I was reading a funny article on how to get a “runners High” without actually running. Haha! Studies have shown that exercise releases endorphins in the brain, which in turn cause us to have what is commonly known as a "natural high" You may not realize what caused it, but most of us have felt it. What else causes and endorphin rush?  Well, according to the article, here you go:

1.     Get some exercise. But you don’t actually have to run! Just try to get your heart rate up. The more you exercise the more you will crave that “Rush”. If you don’t like to exercise try to Meditate – Maybe a yoga class.

2.     Laugh. Find the humor in life and you'll get an endorphin rush.

3.     Eat chocolate and chili pepper. Researchers now believe both chocolate and chili pepper tap into the hormones causing a chemical reaction that releases endorphins. Maybe do this after you run!

4.     Visit a massage studio. Acupuncture also works wonders and encourages endorphin-release.

5.     Get adjusted! The chiropractic adjustment releases endorphins, which are anti-anxiety, stress relieving, and pain reducing chemicals in the brain. Also, it straightens your immune system!

Visit us for some laughter, a massage or an adjustment! We might even be able to find some chocolate for you! Let’s get our endorphins not work!

I was shifting through old magazines when I came across a Mens Health Magazine from January of this yea. It had a article that was about the 6 Mistakes That Keep You Fat by Lisa Jones.

Lisa stated  “We're not suggesting "The Situation" as a role model. But there is one hard-body lesson you can take from MTV's Jersey Shore loudmouth: The less body fat you carry, the better your abs will show” Funny but true! In summary her article said:

1.     Skipping Meals or Snacks: it messes with your brain so you won’t have the energy to say no to the inevitable chowfest! It said to have a healthy snack or shake.

2.     Speed-Eating: don’t diet! just try to eat slowly and you will fill up and not over eat.

3.     Pigging Out on Weekends: just try not to do it. You will regret it until Wednesday!

4.     Gorging on Salty Snacks: We tent to over eat salt and the more we eat salty snacks the more we want them and we will have less cravings.

5.     Drinking: it is very hard to avoid, maybe try to lessen the amount you drink. When you drink, write down haw much you consume and in the morning figure out the calories and carbs. You will be surprised.

6.     Eating in Front of the TV, Then Dozing Off: don’t we love this one. Yes when you fall asleep yo burn the calories you consume but studies have come out that say that people that eat while watching TV. Consume more calories – about 300 more!

Yikes! This really doesn’t look that hard. I thought it was a good article and easy to follow. I will let you know how this goes in the next could of weeks.

I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MANY PEOPLE LATELY THAT THEY ARE NOT HOLDING THEIR ADJUSTMENT. “I FEEL GREAT AFTER MY ADJUSTMENT BUT ONCE I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING I AM ALL OUT OF ALIGNMENT AGAIN” INTERESTING! SO, DON’T YOU THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD LOOK INTO THE WAY WE ARE SLEEPING? WE ALL – INCLUDING MYSELF- CURL UP INTO BE EVERY NIGHT AND USUALLY ARE IN THE SAME POSITION.  WE WAKE UP SORE IN THE MORNING AND WE DON’T KNOW WHY. WE SPEND 1/3 OF OUR TIME SLEEPING, MAYBE WE SHOULD FIND THE PROPER POSITION FOR OUR SPINE.  

Info from the Dr. Oz show:

Dead Man's Float

This sleeper spends the night prone, on his stomach, head turned to the side, with arms splayed under the pillow.
The problem - In this position you hyper-flex the neck and exert pressure on the nerves along the underside of your arms that can cause pins and needles and awaken you from sleep. The body's weight compresses the lungs, preventing a fully expanded deep breath. It also exerts unnecessary pressure on the breasts.

The fix - Don't use a head pillow at all. Try raising the whole side of your body slightly with a long pillow, or place a pillow under your hips.

The Soldier

This sleeper spends the night on his back.
The problem - Sleeping in the supine position can cause the tongue to fall inwards to block the breathing tube. Back sleepers are prone to snoring and sleeping supine is not good for people with sleep apnea, a life-threatening sleep disorder that causes brief episodes of breathlessness.

