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Nutrition Tips To Survive the Holiday Season

The average weight gain over the holiday season is between 5-10 pounds! You can beat the scale jump this Holiday Season by following a few simple Nutrition Tips over the next few weeks:
Do not go to Parties or Festive Events hungry!
Make sure you have had a decent serving of protein. This will keep your blood sugar levels stable and ease the cravings to binge. Make sure you do not skip meals.
Limit Portions!
Avoid filling your plate with the high fat foods. Take small portions and savor the foods by eating slowly. Before going for seconds, give your stomach 5 minute time out to catch up. Often, after the 5 minute break, the food has made its way to your stomach and you are satisfied. The key is not feeling “full” after a meal, its feeling “satisfied”.
Limit consumption of alcohol!
We often forget to include the liquid calories we consume in our daily caloric count. Enjoy a festive cocktail and fill the gaps with sparkling water and add a slice of lemon or lime for added flavor.
Don”t Skip your Exercise!
Your workouts will benefit in coping with the stress of the holidays in addition to help burn off a few extra calories.
Serve (or bring along) a Healthy Dish  you enjoy so that you do not feel deprived.
Follow up with me in Jan to get the scale back on track! All the best to you and your Family for a Healthy Holiday Season!
Mary

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The best exercise is …. the Turkish Get Up

The old answer to the best exercise used to be the squat or deadlift; however the new answer most people will say is the Turkish Get Up (TGU).  The TGU is an exercise that is over 200 years old.  Strongmen of that era would not teach you complex lifts until you could do a 100 pound get up.  This exercise is simply the most effective way to go from lying to standing up and back to lying down again.

The TGU promotes the use of whole-body movement and reveals your weaknesses and asymmetries.  I use this exercise a lot in my own daily practice and in the rehabilitation of my patients.  There are 6 steps to a good TGU.  Each step almost acts as its own exercise and the transition between each step promotes good movement patterns.  There are many nuances to this exercise that make it great.

It has taken me months to learn to do this exercise well.  Currently I’m still working on my form and challenging myself with appropriate weight.  Also, I have used portions of the get up for my own shoulder rehab.  If you decide to learn this exercise I would advise you to learn from someone who knows how to do it well.  If you have any questions please send me an email (poh@formfunctionclinic.com), call (905-604-9355) or drop by.

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The best exercise is …. the Turkish Get Up

The old answer to the best exercise used to be the squat or deadlift; however the new answer most people will say is the Turkish Get Up (TGU).  The TGU is an exercise that is over 200 years old.  Strongmen of that era would not teach you complex lifts until you could do a 100 pound get up.  This exercise is simply the most effective way to go from lying to standing up and back to lying down again.

The TGU promotes the use of whole-body movement and reveals your weaknesses and asymmetries.  I use this exercise a lot in my own daily practice and in the rehabilitation of my patients.  There are 6 steps to a good TGU.  Each step almost acts as its own exercise and the transition between each step promotes good movement patterns.  There are many nuances to this exercise that make it great.

It has taken me months to learn to do this exercise well.  Currently I’m still working on my form and challenging myself with appropriate weight.  Also, I have used portions of the get up for my own shoulder rehab.  If you decide to learn this exercise I would advise you to learn from someone who knows how to do it well.  If you have any questions please send me an email (poh@formfunctionclinic.com), call (905-604-9355) or drop by.

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Tips for High Heel Wearers

High heels make the girls look taller, slimmer as well as look good with any outfit they wear.  However, the newest trend of heels are creating more compression and pain to the sides and the balls of the feet.   As you increase the number of hours you wear heels, you are increasing the risk of getting hammer toes and bunions to your feet.  The bunions don’t just occur to the inside of the feet but also to the outside of the feet.  Although bunions are mostly hereditary, they are usually exacerbated by tight-fitting shoes.

If you are spending most of your time standing on your feet and wearing high heels that day, it would be better to have a pair of flat shoes or walking shoes so that you can change into when you are off your feet.  Even wearing flat shoes the next day would help to relieve pressure to the toes.

Of course, wedge heels are always better than stilletto heels as they provide more stability to the feet and are able to distribute pressure evenly at the front of the foot.

