FALL 2019 NEWSLETTER

CONTENTS

1..…Chiropractic 101

2…..Health Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle

3…..Chiropractic Care for Back Pain Tied to Lower Odds of Opioid Use

4…..Participaction Report Card Gives Canadian Adults an “F” for Physical Activity

5…..Increase Health Benefits of Exercise by Working Out Before Breakfast

6.….Seven Ways to do Intermittent Fasting

7.…Website http://www.bridlewoodchiropractic.ca & Clinic Hours and Services

 

CHIROPRACTIC 101 – by Dr. Rick Lee

The biggest news is that since our last newsletter, we received a notice that our clinic had to move after 30 years (with an 8-month hiatus to Consumers Road) in the mall. We have moved across the street to 3420 Finch Avenue, Suite 406. A little harried with the process, however we opened Monday September 30^th in the new location with a few unpacked boxes and some purging still to come. Many of our clients are enjoying the look of the new place with windows in the reception area and in each treatment room. There is access to parking in the back of the building from either Warden or Finch Avenue. There is also an entrance from the back leading to stairs (3 flights) or continue left to the elevator. We look forward to seeing you here at our new location!

Some of you may have heard that I spoke in Mississauga on September 17^th at the Convention Centre about Nutrition and Detoxification. I had the privilege of sharing the stage with Dr. Ara Suppiah, MD (PGA Tour Doctor, Sports Medicine Physician), who teaches that the absence of disease doesn’t necessarily equal health. He had practical advice on everything from the damning effects of cortisol imbalance and how food labels con you, to how to sleep yourself slimmer and how to eat, move, and recover toward your best health. He preached Functional Medicine (which you will understand below) and here is a link for his website: https://draraoncall.com

One of his anecdotes was about the time he stayed with an African tribe for 5 days. He wanted to learn how they lived to help with their longevity. On one of the days, they said that they were going hunting the next day. So they were up early and began to walk/jog which continued for 9 miles until they found what they were looking for….a boar. He was immediately given a large rock, to which he admitted he never felt so emasculated in his life because he knew he didn’t what to do with it, let alone use it to kill a boar! Thankfully the boar did not come his way, but the next part was just as trying. They portioned up the boar and he was given a 30-pound leg to carry back to the village. During their trek, he kept changing positions trying to find ways of carrying this leg over his body. Meanwhile the chief just slung it over himself and began moving with the grace of a man who had clearly practised this hundreds of times.

After getting back to the village, through a translator, Dr. Suppiah asked the chief what he did specifically for exercise to which the chief laughed and did not understand what he meant by “exercise”. This was just how they lived and that in itself WAS their exercise. When Dr. Ara began to explain what exercise was in North America, the chief just laughed again and thought that was ridiculous!

Here are Dr. Ara’s 5 maxims for Healthy Aging and better performance:

🏃Cardio “We need endurance, speed, strength which converts to power for athletes, agility”

🥗 Fuel – “Don’t cut calories” – however the type & quality of those calories are vital.

💧 Hydrate – “If you are 2% dehydrated, you lose 10% of your physical performance”

🛌 Recover – “It’s where improvement happens. 50% of Usain Bolt’s training is sleep to recover.”

🛠️ Repair – “Adaptogens!”

His final words were, “We need to move to age better!” Sooooo true! 👍

 

HEALTH RISKS OF A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE – online from Lifespanfitness.com (April/17)

What is a Sedentary Lifestyle?

First, you may be wondering what we are referring to when we mention a sedentary lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle is defined as a type of lifestyle where an individual does not receive regular amounts of physical activity. Where physical inactivity is considered the failure to meet the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), stating that an individual should participate in a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes of a more vigorous regimen. Most health professionals are also in agreement that walking 10,000 steps a day (approximately 5 miles) is the ideal goal to set for improving health and reducing the health risks caused by inactivity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60 to 85% of the population worldwide does not engage in enough activity. Making physical inactivity the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality.