The fix -Sleeping on your back is not good for you or your bed partner, who may have to endure every snort and rattle all night. Infants however, should always be placed on their backs to prevent sudden infant death (SIDS). If you must sleep on your back, put a pillow under your knees and a small pillow under your lower back.

People with heart failure, certain respiratory diseases, glaucoma or gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) may benefit from taking their solider position into a semi-sitting position.

Sleeping Beauty

This type of sleeper sleeps on the side, back slightly curled with knees bent and arms folded.

The problem - None. This is the healthiest position to sleep in. This posture complements the natural curvature of the spine.

To make it even better - Add comfort and reduce stress on the hips by putting a pillow between your knees. Use a pillow of moderate height to support the head. Try a water pillow that can be easily adjusted. If there is room, stretch arms out front. If you have high blood pressure, try sleeping on the left side. If you are prone to kidney stones on one side, side-sleep on the other side.

I HAVE ATTACHED SOME PHOTOS THAT I FOUND WITH PEOPL SLEEPING WITH CERVICAL PILLOWS. WE HAVE THESE PILLOWS AT VITALITY CHIROPRACTIC, SO NEXT TIME YOU ARE IN ASK US ABOUT THEM.

Now that you’ve graduated
Nothing can stop you now.
You’ve worked hard to get your diploma;
It’s time to take a bow.

Congratulations graduate!
Your future looks strong and bright.
May you achieve the things you hope for
And have a life of sheer delight.

By Joanna Fuchs

You were my fairy tale princess,
So much larger than life.
You were my angel and my witness
Through all my pain and strife.
At times you made me angry,
Great words I would proclaim
How someday you'd be sorry.
You were the one to blame.
But when I needed comforting
You always found the time.
Your words were more soothing
Than days of childhood sublime.
Now the distance holds us apart,
The boundaries have no end.
I'll hold the memories in my heart.
You're my mother, my best friend.

I just wanted to say Happy Earth Day! It is such a beautiful day today – it is almost as if Mother Nature knows we are all thinking about our great planet! There are so many different events going on around town this weekend. Visit  http://sustainablecolorado.org/events/alliance-events/2011-earth-day-activities for a few activities and http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_17826770 for more.

Today is going to be the perfect day to plant some new flowers and trees. It is going to be 60 degrees and sunny, and by the end of the week we will have rain in the 50’s to soak up the new trees and flowers.

It would be interesting to find out if any families have traditions that they are willing to share with us for Earth Day.  If any of you that are reading have any for us please share.

I think all of us love this time a year! The weather is great at night for sleeping and great in the day for doing outside activities. However, due to the drastic changes in weather it is the time of year for allergies! Ugh!

Allergy symptoms can certainly make a person miserable and once they start they seem to NEVER go away. So, one of the solutions could be to go purchase some anti-allergy drugs – NOT! Ha-ha. I kind of have to laugh thinking of the anti-allergy commercials on TV. You see people running through flower fields and looking so happy but then at the bottom of the screen in very small print you see all the side effects; nausea, vomiting, weakness, diarrhea, dizziness and sleepiness - You never see that in the commercials! I rather have seasonal allergies the vomiting but I guess that is me!

An interesting website on natural remedies is www.motherearthnews.com it has different natural remedies and recipes for natural saline.  Actually, Ann at Vitality has a great recipe that I will have to post on Monday for everyone.  If anyone has any suggestions for us and wellness members please post them. We would all love to be able to go outside and enjoy the beautiful dayswithout sneezing.

A practice member and I were talking the other day on how we should lose weight and what is more important – exercise or healthy eating.  Well both, of course, but what do you prefer? I rather exercise because with Easter right around the corner and all the chocolate eggs and bunny’s I can barely contain myself.  However, she was telling me that she prefers eating healthy.  

