Chia seeds–The ‘It’ Food of 2013

April 22, 2013 by

(From ABC News)

chia-seeds-photo-1024x768An ancient seed is finally having its day in the sun.

Actually, its second day in the sun. The first time around was as the key ingredient in the gag gift known as “the pottery that grows.” Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!

2013 is undoubtedly the year of the chia seed among the health conscious. For a while it was flax seed. And 2012 could easily have been named “the year of kale.” But this year, experts agree, belongs to chia.

“Chia seeds have been in Whole Foods for a long time, but they’re just now starting to grow in popularity,” said Drew Rosen, nutrition and cooking teacher at New York City’s Whole Foods Market Tribeca. “It’s an ancient crop, but because the seeds are so flexible and high in omega threes, they are just blossoming all over the markets in all different types of products.”

Indeed. There are chia seeds, ground chia seeds, chia bars, chia snacks, chia drinks. The drink aisle alone housed four different brands of chia-seed drinks.

All these products are in response to high demand. People are looking for chia in all its forms, Rosen said. “It runs the gamut, some people look for the seeds, some for the products. People want to make it easy for themselves.”

“Easy” could be precisely what makes chia such a hit in health food circles. While it can be made into pudding, or used as an egg substitute for the vegan crowd, the same benefits can be found simply by sprinkling a teaspoon into your yogurt, oatmeal or smoothie. Some people simply add it to their water.

Unlike flax seed, chia seeds don’t have to be ground and they don’t go rancid the way flax does. “Chia seeds are going to absolutely replace flax seeds,” said Rosen. “They’re the absolute best source of omega three fats on the market, hands down, when you consider the ratio of omega three to omega six.”

But he cautioned, “You should only eat a small amount, maximum one ounce a day.”

That’s because chia is very high in fiber, which in large quantities can cause stomach upset.

Licensed nutritionist Lisa Goldberg, who runs a company called Health Coach, which delivers healthy lunches, agrees that a little chia goes a long way. Including, she said, benefits for those trying to lose a few pounds.

“It’s a high source of fiber,” she said. “Chia will keep you fuller longer and prevent you from overeating. You have that feeling of fullness in your stomach because when you wet chia seeds, they form a gelatinous substance that takes longer to digest.

“You’ll overeat less and tend to snack less. If you eat chia before a meal, you’ll eat less at the next meal. It packs a nutritional punch without adding a lot of food to your diet.”

And while the drinks in particular are convenient and filling, Goldberg does not recommend them as a meal replacement. “There’s not enough nutrients and calories. What I would say is, it’s a great addition.”

 

Dr. Jeffrey Manning, DC

Manning Wellness Clinic

2702 McKinney Avenue, suite 202

Dallas, TX 75204

214-720-2225

www.manningwellness.com

Request an Appointment

Filed Under: children and health, diet, health and wellness Tagged With: , , , , , ,

TOP 10 USES FOR VINEGAR

April 15, 2013 by

TOP 10 USES FOR VINEGAR

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Vinegar is an inexpensive, healthy way to clean and disinfect your home.

Cleaning drains: Pour 1/2 cup baking soda in the drain, followed by 1/2 cup vinegar; the mixture will foam as it cleans and deodorizes. Use every few weeks to keep drains clean.

Mildew on plastic shower curtains: Put the shower curtain in the washing machine with light-colored towels; add 1 cup white vinegar to the detergent and wash.

Soap scum on shower: Spray on vinegar, scrub and rinse.

Toilet hard-water rings: Shut off water at the tank and flush to remove as much water as possible. Spray vinegar on the ring, sprinkle in borax and scrub with drywall sandpaper.

Shower head deposits: Pour white vinegar into a plastic bag, tape to the shower head and leave overnight. Brush the shower head to remove remaining deposits.

Softening laundry: Fill dispenser with 1/4 cup white vinegar to soften laundry without leaving odors.

Cleaning vinyl floors: Add 1/4 cup vinegar to 1 gallon hot water for spotless floors.

Cleaning windows: Mix 50 percent white vinegar with 50 percent water in a spray bottle. Spray glass surfaces and wipe dry.

Neutralize pet odors: Mix 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water. Pour on stained areas and blot; never rub to remove stains and odors.

Greasy dishes: Mix 2 tablespoons white vinegar to liquid dish soap to boost its cleaning power.

If you have any other ways you use vinegar, please let us know in the comments section! The more the better!

