Holistic Health Information: The Importance of Water

                          

The importance of consuming water and hydrating our bodies is paramount for optimal health. Our bodies are composed of 90% water! The ideal amount of water that a body needs is 1 quart for every 50 lbs. of weight. I must stress that water is the only thing that hydrates the body, whether you are consuming filtered, spring, sparkling, mineral, purified, or distilled water. Everything else; tea (herbal or caffeinated), coffee, juice, soda, wine, beer, alcoholic beverages, milk, kefir, etc. take stored water form the body to be processed through by the body’s systems.

Hydration is tricky – many people have difficulty retaining and absorbing enough water. There are several ways you can increase your chances of absorbing and hydrating your cells and tissues. One method is to add a few drops of your favorite juice to the water you drink. This changes the molecular structure of the water, and allows your body to absorb more of it. Add only enough drops to barely color the water.

A very useful and well-formulated product, called Rehydration (made by Energetix) helps with hydration. This product is made from a variety of homeopathic substances that aid in the body’s ability to utilize and absorb water more efficiently and effectively.

There are also electrolyte formulas (found in fitness stores and bike shops) that, if added in small quantities to your drinking water, enhance absorption and hydration.

Water is vital for skin elasticity and reduction of dryness, elimination of wastes, absorption of nutrients, lymphatic drainage, delivery of all nutrients, and energy production at the cellular level. The body can survive without food for a period of weeks, but one cannot live without water for more than several days.

The earth mirrors the body’s need for water. Without fresh water, our Earth would be an arid, dead planet. The Earth has more water over its surface than land. Just like we must hydrate our bodies we must remember to conserve and protect our Earths most precious and vital resource WATER!

Please remember to drink plenty of water and hydrate your body after you receive chiropractic adjustments! Your body will stay more stable, and release toxins that chiropractic adjustments and massage mobilize. All of your nutritional supplements and homeopathic remedies will be more efficiently utilized and absorbed.

Author Bio:

Dr. Novick is a Chiropractor in Encinitas and also the leading expert on Gluten Free Living. Dr. Novick takes the time to create an individual treatment plan tailored to your specific health needs using holistic, natural therapies such as homeopathy, bach flowers, functional medicine or chiropractic care which nurture the body’s innate health system, and address the root cause of each person’s individual health issues.

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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

Bach Flowers: Your Best Alternative to Address Trauma

Is Bach Flower therapy similar to Homeopathy?

Yes! But there are significant differences. Dr. Edward Bach, studied homeopathy before he discovered Bach Flower therapy. He discovered that the use of the principle of dilution to make their extracts, is one of the similarities of homeopathy and Bach Flower therapy. The method of dilution differs,  Homeopathy uses a stronger dilution than Bach Flower therapy.  But both alternative therapies complement each other as one treatment.

Bach Flower therapy concentrates on the emotional and mental well being of an individual. Believing that an individual’s health is affected by emotional imbalance. It uses all natural unharmed plants, flowers, shrubs and trees.  This therapy lets you eat and drink anything you want. Just anything! And this can also be given to babies and even expectant mothers, risk free. No overdose and completely no harm.

Do Bach Flower Remedies help address trauma?

In the belief that mental or emotional anguish results in disease or illness and the unparalleled energetic properties of a plant can be used to remedy an imbalance the restore the “wholeness” of one self. Dr. Bach made a combination of five flowers called Rescue Remedy to be used address trauma and more serious situations. A healthy mind is essential to have a healthy body.

Only naturally grown flowers in the wild are found to be the only ones suitable for the preparation. A precise procedure is done to achieve the liquid called the mother tincture, filtered and mixed with brandy, used as preservatives. The remedy is to be taken orally or can be applied directly to pulse points. Because it does not contain pharmacologically  relevant remnants of the flowers, they are considered safe to take with other combinations. It is so safe that even small babies and expectant mothers can take this. Dr. Bach has identified 12 "Healers" and 26 "Helpers" for a total of 38 remedies to choose from to address a particular characteristic or emotional state.

Bach Flowers Address Different Psychological Causes of Diseases

Bach’s 38 flower medicine addresses different psychological causes of diseases for all ages, depending on the degree of emotions of every individual patient. For most children, the most common disorder is the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). All other illnesses or disorders like anxiety, insufficient interest in present circumstances, loneliness, oversensitivity, despair and overcare for the welfare of others can be treated depending on the acute problem at hand. It is individually tailored and adjusted during the course of treatment.