Traditional thought suggests that having a healthy diet and getting aerobic exercise will offset the effects of time spent being sedentary. Even if you exercise for 30 minutes a day, you may not be able to counteract the effects brought on by a lack of activity throughout the rest of your day. Rather, the solution seems to be less sitting and more moving overall, says Levine. Again, we suggest aiming for 10,000 steps a day.

Sedentary Lifestyle Health Effects

In 2005, James A. Levine, an obesity specialist at Mayo Clinic, pioneered the way for research on the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle by publishing an article in Science Magazine. Levine’s conclusion was that ANY extended sitting – such as behind a desk at work or behind a wheel – can be harmful. Levine has even gone as far as labeling sitting as the disease of our time. Now I’m sure it’s no surprise that sitting behind a desk, commuting or relaxing on the couch for too many hours a day can be harmful to your health, but what you may find surprising is the extent of havoc it is causing on your body. According to an article posted by John Hopkins Medicine, physical inactivity has been shown to contribute to the following health conditions:

• Physical inactivity may increase the risks of certain cancers.
• Physical inactivity may contribute to anxiety and depression.
• Physical inactivity has been shown to be a risk factor for certain cardiovascular diseases.
• People who engage in more physical activity are less likely to develop coronary heart disease.
• People who are more active are less likely to be overweight or obese.
• Sitting too much may cause a decrease in skeletal muscle mass.
• Physical inactivity is linked to high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels.

Worldwide, it is estimated that a sedentary lifestyle is responsible for 6% of coronary heart disease cases, 7% of type 2 diabetes, 10% of breast cancer and 10% of colon cancer cases. In fact, it was recently reported that inactivity is responsible for more annual deaths than smoking.

Sedentary Jobs

So why is it that we are more sedentary now than we were just 50 years ago? The main contributing factor to our increased sedentary lifestyles is technology. Technology has brought about more inactive modes of transit, caused an increase in sedentary desk jobs and has developed more activities that can be done while sitting (i.e. watching TV, surfing the web, playing video games). Overall, sedentary jobs have increased 83% since 1950 and physically active jobs now make up only about 25% of our workforce, which is 50% less than in 1950. Additionally, our average work week is longer. Americans now work 47 hours a week–164 more hours a year than 20 years ago.

The good news is that this doesn’t have to be your fate. Though the general workplace movement is heading toward a more sedentary setting as machines continue to replace jobs in which require more activity, you don’t have to. The easiest way to increase activity levels is doing so at the workplace, a place in which the average individual spends up to eight or more hours sitting.

Simply by swapping out your chair for a treadmill desk or bike desk a few hours a day, you can significantly reduce the effects caused by inactivity. Within two weeks, people basically get addicted to walking and working, says Levine. You just have to give them the chance.

 

CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR BACK PAIN TIED TO LOWER ODDS OF OPIOID USE – by Lisa Rapaport, Oct/19

(Reuters Health) – People with chronic back and neck pain who receive chiropractic care may be less likely to use opioid painkillers, a research review suggests. Researchers examined data from six previously-published smaller studies with a total of more than 62,000 participants with spinal pain. Across all of the studies, 11% to 51% of the patients used chiropractic care. People who saw a chiropractor were 64% less likely to use opioids than people who didn’t, researchers report in the journal Pain Medicine.

 “Patients with spinal pain who visit a chiropractor may receive treatments such as spinal manipulation, massage, acupuncture, exercises and education as appropriate,” said lead author Kelsey Corcoran of Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. “These therapies may lead to decreased pain, improved range of motion and increased function,” Corcoran said by email. “If a patient’s pain is well controlled by the treatment they received from a chiropractor, they may subsequently need less pain medications or even none at all.”

Chiropractors don’t prescribe opioids. However, all of the studies in the analysis examined whether receipt of chiropractic care was associated with whether patients also received opioid prescriptions from other clinicians. It’s not clear from this analysis whether people already using opioids to manage pain might be able to cut back or eliminate opioid use after getting chiropractic care.

