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Choosing a Gilroy Massage Therapist

Posted in: Tips |

Choosing a massage therapist in the Gilroy, CA area that’s right for you… likely will rest on several considerations.  Typical factors might include 3 key areas involving the therapists general approach or style, qualifications, and gender.

Qualifications: Training and experience of therapists vary. Some states and municipalities require licensing of massage therapists. Check your therapist’s credentials, especially if you are seeking massage for problem conditions.

Gender: The gender of your massage therapist is mainly a matter of personal preference. Cross Gender massage is common today. Your massage therapist should be someone you feel comfortable with and with whom you can relax.

Approach or Style: Many massage therapists use an eclectic approach to their work, combining several different massage styles. The two most common general styles are traditional Swedish massage, and Oriental bodywork style such as shiatsu and acupressure. Some massage therapy approaches have specific applications. Talk to your massage therapist to find out if his/her style is suitable for the goals you have set for your massage session.

General Advice for Your Massage Therapy Session: 

  • Participate actively in your massage therapy session.
  • Don’t understand anything?…ASK!
  • Have any specific requests?  …feel confident about stating them in advance.
  • Uncomfortable at any time? …say so.

It’s your time, money and health!  Most of all, relax and enjoy your massage!

 

 

 

 

 

From: Your First Therapeutic Massage – Patricia J. Benjamin PhD.

Probiotics – 7 Tips for the Best Choice

Posted in: Nutrition, Tips |

Choosing a probiotic can be alot like choosing an insurance company.  The sheer quantity to choose from alone often makes the process extremely difficult.  Here are 4 positive elements to look for in a great probiotic…and 3 characteristics to avoid.  They can be the difference between a life enhancing supplement and another cheap disappointment.

Characteristics to Include:

  1. Number of CFUs –  CFUs (Colony Forming Units) are how probiotics are measured.  The quantity of CFUs alone has a significant impact on the product’s effectiveness and your resulting satisfaction. Minimum target:  40-50 billion of CFUs per serving.
  2. Strain Diversity – here again, quantity is critical.  Target: 8-12 strains is good and diverse quantity to offer real benefit to your digestive and immune health.  Many inferior products only contain 1-2 strains. Don’t waste your time and money.
  3. Substrains – shown next to strains on the product label…substrains indicate that a particular probiotic strain has been clinically studied and proven effective (e.g. L. Acidophilus La-14TM)
  4. Prebiotics – a fiber-based component like NutraFlora® Fiber…prebiotics nourish the good bacteria in the gut so it thrives and increases effectiveness in general

Things to Avoid:

  1. Refrigerated Probiotics – refrigeration is required  for some probiotics because they often contain strains that aren’t stable and tend to be ineffective.  Refrigerated probiotics often lose their potency during shipping from manufacturer to consumer. Best bet…probiotics formulated to withstand room temperature.
  2. Chemicals or Irritants –  Look for a probiotic that is Gluten, Soy and Dairy Free, and does not contain preservatives or fillers.
  3. Amazon Reviews – Up to 65% of Amazon reviews are written by paid individuals, and some of them might not have tried the product. Balance your research with real research.

Read More About:

  • The Importance Of Clinically-Studied Strains
  • Top Strains By Category:

Bowel Assistance
Digestion Help
Immune Function
Weight Loss

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More Mercola

 

5 Key Reasons Why to Choose Chiropractic

Posted in: Tips |

Why should you consider choosing Chiropractic care for your overall health?

  • 35 million Americans (adults & children) each year are already being treated by Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs)
  • DCs undergo a rigorous education in the healing sciences at institutions accredited by the U.S. Department of Education…and are are licensed to practice in all 50 states.
  • An increasing number of research studies and reviews demonstrate that the services provided by Chiropractic physicians are both safe and effective. The evidence strongly supports the natural, whole-body and cost-effective approach of chiropractic services for a variety of conditions..
  • Most health insurance plans cover Chiropractic services…including major medical plans, workers’ compensation, Medicare, some Medicaid plans, and Blue Cross Blue Shield plans for federal employees, among others.
  • Professional athletes use Chiropractic extensively to prevent and treat injuries as well as achieve optimal health and functioning.

