Helmet

Helmet Time

Your brain is fragile. Very fragile. Although it’s enclosed within a rigid skull, it is still vulnerable to injury. Whether the damage is due to a direct contact or an acceleration-deceleration injury, a helmet can protect the brain by adding in an extra layer for the head. In the event of a crash, a properly fit helmet could mean the difference between life and death.

The hard, smooth outer shell works to distribute the force across the helmet and protects the helmet against sharp, penetrating objects. The inner foam is made of impact absorbing material and is made to break so that your skull doesn’t have to! As the foam compresses, it absorbs the force of the impact and lessens the force that hits your skull.

The purpose of a helmet is to minimize the amount of force transferred to the head in the event of an impact. A helmet can reduce your risk of sports injury by 30 per cent. Whether you enjoy biking, boarding, or blading in the summer or skiing, skating and sledding in the winter, pick the right helmet for the job and always wear it.

There are two basic types of helmets: single-impact and multiple-impact. It’s important to select a helmet that fits you properly and that is appropriate to the activity you’re doing. Single-impact helmets should be replaced if EVER in a crash. If the foam breaks, it is not able to protect the skull for the next crash.

Make sure you use the right helmet for the job. The type of helmet you use should be dependent on which activity you are doing. Bicycle, skiing and snowboarding helmets are designed to protect your head against a single hard impact. They should be replaced after they’ve been in one crash, even if there does not appear to be any damage. Hockey helmets are designed to withstand several impacts. Unlike a bike helmet, ski, snowboarding and hockey helmets protect the back of the head — which is especially important for winter sports.

While it may be tempting to buy a second-hand helmet or use a hand-me-down, plastic becomes brittle and weakens with age. Make sure you know the answer to two questions:

            1. Has this helmet been in a crash?

            2. Is it more than five years old?

If the answer to either of these 2 questions is yes, then do NOT purchase or use this helmet.

Also, older helmets may not meet current safety standards. Look for safety certification by CSA (Canadian Standards Association), or CPSC (Consumer Products Safety Commission).

Proper fit is just as important as choosing the right helmet. It should comfortably touch your head all the way around, and be snug enough to stay firmly in place. Your helmet should sit level on your head and ride as low as possible to protect the sides of your head.

We are open Mon through Sat and our number is 403-347-3261. Family First Chiropractic. 142 Erickson Dr, Red Deer. www.family1stchiro.ca

 

Resources

Canadian Chiropractic Association. 2013. http://www.chiropracticcanada.ca/en-us/backs-and-health/back-care-tips/at-play/heads-up-on-helmets.aspx

25 Ways to Use Thieves Essential Oil

Thieves essential oil blend was created based on the historical account of four thieves in France who protected themselves from the Black Plague with cloves, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing victims of the killer disease. Here at the clinic, it is one of our more popular oils, especially around cold season. Here is a list of 25 ways to use Thieves essential oil.

25 Ways to Use Thieves Essential Oil

1.    Apply 1-3 drops to cuts or open wounds to prevent infection and promote healing.
2.    Mix with a tablespoon of water, gargle and swallow for a sore throat.
3.    Apply to upper chest and throat with V-6 Massage Oil for bronchitis. 
4.    Put a drop on your thumb and apply to the roof of your mouth for a headache.
5.    Put 4-8 drops in a capsule with olive oil and swallow daily for longevity.
6.    For acne, take internally and apply to the skin diluted with V-6 Massage Oil.
7.    Put a couple drops directly on the soles of your feet to protect you from colds and flu.
8.    Diffuse in your home to keep the germ count down.
9.    Breathe in the vapors when you have lung congestion.
10. Use to clean pet cages, creating a healthier environment for them.
11. Add a few drops to your dishwasher for cleaner dishes.
12. Add to your laundry cycle for cleaner clothes.
13. Add several drops to your mop water for cleaner floors.
14. Mix 8-12 drops with water in a 4 oz. spray bottle to repel insects on your flowers and plants.
15. Use to dissolve the gummy adhesive on price labels.
16. Apply to bee and wasp stings to neutralize the toxin and relieve the pain.
17. Apply to gums to prevent and treat gum disease.
18. Apply orally to maintain healthy teeth and reduce cavities.
19. Apply a drop or two to gums and teeth for pain relief from toothaches.
20. Diffuse 15-30 minutes daily in homes or business to solve mold problems.
21. Add 1 drop to orange juice and drink to reduce phlegm and congestion.
22. Apply to broken bones or joints with V-6 for pain relief and to hasten healing.
23. Put a drop in your cup of tea for flavor and to maintain health.
24. Put on the tip of your tongue to help you stop smoking.
25. Put on cold sores and cancer sores with V-6 to make them disappear.



