Holistic Health Information: Fall Immune System Boosts

                 
                                                       

 As the fall approaches, and all of us gear up for cooler weather and the threat of the cold and flu season, it’s time to strengthen and boost the immune system with preventative nutritional and stress-reducing measures.You can boost your immune system by: getting a deep, restful 8 hours of sleep nightly; taking 15 minutes a day to engage in the restorative pose; and eating varied natural whole foods, especially the seasonal ones which include the root (vegetables, apples, pears, tangerines, persimmons, squash, etc.)cooking warm foods, like soups, casseroles, and baked dishes, helps keep your spleen, a crucial immune organ, warm and healthy. The cold fresh foods of summer will deplete it.Vitamins A, C and D also help keep the immune system supported, especially the respiratory tract. In addition, taking about 30mg/day of zinc, is also crucial in protecting and supporting the immune system.Nutritional immune boosters include colostrum, reishi, shitake and maitake mushroom complexes, Echinacea, astragalus, and pro-biotics. Homeopathic flu remedies can also be taken preventative to serve as vaccine-like protectors. Oscillococcinum, taken one dose every 12 hours, three consecutive times, inoculates your body to over 100 different kinds of viruses, without the negative side effects of medical vaccines.Avoiding or greatly moderating the intake of refined sugar, coffee, and alcohol reduces the introduction of damaging chemicals and destroyers of your immune system and adrenal glands. Maintaining a strong, healthy immune system and protecting your adrenal glands from the ravages of stress go a long way in preventing any viral infection from settling into your body.Schedule an appointment today, to determine which immune-boosting strategies and supplements will be best for you! Visit my Encinitas chiropractor office for specials on wellness and chiropractic.Wishing you all a healthy and strong Fall,Dr. Debbie Novick

The Importance of Sleep

As the holidays approach, and we encounter colder weather, family gatherings, more sugar in the diet, big meals, travel, parties, and alcohol consumption, our immune system and adrenals get taxed and challenged. It is a time of year to be reminded to moderate, take time to rest, and take extra care. Continuing our intake of immune protective vitamins is also important.Getting eight hours of restful sleep every night is crucial, as this is the only time our brain and body are undergoing repair and regeneration. The first four hours of sleep are used to repair the physical body, while the last four hours are intended for psychic and emotional regeneration and repair. In addition, in the first hours of sleep, our brain produces its highest amount of growth hormone and melatonin. Growth hormone is responsible for the growth of new and healthier cells in every tissue and organ of the body. This production is dependent on the quantity of DHEA being produced by the brain and body. When we manage our stress levels and balance our lifestyle, this hormone is in abundance. Melatonin has a nightly rhythm that gradually increases as we approach midnight, and then declines in daylight. Melatonin is an anti-oxidant, and mood stabilizer, and allows our brain to achieve the deepest of sleep cycles. It is also derived from serotonin, a neurotransmitter that can be depleted by the production of excess cortisol, a hormone that is produced under high amounts of stress. As you can see, sleep is crucial for optimal brain health and physical and emotional well being. I am pleased to offer acupuncture and oriental medicine services in my Encinitas chiropractor office from a talented acupuncturist, Susie Orenstein Turner. She specializes in pain/injuries, gynecology, anxiety, depression, immunity and pediatrics. You can schedule chiropractic and acupuncture on the same visit.Please call her at 858 270 3834

A Healthy Brain, Holisticallly!

Schedule an appointment today in my Encinitas chiropractor office, to see how your own brain health can be enhanced holistically!Via a brain health questionnaire, and specialized supplements designed to restore the balance of neurotransmitters, I can provide a service that is a healthy alternative to the plethora of medical drugs for depression, anxiety, memory challenges, and so many of the other mental disorders plaguing our culture.In the past two years, by going to seminars about brain health, I have come to understand that in order to best serve my patients’ overall wellness, I must assess and educate them about the importance of having a healthy brain. This is a very substantial part of my practice. Finally, stimulation is necessary for proper brain function and health. This stimulation is sometimes external, such as: reading, exercising, doing mathematical operations, engaging in artistic activities, learning new skills, etc. There is also the need for internal stimulation – in the form of a balanced production of neurotransmitters. The brain monitors and integrates itself, based on the amount and equilibrium of the various neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, and gaba.The brain requires three very important things to function optimally. The first is a regular supply of glucose (the only fuel and energy source it can use). Glucose is delivered by our body through the breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates and fat. Oxygen is another vital requirement – without it, our brain will die in minutes. Oxygen is supplied by our red blood cells.The brain is the central computer of the body, which monitors and regulates many body processes on an on-going basis. Some of these functions are run automatically, and some require our conscious control and direction.During the height of the holiday season, a large percentage of the population suffers from more emotional stress, brought on by the memories of or current dysfunctional family dynamics, as well as the demands of the season.

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Holistic Health Information Regular Chiropractic Care Boosts Your Overall Health

                                                        

 Addressing your spinal alignment is a vital part of staying healthy and maintaining balance. This time of year, many of us spend more time in cars transporting ourselves and our families back and forth to their various activities.

Coming in to get your monthly adjustment will also allow you to improve your immune response, as the cold and flu season approaches. In addition spinal alignments have been shown to improve performance in fitness activities, reduce repetitive motion stressors to your entire body, improve your posture, and reduce mental/emotional stress.

Chiropractic care can directly affect and maintain the health of your nervous system. Keeping your nerves functioning by reducing and eliminating pressure on them, and reducing the effects of being misaligned, will help your entire body and mind function optimally.

