Recipe: Easy Flavored Water

Recipe:

Easy Flavored Water

Water is absolutely essential to our health. One of my first questions to patients is asking how much water they drink a day. Once we take out all of the coffee, juices, soda, and energy/ sport waters, it is astounding how many people drink less than 2 glasses of water a day! Most of these people are so dehydrated that they have even completely lost their thirst reflex (the craving for water when the body is low).

When I ask why......WHY AREN'T YOU DRINKING MORE OF THIS PRECIOUS LIFE AND HEALTH SUSTAINING FLUID.......the common answer from patients is that they don't like it all that much. I love water, and it's been a hard concept to wrap my head around, but there are people out there who either do not like the taste or find it bland.

If you are one of those people, or you just want to spice up your water life, than this recipe is for you!

I want everyone to understand just how easy it is to make flavored water. I have brought different flavors to parties and people always want to know how it was made. It's this simple.

Take a cup of anything (although I normally suggest fruit or cucumbers.....but hey, go wild), cut it up, put it in a pitcher of water and let it sit for an hour. That's it! You have just made flavored water! Now you have a drink that is good for you, not full of sugars and additives, but doesn't taste like just water!

For some of you less creative or experimental ones out there, my three favorite "recipes" are below.

1) Cucumber Water

-Cut up a cup of cucumbers into circles (like the kind you put over your eyes) and throw it in the water.

2) Fruit Splash

-Cut up a 1/3 of a cup of strawberries, a 1/3 of a cup of blueberries, and a 1/3 of a cup of pineapple and throw it in the water.

3) Ginger Water

-Cut up a 1/3 cup of fresh ginger, and you guessed it, throw it in the water. Careful! Ginger can be potent. This is a change from the cup of anything rule. Lemon can also be added to this one for a nice variation.

Simple, easy, delicious! If you have other great water recipes, I'd love to hear from you!

yours in health,

dr Samantha boldt

Leg Day

Thursday Humor

The Day After Leg Day

Why I Walk Backwards..... And Why You Should Too!

Why I Walk Backwards.....

And Why You Should Too!

Every time I go to the gym, I spend at least 5 minutes walking backwards on the treadmill. It's not a common sight, (and every once in a while I get a strange look) but it should be! Walking backwards is GREAT for the body!

     As a chiropractor, one of the biggest complaints I get from patients is that they are suffering from low back pain. It seems like everyone deals with it at some point in their lifetime. Our current lifestyle of sitting for hours every day only to add in set periods of "exercise" is not conducive to the health of our muscles and joints. However, this lifestyle is also inescapable for many of us. So we must ask the right questions. What is happening to our body when we sit for long periods of times that is causing pain? And, is there a quicker and easier fix than quitting the 9 to 5 and taking up a job as an outdoor enthusiast? 

   

1. What happens to our bodies when we sit for 

long periods of time?

    Sitting for long periods of times with no reprieve is bad for us. Period. We have studies showing the negative effects that sitting too long has on our brain, our mood, our organs, and even our digestion. But what exactly does it do to our muscles and joints to be the culprit of such widespread back pain? 

    First off, many of us sit slightly on our tailbone (or completely on our tailbone for some of you slouchers!) rather than sitting straight up on the bony part of our butt like we're supposed to. We lose that nice little arch (lordosis) in the low back, tilt the pelvis backwards, and now our hamstrings are in a constant state of contraction. When the hamstrings lose their flexibility, we are no longer able to tilt the pelvis forward. This then causes an increase in low back muscle and ligament tension, and you guessed it, pain. (1)

2. So is there an easy fix?

     I never like to say anything is easy, but if you have five minutes a day, you can start retraining all of those muscles in your lower back and legs to activate properly and become nice and healthy. All you have to do is walk backwards. 

     While walking backwards, hip extension and knee extension are greater than in forward walking. Greater hip extension opens up the spine and decreases the compressive forces on the spinal discs. Greater knee extension allows more range for the hamstring, increasing it's flexibility, and allowing the pelvis to tilt forward. Again, this forward pelvis tilt decreases compressive forces to the spinal discs. (2)

     Walking backwards is also easier on the joints of our lower body. Many people with low back pain tend to have issues in their hips, knees, or ankles as well. When we walk forward, we use a very heavy heel strike (the moment your heel touches the ground first). This puts a lot of stress on these joints and too much walking can be quite painful for people with arthritis of the hips, knees, and ankles. (3) While walking is normally seen as a good rehabilitation exercise, many overweight or arthritic individuals are unable to benefit from it due to too much stress on their joints. Walking backwards relieves some of this stress and can be a good way for people with pain in their joints to increase or keep the muscle strength in their legs.

Bottom line!

     Numerous studies have found that no matter who you are, walking backwards is beneficial to your body! It stretches out your hamstrings, reduces pressure on joints, has a greater cardiovascular benefit, activates your core muscles, and helps to train new neuronal pathways in your brain - keeping it healthier. Move forward with your health goals by walking backwards today!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

1) Phalen GS and Dickson JA. Spondylolisthesis and tight hamstrings. J Bone Joint Surg Am 43:505-512, 1961.

2) Journal of Exercise Physiology April 2011, Volume 14, Number 2.

