Exercise Archives - Page 5 of 8 - Plattsville Natural Health Clinic

Surviving Exam Season

December 15, 2015 by elisha

Exam time is a stressful and challenging time regardless of what educational institute you are in. As a result, healthy lifestyle and eating habits often “go down the drain”. Over the many exam periods I have had to endure, I have developed tips and tricks to help me stay “above water” when it came to my health and my needs. In addition to studying, it is my hope that developing these healthy habits will help you not only ace your exams, but survive the exam season.

Prepare healthy snacks in advance

Having snacks already made such as cut up vegetables and fruit will help you to avoid the temptation of going for “easy” snack food such as chips, candy, pastries, etc.

Prepare meals in advance

Similar to the point above, cooking meals in advance helps to avoid the temptation to eat out and grab that big mac as opposed to a salad. Often, I cook my meals on weekends in preparation for the week. This way, I know I have a quick and healthier choice to rely on.

Green tea

Green tea has a constituent in it called “theanine”. Theanine helps you to be able to focus without the jittery feeling that coffee can often give. As a result, green tea is great for those long study sessions.

Chamomile Tea (or a relaxing tea) before bed

Not only will this help you to sleep better, but it is also a therapeutic action that helps prepare your mind and body for bed. Which leads to my next point. . .

Sleep

Sleep is important not only for your health but also for your memory prior to exams. Research has shown that getting the 8 hours of sleep before an exam is more beneficial than “pulling an all-nighter”. So do your body and you a favor and sleep.

It is okay to take breaks

Giving yourself permission to take breaks is important. It helps change the way you are thinking and allows your brain to function better and be more productive.

Exercise

Exercise has many health benefits including helping our brains to function effectively, improving energy, and improving mood, all of which are important during exam time. As little as 20 minutes per day has shown to be enough to experience health benefits from exercise. Even if you go for a short walking around your residence or block for a break would be enough to help you refocus and gain a different perspective on your studying.

Deep breathing prior to exams

Finally, breathing is important. Deep breathing prior to exams can help calm you and focus you on what needs to be accomplished. With this in mind, remember to keep things in perspective by asking yourself, is this really a big deal? What would happen if I did fail (realistically)? Often putting things into perspective helps us when we are facing these challenging times.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 519-537-7058 and book your appointment today!

Why a lot of quick – fix weight loss programs and supplements DO NOT work

September 16, 2015 by elisha

Billions of dollars are made in the weight loss industry. Many people strive to gain the perfect physique and pay much in order to reap the gains. Unfortunately, amongst many programs that do work to help people lose weight and keep it off, there are many programs that do not work in the long run. As a result, I hope to help debunk some of the mythical ideologies that some of these programs purport to work.

The Myths:

You can lose weight without diet changes and exercise.

In order to maintain weight loss goals, you need to change your diet and increase exercise to a level that balances energy in and energy out. This differs between everyone, and so, you may require more or less calories, and more or less exercise than another individual.

You can lose a lot of weight all at once and keep it off.

Unfortunately, this myth is the worst one of them all. In order to achieve weight loss that will last, an individual should not exceed losing 1-2 pounds per week. That being said, when an individual initially undertakes changing their diet and exercise patterns, they may undergo more than 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week, which is normal. Anything beyond the 1-2 pound weight loss puts an individual’s body into what I call “starvation mode”. As a result of this state, the body is more likely to accumulate weight because of fear of when it will get its “next meal”. In addition, if the individual “falls off the tracks” in regards to their weight loss program and gains back the weight they lost, they will most likely gain back more than what they initially lost, because once again, the body fears that it will not survive if put into another “starvation mode” and so uses the increased weight to protect itself.

You can go back to the way you were eating after discontinuing the program.

As was mentioned above, without appropriate diet and lifestyle changes, one cannot maintain weight loss. Therefore if you are eating more restricted and suddenly go back to the way you were eating before, you are more likely to gain weight. That being said, that does not mean you can never have a treat or have a cheat day. As I tell many patients, everything in moderation, including exercising and diet. You have to adopt a diet and lifestyle that will ultimately be realistic for you.

You can severely restrict calories for some time and still be healthy.

Once again, this myth is debunked by the explanation behind the debunking of the second myth. You will put your body into a starvation mode with severely restricted calories, resulting in an overall weight gain.

You can take a pill and it will help you to lose weight and keep it off.

Anything that causes you to lose more than 1-2 pounds per week is not sustainable. This includes various weight loss supplements. In addition, many of the weight loss supplements that do have profound effects have ingredients in them that can be harmful when taken long term. A naturopathic doctor may choose to put you on a supplement to help you through a plateau season, but beyond that, supplements will not help you maintain weight loss in a realistic manner.