The brain and spinal cord are the undisputed commanders of all organs and systems of the body. They are housed in the skull and spinal column, and contain 12-15 billion nerve cells. The brain is the most active organ. It uses 45% of the oxygen we breathe, and 2/3 of the energy producing glucose (from foods) we ingest.

The brain and spinal cord must constantly monitor incoming nerve messages from all parts of the body, which inform it of the exact demands the organs, and tissues must meet to maintain good health. Upon receiving these demands, it immediately issues the responses necessary to meet them.

For the brain to function properly, however, as the supreme commander of all the body’s organs and systems, there must be no interference in the receiving and sending of signals. The messages must flow both ways loud and clear.

Your chiropractor is the best-qualified person to see that the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) is free from impediment, so that it may continue to do the fantastic job for which it was designed.

For the sick individual, chiropractic is a means of restoring health.By opening up nerve channels, the body is then able to heal itself. For the healthy individual, it is a periodic check-up to insure early correction of potential nerve interference.

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Chiropractic Care and Massage Therapy

Philosophy of Chiropractic Care and Massage Therapy

The philosophy of Chiropractic care is based on the knowledge of the body to heal itself, as the body has its natural intelligence to control all body operations. The spine structure affects the nervous system and any abnormality in its structure can affect your health. Massage therapy restores and promote balance and well being of the body. Chiropractic care and massage therapy both offer physical and mental cure.

Common Pain On Neck and Back Is A Sign of Distressed Spine

A pain at your back and on your neck or even a headache can be distressing that affects us from time to time. Well, we should not be taking this for granted or neglect this conditions as this can affect our spine. Chiropractic care and massage therapy is best used in combination which gives a powerful healing avenue to ease your pain on many levels. Your pain can be the result of a traumatic injury or illness that both therapy when combined can give you speedy recovery and pain free life.

Benefits of Combining Chiropractic Care and Massage Therapy

Massages therapy complements chiropractic care treatment. It is essential for the muscles that are attached to the bones and the joints to be stretched and relaxed to aid in the  shaping of the skeletal system. To safeguard the free flow of the nerve impulses and the circulation of the blood and lymph, it is necessary to achieve proper positioning. Chiropractic Care requires a diagnosis to identify and treat a particular acute muscle or joint pains, loosening of deep muscle tissue and adjustment of spine structure. And chiropractors are trained and licensed to diagnose problems just like medical doctors. Here are some benefits that your body will get from a massage with chiropractic care:

• strengthens your body shape
• it boost the efficiency of the treatment
• comforts muscle tension and pain
• interrupts anticipated pain and injuries
• gives you overall comfort and pain-free body

Power Foods for New Moms

Dr. Novick specializes in chiropractic care, functional medicine, bach flowers, homeopathy, and gluten free living. She is committed to addressing health issues through holistic and natural therapies and takes time to create a treatment plan tailored to each person’s specific health needs. She also enjoys writing health and wellness related articles.



The best thing new moms can do for themselves and their baby is to eat a healthy diet. Although some of you may already be in a hurry to lose those extra pounds, for new moms, eating foods that boost your energy, such as protein and healthy fats,  at regular intervals throughout the day, will allow you to have the stamina that you need in order to meet the demands of  being a mother. This is due to the fact that eating foods rich in nutrients during regular intervals in a day will keep your metabolism high and give you  the energy you need to keep up in your new role. Below is a list of nutritious foods that will help your body and keep the baby happy and healthy.

Salmon

Although there is no such thing as food that is perfect, salmon comes really close when it comes to the nutrition needs for new moms. Just like any other fatty fish out there, salmon is packed with a type of fat known as DHA. This nutrient is important in developing the nervous system of the baby. And even though all breast milk has DHA, new moms that have more DHA in their diets will provide higher levels of this nutrient for their babies and their own brain..




Lean Beef

For new moms who are looking for foods that will improve their energy levels, foods that are rich in iron should be taken such as lean beef. A newly post pregnant mom that is lacking in iron can feel drained of their energy,  and this makes it hard to undertake the demands needed in taking care of a newborn baby. Iron is crucial for red blood cells to deliver oxygen to your brain and body.




Legumes

Great breastfeeding food such as beans, most especially dark colored ones such as kidney beans are ideal for new moms. This is especially good for vegetarians as these are rich in iron,protein, and fiber as well as being affordable.








Blueberries

Moms who are breastfeeding should secure at least two or more servings of fruits on a daily basis. Blueberries, which are rich in antioxidants, are an ideal selection. These berries are packed with vitamins and minerals that will give you a healthy dose of complex carbohydrates to keep energy levels up and a sharp mind.



Brown Rice

Cutting back on carbohydrate consumption may be needed if you are planning to lose weight after pregnancy. Yet losing weight very fast may cause your body to produce less milk for the baby. That is why incorporating healthy and whole grain carbohydrates,  such as brown rice, in your diet is a good way to keep your energy levels high. Brown rice also provides your body with the calories that you need in order to produce the best quality milk for your baby.

Healthy Fats

Avocadoes, Coconut Oil, Olive OIl, and Grapeseed oils are very helpful in providing the essential fats your body and brain need to maintain healthy brain function, beautiful skin, reduce pain, and improve immune function.  All of these are important in resotring optimal weight and health post pregnancy. Include them in your cooking every day and both you and your baby will be much happier and healthier.





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