These are just a handful of reasons why many people are turning to chiropractic services to get and stay healthy and pain free. Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including (but not limited to) back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.

Doctors of Chiropractic – also referred to as Chiropractors or Chiropractic Physicians – practice a hands-on, drug-free approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are perhaps best known for their expertise in the use of spinal manipulation; however, they are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, and to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.

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Exercise & Working Out for 50+ Year Olds

Posted in: Tips |

It goes without saying…getting exercise and working out is much different when you’re 50+ years old…compared to when you were in your 20’s.  Your body just isn’t the same…and You won’t be able to do the same things — nor should you.  But You Need Exercise Now More Than Ever because it’s the key to your independence and a better quality of life with each passing year.  Just how exactly do you get the necessary exercise to help stay healthy…without hurting yourself?

 

Why Exercise Is Good – Losing muscle mass is a natural part of aging…but exercise can help you rebuild it. Muscles also burn more calories than fat, even at rest, which will offset your slowing metabolism. Exercise helps stop, delay, and sometimes improve serious illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, and osteoporosis. It can help your brain stay sharp and keep you from falling into a funk.

Exercise Types – We all need different types of exercise. Cardio or aerobic exercise gets your heart rate up and makes you breathe harder, which builds your endurance and burns calories. Strength or weight training keeps your muscles ready for action. Flexibility exercises help you stay limber so you can have a full range of movement and avoid injury. Balance training becomes important after age 50, so you can prevent falls and stay active.

Choose the Right Activities – Lower-impact exercise, with less jumping and pounding, is kinder to your joints. Some activities provide more than one type of exercise, so you’ll get more bang from your workout buck. Definitely pick things that you enjoy doing! Your doctor or physical therapist can suggest ways to adapt sports and exercises, or better alternatives, based on the limitations of any medical conditions you have.

  • Walking – Simple yet effective! It builds your stamina, strengthens lower body muscles, and helps fight against bone diseases like osteoporosis. It’s easy to work into your day. You can go solo or make it social. At a moderate pace, you’ll get exercise and still be able to chat with a friend or group.
  • Dancing – The style of dance doesn’t matter so much: ballroom, line, square, even dance-based aerobics classes like Zumba and Jazzercise. Dancing helps your endurance, strengthens your muscles, and improves your balance. It burns a lot of calories because it gets you moving in all directions. Research shows learning new moves is really good for your brain, too. Plus, you could be having so much fun, you might not notice you’re doing exercise.
  • Cycling – Especially helpful for those of us with stiff or sore joints, because your legs don’t have to support your weight. The action gets your blood moving and builds muscles on both the front and back of your legs and hips. You use your abs for balance and your arms and shoulders to steer. Because there’s resistance, you’re strengthening your bones, too. Specially designed bike frames and saddles can make riding safer and easier for various health issues.

How Much? – If you’re in good health, you should get at least 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity a week. It’s better when you spread it out over 3 days or more, for a minimum of 10 minutes at a time. Also spend time at least twice a week specifically working the muscles in your legs, hips, back, abs, chest, shoulders, and arms.

Two General Rules:

  1. the more you exercise, the more benefit you get.
  2. any exercise is better than no exercise.

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Kick a Cold in 24 Hours?

Posted in: Tips |

Yes you can!  When you feel a cold coming on… there’s nothing you want more than to get rid of it as fast as possible.

 

These 7 cold remedies come from a Dr. of Functional Medicine / Nutritionist (Dr. Axe) who assures us that you can reduce your “cold time” by 70-80%!

