healthy aging Archives - Damron Chiropractic & Wellness

Healthy Diet Benefits

July 6, 2017 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

Is there really a link between good health and what you eat? The most recent edition of Experience Life, a monthly magazine from Lifetime Fitness, had two articles linking the two together. One article was about healthy aging, the other disease care. Both highlighted the significance of a healthy diet.

The first article featured a French cyclist who is 105 years old. Not only is this gentleman old, but he is still setting world records! Scientists in France have been tracking him during his training and have discovered that his “aerobic capacity was comparable to that of a healthy 50-year old.” In other words, how his body absorbs and transports oxygen is just as efficient as someone half his age. When asked about his long life, this centenarian attributes it to what he eats. He eats a balanced diet and nothing in excess. In fact, most of his diet includes fruits and vegetables with very little meat.

The second article was about a breakthrough for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). A biomarker was discovered that could eventually help individualize treatment for the 2.5 million people who live with this disease. However, what was more interesting was the focus on a doctor who actually has MS. Using a special diet and functional medicine she went into remission. Once restricted to a wheelchair, she is now riding a bike! Her book, titled “The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine,” describes her journey to wellness.

Both articles highlight the significance of a healthy diet to a life of wellness. Eating lots of plant based foods, minimizing meat, and limiting or eliminating processed foods. One has benefited from a long life, the other got her life back. At the end of the day we need to ask ourselves what we really want out of life. There is a lot of life we can get out of our years. We can have quantity and quality if we take steps every day that allow for this. It all rests on the choices we make with the food we eat.

What choice will you make?

Exercise Is Key to Healthy Aging

November 4, 2016 By Pam Rezai Leave a Comment

There is a stereotype that exists regarding senior citizens or the elderly. The image that typically comes to mind when we hear one of those words is more than likely a grandparent. This person is sitting in a chair, resting or watching television. Perhaps there is a cane or walker nearby. How many of us would think of a grandparent running a 5k? What about playing tennis or bike riding? The reality is that the lifestyles of the older population can run the gamut. But as we age, we play an active role in determining how well we age by how active we remain.

Essentially we are in the driver’s seat when it comes to controlling our aging process. We cannot avoid getting older and the physical changes that take place such as graying hair, wrinkles, and thinning hair. However, we can slow down the overall aging of our body through something as simple as exercise. Yes, it is true!

There are many benefits to the body and aging through exercise:

improved memory and thinking
improved spacial memory
formation of new neural pathways, brain cells, and blood vessels
decrease of inflammation
decrease in stress and anxiety
better moods, sleep, circulations and digestion
improved bone density
improved muscle mass, strength, and power
better balance
higher energy levels

Studies show that older adults that continue to exercise and remain active can be just as competitive as their younger rivals, except, of course, at the elite level. At a fundamental level, we know the importance of exercise regardless of our age. We know the significance of being fit and maintaining a healthy diet. Yet, we continue to engage in unhealthy lifestyles. The question is why? Is it because we feel we can put it off until a tomorrow that never comes? Do we feel okay so therefore we are physically okay? What about excuses we give ourselves that we simply don’t have time, we are too busy? What needs to change within us to accept responsibility for our health? The decision of course is up to you. How one ends up aging comes down to a series of decisions that are made each and every day, starting right now.

Life’s Transitions

August 5, 2015 By Damron Chiropractic

In a nutshell, life is a series of transitions. The older we get, the clearer our perspective is when it comes to this reality. Think about it. We transition from a baby to a toddler, from a toddler to a preschooler. We continue with our education into elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and sometimes even grad school. After our school days we transition into our career and a family. We transition once again as our children grow older and their needs change. We may transition into new jobs, new relationships, and new homes. Our goal through it all is to age both gracefully and well. To live each phase of our lives as healthy individuals without limitations.

Unfortunately, there are times that life throws us curve balls and our health comes in jeopardy. We may need to transition our expectations to accept a lifestyle with limitations. Yet, while that may be the case, it does not mean that our quality of life needs to be compromised. Healthy aging means transitioning ourselves again and again, and continuing to do what we can to enjoy our full potential.