Bottom Line: Aside from changing your diet, exercise and lifestyle, you cannot be guaranteed to maintain the weight loss that you gain. In order to keep it off, you need to maintain a lifestyle that consists of healthy dietary habits; adequate exercise; and appropriate lifestyle measures including adequate sleep, stress management, and everything in moderation. If you are interested in achieving weight loss that will work for you, consider contacting myself, and let me help you develop a weight loss strategy that will help you maintain the weight loss that you acquire.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Helping your child to perform optimally at school

September 8, 2015 by elisha

The school year is well under way, and many parents can become concerned about their child’s performance in school. Some children may benefit significantly from small changes to their lifestyle and diet. The following tips may help your child to perform optimally in school:

Sleep – this tip may seem very straight forward, but many children do not get enough sleep. Sleep is so important for children because this is when we process information, grow, and re-energize for the day ahead. If a child does not get enough sleep, they may become quite agitated in the classroom and potentially cause disruption. They may also be unable to concentrate because of the fatigue. Provided to the right is a chart that gives you an idea of how much sleep your child needs according to their age group, as recommended by the sleep foundation (Source: http://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need) . To further drive home the point, research has been done in regards to sleep and school performance. The research has shown that shortened sleep, disrupted sleep schedules, late bed and rise times, and poor sleep quality all negatively impact academic performance.
Exercise – Exercise is very important for your child. Exercise provides a way to boost mood, boost energy, re-focus, and give a sense of accomplishment depending on the form. By encouraging regular exercise, it allows your child to get the energy release they need and gives them an opportunity to “collect” themselves before re-focusing on school tasks. Research has shown that exercise and physical activity in school aged children can actually increase Grade Point Averages (GPA).
Fruits and Vegetables – no discussion would be complete without discussing the benefits of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables can provide significant amounts of B vitamins, which are beneficial for brain functioning, mood, energy, stress, and concentration.
Reduce Screen Time – screen time (i.e. televisions, cell phones, I pads, computers, etc.) could have a negative impact on your child’s future educational achievement. Some research has suggested that the more a child spends in front of a television, the less that they will achieve in the future in regards to degrees and educational achievement. I want to point out that some individuals do benefit from the use of different software to help engage with learning, and so, this recommendation needs to be adapted to your child’s specific needs.
Parenting Style – interestingly enough, the way a child is parented can impact their achievement in school. Research has identified five “processes” that contribute to school achievement. They are: “verbal interactions between mother and children, expectation of parents for achievement, positive affective relationships between parents and children, parental beliefs and attributions about the child, and discipline and control strategies.” Of these processes, discipline and control strategies were the most strongly associated with school achievement.

If your child still experiences difficulty with concentration and focus in school, it is important for you to seek the help of a naturopathic doctor, pediatrician, or other health care provider. Some of the causes can be as simple as a nutritional deficiency, and some may require further evaluation.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Source: http://sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/STREPchanges_1.png

http://www.smrv-journal.com/article/S1087-0792(03)90003-7/abstract

http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/5/1/10/

Tips for Effective and Safe Strength Training

August 25, 2015 by elisha

How you approach strength training or exercise of any form can greatly impact the results you achieve and your safety while performing them. Here are some tips and strategies on how to avoid injury and get optimal results while exercising:

Always warm up and cool down properly. Examples of warming up and cooling down include cardiovascular training for 10 minutes prior, and stretching following exercise.
Use proper form to avoid injuries and maximize gains. If you are not using the proper technique, all of your hard work will be for nought! You can learn good form through a class or one-on-one sessions with a certified exercise professional.
Breathe out when you are lifting or pushing; breathe in as you slowly release the load or weight. Never hold your breath while straining. This action, called the Valsalva maneuver, can temporarily raise your blood pressure and can be risky for people with heart disease. It also puts more stress on the pelvic floor muscles, and can lead to some unfortunate conditions including hernias and organ prolapse.
Don’t lock your joints; always leave a slight bend in your knees and elbows when straightening out your legs and arms.
Don’t be so eager to see results that you risk hurting yourself by exercising too long or choosing too much weight. And remember that it’s important to rest muscles for at least 48 hours between strength training sessions. It might be useful for novice strength trainers to start with a shorter strength training session, and gradually work their way up to longer sessions. This might also include starting with one strength training session per week and gradually working up to 2-3 times per week.
If you’ve been sick, give yourself one or two days off after recovering. If you were ill for a while, you may need to use lighter weights or less resistance when you first resume exercising.
Strength training exercises should not cause pain while you are doing them. If an exercise or movement causes significant pain, stop doing it! When performing an exercise, stick with a range of motion that feels comfortable. Over time, try to gradually extend that range. This being said, if you have experienced a specific injury in the past, it is important to consult a health care provider such as a Naturopathic Doctor so that they can help you modify exercises to fit your body’s needs and strengthen necessary muscle groups.
Listen to your body and cut back if you aren’t able to finish a series of exercises or an exercise session, can’t talk while exercising, feel faint after a session, feel tired during the day, or suffer joint aches and pains after a session.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Source: Harvard Medical School