Get Fat”. 

by Kelsey Petersen, ACP Chiropractic Intern and the True Chiropractic Team

THE SIX HUMAN NEEDS

 When thinking about relationships, an important concept to keep in mind are what Anthony Robbins calls “The Six Human Needs”. These six things are required to live a fulfilled, vibrant life. The following is an explanation of these human needs. Are you fulfilling these needs for others in your relationships? Are others aiding in the fulfillment of these six factors for you?

Certainty/Comfort:

This is one of the most important of the six essential human needs. Basically this is the human need for safety or comfort. If this human need is not fulfilled, nothing else really matters – if you feel as though the ceiling above you may cave in, there isn’t much else in your life that matters right?

Uncertainty/Variety:

Conversely, lifelong fulfillment also requires a little mystery. This is what creates excitement and surprise in life. Living each day in complete comfort and certainty would be quite boring. You feel wonderful when your significant other surprises you with roses, right? A happy life, it seems, requires a little spice.

Significance:

Everyone has the basic human need for significance. What is it that gives your life meaning? Why do you do what you do? This can be gained through having unique talents/skills, through your career, or through caring for your family. The human experience is so much richer if you have a meaningful and significant purpose.

Connections and Love:

Interconnectedness with people is important for personal fulfillment. Have you ever had a day when you spoke to no one else? How did you feel at the end of the day? Did you feel enriched, satisfied? We as human beings have the essential need to love and to be loved by others.

Growth:

Are you growing or are you dying? Everything on this planet is continually moving in either direction on this spectrum. We have the need to grow as a person – to learn new things, to run faster, get stronger, eat healthier, feel better. Chiropractic can help fulfill this human need of growth. By ridding the spine of neurostructural shifts, the human body can function more optimally – you can sense your world more clearly, feel better, have higher energy in your day to day life. Who wouldn’t want that?!

Contribution:

Lastly, humans have the basic life need for contribution. Are you making the world a better place? Will your life having meaning? Like significance, this basic life need can be met through our careers, raising our children to be good people, or through our volunteer work. To live a truly fulfilled life, we must have a positive impact on the world around us.

Kelsey Petersen Chiropractic Intern & the True Chiropractic Team

Relationships and Chiropractic

Relationships are so delicate and can break on minor issues and simple misunderstandings. Once broken, it is a die-hard task to mend the relationship and get back the same intensity of affection in the relationship. There can be visible reasons, maybe a misunderstanding or communication gap. It could also be that problems are invisible; perhaps this has been brewing under the surface. 

Neurostructural Shifts are very much like a broken relationship. A slight miscommunication between the brain and body can create secondary conditions such as: digestive disorders, sciatic pain, headaches, low-back/neck pain ect.  Just like a relationship, Neurostructural Shifts can occur from what is perceived as “minor”.  However, this may have been the problem that broke the camel’s back.  

At True Chiropractic we work through our Neurostructural Analysis to locate the Neurostructural Shift, which we call the Primary Condition.  By restoring proper alignment and optimal nerve supply the body is able to function how it was meant to, healing from within.  It is of utmost importance to address these miscommunications before they do get out of hand and can lead to more serious issues.  

To learn more about this Neurostructural Shifts, please contact Dr. Wing and the True Chiropractic Team.  Your body will thank you later.