She was telling me about all this research that she had done on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) or Genetically Modified Foods. Say what? Here is the definition from Wikipedia:  An organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms which have inserted DNA that originated in a different species. She was saying that we shouldn’t eat corn, soy products, some tomatoes and even papaya (My favirite!) because most of it has been altered.

Then I do my own research and I found a website www.saynotogmos.org  - a great and easy place to get a lot of information that I actually understood.  Basically, we are eating food that has been changed/altered in a way. Soy beans for example, research showed that they combined them with nuts and now people with nut allergies can’t eat the genetically altered soy beans. What another research stated was that your body does not recognize the food you are easting because it is not what you body is use to. Its just not natural!  I could go on for days on why we should not eat food that has been altered in any way.

The reality is we have to watch what we eat and most importantly be informed before we eat - Including the chocolate Easter Bunny’s that are so delicious!

What is so funny?

April fools (April 1^st) is widely recognized and celebrated as a day where many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness. According to my research the earliest recorded association between April 1st and foolishness can be found in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (1392). This tells me people have been laughing for a very long time! Other research and studies I have found state that humor/laughing can prevent stress, depression and even boost your immune system. 

I hope some of you were able to read our Optimal Health University handout this month on how laughing can improve  your health.  It had different studies about the effect of laughing on your overall health. In one “study”, they took a total of 109 people over the age of 65 years - One group of 48 individuals took part in a laughter therapy group four times over one month - the remaining 61 served as a control group.  Before and after the “study” these people were assessed for depression, cognitive function, quality of life and sleep quality. Findings showed that those in the laughter therapy group enjoyed significant improvement, compared with the ones in the control group. (I would have like to been in the laughing therapy group).

Now this is obvious to most people, but really thinks about all the people in your life that don’t laugh. They are probably depressed, they probably don’t sleep very well, and I can guarantee they have other health issues. Now for the good part, think of all the people that laugh all the time. Yes, they are happy and probably sleep well.   

Getting on to my favorite research from OHU. They stated that the American College of Cardiology found that laughing for 15 minutes substantially bolters the dilation of blood vessels, “which reduces the risk of range of conditions, including migraine, high blood pressure and atherosclerosis (condition in which an artery wall thickens as the result of a build-up of fatty materials).  They also included a study of 20 volunteers, 19 showed a 22% increase in circulation after watching 15 minutes of humorous film clips. The flipside, as they said, was that the same volunteers were shown 15 minutes of stress-inducing clips and 14 suffered a 35% restriction in circulation. I guess this means I will be watching more comedy then suspense films from now on.

So going back to April fools – have fun and make someone laugh!

If you want a copy of our Optimal Health University handout on Laughter please stop by the office or send us an email requesting it at Team@RoadToVitality.com

I was asked the other day by someone “So what are the benefits of massage?” At first I thought – it feels amazing and is relaxing – why even inquire about other benefits?  Of course it feels good and releases tension but there is more to a massage then just the feel good part – so we should be asking the question.  The problem for me was that I didn’t even know where to start. Should I start how it benefits athletes’? What about expectant mothers?  It even helps people ease medication dependence.  The reality is that it helps everyone – children, adults and even animals (I won’t talk about theanimals). The body’s largest organ is the skin and massage promotes healing and blood flow to this organ and many other organs. Massage can reduce anxiety and stress.  It promotes endorphin release – the body’s natural pain killer. And one of my favorites is that it enhances immunity by stimulating lymph flow – the body’s natural defense system.  I could go on forever with different benefits.

Just because massage feels so good and seems to be a luxury doesn’t mean that it isn’t therapeutic. Everyone should try to get in to see a massage therapist and figure out a plan because the more massages you get the more beneficial it will be.  

It is almost Spring! Woo Hoo! Time to go outside and soak up the Sun. Thank goodness we live in Colorado and get sunny days most of the year! That makes me think about vitamin D and this study I read.  (Summary attached below).  