Guy is in Mon, Wed-Fri. To book an appointment call us at 403-347-3261. www.family1stchiro.ca. 142 Erickson Dr, Red Deer, AB

Energy Boosters

Energy Boosters

 So the Christmas season is over. The family has gone back home, it’s back to school for the kids and back to work for the rest of us. As much as we all love Christmas, sometimes it’s nice to be back to the usual routine. However, after the holiday hustle there tends to remain a feeling of exhaustion. Whether it’s due to overindulgence, lack of sunlight or just constantly being on the go, January is often known as being a tired month.

 However, the month of January is also when everyone tries to start getting healthy again. This renewed vigour at health is exciting and a positive change, but becomes quickly tiresome due to the exhaustion. Motivation quickly drains away when energy levels are low and this leads to further degradation into exhaustion.

 How do we combat this? Some people increase their caffeine intake, while others increase their hours of TV time. While both of these might be a temporary fix, they’ll often leave you feeling more drained at the end of the day and worse the day after. Here are some natural, healthy energy boosters that can help with the January doldrums.

 1. Stay Active: Increasing physical activity actually increases energy. The key is to focus on daily physical activity and not just “exercise!” Scrub, dig, shovel, walk, play, ride or wheel through your day. Take the first step and the second will follow.

 2. Sleep Tight: Making time for sleep is essential to feeling alert and ready to take on the day. Most people need at least eight to nine hours every night. To help create a restful atmosphere - fully darken your bedroom, keep the room at a comfortable temperature, keep your phone/TV out of the bedroom and use white noise (a fan or quiet music) to help induce sleepiness.

 3. Eat Right: Meal timing is another important factor in maintaining energy levels. People often skip meals, and wonder why they are tired in the afternoon. Skipping meals can cause blood sugar swings, often resulting in fatigue. You should eat at least three nutritious meals each day with the last meal well before bedtime.

 4. De-stress: One of the biggest energy zappers is stress, which can leave you mentally and physically exhausted. Counter these energy killers by involving more relaxation activities into your day. Whether that includes exercise, meditation, spending time with friends and family or simply listening to music, find your relief however you can!

 5. Sunshine or Vitamin D: The body makes vitamin D after exposure to sun, which can help with higher physical performance and improved mood. Try to get 10 minutes of unprotected exposure to the sun at least three times a week. Unfortunately however, we live in Alberta and that means sometimes we can’t get that sunshine as often as we’d like. So particularly in the winter months, supplement with Vitamin D to make sure that you get your correct daily intake!

 

Resources

Canadian Chiropractic Association. 2013. http://www.chiropracticcanada.ca/en-us/backs-and-health/back-care-tips/on-the-go/energy-boosters.aspx

Skiing and Snowboarding

Skiing and Snowboarding – Injury Prevention and Treatment

 Skiing and snowboarding are fantastic ways to get some great exercise while enjoying the outdoors and the beauty of winter. As with any sport, muscle strains or injuries occur whether it is due to poor warm-ups, overexertion, accidents or the cold weather.

Here are a few ideas to help prevent injuries on the slopes

-          Training to build up core strength including abdominal crunches, stairs, wall squats, and core exercises

-          Get equipment fitted properly before the season

-          Get your skis waxed for the ski conditions

-          Stretch for 5 minutes to loosen up the muscle groups in the arms, back and legs

-          Don’t go too hard on the first and last runs of the day to allow the body to warm up and cool down as most injuries on the hill occur late in the day

-          WEAR YOUR HELMET!

Keep in good condition this ski season by maintaining your spinal fitness with good core strength, staying flexible and getting regular adjustments. Regular chiropractic care with Dr. Joelle Johnson, Dr. Stephen Kelly or Dr. Marlee Lameris can help you to achieve these goals, maintain peak conditioning, and prevent injury.     

Massage therapy will also help with sore aching muscles from physical activity in the cold weather.

Did you know that Dr. Joelle Johnson is a volunteer member of the Canadian Ski Patrol System and has been for 15 years?