For further information, regarding the health of your feet, please book an appointment with the Chiropodist, Jennifer Lam at the Form and Function Clinic.

 

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The Dynamic Warm-up

For all you fitness and sport enthusiasts, the dynamic warm-up is an integral component of any workout or pre-game routine. It is a series of dynamic stretches and sport specific movement patterns that help prepare the body for the demands of the activity. It is a short routine that primes the athlete for exercise by increasing; heart rate, respiratory rate, core body temperature, muscle elasticity, and blood flow to the working muscles. The warm-up will vary between individuals of different ages, physical condition, prior exercise experience and specific sport requirements. A proper warm-up routine can also help reduce the risk of injury when partaking in any strenuous form of physical activity.

Come visit us for a more in-depth focus on a dynamic warm-up that is most suitable for you!

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The Dynamic Warm-up

For all you fitness and sport enthusiasts, the dynamic warm-up is an integral component of any workout or pre-game routine. It is a series of dynamic stretches and sport specific movement patterns that help prepare the body for the demands of the activity. It is a short routine that primes the athlete for exercise by increasing; heart rate, respiratory rate, core body temperature, muscle elasticity, and blood flow to the working muscles. The warm-up will vary between individuals of different ages, physical condition, prior exercise experience and specific sport requirements. A proper warm-up routine can also help reduce the risk of injury when partaking in any strenuous form of physical activity.

Come visit us for a more in-depth focus on a dynamic warm-up that is most suitable for you!

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The Power of Positive Thinking

We often think that being healthy is only about physical health, but naturopathic medicine recognizes that mental and emotional health plays a huge role in how you feel physically.  Today’s health tip is about the power of positive thinking.  The concept is simple, but proven to be true: when you are able to see your life in a more positive light, you feel better physically: for example pain can decrease and sleep can improve.

Unfortunately, when life presents us with challenges, it can be hard to think positively. One thing that helps is to keep a gratitude journal.  At the end of your day, write down 3 things that you are thankful for. Do this every night for an entire month. When you actively try to find things to be grateful for, you will stop focusing on the negative things in your life, and be able to see the positive things. This will leave you with a more positive outlook on life which can lead to decreased stress hormones, causing you to feel better mentally, emotionally and physically.

As the well-known motivational speaker Anthony Robbins says “Change your expectation into appreciation and everything changes.”

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November Health Talk about the Benefits of Kettlebells

Bruce Lee used a kettlebell, should you? Bruce Lee trained and realized the benefits of this tool more than 50 years ago.  So why is this tool so effective?

Bruce Lee was not the only person to use this “cannon ball with a handle”.  In fact the Russians developed training instrument in the 1700’s.  The Soviet Special Forces have been using the KB as an integral part of their training program since the early 1900’s.  The KB is unique and different from the barbell because its centre of mass is outside of your grip.  Have you ever carried a pot or pan with a lot of water or food inside.  It definitely requires some core and shoulder strength.

Bruce Lee Kettle Bell

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Beat the Flu by supporting your Immune System with a Clean Diet

Flu season has officially arrived! You can help to prevent, or lessen the severity of the flu this season by following these simple nutrition tips:
Eat a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Variety is important.as the different colors indicate different immune boosting compounds. A typical immune boosting diet would include the following: five servings of fruits and vegetables, seeds (unsalted) cold pressed oils, garlic, lean protein and whole grains. Eating small meals every few hours minimizes excessive intake and will boost your energy levels. Many herbs and spices such as turmeric, origanum, coriander, basil, mint,rosemary and cayenne pepper have antioxidant properties.
Exercise will also boost your immune system by reducing the level of stress hormones in the bloodstream.
Get your 8 hours of shut eye at night. The immune system is most active when the body is at rest.
Drink plenty of water!
Maintain a healthy body weight
Support your immune system with a good quality multi vitamin
and….book a nutrition session with me to ensure you are on the right track!
In good health,
Mary

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Quick Posture Tip

How to prevent back, neck, and shoulder pains

Proper Posture is the key!

A few things to remember:

– don’t slouch when you are sitting or standing

– bring your shoulder blades back

– have your chest out

– contract your stomach muscles by tucking in your tummy

James Keung
Clinical Intern