In four of the six studies, chiropractors were either the first provider patients saw or part of the initial treatment plan for back or neck pain. One limitation of the review is that the included studies didn’t specify what exact type of chiropractic care patients received or the severity or frequency of pain symptoms. “Patients visiting chiropractors are likely to be different than those visiting MDs in terms of their pain complexity,” said Dan Cherkin, an emeritus senior scientific investigator at Kaiser Permanente Health Research Institute in Seattle, Washington. “In general, I think that patients wishing to avoid Rx (especially opioid) would do well to seek care from providers who can provide potentially helpful alternatives to opioid treatments – this could include chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, pain psychologists, yoga instructors, and mindfulness-based stress reduction classes, etc.,” Cherkin, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. The challenge is that some of these options aren’t always available or covered by insurance, Cherkin added.

Still, organizations such as the Veterans Health Administration and the American College of Physicians currently recommend that patients try conservative treatments commonly delivered by Doctors of Chiropractic instead of opioids, said Christine Goertz, a researcher at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, who wasn’t involved in the study. “The current study indicates that patients who follow these recommendations are, in fact, less likely to receive an opioid prescription,” Goertz said by email.

“Treatments provided by a Doctor of Chiropractic, such as spinal manipulation, may decrease pain from muscle strain, inflammation and spasm in the back muscles and/or impact the way that the body perceives pain through either the brain or the spinal cord,” Goertz added. “Patients who find effective ways to treat their pain, such as chiropractic care, may be less likely to turn to opioids.”

SOURCE: Pain Medicine, online September 27, 2019.

 

PARTICIPACTION REPORT CARD GIVES CANADIAN ADULTS AN “F” FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY – by Cassandra Szklarski, THE CANADIAN PRESS, Oct/19

It’s not just kids who get too much screen time and too little physical activity – adults are falling short, too.

That’s according to the first-ever report card for adults from Participaction, a non-profit group that promotes healthy living and typically ranks children’s fitness levels. The new report gives Canadians over the age of 18 a D for overall physical activity, finding most spend far too much time sitting and not enough time getting heart-pumping exercise.

Adults get an F when it comes to moderate-to-vigorous activity, with the report finding just 16 per cent of adults get the recommended 150 minutes each week.

Participaction scientist Dr. Leigh Vanderloo acknowledges many Canadians are busy with work and family obligations, but she urges people to find pockets of time throughout the week. She says that could include standing more at the office or parking the car further from your destination and walking the rest of the way. The key is to make physical activity a key part of everyday routines.

“Physical activity has really been socially engineered out of our day-to-day lives, from even as simple as the majority of the work we do no longer requires physical labour,” says Vanderloo. “Can you do two 10- or 15-minute brisk walks? If you do, make sure that you have deodorant or face wipes or dry shampoo at your desk at all times so that that doesn’t become a barrier.”

Adults who put in more than 7,500 steps per day likely meet the guidelines, but only 52 per cent of adults do this, says the report, released Tuesday. About 29 per cent get between 5,000 and 7,499 steps per day. Those with fewer steps are considered sedentary, and represent about 18 per cent of adults.

Vanderloo says Canadians generally spend too much time in a seated or reclined position. The study cites Statistics Canada data that found about 86 per cent of adults are sedentary for more than eight hours per day, excluding sleep time. On an average day, adults say they spend 3.6 hours in a seated or reclined position in front of a screen.

“We’re more sedentary than before. Getting people to move more is always a focus but now we need to also reduce sedentary and sitting behaviour which is also detrimental,” says Vanderloo, suggesting office workers take more frequent “standing breaks” or “walking meetings.”

Physical inactivity can lead to increased risk of chronic diseases, cognitive decline, falls and social isolation among older adults. Those aged 18 to 64 should also incorporate weight and bone strengthening activities at least twice a week, while older adults should work on improving balance to prevent slips and falls, says the report. Vanderloo says activity levels generally decrease with age.

Last year’s report card for kids found 62 per cent of three- to four-year-olds meet physical activity guidelines while only 35 per cent of five-to-17-year-olds did the same. Staying active can be even more difficult as an adult because there are fewer organized sports activities and increased fear of injuries, says Vanderloo. The report gave government a B- for promoting physical activity, but calls on all levels of government to ensure facilities and programs cater to adults as well as kids.