Call us this winter to stay aligned. Enjoy the slopes!

www.family1stchiro.ca

403-347-3261

142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer T4R 2X3

Running Stretches

Running Stretches

Gone are the days when you could just go for a 2 hour run without a second thought. Now you have to plan it into your daily schedule and you feel it for a few days after. However, that shouldn’t discourage you from starting! Running is known to have other side effects like improving the health of your heart and lungs, increasing energy levels, decreasing stress levels, improving tone and strength of your muscles and increasing bone density.

 It’s advised that you get checked by a health professional (like a chiropractor!) to make sure that running is an appropriate physical activity for you. Start slowly to allow your body time to adapt to the new activity and don’t forget about the warm-up. After the run, remember to do the cool down and stretch in order to prevent injury and excessive soreness. If you do experience pain or an injury that lasts longer than the usual post-workout soreness, ice the area and consult your healthcare practitioner.

 Some stretches for you to do after your run include the following:

 1. Upper Calf: Stand with your feet one in front of each other, about a foot apart, keeping the back knee straight and the front one bent. Keep both feet flat on the ground and lean forwards gently into a lunge.

 2. Lower Calf: Place on foot directly behind the other and keep both feet flat on the ground. Gently bend both knees into a semi-squat position.

 3. Front of Thigh: Support yourself for balance and grab your ankle with one hand. Standing on one foot, keep your body as straight as possible and pull your foot up towards your buttock. If you cannot touch your buttocks with your heel, then try pulling your knee backwards and extending the hip instead.

 4. Back of Thigh: Put one heel on a low surface, keep the knee straight and point your toes upwards. Bend forward from the hips, keeping your back as straight as possible.

 5. Hips/Buttocks: Put your foot flat on a low surface and bend the knee so that your foot is sitting on top of the surface. Lean slightly forwards over the bent leg and keep the leg you are standing on straight.

 Things to remember about stretching:

 1. Don’t stretch a cold muscle

2. Don’t overstretch or stretch to the point of pain. It should be comfortable

3. Hold each stretch for a count of 30 seconds and repeat twice on each side

4. Don’t bounce through the stretch. Keep the stretch constant and sustained.

 

To book an appointment with one of the chiropractors, call us at 403-347-3261. Family First Chiropractic. Red Deer. www.family1stchiro.ca

 

 

Resources

Canadian Chiropractic Association. 2013. http://www.chiropracticcanada.ca/en-us/backs-and-health/back-care-tips/at-play/running-stretches.aspx

Lifestyle and Your Health

Cancer Researcher Issues Stark Warning

 Dr. Lewis Cantley, a cancer researcher believes a high-sugar diet is very dangerous—in particular to children. First, it’s important to know that the factor that links obesity, diabetes, and cancer is insulin and leptin resistance. Full-blown type 2 diabetes, is now becoming increasingly prevalent in children and teens—something that was virtually unheard of 50 years ago. As Dr. Cantley says, type 2 diabetes is referred to as “late onset diabetes” for the precise reason that it typically didn’t strike until you were in your 60s.

If diabetes at 60 is evidence of a lifetime of higher-than-ideal sugar consumption, then the fact that teenagers are now developing type 2 diabetes tells us that the amount of sugar in the average diet, starting from infancy, is exceptionally high—so high that the ramifications become evident several decades sooner than before! This in turn exponentially increases the child’s risk of developing cancer at some point in his or her life. Dr. Cantley warns:

“This correlation of earlier and earlier type 2 diabetes, that means you now have 20, 30, 40 years of high insulin levels, which could potentially drive the growth of tumors. It really does make us very worried that advances we’re making in treating cancer is going to be completely offset by this dramatic increase in cancers that are associated with diabetes and obesity... The more I learn about it, the more compulsive I become about avoiding sugar.”

Think about it... Sugar used to be available to our ancestors only as fruit or honey—and then only for a few months of the year—compared to today, when fructose (primarily in the form of high fructose corn syrup) is added to virtually all processed foods and drinks; even items you normally would not think of as being high in sugar. Tragically, many infant formulas even contain more than 50 percent sugar! This, I believe, gets your child hooked on sweets virtually from day one, and sets the wheels in motion for metabolic dysfunction.

If you received your fructose only from vegetables and fruits (where it originates) as most people did a century ago, you'd consume about 15 grams per day. Today, the average is 73 grams per day, which is nearly 500 percent higher a dose and your body simply can't tolerate that type of biochemical abuse. Furthermore, in vegetables and fruits, the fructose is mixed in with fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and beneficial phytonutrients, all of which help moderate the negative metabolic effects.