LOW VITAMIN D UPS RISK OF ALLERGIES IN KIDS

Low vitamin D increases the likelihood that children will develop allergies, according to a paper published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Researchers looked at the serum vitamin D levels in blood samples from more than 3,100 children and adolescents and 3,400 adults.

No association between vitamin D levels and allergies was observed in adults. But for children and adolescents, low vitamin D levels correlated with sensitivity to 11 of the 17 allergens tested, including both environmental allergens and food allergens. For example, children who had vitamin D deficiency were 2.4 times more likely to have a peanut allergy than were children with sufficient levels of vitamin D.

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology – February 17, 2011;Epub.

www.aaaai.org/members/jaci.stm

This isn’t really considered a blog but I thought it was somewhat interesting so I thought I would share it with our practice members and people that visit our blog. I hope this is just a good reminder for everyone to take care of themselves and their families – and most of all, enjoy life!

AND DON’T FORGET! Day Light Savings Starts on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 2:00 AM local standard time.

 If the NFL Combine was on television 20 years ago, you may want to watch it for different reasons then you would watch it today. When you tuned in on February 26th to check the newest draft class, you will see fit, cut, and well trained athletes performing several different skill tests with ease. 20 years ago however, you would have witnessed some of the ugliest flabbiest bodies that would make you puke. You would witness multiple stumbles on 40 starts and highly rated draft picks tripping over their feet through the 3 cone drill.

So what has changed? The agent community started investing into preparing draftees for the Combine. One of the first pioneering agents was none other than Bruce Allen, now GM of the Redskins. Bruce started training his first draft class in 1986 with Warren Anderson of Makeplays.com who is still in business today. When IMG was in the football representation business they had a whole campus located in Bradenton, Florida dedicated to training all their athletes in all sports.

Along with pre-combine specific training, these facilities also offer many services such as: nutrition, massage, and chiropractic. In addition to the paying for the services, the agents must also supply housing, transportation and even “walking around money”. It’s not unusual for one agent to invest over $100,000 dollars to train 4 to 5 clients for 8 weeks.

The effect of this investment is better conditioned and better prepared rookies headed into camp. And most of these athletes continue to use trainers, massage, nutrition, and chiropractic for the remainder of their NFL careers. 

“peak physical conditioning and not simply for injuries.”

The Professional Football Chiropractic Society (PFCS, www.profootballchiros.com) takes pride in announcing that all 32 teams in the National Football League offer their players and personnel chiropractic physician services as part of the triage in managing and preventing injuries. According to the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (www.f4cp.org), this distinction is a benchmark for the profession and documents the important role that chiropractic care plays in optimizing athletic performance.

"The robust need for chiropractic care in the NFL has been deeply driven by the players' desire for peak physical conditioning and not simply for injuries," states Spencer H. Baron, D.C., DACBSP, immediate past President of the PFCS and Miami Dolphins team chiropractor for the past 14 years. "From the earliest years of full contact football, their bodies are subject to structural stress that doctors of chiropractic (DCs) are specially trained to care for. Many DCs who provide their services to professional athletes travel with their respective teams throughout the season, treating players up until game time, during the game and sometimes immediately following."

According to Saints wide receiver Marques Colston, who had seven catches for 83 yards in Super Bowl XLIV, "I always see Dr. Rob for chiropractic care on game day to get my body balanced, flexible and ready for action. I see him several times a week for rehab and to recover faster from the last game."

Saints 2006 first round pick, Reggie Bush, has been receiving regular chiropractic care since playing football in high school and during his collegiate years.

"I look at chiropractic care as important to keeping me healthy and at the top of my game," said the former Heisman Trophy winner and two-time National Champion while playing for the University of Southern California (USC).

Saints wide receiver, Lance Moore, who converted a crucial 2-point conversion during Super Bowl XLIV also relies on chiropractic treatment to be game-time ready.

"Not only did my chiropractor get me back on the field, but he helped me to stay on the field. My body just feels much better overall because of the care I've gotten," quotes Moore.