 

INCREASE HEALTH BENEFITS OF EXERCISE BY WORKING OUT BEFORE BREAKFAST – by University of Bath, Oct/19

According to a new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, health scientists at the Universities of Bath and Birmingham found that by changing the timing of when you eat and exercise, people can better control their blood sugar levels.

Health scientists at the Universities of Bath and Birmingham found that by changing the timing of when you eat and exercise, people can better control their blood sugar levels.
The six-week study, which involved thirty men classified as obese or overweight and compared results from two intervention groups (who ate breakfast before / after exercise) and a control group (who made no lifestyle changes), found that people who performed exercise before breakfast burned double the amount of fat than the group who exercised after breakfast.

They found that increased fat use is mainly due to lower insulin levels during exercise when people have fasted overnight, which means that they can use more of the fat from their fat tissue and the fat within their muscles as a fuel. To test proof-of-principle the initial study involved only men, but future studies will look to translate these findings for different groups including women.

Whilst this did not lead to any differences for weight loss over six weeks, it did have ‘profound and positive’ effects on their health because their bodies were better able to respond to insulin, keeping blood sugar levels under control and potentially lowering the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Building on emerging evidence that the timing of meals in relation to exercise can shift how effective exercise is, the team behind this study wanted to focus on the impact on the fat stores in muscles for individuals who either worked out before or after eating and the effect this had on insulin response to feeding.

Dr Javier Gonzalez of the Department for Health at the University of Bath explained: “Our results suggest that changing the timing of when you eat in relation to when you exercise can bring about profound and positive changes to your overall health.

“We found that the men in the study who exercised before breakfast burned double the amount of fat than the group who exercised after. Importantly, whilst this didn’t have any effect on weight loss, it did dramatically improve their overall health.

“The group who exercised before breakfast increased their ability to respond to insulin, which is all the more remarkable given that both exercise groups lost a similar amount of weight and both gained a similar amount of fitness. The only difference was the timing of the food intake.”

Over the six-week trial, the scientists found that the muscles from the group who exercised before breakfast were more responsive to insulin compared to the group who exercised after breakfast, in spite of identical training sessions and matched food intake. The muscles from those who exercised before breakfast also showed greater increases in key proteins, specifically those involved in transporting glucose from the bloodstream to the muscles.

For the insulin response to feeding after the 6-week study, remarkably, the group who exercised after breakfast were in fact no better than the control group.

Co-author Dr Gareth Wallis of the University of Birmingham added: “This work suggests that performing exercise in the overnight-fasted state can increase the health benefits of exercise for individuals, without changing the intensity, duration or perception of their effort. We now need to explore the longer-term effects of this type of exercise and whether women benefit in the same way as men.”

 

SEVEN WAYS TO DO INTERMITTENT FASTING – by Jayne Leonard for Medical News Today online / Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, RD, LD on June/18

[I have been incorporating the 16:8 method about 3-4 days per week and then once or twice a month I will do a 24-36 hour fast for its health benefits – Dr. Rick]

There are many different ways of intermittent fasting. The methods vary in the number of fast days and the calorie allowances. Intermittent fasting involves entirely or partially abstaining from eating for a set amount of time, before eating regularly again. Some studies suggest that this way of eating may offer benefits such as fat loss, better health, and increased longevity. Proponents claim that an intermittent fasting program is easier to maintain than traditional, calorie-controlled diets. Each person’s experience of intermittent fasting is individual, and different styles will suit different people.

In this article, we discuss the research behind the most popular types of intermittent fasting and provide tips on how to maintain this type of diet.

Seven ways to do intermittent fasting

There are various methods of intermittent fasting, and people will prefer different styles. Read on to find out about seven different ways to do intermittent fasting.

1. Fast for 12 hours a day

Different styles of intermittent fasting may suit different people. The rules for this diet are simple. A person needs to decide on and adhere to a 12-hour fasting window every day.

According to some researchers, fasting for 10–16 hours can cause the body to turn its fat stores into energy, which releases ketones into the bloodstream. This should encourage weight loss.