 Your Lifestyle Will Make or Break Your Health
Unfortunately, processed foods are HUGE business with great profit margins—maximized by designing foods with addictive qualities, through the use of salt, sugar, fat and other secret, proprietary flavor formulas. The food industry as a whole has NO incentive whatsoever to switch to selling and marketing whole foods—unless the market absolutely demands it.

If you want to protect your health, and the health of your family, my most urgent recommendation is to do just that—replace the processed foods with homemade meals, made from scratch using whole ingredients.

To safely and effectively reverse insulin and leptin resistance, you need to:

Avoid, sugar, fructose, grains, and processed foods

Eat a healthful diet of whole foods, ideally organic, and replace the grain carbs with: Large amounts of vegetables, low-to-moderate amount of high quality protein (think organically raised, pastured animals), as much highly quality healthful fat as you can. Good sources include coconut oil, avocados, butter, nuts, and animal fats. Also take a high-quality source of animal-based omega-3 fat, such as krill oil.

To book an appointment with Dr Kelly, call us at 403-347-3261. Family First Chiropractic. 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer. www.family1stchiro.ca

New Year's Resolution

Getting Fit

New Year’s resolutions tend to resolve around getting healthy. Whether that involves losing weight, starting an exercise program or eating better, all of these resolutions are valid changes to make. However, a lot of people give up on their resolution within a few weeks. (Actually, the most popular date for giving up on resolutions is January 18 for those interested) For those that are genuinely trying to get fit though, here are some steps and tips to get over the tricky first few weeks, where so many people fall off that bandwagon.

1. Warm-Up

We all know that warm-up is important. It’s been beaten into our heads since we’ve been young. However, not everyone understands why the warm-up is so critical and even fewer understand the proper technique. Firstly, a general warm-up of the tissues is recommended for about 5-10 minutes. This can include walking, slow jogging or even jumping jacks. You want to increase blood flow to your muscles and increase your heart rate. Next it is advised that you spend about 10 minutes doing stretching or range of motion exercises similar to the task you are about to perform. This “sports-specific” warm-up should be indicative of the activity and movements you are going to be doing. For example, if you are going to play soccer then sprinting or stop-start exercises would be recommended. You want to make sure your body is gradually warmed up. This will prevent injury and help with performance of the sport.

2. Learn the Proper Technique

If you are starting a new sport, a new workout or using a new machine, make sure you learn how to properly perform the task. Bad habits are hard to break and poor technique can lead to injury and poor results. Make sure that you are being assisted by a professional and build the right muscle memory from the beginning. Don’t worry about sounding “dumb”; think of the embarrassing injury story you’ll be avoiding.

3. Use the Right Equipment

 Make sure you are using the right equipment for your size and ability. Whether this is safety equipment or new gym equipment, be careful to use it appropriately to avoid injury. If you don’t know, ask.

4. Avoid Over-Training

Do NOT do too much, too fast. Motivation is high this time of year, that’s great. However, you want to make sure that your body is capable of the enthusiasm you are bestowing. Start with baby steps and work your way up slowly with both intensity and repetitions. The quickest way to fail at a resolution is to injure yourself. In order to create a maintainable workout regimen, start at a pace you know that you can keep. This will help your body to adapt and will prevent any discouraging pain. Take your rest days! Let your body recover.

5. Cool-down

Everybody now knows to warm-up before a workout. However, the cool-down is often neglected. At this point in the workout, it is crucial to give your body a chance to wind back down and try to cool off. Spend 15 minutes taking a walk or slow jog and stretch those muscles you just used. Static stretching is best to be done during the cool-down instead of the warm-up.

6. Drink Fluids

Make sure you drink plenty of fluids before, during and after physical activity. Despite the fact that it’s cold out, your body still needs to be rehydrated during the workout. Feeling thirsty is a sign that you are already dehydrating, and this can affect both energy level and physical function. Stay hydrated whether you feel thirsty or not.

7. Take Care of Your Body

 Maintaining good muscle and joint range of motion will increase your athletic performance and can help prevent injuries. Joint restrictions and muscle tightness can alter your technique, which can lead to painful sprains and strains. If you do get injured or experience pain that lasts longer than the usual post-workout soreness, see your chiropractor! Treating injuries quickly helps with healing time and can prevent worsening of the problem.

 

 

 

References

 

Canadian Chiropractic Association. 2013. http://www.chiropracticcanada.ca/en-us/backs-and-health/back-care-tips/at-play/fit-tips.aspx