In fact, many professional athletes are outspoken about their experiences with chiropractic care. Most notably, 2010 NFL Hall Of Fame inductee Jerry Rice, who is a spokesperson for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating the public of the many benefits associated with chiropractic care.

"I did a lot of things to stay in the game, but regular visits to my chiropractor made all the difference," Rice asserts.

I was reading an article in American Journal of Clinical Chiropractic that was about a study where most of the subjects received cervical (Neck) and thoracic (Mid-Back) adjustments. The results of the study demonstrated an improvement in creative thinking.  So then, of course, I decided to get creative!  Well, maybe, not really. But, I was eating a delicious everything bagel from Einstein’s at the time, so I thought of that man that we all know of with the explosive hair- as my daughter would say. 

                Albert Einstein was someone that asked questions and took creative thinking to a level that no one ever thought possible. Now, did he ever get a neck or mid-back adjustment by a chiropractor? I can’t say yes or no but I am guessing he did not.  Now just imagine if he would have?  Wow!  

Now for people that want to get creative and just can’t get the flow of things…According to the study it is because Creativity of the mind has to do with the nervous systems functional capacity. If your spine is aligned, your nervous system should be working properly and allowing everything to flow correctly.  In other words, if you have a pinched nerve you can lose blood flow to a certain part of your body – in this case, your brain. That said, I am going to get my Einstein on and go get an adjustment!

                If you have any questions please feel free to call one of us at Vitality Chiropractic and  we can help you get your Einstein on!

“THE ATHLETE'S CHOICE FOR SPORTS CARE”

Why do we check WebMD when we have a headache or get hurt? Why do we decide to take pain killing drugs? They merely cover up the symptoms; deceive our bodies into actions which could make the injury more serious. I think at this point we realize that the pain killing drugs are not the answer. So what should we do?

Most sports involve body contact, fast starts and stops, and positioning that places an unusual amount of strain on the back and structural system.  Probably more than any other health profession, Chiropractic's approach to health closely relates to the needs of anyone from the elite athlete to a mom with crying kids and a headache.

Chiropractic is a natural health care method that stresses the importance of keeping all the systems of the body functioning efficiently so the player enjoys peak performance, a minimum injury risk, and fast recuperative powers. Many world class and Olympic athletes, as well as professional stars and teams, have retained sports chiropractors to provide care. Even the Players Association of the NFL has officially incorporated sports chiropractors as a regular part of care. Chiropractors have been selected as attending doctors at the Olympic Games and at national and world championships in track and field, cycling, volleyball, power lifting, aerobics, and triathlons.

You are probably thinking – I am not an athlete – Why should I see a Chiropractor? Chiropractic is the science and art based on the premise that good health depends, in part, upon a normally functioning nervous system. When there is interference in the nervous system caused by a misaligned or malfunctioning spine, tissues and organs may not function properly. If this is detected, the Chiropractor will relieve nerve interference and allow the spine and nervous system to return to a healthy state. Correction of the problem and maintaining good health is the goal of Chiropractic.

So, even if you are not an athlete you should be treated like one.

For more information please visit our main website at WWW.RoadToVitality.com. 

Team Vitality

Your Youth and Vitality Mentors,

ARE ARTIFICAL SWEETeNERS MAKING YOU FAT?
Artificial sweeteners may not be the best way to fight fat, according to research from Purdue University.

Purdue’s Department of Psychological Sciences found that artificial sweeteners might disrupt the body's natural ability to "count" calories based on foods' sweetness. This may be why an alarming number of Americans lack the natural ability to limit food intake to healthy levels.

Researchers also report that thicker liquids, such as diet breakfast shakes aren't as satisfying — calorie for calorie — as eating a solid food.

The Purdue's researchers' study suggests that being able to match caloric intake with caloric need depends on the body's ability to learn that the taste and feel of food by the mouth suggests the appropriate caloric intake.

Like Pavlov's dogs learned that the sound of a bell signaled food, people learn that both sweet tastes and creamy foods signal high calories.

