| Maintaining Holiday Health |
By Michael Day, DC
As the holiday season approaches, accompanied by fewer daylight hours and an incredible amount of delicious treats, it is important for us to monitor the way we adapt to these changes. Many people tend to gain a few pounds during this season and blame it solely on the food from the holiday; however, there are more factors that come into play. Below are three easy tips to keep in mind during this season. Lack of Sunlight (Gollum Disorder) With the darker hours of winter and the many indoor activities of the holidays, it's very easy to stay inside a little too much. This can decrease the levels of vitamin D our bodies store, causing immune suppression. Not enough sunlight also confuses our body about when it's time to sleep or be awake. Make sure to get at least 15 minutes of sun every day and take 5000 IU of vitamin D during the winter months. Some patients who have cases of seasonal depression have found great results with the Phillips GoLIte, which imitates blue sky light. Couch TherapyIt's so easy to  lay back more when you're high on fruitcake and turkey! Decreased movement is like bad medicine for your spine and nervous system, leaving it prone to stiffness and chiropractic subluxations. This decreases the amount of circulation of vital energy in your body, thus decreasing the amount of energy you feel. Although it tempts us all, say no to the couch. Sugar with Sugar on Top Sugar is everyone's favorite treat during the holidays, yet it is also the most dangerous. Sugar is pro-inflammatory, and inflammation can lead to pain and decreases the energy we feel. Sugar feeds bad bacteria and yeast in our digestive system. Excess sugar also increases fat deposits and confuses our body's hormones when consumed; especially our adrenal systems, which control how our body reacts and responds to all stress and hormonal functions. Here are three ways to still enjoy your sugar over the holidays: 1. Pick your times for sugar. Really enjoy that one dessert, and then hold off on "seconds", go slow and savor every bite. 2. Give yourself a cheat day, or two, where you eat desserts and then fast from sugar the rest of the week. 3. Eat cinnamon, and take a walk. Cinnamon and muscle contractions have been shown to increase glucose uptake into the cell, which helps insulin balance our sugar intake.
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Saturday Appointments
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Schedule your appointments now, as they fill up fast! |
| New Massage Therapist Hours | 
Chanelle Mon/Wed/Thur - 2 pm-6 pm Tues - 9 am-1 pm Blake Mon/Wed/Thur - 9 am-1:30 pm
Tues - 3 pm-7 pm
Fri - 8 am-3 pm Sat - 9 am-12 pm Bill
Fri - 3:30 pm-6:30 pm  |
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Dear Friends,
The end of the year approaches and the hustle and bustle of the holidays are here. It is important for us to focus on the positive feelings of this season and not let ourselves fall into the stress and lack energy that also tends to prevail. As a token of our appreciation for your loyal support to the Advanced Wellness Center, we would like to use this issue of our newsletter to offer you some tips and incentives to get you through the holiday season. Below you will find some advice on managing stress, keeping your lifestyle in order and even some delicious and nutritious ways to prepare your holiday meals. Remember that a healthier person is a happier person, and there is no better time to share our joy than now.  Mark deDubovay, DC, CTN
Doctor of ChiropracticCertified Traditional Naturopath
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Lemon-Garlic Turkey and White Wine Gravy
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With so many tasty temptations served on the dinner table, determining what to pass on and what to indulge in is never easy; especially when the gravy is coming your way. Thanks to this great recipe from eatingwell.com, the gravy will not complicate your decision making any further and your turkey will be zesty and delicious.
Ingredients
- 10 cloves garlic, divided
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1 12-pound natural or organic turkey
- 1/4 cup freshly grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup packed fresh oregano leaves
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, or dry vermouth
- 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
For the preparation instructions, please click here.
Thank you Eating Well!
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Beating Holiday Stress
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By Allen Arnette, DC, LAc
This time of the year is for offering love, sharing gratitude, and allowing ourselves to feel the joyous side of life. However, stress often takes over our ability to truly enjoy our holidays.
It is important to note that there are various types of stress:
- Chemical
- Emotional
- Mental
- Physical
- Environmental
- Spiritual
Chemical stresses are commonly a result of poor nutrition. That is, eating highly processed foods that lack life. When our body is fed according to our individual needs, the mind and body balance is naturally much more in sync.
However, the common term "stress" is usually referencing emotional and mental stress. Both of these types of stress can be brought about by similar factors. The two most prominent stressors are:
- Expectations: Will they like my food? It has to be perfect!
- Time: I don't have enough time to do all of this! Or, I have too much time on my hands!
The primary way to deal with stress as a result of unrealistic expectations, is an inner technique. Set realistic expectations or outright lower them. People also worry too much about wanting everyone to have a good time and they envision everyone behaving in a particular manner of "happiness." However, happiness comes when everyone can be themselves. Experiencing a diversity in personalities and behaviors is what truly makes any gathering special. The bigger and more problematic stress inducer is Time: the number one mental stressor in the world. When planning any event or task (like a holiday gathering), we tend to cloud the perception of time in our mind and it reduces our ability to think objectively. We lose focus and become much less productive and less emotional. However, time is managed in our mind, so again it is a matter of applying an inner technique to handle it. Rearrange your perception of time to create space for an organized schedule. To do so, simply take a moment to really analyze your tasks and give each a level of priority. More often than not, you can make time work for you instead of letting it stress you.
During the holiday season, making an effort to appreciate what you have and the people that surround you oftentimes brings more love, joy and satisfaction. Take charge of your schedule and control your expectations. This will allow you to complete your to-do list in a positive and uplifting fashion.
Happy Holidays
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Increase Your Energy Through Desserts
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By Rebecca Rebmann, CTN
For any non-vegan such as myself, the Thanksgiving holiday is a time to enjoy roasted turkey and gravy made with the drippings from the turkey's pan. Throughout the course of my adult life I have practiced a variety of dietary habits. I went many years as a vegetarian, vegan for a couple of other years, two years as a fruitarian (eating fruit only!), a short stint as a macrobiotic, and finally a raw "foodist." Raw foods simply mean uncooked foods.
Although today I enjoy a healthy balanced diet that includes animal protein, I still employ many of the good habits I picked up from other diet forms. One of those habits comes from a raw food diet.
I work with many clients who are concerned about either maintaining a healthy weight or who are working toward reaching a given weight. Most people who are trying to lose weight often think they will never enjoy another dessert in their life. But that is not necessarily true.
One way to have your cake and eat it too (pun intended), is to make desserts from raw food. Traditionally, desserts are made with flour, sugar and margarine. From a nutrition perspective, those highly processed ingredients cause hunger, increase body fat, have no nutritional value and reduce the effectiveness of the immune system. Many raw food desserts are made with nuts, nut butter, fresh fruits and dates (as the sweetener). These ingredients provide the body with necessary fats, naturally occurring enzymes and have a high nutrient level.
The healthy fats actually reduce your hunger. In fact, raw food desserts are perfectly fine for breakfast. These fats support muscle growth, help reduce body fat and increase your energy. So replace your traditional desserts with raw desserts through the rest of the year to help you stay lean and increase your energy. You can find plenty of free raw dessert recipes by googling "raw food recipes."
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