Prana Chiropractic's Wellness Corner

I still remember the first time that I tasted an avocado.  I was a senior in high school and the avocado was a part of a fruit bowl still life prop that my art teacher set up for us to paint.  Afterwards, we enjoyed the fruits and I could not wait to taste this funny looking fruit (yes avocado is a fruit and not a vegetable).   From that day forward, I was hooked, but I had no idea at that time how healthy that avocados are, and why they are a must in a Wellness Based Nutrition Plan.  So let’s talk about 10 health benefits in particular. 1.        Avocados are extremely nutritious : They’re a natural source of Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin E, Vitamin B5 and Vitamin B6. 2.        They have more Potassium than bananas : Typically the banana is our go-to food for potassium, but believe it or not, avocados contain a higher amount.  Potassium is important in maintaini...

One of the greatest abilities that we have as humans is that of sight.  It certainly enables us to “see” the world in a much more detailed manner, while experiencing life in a much deeper manner.  So here is a brief rundown of how the eye works, as it relates to sight.  First let’s think of the eye as working like a camera.  The initial step is the light from an object passes through our cornea .  Next, this image is adjusted by the lens , which forms an upside-down image of the object on to the retina .  Our retina is located at the very back of the eye.  From the retina, via the nervous system, the image is transferred to the brain for interpretation.  When the brain receives the image from the retina, it turns the image right side up.  What’s incredible is this entire process takes place almost instantaneously!  Messages about the image that we see and process travel from the eye to the brain as a nerve impulse, and as ...

One of the primary services that we provide at our Wellness Center is myofascial mobilization and release techniques.  While there are many muscular dysfunctions that can occur as a result of fascial adhesions or restriction, one area that is of particular interest to me as a Chiropractor, is its potential to affect a person’s posture.  Postural screening and correction is a large part of the treatment plan that I utilize to assist people in correction of musculoskeletal issues, and to help them get on the path to a Wellness Based Lifestyle. The fascia is simply a thin, yet strong, connective tissue that surrounds every muscle in the body.  It also surrounds the organs, vessels, bone, and everything else in the body, yet I am most concerned with that around the muscles.  The techniques that I utilize help to correct issues with it around the muscles, which can also have a positive impact on organ functioning and overall health.  The fascia is also sligh...

We see a lot of new Practice Members that come into PRANA that are taking all sorts of over-the-counter and prescribed sleep aids.  While we definitely need sleep, these synthetically produced sleep aids certainly don’t add to our overall health.  One thing that I explain to our Practice Members is that for every positive benefit afforded by a medication, there is an equal to or greater than, negative side effect it also causes.  Now don’t get me wrong, I will never encourage a patient to get off of any medications that their Medical Doctor has prescribed.  Pharmacology isn’t my area of specialization, and in many cases prescribed medications have saved lives, but I will say this, there are many people that take prescription medications for “conditions” in which they could control themselves through diet, exercise, and natural healthcare options such as Chiropractic and Applied Kinesiology.  So I have compiled an easy list of steps that you and your family ...

If you have spent any time at all in a fitness gym within the last couple of years, chances are you’ve seen a Kettlebell.  While using Kettlebells during a workout has grown in popularity in the last decade, I would not place them in the same category as many of the other “fad” workouts out there.  These things have been around since the 1940’s, being used in sports competitions in Russia and areas of Europe since then.  Their design makes it easy to incorporate them into many exercises.  Their design also makes it easy to create different exercises, which adds to their current popularity.  At Prana Chiropractic and Wellness Center, I use Kettlebells often in the personal training sessions I offer.  One of the ways I use them in sessions is to add a form of resistance training that focuses on many of the movements that we use during functions of daily living.  In terms of living a Wellness Based Lifestyle, it is my position that building streng...

I know you’ve all experienced it.  I am talking about the up and down effect that sugar has on you after you eat your favorite sweet treat.  It typically goes something like this: At first you have this intense hunger or lack of energy that immediately flashes visions of a candy bar, cupcake, soda pop, or donut into your mind.  So you go for it.  I mean after all, there are vending machines everywhere.  Almost every single break room that I go into when doing luncheon health talks have at least one “food” vending machine and a soda machine.  I used “food” purposely because there are little to no items in these vending machines that actually qualify as real food. So we consume our sweet treat, and almost instantaneously we experience a burst of energy!  We think to ourselves, “man that’s just what I needed.”  But then something else happens.  Within a short period of time we start to notice that weird brain fog thing happening....

Fish oils contain the essential fatty acids called Omega-3’s.  They provide us with many health benefits, and just like the word  essential  implies, the body has to have them in order to sustain life.  Make certain that the Fish oils that you use are the highest quality or you miss out on all the benefits.  There are also vegetarian sources of Omega-3 fatty acid supplements available, such as Red Algae.   Most people in our society have an abundance of Omega-6 Fatty Acids in their diet. We do need Omega-6's at a 2:1 ratio to Omega-3’s, but we are completely out-of-whack in terms of proportion.  Most Americans consume Omega-6’s at a ratio of 6:1. Health Benefits Include of quality Fish Oils include: Necessary for Cardiovascular Health Decrease HTN and Bad Cholesterol Decrease Anxiety and Depression Improve Brain Function/ Memory Positive Effect on Eye Health Can decrease symptoms of ADHD in Children Fights Inflammation and Auto-Immune Cond...