3) Nor AM, Lyn KS. Effects of passive joint mobilization on patients with knee osteoarthritis. Sains Malays.2011;40:1461–5.

Which two exercises should you avoid if you have low back pain?

Tuesday Trivia!

Which two exercises should you avoid if you have low back pain?

A. The Superman

B. Bird-Dog

C. Roman Chair Extension

D. Side Bridge

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The answer is A and C! Both the superman exercise and the roman chair exercise put a lot of force on the low back discs. If they are already not happy, these two moves will only aggravate them further. Low back forces should be kept below 3300 Newtons to avoid compressing the vertebral disc and bones of the vertebrae. This may not be something you feel immediately, but overtime, these compressive forces add up. 

Here is a list of common exercises and the 

compression load they cause:

Sit-Up (bent knee)       3,300 N

Sit-Up (straight leg)     3,506 N

Curl-Up feet anchored     2,009 N

Curl-Up feet free     1,991 N

Quarter Sit-Up     2,932 N

Bent Leg Raise     1,767 N

Isometric Side Bridge     2,585 N

Roman Chair Extension     4,000 N

Back Extension (arms and legs)     6,000 N

Bird-Dog      2,000 N

McGill S, Low Back Disorders: Evidence Based Prevention and Rehabilitation. 

Human Kinetics. 2002.

The bolded exercises exceed the force limits we should be placing on our spinal vertebrae and discs. The bird-dog exercise, pictured above, is actually one of the best exercises you can be doing to help train your back and core muscles and relieve low back pain!

Take a break from technology! This week's goal.....enjoy some silence.

Take a break from technology!

This week's goal.....enjoy some silence.

Today’s world is filled with technology; computers, phones, portable games, etc. Our brains no longer get to experience the peace and quiet they sometimes need. Your goal this week is to take a 5 minute break in the middle of the day, find a quiet place to go sit, and just relax without thinking of anything else (AND NO TECHNOLOGY). Hard, isn’t it? We are so used to constantly being stimulated that it is hard for our brains to unwind. However, this relaxation time promotes healing throughout the body, allows time for messengers in the brain to regroup, solidifies memories, and allows for higher energy and productivity! So go take a break, and if your boss asks, just tell them it’s doctor’s orders!

Saturday Supplements - Formula 303 (Dee Cee Labs)

Saturday Supplements:

Formula 303 (Dee Cee Labs)

I don't normally have such strong feelings about supplements, but if you don't have this yet, get it! I have used this with patients for years now with phenomenal effects.

So what is it used for?

-Muscle Spasms

-Tension

-Stress

What can it be used for?

-All of the above

-Menstrual Cramps

-Headaches

-Inflammation

-Constipation

-Anxiety

-Soreness/Achiness

The only ingredients are magnesium, passion flower, and valerian root, but they are the perfect ingredients in the perfect ratios to relieve a multitude of issues. As a chiropractor, I recommend this as a substitute for aspirin, or in conjunction with the aspirin, but at least the aspirin can be taken in smaller doses. Formula 303 has no bad side effects on the digestive tract or liver. In fact, the magnesium in it can be very helpful for people suffering from constipation!

One of the other big areas I always recommend Formula 303 for is menstrual cramps. Two tabs every 4-6 hours greatly diminishes the pain some women suffer from during this time.

Where can you get it?

It's all over the internet, especially Amazon. It is not very hard to find. That being said, if you know a doctor that sells it, chances are it will be much less expensive!

Dr. Sam's rating:

Excellent! 

Scale: Excellent, Great, Good, Fair, Bad, Abysmal

Friday Recipe - Zucchini Noodles! (I know, I know.....we're on a noodle kick right now.)

Friday Recipe - Zucchini Noodles! 

(I know, I know.....we're on a noodle kick right now.)

Last week we talked about how to make spaghetti squash into noodles. Well, this week it's zucchini, and it's just as delicious. Why are we doing so many vegetable noodles? Because they're delicious and healthy and even kids will eat them! Plus, if you have a healthy base, it's easy to continuously make new recipes by throwing different ingredients in.

How to "noodle" zucchini.

What you will need:

- A zucchini

-A zucchini noodle maker, I use Vegetti, but there are others out there.

(If you can noodle zucchini with just a knife, please send me a video, because I would love to see that skill in action.)

1) Optional. You can either leave the skin or peel the zucchini like you would a potato. The outside can be a little tougher (however it's zucchini, so not much), but it also has nutrients that you are cutting out if you take it off. 

2)  Insert zucchini into the noodle maker and rotate.

Tada! You have noodles! And it only took a few minutes!

4) Steam the zucchini noodles for 5-10 minutes depending on how soft or firm you like your noodles. You can use a vegetable steamer, as pictured below, or you can always just put some water in pot and heat the noodles straight in the water. Warning: they do get soggier that way. 

(I know those aren't zucchini noodles.)

3) Add the zucchini and other ingredients into the pan and stir fry for 5 minutes on medium heat.

I normally add in a protein, like chicken, and some extra cooked vegetables, but be creative! Finally, finish with a sauce. Different oils, pasta sauce, or teriyaki/tamari sauce are all good options.

Enjoy!