By consuming artificial sweeteners, the body begins to loose its natural ability to gauge caloric intake. Therefore, people tend to eat and drink more, and ultimately gain more weight.

So how should someone seeking weight loss address artificial sweetener issues? Researchers suggest reducing artificially sweetened foods while counting the number of calories consumed in regular foods. This approach, combined with regular exercise appears to be the healthiest way to battle obesity.

[SOURCE: CHIROPRACTIC ECONOMICS, JULY 2004]

We must also remember that our bodies are designed to recognize nutrients.  An artificial sweetener is seen as a compound with little or no nutritional value and therefore shipped away and hidden in fat cells.  As we accumulate more and more of this "Toxin" our bodies are programmed to store it over and over.  This accumulates more fat and while our brains sense that we need to eat more because of the lack of value of the substance we are putting in. 

Your Health and Vitality Mentor,  Dr. Rob Anderson of Vitality Chiropractic of Highlands Ranch

RESEARCHERS USE MRIs TO DETECT EFFECTS OF BACKPACKS ON CHILDREN’S SPINES -- Brought to you from Vitality, Your Highlands Ranch Chiropractor

A new investigation sheds light on how heavy backpacks impact children’s spines. According to the study’s authors “this is the first upright MRI study to document reduced disc height and greater lumbar asymmetry for common backpack loads in children.”

Dr. Timothy Neuschwander of University of California, San Diego, used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to study the spines of eight children, with a mean age of 11 years. They scanned the youngsters first with an empty backpack, then with increasing weights of 9, 18, and 26 lb. These weights represented about 10%, 20%, and 30% of the children’s body weight.

Heavier weights caused intervertebral discs depression and decreased disc height. Heavier loads were also associated with increased curvature of the lumbar spine, either to the right or the left. Half of the children had a significant spinal curve even with the 18 lb weight, with Cobb angles greater than 10°. Most of the children had to adjust their posture to bear the 26 lb backpack load.

As backpack weight increased, so did the amount of pain reported by the children.

Although the children were wearing the backpack straps over both shoulders when the MRI scans were performed, the researchers note that spinal curvature could be even greater if the backpack was carried over one shoulder.

“Low back pain in children may be worsened by discogenic or postural changes,” Dr. Neuschwander and colleagues write. This could have long-term implications, as children with back pain are at increased risk of having back pain as adults.

Spine – January 1, 2010;35:83-88.

www.spinejournal.com

Watch the brief video about children and backpacks and please comment below. 

So seriously now what are you doing to prevent early spinal aging for your son or daughter? 

Is it working?  If they already feel pain when they carry their pack the damage is already happening. 

If they don't feel any pain, I'm not surprised because most spinal problems take years to develop and don't usually cause symptoms. 

It is time to get your child to a qualified pediatric and adolescent chiropractor to fix the damage and optimize their life.   

Dr. Rob on Twitter	Vitality on YouTube	Dr. Rob on Flickr	Dr. Rob on Facebook	Dr. Rob on MySpace	Dr. Rob on Linkedin	Dr. Rob's Other Blog

Mayo Clinic Study Says Children Who Get Flu Vaccine Have Three Times Risk of Hospitalization For Flu
Posted by: Dr. Rob Anderson, Your Highlands Ranch Chiropractor

Inactivated flu vaccine does not appear to be effective in preventing influenza-related hospitalizations in children -- especially if they have asthma. In fact, children who get the flu vaccine are more at risk for hospitalization than those who skip the shot.

In order to determine whether the trivalent inactivated flu vaccine was effective in reducing the number of child hospitalizations, researchers conducted a cohort study of close to 300 children. The investigators determined who had and had not received the flu vaccine, their asthma status and who did and did not require hospitalization.

They found that children who had received the flu vaccine had three times the risk of hospitalization. In asthmatic children, there was a significantly higher risk of hospitalization in subjects who received the vaccine.

Sources:

  Science Daily May 20, 2009

Thanks for reading.  If you have any questions, concerns or comments please leave a post below.  I'd love to begin a dialog with you. 