This type of intermittent fasting plan may be a good option for beginners. This is because the fasting window is relatively small, much of the fasting occurs during sleep, and the person can consume the same number of calories each day.

The easiest way to do the 12-hour fast is to include the period of sleep in the fasting window.

For example, a person could choose to fast between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. They would need to finish their dinner before 7 p.m. and wait until 7 a.m. to eat breakfast but would be asleep for much of the time in between.

2. Fasting for 16 hours

Fasting for 16 hours a day, leaving an eating window of 8 hours, is called the 16:8 method or the Leangains diet. During the 16:8 diet, men fast for 16 hours each day, and women fast for 14 hours. This type of intermittent fast may be helpful for someone who has already tried the 12-hour fast but did not see any benefits.

 

On this fast, people usually finish their evening meal by 8 p.m. and then skip breakfast the next day, not eating again until noon. A study on mice found that limiting the feeding window to 8 hours protected them from obesity, inflammation, diabetes, and liver disease, even when they ate the same total number of calories as mice that ate whenever they wished.

3. Fasting for 2 days a week

People following the 5:2 diet eat standard amounts of healthful food for 5 days and reduce calorie intake on the other 2 days. During the 2 fasting days, men generally consume 600 calories and women 500 calories. Typically, people separate their fasting days in the week. For example, they may fast on a Monday and Thursday and eat normally on the other days. There should be at least 1 non-fasting day between fasting days.

There is limited research on the 5:2 diet, which is also known as the Fast diet. A study involving 107 overweight or obese women found that restricting calories twice weekly and continuous calorie restriction both led to similar weight loss. The study also found that this diet reduced insulin levels and improved insulin sensitivity among participants.

A small-scale study looked at the effects of this fasting style in 23 overweight women. Over the course of one menstrual cycle, the women lost 4.8 percent of their body weight and 8.0 percent of their total body fat. However, these measurements returned to normal for most of the women after 5 days of normal eating.

4. Alternate day fasting

There are several variations of the alternate day fasting plan, which involves fasting every other day.

For some people, alternate day fasting means a complete avoidance of solid foods on fasting days, while other people allow up to 500 calories. On feeding days, people often choose to eat as much as they want.

One study reports that alternate day fasting is effective for weight loss and heart health in both healthy and overweight adults. The researchers found that the 32 participants lost an average of 5.2 kilograms (kg), or just over 11 pounds (lb), over a 12-week period.

Alternate day fasting is quite an extreme form of intermittent fasting, and it may not be suitable for beginners or those with certain medical conditions. It may also be difficult to maintain this type of fasting in the long term.

5. A weekly 24-hour fast

On a 24-hour diet, a person can have teas and calorie-free drinks.

Fasting completely for 1 or 2 days a week, known as the Eat-Stop-Eat diet, involves eating no food for 24 hours at a time. Many people fast from breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch.

People on this diet plan can have water, tea, and other calorie-free drinks during the fasting period.

People should return to normal eating patterns on the non-fasting days. Eating in this manner reduces a person’s total calorie intake but does not limit the specific foods that the individual consumes.

A 24-hour fast can be challenging, and it may cause fatigue, headaches, or irritability. Many people find that these effects become less extreme over time as the body adjusts to this new pattern of eating.

People may benefit from trying a 12-hour or 16-hour fast before transitioning to the 24-hour fast.

6. Meal skipping

This flexible approach to intermittent fasting may be good for beginners. It involves occasionally skipping meals.

People can decide which meals to skip according to their level of hunger or time restraints. However, it is important to eat healthful foods at each meal.

Meal skipping is likely to be most successful when individuals monitor and respond to their body’s hunger signals. Essentially, people using this style of intermittent fasting will eat when they are hungry and skip meals when they are not.

This may feel more natural for some people than the other fasting methods.

7. The Warrior Diet

The Warrior Diet is a relatively extreme form of intermittent fasting.

The Warrior Diet involves eating very little, usually just a few servings of raw fruit and vegetables, during a 20-hour fasting window, then eating one large meal at night. The eating window is usually only around 4 hours.

This form of fasting may be best for people who have tried other forms of intermittent fasting already.