1) Echinacea – the first thing you should start doing if you want to kick a cold fast is start consuming Echinacea. Multiple studies show that Echinacea can help you kick cut down your cold and flu time by more than 50%… cut it down by a whole day and a half.  Echinacea is very very effective and so…. find a good Echinacea supplement to start using right away.

2) Elderberry or Elderberry Syrup – it’s loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C and immune boosting properties.  So again, Elderberry Extract or Elderberry Syrup is the best of the best… and when you’re buying elderberry syrup, look for a brand that doesn’t really have much added sugar or any added sugar. It should just be black elderberry syrup is the best thing you can consume and  actually of all the things I’ll talk about… that elderberry syrup may be the most effective.

3) Vitamin C –  I recommend a thousand milligrams five times a day.  Vitamin C improves circulation and boosts your immune system. There are so many studies out there showing that vitamin C is highly effective. Look for a natural brand… a quality brand when you’re buying Vitamin C.  Remember, a thousand milligrams five times a day is highly effective.

4) Garlic – You can do garlic capsules but, the most effective thing to do is actually simply bite down on a garlic clove once or twice and then swallow it… or cut it up in small little pieces and then swallow it.  You don’t want to swallow the whole clove without biting into it or without cutting it because then those compounds aren’t released as well in your system.  Garlic contains a compound called allicin which is a natural antiviral natural antibacterial and antifungal so garlic will actually kill off the bad bacteria the virus and the fungus in your system helping your body heal quickly

5) Oregano Oil –  aka “oil of oregano”… is one of the most powerful essential oils in the world that can help naturally heal your body.  Oregano…similar to garlic, is going to help kill off the viruses the bacteria the parasites those things in your body that are causing you to be in the diseased state so again oregano oil.  What I typically recommend is about four to five drops in water three to four times a day drinking that right down with a big glass of water.

6) ZINC – We talked about vitamin C earlier as a vitamin… well the best mineral for boosting your immune system is Zinc.  So I’d recommend a hundred milligrams of Zinc probably fifty milligrams twice daily of Zinc.  Zinc can really naturally boost your immune system support your gut health but the big thing is it’s going to support that immune response in your system so getting some zinc.

7) Apple Cider Vinegar – I recommend two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in your water three times a day.  Apple cider vinegar has cleansing and detoxification benefits. When you do Echinacea along with Apple Cider Vinegar… both improve lymphatic drainage… and that’s part of what the issue is.  If you have a cold or flu, you may notice that your lymph nodes are swollen when you can start doing the apple cider vinegar and the echinacea both… that’s going to really improve and speed up your lymphatic drainage.

If you can follow these tips above…it may cut down your cold symptoms to 24 hours… or probably at the max it’ll cut down your total colon flu time by a lot of times by 75 to 80%!

You’re going to be feeling better that much faster.

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Happy Halloween from First Chiropractic in Gilroy CA

Posted in: Tips |

Without digging too deep…

  • We’ve Got Your Back at First Chiropractic
  • No Skeletons in Our Closet…Just In Our Waiting Room
  • We Make No Bones About It … Only Adjustments!

Happy Halloween from Dr. Sam & Team First Chiropractic

3 Pumpkins + caption - Chiropractic Halloween - Carve Out 10 Minutes for an Adjustment

3 Pumpkins + caption - Chiropractic Halloween - Carve Out 10 Minutes for an Adjustment

 

 

Manuka Honey

Posted in: Nutrition, Tips |

Manuka Honey is a  darker than most types of honey you may be accustomed to…and it’s specifically collected from bees that have been feasting on the Manuka tree, found primarily in New Zealand and southeast Australia.

Key Points:

  • Lab tests have shown Manuka honey to be a powerful inhibitor of bacteria that develop on medical devices such as catheters, of which 100 million are sold worldwide every year
  • Up to 90 percent of urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, but other infections also leave patients open to life-threatening health problems
  • Manuka honey has proven to be powerful against E. coli, even when diluted to 3.3 percent. Unlike other “therapeutic” compounds doctors may prescribe, bacteria have not yet developed a resistance to Manuka honey

Many people already familiar with Manuka honey know that notorious for being a remedy for inflammation and bacterial infections.