Your Health Mentor,  Dr. Rob Anderson from Vitality Chiropractic of Highlands Ranch 

Vitality's 11th Annual Toys For Health Week

December 7th-10th

We are working with Mountain View Community Church again this year to bring a smile to hundreds of children who will not receive anything this Christmas Season.

Will you partner with us?

We will even reward you with the gift of health!

Please Bring in any new unwrapped toy and receive care from Vitality at our expense.

All new practice members will receive a complete evaluation which will include a one on one consultation with Dr. Rob, computerized nerve scans, lung function testing and xrays if needed.

All existing members will receive a complete visit which will include an energizing spinal warmup on the wobble chairs, decompression traction, a nerve interferrence clearing adjustment and whole body vibration with weight retraining.

On a current wellness plan? You are the majority of our practice members but, we still need your help. So please help us by passing this on to 5 of your friends or family members.

If it has been over six months since you have been in, take this chance to include a compete reevaluation in addition to your adjustment visit on us.

Help us put a smile on hundreds more kids this Christmas season with your toy donation.


So again you have a few ways to help us here.

1. Click the following Request an Appointment Now Link ( http://roadtovitality.com/register.html?request_appointment=1 ) with Ann for this wonderful event and have fun shopping for a child's gift.

2. Forward this to card to your address book...what a difference you could make this Christmas Season.

3. Think about and pray for us as we try to literally impact 1000 kiddos this year.


Thank you for helping us with our vision of creating a healthier world and putting more smiles on the children in the Denver community.

Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas!

In Health Always,

Dr. Rob

P.S. Here is a picture of the total collections from last year. Absolutely awesome!!!! Thank You!

DARK CHOCOLATE MAY LOWER EMOTIONAL STRESS
 
Why do some people crave chocolate when they are feeling overwhelmed? There is scientific evidence that dark chocolate may lower emotional stress, according to a study published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Proteome Research.
 
Specifically, researchers found that eating 40 grams (1.4 ounces) of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in people who reported being highly stressed. Eating dark chocolate also partially corrected other stress-related biochemical imbalances.
 
Journal of Proteome Research – October 7;Epub.
pubs.acs.org/journal/jprobs

This is a nice little research study confirming some good advice.  In additon to chocolate, we could also benefit from Pantothenic Acid for stress levels and good old chiropractic care.   Obviously if our system is stressed it doesn't function as well.  Especially during the holidays remember three things:  

Dark Chocolate...in moderation

Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic Acid

Spine Optimization

Your Youth & Vitality Health Mentor, Dr. Rob Anderson from Vitality Chiropractic of Highlands Ranch.   

Correct Head Posture Position Makes for a Healthy Neck and Back

 Have you ever seen an older person who seems to carry his head way out in front of his upper torso? If you look at him from the side, the head may appear to be 2 inches or more in front of his body. You may even see a pro­nounced hump where the back of his neck meets the top of the shoulders. This is known as forward head posture (FHP) and hyperkyphotic posture. (Kyphotic means hunchback.)

In the case of this older person, it is likely that this condition began to develop many years before. For whatever reason, maybe simply due to bad posture, the person’s head began to move forward from the perfect balance posi­tion directly in the center of the shoulders. Somewhere along the way, any number of problems can begin to de­velop as a result. For every inch forward from center the head moves, it adds an additional 10 pounds of weight that must be dealt with by the muscles of the upper back and the neck. These muscles now must work harder to keep the head and the chin from dropping forward on the person’s chest. Consequently, these muscles must remain in constant contrac­tion which puts additional pressure on the nerves at the back of the neck. The result can be the development of headaches at the base of the skull. For some, these can even mimic a sinus headache. A chiropractor is the person to see in order to get this condition corrected. It is important to do this long before a person gets into their later years and the condition becomes difficult to deal with.

