Hello, Keith Clinic Family…want to feel like an All-Star? Want to find a way to have a better 2019 and be at your best? Well, with the 2019 NBA All-Star week upon us in Charlotte we wanted to discuss a plan that can get you feeling like a star or should we say All-Star. This blog will be a step by step plan focused on 5 topics that will boost your overall health.
Step 1. Drinking more water.
We listed this step as the first because the majority of patients we see are drinking inadequate amounts of water. Water is one of the most important things we can put in our bodies. It makes up roughly 70% of our cells and it is a basic building block and component for a variety of metabolic processes. Dehydration or lack of water creates a situation where our body is functioning at a slower rate.
To make sure we are drinking enough water on a daily basis the target amount is going to be 70-80% of your body weight. For example, if someone ways 200 lbs. they should be drinking roughly 160 oz. of water a day.
The following are things that can be benefited by hydrated on a daily basis
- Improves Brain Function
- Weight management
- Flushes toxins
- Boosts immune system
- Prevents headaches
- Restores muscle integrity
- Helps skin complexion
Step 2. Regulating Sleep Patterns
The second step in creating the All-Star version of you in 2019 would be regulating sleep patterns. Having a regulated sleep pattern is a very important part of health. Sleep functions to support all aspects of our body from the cells to cellular processes (energy production), organ function, hormone production, and brain function. All of which we depend on to function at a high level on a daily basis. It is suggested that adults need on average 7-8 hours of sleep a night. While children need anywhere from 8-14/15 hours of sleep depending on age (the younger you are the more sleep you need). Sleep deprivation can have a major impact on one’s life, preventing our bodies’ ability to renew, restore, and repair. Without sleep, our mind and body are unable to process and problem solve appropriately. Thus, we are unable to function and maintain function to meet the demands of everyday life. So to create a better sleeping pattern, one must not only get the appropriate hours of sleep they must ensure they are getting quality sleep. To get quality sleep we suggest setting up a routine that allows one to fall asleep and wake up at the same time daily. By doing so, your body will become accustomed to this pattern over time allowing you to have the proper amount and quality of sleep to provide some of the following benefits.
- Helps the body heal/repair
- Reduces inflammation
- Improves brain function (memory)
- Reduces stress
Step 3. Altering diet
The third step in our All-Star plan is altering diet. Now we are not going to go into large detail about any one diet in particular for this blog. There are a variety of diets that are each individually suited for specific benefits and needs. This blog is going to be more of a strategy to begin altering your diet and health to live a better life. To begin here is a basic strategy to begin eating healthier.
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- Emphasis on veggies and fruits
- Particularly leafy greens (cruciferous veggies)
- Reduced fats, salts, and sugars
- Healthy fats (avocados, olive oil)
- Eating lean sources of protein (chicken, turkey, fish)
- Eating whole grain vs. refined grain (whole wheat vs. white bread)
- Monitoring dairy intake
- Switching to almond milk, soy, or low-fat milk vs. whole or 2%
- Controlling portion size
- Eating multiple smaller size portion meals as opposed to a few large meals
- Adding in healthy snacks throughout the day to help stop cravings
- Emphasis on veggies and fruits
The goal of altering your diet is to make sure your body has all of the essential building blocks to promote optimal function and health. With that being said an easy way to jump-start that is by adding vitamins or supplements to your everyday routine. Adding supplements or a multivitamin to your daily routine can be a good starting point down the road to a healthier self. For example, one can add a simple B complex supplement to their diet that will provide a multitude of benefits which include the following.
- Boosting energy production
- Boosting the immune system
- Helping heart health
- Boosting hormone function
Step 4. Exercising
Our 4th step in our All-Star plan will be to exercise. Exercising is one of the basic building blocks in any plan to become healthier and is probably what many people think of as the easiest way to maintain health. With that being said regular exercise has a multitude of benefits which include the following
- Helps control/manage weight
- Helps you increase life expectancy
- Improves overall mood/energy levels
- Promotes better sleep patterns
- Supports muscle/bone maintenance
- Decrease the risk of chronic disease
Our goal in adding exercise is to start small and too slowly work into a normal routine. Our suggestion for a beginner is to add very simple things into your weekly routine. This can be as easy as taking the stars compared to elevator/escalators, parking further from the door at grocery stores/shopping centers/work or even getting out during the day for a walk/ jog/ run. Once this has been added to the routine, you can then begin to add other aspects such as increasing the frequency, adding in other exercises (pushups, sit ups, squats, etc.) or going to the gym. The biggest aspect of step 4 with exercising is just staying active and moving. Whether it is some of the things we discussed or others, the key is movement. Movement is life and as a chiropractor, we want to ensure that you are moving daily to allow the body to be at its peak.
Step 5. Seeing your Keith Clinic Chiropractors
Our 5th and final step in this process is, of course, to visit your local Keith Clinic and see one of our wonderful docs. By adding chiropractic to your life as a wellness routine you can see a variety of benefits, including.
- Decrease in pain
- Increase in range of motion
- A decrease in chances of injury
- Improved body function
- A multitude of other health benefits.
Whether to just improve body function or for an injury visiting your chiropractor can have a large impact on your overall health. Our doctors at Keith Clinic suggest a regular wellness schedule typically around once per month but can vary depending on the individual. Our goal in chiropractic is to improve your body’s ability to function optimally. All of our doctors here at Keith Clinic strive to help support the healthiest version of yourself or once again should I say your All-Star self.
As always if you have any questions in regards to this blog, your health, or chiropractic please contact us at any of our THREE locations all around Charlotte!
In good health,