A new study at the University of Southampton in the U.K. recently reported that the honey from Down Under may be useful for decreasing the risk of infections and helping to prevent pathogenic bacterial colonies known as biofilm from developing on catheters and other medical devices.

Indwelling medical devices harbor biofilms which have been shown to cause infections and act as reservoirs for pathogens. Urinary catheters are often in place for considerable periods of time and are susceptible to both encrustation and biofilm formation…Strategies for minimizing biofilm occurrence underpin an active research area in biomedicine. Manuka honey has, (among other things), well-established antibacterial properties.”1 ~ The Journal of Pathology

The study entailed placing Manuka honey with bacterial cultures including Escherichia coli (E. coli), the cause of up to 90 percent of urinary tract infections (UTIs),2 and Proteus mirabilis, bacteria that under certain conditions can escape from the intestine and cause a urinary tract infection,3 to observe the honey’s effect on biofilm development. Medical News Today reported:

After 72 hours, the team found the highest dilution of honey — 16.7 percent — had reduced the stickiness of bacteria by 77 percent, and all other dilutions had reduced stickiness by at least 70 percent by that point.

Scientists still want to conduct further testing, however, before they advise using honey on catheters in real hospital settings, but as a Time article noted:

Antibiotic resistance is a major problem worldwide. Bacteria can naturally become resistant to drugs used to treat it, and widespread use of antibiotics through the years in medicine and agriculture have contributed to the problem. 5

They say that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity, yet doctors keep applying and prescribing the same ineffective methods and drugs to and for their patients with UTIs and other health problems, often making their diseases, pain and suffering worse. And all the time, honey was right under their noses.

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MultiVitamins – The Straight Skinny

Posted in: Nutrition |

Everyone wants to be and stay healthy…yet many are concerned that our meals do not provide enough nutrition. So why do we periodically hear medical professionals that said you know what supplements you’re just wasting your money you just turning your pee yellow?  Why do we seem to go back and forth on on whether or not those are beneficial in terms of mainstream acceptance? Dr. Peter Glidden counters recent arguments that vitamins and supplements are nothing but a waste of money. Dr. Glidden explains the science and research behind the benefits and says those saying otherwise are using bad science. iHealthTube.com

Multivitamins Explained: Supplementing Can Help You Reach Optimal Health – NaturalNews

Why do we need multivitamins?

Let’s face it, due to the nutritionally depleted foods available to us, the fatty foods that we eat “on the go”, along with everyday stress, toxins in the environment, and foods offered at most grocery stores, our bodies lack the vitamins and minerals we require. Many people eat food that is “dead food”, food that does not offer any nutritional value whatsoever. Our bodies are literally starved of proper nutrients. Even when we obtain our food from natural sources, depletion of nutrients in the soil has made it increasingly difficult to get enough amounts of nutrients from our food. Therefore, we all need to supplement in addition to our daily food intake.   Read More

 

Dr. Mercola Discusses the Guidelines in Choosing a Good Multivitamin – Mercola

I believe you should get most of your nutrition from the food you eat. Some people call this controversial…I call it common sense. However modern-day agriculture practices which rely heavily on the introduction of artificial fertilizers makes this virtually impossible.

 

The Best Supplement Brands: A Comprehensive Guide & Review – OrganicNewsRoom

PROPER NUTRITION CAN BE HARD to manage in today’s world of sub-par food options, especially if you live on-the-go. Fortunately, you can often time make up the difference by proper nutritional supplementation with vitamins and other natural compounds such as Calcium, Magnesium, or Fish Oil. It is important to purchase products from the best supplement brands which are trusted by doctors and healthcare professionals to provide the purest, most high-quality supplements available.