A chiropractor will assess and deal with any subluxations (minor dislocations of the vertebrae) in the area. Additionally, work will be done to re­invigorate muscles the body uses to retract the head. A new patient visiting a chiropractor may have a 2 inch forward (anterior) head placement. This forward head posture may or may not be very noticeable to the patient. This person probably has gotten rather accustomed to carrying the equivalent of a 20 pound watermelon around his neck. If this FHP is not handled in a series of visits to a chiropractor, the patient’s condition will continue to decline over the years. One study points out how important it is to get this condition handled before old-age sets in. The Rancho Bernard Study was done with 1,353 participants who suffered from osteoporosis. The amount of FHP was measured in each participant. First off, it was noted that a higher percentage of men than women suffered from the condition. Of them, 44 percent of the men and only 22 percent of the women had FHP. It was also noted during the study that persons with FHP had a 1.44 times greater rate of mortality than those who did not suffer from this condition. A person who suffers from frequent headaches, back of neck pain or tightness in the upper back area would be wise to have their posture checked to see where they carry their head in relation to their torso. If it seems like an FHP condition might exist, a trip to a chiropractor’s office would be a wise decision. A chiropractor can put the pa­tient on the road to better posture, pain free living, and in the case of FHP, possibly a longer life.

Source: Chiro.org. “What is Forward Head Posture?” http://www.chiro.org/LINKS/Forward_Head_Posture.shtml and “Hyperkyphotic Posture Predicts Mortality in Older Community-dwelling Men and Woman: A Prospective Study.” October 2004. http://www.chiro.org/LINKS/ABSTRACTS/Hyperkyphotic_Posture_Predicts_Mortality.shtml

Swine Flu H1N1 Reality

Swine Flu Shots Available Here

NOT ON YOUR LIFE!

Did you know that you can get microblogs of Dr. Rob every day on Twitter?  You can check and see instant testimonials from his practice members, learn the newest health research, get coupons for his office and even be empowered to live healthier.  Go for it!  You'll be glad you did. 

Your Youth & Vitality Health Mentor,   Dr. Rob 

President of Vitality Chiropractic of Highlands Ranch and Littleton. 

“What are your expectations for me as your chiropractor?”

This is a question I always ask to determine exactly how a new practice member wants to be cared for. This is where I get to just sit and listen to how a person is made up.

What drives him or her?

How much they want to be active in the health partnership?

Do they want a quick patch job?

How important their body is to them.

I even get to hear about what they believe their potential for life is.

It is a pretty cool time to put aside my paradigm for health and hear what someone else’s is. Make no bones about it though, regardless of what the answer is, my job is to find out what has caused the lose the health and how to help get it back completely. At the very minimum my job is to Inform him or her exactly how to get it back and let he or she decide.

If your doctor asked you this question, what would you say?

Your RoadToVitality.com Health Mentor,

Dr. Rob Anderson of Vitality Chiropractic of Highlands Ranch and Littleton.   Be sure to register for our award winning newsletter to the right of the blog. 

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Get Fit...100 Pushups In A Day...You Can Do It!

Can you do 100 Pushups in a single setting?  The vast majority of us right now are thinking, "Ya, right.  Are you kidding?"

Can you do 50?  How about 2?  Even if you cannot do a single pushup, you could be on your way to being able to do 100 in no time at all.  No, this is not a gimmick.  No, I am not trying to sell anything. (Though you would be stronger if you had your spine in alignment.) And No, you don't have to look like Mr. Olympia to be able to do it.

I was introduced to this free site by a good friend of mine Sarah Stanley, who by the way is training to run in a 100 mile race.  Not drive, Not ride, R U N.  You can check out her journey by clicking here.

Once I viewed the 100 pushups in a day program, I got excited to pass it on to you all.  Check it out and pass it on to your friends and family.  Be sure to post your progress here for all to see.  Just an FYI I will be doing the 100 Pushup challenge also adding in a completion time of 100 seconds.  Have fun getting fit.

Your RoadToVitality.com Health Mentor, Dr. Rob Anderson of Vitality Chiropractic of Highlands Ranch and Littleton.   Be sure to register for our award winning newsletter to the right of the blog. 

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