This mindset increases in significance with the passing of each decade. Our body begins to feel the effects of our life and how we treated it. There are the telltale signs of wear and tear – aches, pains, limited flexibility, extra weight, wrinkles, loss of muscle mass. But, this does not mean we need to accept aging lying down. In fact, aches and pains is not synonymous with aches and pains. They do not go hand in hand.

The key to healthy aging is taking a proactive stance on your health. It means being aware of how you treat yourself and listening to what your body is telling you. It means taking the initiative to ensure your body has what it needs to thrive no matter what your age. It means:

Getting adequate sleep
Eating healthy
Exercising
Stretching
Strengthening
Adding nutritional supplements when appropriate

At Damron Chiropractic & Wellness, we specialize in healthy aging. We help you transition with each phase of your life by combining chiropractic care with massage, stretching and strength training, plus nutrition. We want you to achieve the highest quality of life that you can. This multifaceted approach is unique in that four specialities work in unison with a common goal of overall wellness.

Life is full of transitions. Minimize the impact and enjoy healthy aging with proactive care from Damron Chiropractic & Wellness.

VIP Supplements: Fiber

June 17, 2015 By Damron Chiropractic

This is the first in a series of 5 on what we, at Damron Chiropractic & Wellness, consider to be the “Vital & Integral Players” – VIPs – of the supplements necessary for healthy aging.

Let’s face it, there are a lot of supplements out there today. So many, in fact, that it’s near impossible to to discern what supplements to take, leaving many of us scratching our heads and walking away empty handed. Well, believe it or not, there are some supplements that are more important to our overall health than others simply due to the incredible benefits they provide. One might call them the VIPs of supplements.

The top five nutritional supplements, ranked in no particular order, that provide you with an optimal foundation to begin your wellness journey are:

Fiber
Fish Oil
Digestive Enzymes
Probiotics
Multi-Vitamin

While this list in no ways ranks in terms of significance to one another, it is meant to provide you with the basics to ensure your journey begins on the right foot. It is the starting point. Many times we never take that first step due to the uncertainty surrounding what direction that first step should be in. A common phrase describing this indecision is “analysis paralysis” – a decision is never made because we consume ourselves with analyzing our options to the point of complete confusion.

So let’s begin by dedicating this post with the first nutritional supplement on the list, fiber. When it comes to fiber we know that it is an essential part of our diet, but what does it do? Most of us might immediately think of Metamucil when we hear the word fiber or that fiber helps to keep things moving in the right direction, if you know what I mean. But fiber is so much more than that.

Fiber is actually a carbohydrate that is found in the plants we eat each day such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains. However, due to its chemical makeup, it cannot be digested by the body. Passing through our system undigested is what makes fiber so important to our overall health and puts it on the top five list above. Fiber’s benefits to our bodies include:

Helping to lower our blood cholesterol.
Preventing diabetes because it slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream.
Lowering the risk of heart disease.
Reducing overeating by helping to make us feel full.
Promoting a healthy bowel function.
Adding zero calories to a meal to help to control weight.

Fiber gives our body that initial tune up. Cleaning out the old to get ready for the new. The new you! Unfortunately, most Americans are not getting enough fiber in their diet each day. The average adult eats an average of 10-15 grams per day when the recommendation ranges between 25 for women and 38 for men according to the Institute of Medicine.

To help you reach your dietary goal of fiber intake, fiber supplements can help. Sometimes our busy lifestyles get in the way of maintaining optimal health. That should never stop us from giving our bodies what it needs to thrive. Continue to build on eating whole foods full of fiber like brown rice, raw vegetables, fresh fruits, beans, nuts, and whole grains.

Utilize fiber supplements to fill in the gaps, because gaps can make for a very bumpy road.

Healthy Diet Benefits

Exercise Is Key to Healthy Aging

Life’s Transitions

VIP Supplements: Fiber

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