Now, with…a much better perspective on why it is important to purchase quality supplements; here is the list of the best supplement brands—with the pros and cons of each one. Do keep in mind that any of these brands are almost certain to be much better than any product you’ll find in stores—even your local health food store—and are often only available for purchase online, or through a licensed healthcare practitioner. You’ll be able to find a wide array of supplements made by these manufacturers ranging from some of the best protein powders on the market to very obscure and hard-to-find products that offer very specific nutritional support.  Read More

 

Why Most Multivitamins End Up in the Toilet and How to Really Solve a Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency – NaturalNews

The problem with most multivitamins

First of all, let’s deal with the lion’s share of multivitamins being sold on the shelves, which are synthetic versions that contain a laundry list of isolated vitamins and minerals. These multivitamins may look good on paper, but inside your body, nothing can be further from the truth.
The first issue is that the body can’t properly absorb what it doesn’t recognize. Putting a multitude of laboratory isolated vitamins and minerals together with artificial colors, flavors, high glycemic sugars, and GMOs, is NOT a recipe for increasing your health. Synthetic nutrients that are not found in nature are largely unrecognizable and therefore have poor assimilation, which means that most of the formula ends up passing through your system in the form of urine.  Read More

 

 

Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits

Posted in: Nutrition |

What if you could significantly improve your health with a cheap, one-minute morning ritual? The only flipside…you’ll probably end up making some funny, puckered-up faces as a result. Are you game?

The Pucker Powered Morning Elixir:

Apple cider vinegar has long been touted by nutritionists, doctors and health experts worldwide for many years.  Why? Because it benefits the human body in wide variety of ways.  Whether it’s enriching and beautifying your hair…or searching for a new healthy way of attacking lingering allergies…or even promoting a healthier digestive system, apple cider vinegar benefits overall human health naturally and cost effectively.

Since apple cider vinegar is fairly acidic and sour in taste, here are two recommendations:

  1. It should NOT be ingested undiluted by swigging it straight from the bottle.
  2. Instead…mix two teaspoons with a cup of water and drink with a straw.  Straw?  …it prevent the apple cider vinegar’s acid from wearing away at your tooth enamel.  Make sure to place the straw’s end far back on your tongue to prevent contact with your bottom teeth.

How Apple Cider Vinegar Boosts Your Health:

Huge amounts of evidence of apple cider vinegar’s amazing health benefits continually manifest. This pungent, orange-hued liquid is rife with amino acids along with antiseptic, acetic and lactic acid. In layman’s terms, apple cider vinegar will destroy harmful yeasts and bacteria in your gut.  Additional benefits of apple cider vinegar consumption include the following:

 

  • Improved blood pressure regulation
  • Detoxification of the body
  • Halitosis (bad breath) reduction
  • Improved skin appearance
  • Even out blood sugar levels
  • Better heart health
  • Produces healthy bacteria
  • Increases energy
  • A slowing of the aging process
  • Balances pH level
  • Elimination or significant mitigation of candida overgrowth
  • Prevents overeating
  view of Bragg brand apple cider vinegar on kitchen counter

 

By stimulating healthy bacteria production in the digestive track while spiking energy and balancing one’s pH level…Apple cider vinegar promotes a more balanced pH level that makes you more capable of combating sickness. It also tends to clean out the lymphatic system and break apart mucus buildup, according to several studies.  The benefit? …your body is better capable of retaining water and warding off swelling as well as congestion. It is also important to note that the presence of acetic acid in apple cider vinegar ameliorates the release of iron from food during the digestive process. This increase in iron absorption allows the body to make better use of oxygen, which consequently causes more energy to be consumed and ultimately results in weight loss.

Why Morning Apple Cider Vinegar So Important?:

It suppresses appetite…combats cravings and prevents over-eating.  It’s all about the acetic acid and pectin fiber…almost like magic!

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