Functional Medicine: Your Key to a Healthy Lifestyle

How Functional Medicine Restores Health

There is a  significant increase in the number of people who are diagnosed with complex, chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental illness and autoimmune disorders.  Functional medicine uses tools to diagnose the cause of one’s disease to help  people restore health. There are those who think that they can be cured immediately, but that’s not how this  works. It takes a lot education concerning the multi causal factors that influence our health,  family health history, genetic predispositions, environmental and lifestyle factors that can influence the disease process.

A lot of people misconstrued Functional Medicine as  Alternative Medicine. Functional Medicine’s main focus is addressing the root cause of a disease and is less concerned with identifying a set of symptoms to designate an illness. It can be a combination of Laboratory assessments, Herbal Therapy (Chinese Medicine), Vitamin Therapies, Lifestyle Modifications, Dietary Regimens, and Physiotherapy (Western Medicine). Functional Medicine practices a holistic approach. It is patient-centered care which promotes that the body has an innate ability to heal and each body is as unique as our fingerprints so each treatment protocol is unique to each individual.

Dr. Debbie Novick, a doctor in Chiropractic Medicine, with so much dedication to helping people, is committed to her service in Chiropractic Care, Homeopathy, Bach Flower Remedies and Functional Medicines. Her advocacy in keeping people healthy has inspired her to gain the highest honors during her studies.    

Important Facts to Remember:

• Dietary imbalance and too much exposure to pollution may cause some symptoms common in chronic diseases.
• The goal is to achieve vitality not only the absence of disease.
• Self discipline is necessary. What you eat and absorb is what you are.  An unhealthy diet may contribute to hormonal imbalances , immune disorders, heart problems, etc.
• Environmental  factors can cause cancer and contribute to Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimers and Dementia.
• Patience is a virtue when deciding on the best medicine.  The holistic approach to healing gets to the root cause instead of just treating the symptoms of a disease.

Functional Medicine focuses on addressing the following disorders:

• Hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalances
• Oxidation-reduction imbalances
• Detoxification
• Immune imbalances
• Inflammatory imbalances
• Digestive, absorptive, and microbiological imbalances
• Structural imbalances from cellular membrane function to the musculoskeletal system

Applying Functional Medicine principles to address chronic disease ultimately leads you to a healthy mind and body.

Aging Gracefully Through Exercise: How Seniors are Benefitted

As people grow older, having an active lifestyle becomes more important. This is because exercising regularly can help maintain independence and boost energy. Aside from that, it helps manage symptoms of pain or illnesses. It is even possible for exercise to put on hold some of the symptoms of aging. Exercise is good for the body, mind, memory and mood. For people who are either healthy or are having illnesses in their lives, there are a lot of ways on how to be more active, confident and fit in life.

Benefits of Senior Exercise (Physical)

    It reduces the negative impact of chronic diseases and other illnesses. Seniors can benefit from exercise as it improves their immune system, gives them better bone density, lowered blood pressure and improve heart health and also better digestion. Other chronic conditions such as diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity can be ameliorated through physical exercise.

    It helps lose or maintain weight. Metabolism slows down as people age, which has made healthy weight maintenance a challenge for many. Yet physical exercise can help increase metabolism as well as help build muscle mass by burning calories. Overall wellness is improved if the body of a person reaches a healthy weight.

    It improves the flexibility, balance and mobility for elders. Getting enough exercise will improve the posture, flexibility and strength of seniors. This in turn will then affect their balance and coordination. Chronic conditions such as arthritis can be alleviated by doing strength training.


Benefits of Senior Exercise (Mental)

    It improves the sleep of seniors. It is not a clear consequence of aging for people that are having poor qualities of sleep but it is nonetheless important for being healthy. Most of the time, exercise will improve a person’s sleep and allow them to fall asleep quickly and more deeply.

    It is beneficial to the brain. Exercising regularly is beneficial to the brain’s functions and helps keep it active. This will result in letting the person prevent cognitive decline, dementia and memory loss. Brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease can even be slowed by exercise as well.

    It improves self-esteem and mood. The endorphins that are created through exercise can help people feel better for themselves and will also reduce the feelings of depression. People will be more confident in themselves as they feel strong and active.


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About the Author:

Dr. Novick is the leading expert on Gluten Free Living and a Trusted Chiropractor in San Diego. Dr. Novick takes the time to create an individual treatment plan tailored to your specific health needs using holistic, natural therapies such as homeopathy, bach flowers, functional medicine or chiropractic care which nurture the body’s innate health system, and address the root cause of each person’s individual health issues.