 

Dr. Jeffrey Manning, DC

Manning Wellness Clinic

2702 McKinney Avenue, suite 202

Dallas, TX 75204

214-720-2225

www.manningwellness.com

Request an Appointment

Filed Under: allergies, alternative care, children and health, Dallas Chiropractic, green living, health and wellness, natural cleaning, non-toxic producs, sinus problems Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Tech-Neck: Expert Offers Tips for Reducing and Avoiding Pain and Injury

October 10, 2012 by

Dr. Jeff Manning, a leading expert on a new technology-related discomfort called ‘tech-neck’, is featured in an interview on WFAA-TV in Dallas.

Click to watch:  Tech-neck is a growing problem, but Chiropractic can help

Tips from Dr. Jeff Manning, Manning Wellness Clinic; How to Reduce or Prevent Handheld Device Related Pain:

 

  • Limit the amount of time and frequency that you use your device. If you have to use it for an extended period of time, take breaks. Rule of thumb: Take a 5-minute break for every 15 minutes you use your device, and don’t type for more than 3 minutes straight.  Get up and walk around to stretch your muscles. One simple exercise is to tilt your head to one side (ear to shoulder) then to the other side, back to neutral, turn to look all the way to the right, then left.  Back to neutral, then lean head back and back to neutral.  Do all without raising shoulders. Don’t stretch forward…this only accentuates the poor posture your trying to avoid. Do it slowly, without straining. Repeat.

 

  • Be aware of your posture.  Pay attention to how you hold your device. Try to keep your wrists straight and upright. Loosen your grip when possible.  Alternate the fingers you use to type; if you most often use your thumbs, try to switch to your index finger as it allows you to keep the hands more relaxed.

 

  • Use a tablet holder: There are many on the market, but all have the common goal of securing the tablet at a height that is designed to reduce your need to keep your head bent down and forward. Keeping your device at eye-level will help to reduce neck pain and possible damage. It can also prevent what is know as “text-neck” or head-forward posture.
  • Listen to your body: If you are experiencing pain in your neck, back, shoulders, hand…or eye-strain, pay attention. Those aches and pains have a source, and in this case, it may be technology.  Overuse of handheld devices can also exacerbate an existing or old injury so be aware of what you are feeling. Don’t’ fall into the trap of, ‘If I ignore it, maybe it will go away’.
  • Seek help: If you are experiencing discomfort, don’t wait, seek professional help.

 

 

Dr. Jeffrey Manning, DC

Manning Wellness Clinic

2702 McKinney Avenue, suite 202

Dallas, TX 75204

214-720-2225

www.manningwellness.com

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: back pain, Dallas Chiropractic, neck pain, tech-neck Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Stress: No Two Chiropractic Patients are ever the Same

May 21, 2012 by

 

Think about you feel when you’re stressed: Are you in pain? Do your muscles tighten? Do you eat more or less? Is your stomach in knots? Are you short of breath? Are you forgetful? Sad? Though our symptoms differ, one thing remains the same: Our bodies feel the impact of stress and one way or another, our bodies will tell us they need help. Without help, the stress, not unlike black mold, will invade our systems. It is well documented that high levels of stress can contribute to heart disease, cancer, headaches, ulcers, digestive disturbances, backaches and nearly every other condition known to mankind.

Stress is a nervous system reaction that causes your heart to beat faster, your muscles to be tense, your stomach to tighten, and your hair follicles to stand up, all as a way to prepare your body for an emergency. When you interpret a situation as stressful, whether it truly is or not, your brain triggers this reaction by sending a signal over your spinal cord and nervous system to every cell of your body.

Where your body breaks down from stress may depend on whether or not you have a condition known as vertebral subluxation. A vertebral subluxation is a spinal injury that interferes with the normal function of your nervous system which can affect your health on every level whether you have symptoms or not. If you have this in your spine, your body is already pre-stressed.

Some people deal with stress through deep breathing, meditation, exercise and healthy food choices–all very good things to do as part of your lifestyle to counter-balance stress, but if your nervous system is pre-stressed, the slightest deviation from the perfect stress management plan can send you into a frustrating, uncomfortable, or painful tailspin. Removing this pre-stress causing subluxation can improve your resistance to daily stressors dramatically.

Research shows that it only takes the weight of a dime to reduce nerve transmission. Additional research has found that nerve compression can exist without pain and can cause deterioration within two weeks.

In this pre-stressed condition, your body becomes more vulnerable to outside stresses while other people may be much more resistant. The location of the subluxation can determine what types of symptoms, if any, you experience. For example, someone with nerve interference in the upper part of the neck might feel headaches, have allergies, or a stiff neck. Because the nerves fibers that come out of the upper neck also go to the entire body, pressure here can literally cause or mimic nearly every symptom or disease you can name.

Interference to the nerve supply in the lower back can cause a backache, leg problems and also affect ovary, prostate, bladder or bowel function. Interference to the nerves in the middle of your back can affect your heart and lungs or cause tension, stomach problems, digestive disturbances and discomfort.

“I have adjusted patients who have come in for lower-back pain, but then reported to me that they were able to sleep better…or no longer felt numbness in their fingers…or in a recent case, my female patient reported that her menstrual cycle seemed to be ‘kick-started’ after being adjusted,” reports Dr. Jeff Manning, DC, of the Manning Wellness Clinic in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Manning adds, “Although that patient was shocked, I wasn’t; I know that removing interference within the body can have incredible, widespread results in fertility and health overall.”

The scary part is that like most serious conditions, vertebral subluxations can cause stress for decades without any symptoms. This is when serious problems occur, many of which could have been avoided by eliminating this pre-stressed condition right away. The birth process, childhood falls, sports injuries and poor lifestyle habits are just a few causes of subluxations. Rather than getting to the cause and removing this underlying problem, many people attempt to chase their symptoms away with drugs, or another type of quick fix, and then wonder why their condition returns. Removing the cause and optimizing the function of your nervous system is a better immediate and long-term plan.

Regardless or your symptoms, a chiropractic examination can locate pre-stressed areas in your spine that may be affecting your health on every level.

Crisis care–only receiving care when you are hurt–is one way to deal with stress, but a much better option is to remove the subluxation and stress from your body and keep it as a part of your lifestyle. This will help you to reduce stress, increase activity and happiness, live more, and enjoy the quality of life you deserve.

 

(Excerpts from TFP, Inc and www.100yearlifestyle.com.)

Filed Under: Dallas Chiropractic Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Staying Healthy with Chiropractic: All Germs are Not Created Equal

April 20, 2012 by

We’ve been taught by our mothers, and our mothers by their mothers, and so on, and so on, and so on: Wash your hands! But I remember, and it wasn’t too, too long ago, when as a kid, straight from the playground, dirt under the nails, I’d eat my lunch. We didn’t use hand sanitizers at every turn, and we seemed to do just fine. I’m not saying hand washing is not important–it is–but there can be a limit and we have to keep in mind that our bodies, when healthy, can put up quite a fight. The following article from Parenting really says it all:

 

It’s understandable that parents want to keep their children’s environments clean, especially when kids are young. Moms wash bottles in hot water, clean pacifiers that fall on the ground, and take dirty things out of their kids’ mouths. But overall, when it comes to germs, most people have it backward: With relatively few exceptions, they are good for our kids. Keeping things clean is smart, but going crazy using antibacterial hand soaps, buying antibacterial kids’ toys and other products, and overusing antibiotic medications is actually killing off the microbes that can help strengthen the immune system. Antibacterial products may help to reduce some infections, but they also promote the growth of drug-resistant organisms and weaken the good bacteria within us. Rather than focus on killing germs, we need to think about how to encourage their growth.

Supporting the “right” bacteria can have a huge health payoff for your kids: fewer ear infections, tummy aches, episodes of diarrhea, urinary-tract infections, and food allergies. It can even help kids fight off coughs, colds, and fevers. Here’s how to ensure your kids have enough of the good stuff:

Feed your kids right. Give them foods that naturally contain helpful organisms. These include yogurt, pickles, dark chocolate, and feta cheese. In some cases , it may be useful to give a probiotic supplement (available at most pharmacies and health-food stores) containing beneficial live bacteria. All of these foods and supplements are fine to give kids starting at around 6 months. There are other foods to include in their diet that don’t actually contain good germs but help to nurture them: garlic, onions, asparagus, whole oats, whole wheat, honey (for children over age 1), and bananas.

Make safe and smart choices. Keep your kids away from cigarette smoke; exposure can kill off favorable bacteria. As for antibiotic drugs, don’t insist that your pediatrician prescribe them when he says they’re not necessary. These drugs eliminate both good and bad bacteria. If your kids do have to take antibiotics, make sure they get probiotics, too, to restore the body’s supply of good bacteria.

Keeping the body’s bacteria in balance doesn’t take a lot of effort, but it can have big benefits. Starting these habits young can help keep kids healthy for life.

Filed Under: Dallas Chiropractic Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,