Supporters of the Warrior Diet claim that humans are natural nocturnal eaters and that eating at night allows the body to gain nutrients in line with its circadian rhythms.

During the 4-hour eating phase, people should make sure that they consume plenty of vegetables, proteins, and healthful fats. They should also include some carbohydrates.

Although it is possible to eat some foods during the fasting period, it can be challenging to stick to the strict guidelines on when and what to eat in the long term. Also, some people struggle with eating such a large meal so close to bedtime.

There is also a risk that people on this diet will not eat enough nutrients, such as fiber. This can increase the risk of cancer and have an adverse effect on digestive and immune health.

Tips for maintaining intermittent fasting

Yoga and light exercise may help to make intermittent fasting easier.

It can be challenging to stick to an intermittent fasting program.

The following tips may help people stay on track and maximize the benefits of intermittent fasting:

• Staying hydrated. Drink lots of water and calorie-free drinks, such as herbal teas, throughout the day.
• Avoiding obsessing over food. Plan plenty of distractions on fasting days to avoid thinking about food, such as catching up on paperwork or going to see a movie.
• Resting and relaxing. Avoid strenuous activities on fasting days, although light exercise such as yoga may be beneficial.
• Making every calorie count. If the chosen plan allows some calories during fasting periods, select nutrient-dense foods that are rich in protein, fiber, and healthful fats. Examples include beans, lentils, eggs, fish, nuts, and avocado.
• Eating high-volume foods. Select filling yet low-calorie foods, which include popcorn, raw vegetables, and fruits with high water content, such as grapes and melon.
• Increasing the taste without the calories. Season meals generously with garlic, herbs, spices, or vinegar. These foods are extremely low in calories yet are full of flavor, which may help to reduce feelings of hunger.
• Choosing nutrient-dense foods after the fasting period. Eating foods that are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients helps to keep blood sugar levels steady and prevent nutrient deficiencies. A balanced diet will also contribute to weight loss and overall health.

Outlook

There are many different ways to do intermittent fasting, and there is no single plan that will work for everyone. Individuals will experience the best results if they try out the various styles to see what suits their lifestyle and preferences.

Regardless of the type of intermittent fasting, fasting for extended periods when the body is unprepared can be problematic.

These forms of dieting may not be suitable for everyone. If a person is prone to disordered eating, these approaches may exacerbate their unhealthy relationship with food.

People with health conditions, including diabetes, should speak to a doctor before attempting any form of fasting.

For the best results, it is essential to eat a healthful and balanced diet on non-fasting days. If necessary, a person can seek professional help to personalize an intermittent fasting plan and avoid pitfalls.

Q: Are all types of intermittent fasting styles safe?

A: People have practiced fasting for thousands of years, but its safety depends more on who is doing the fasting than the style of fasting itself. People who have malabsorption, are at risk of low blood sugar, or have other medical conditions should seek the counsel of their healthcare provider. While most people can practice many fasting styles safely, extreme types of intermittent fasting, such as the Warrior Diet, can lead to inadequate intake of nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, people should approach this style of fasting with caution.

Natalie Butler, RD, LD

 

WEBSITE: www.bridlewoodchiropractic.ca

If you’re reading this newsletter online, then of course this is NOT news, however for those who want to find out more about our clinic and what we do, this is a great reference. It is also good for those who have family members or friends who want to learn more about what Chiropractic is and what it is not. Look us up on the web and our current newsletter along with future newsletters, all will be available online.

 

CLINIC HOURS & SERVICES

Bridlewood – 3420 Finch Avenue East, Suite 406

Dr. Rick & Dr. Eric

Monday           2:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Tuesday           10:00 pm – 6:00 pm (by appointment)

Wednesday    10:00 am – 12:00 pm      3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Thursday         10:00 pm – 6:00 pm (by appointment)

Friday              10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Saturday          9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Desmond Fan, RMT & Fiona Caldwell, RMT

 Please call Larissa or Judy at 416-756-3833 to arrange an appointment. Des is available during the weekdays and Fiona is available one Saturday morning per month.

We also offer customized orthotics, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, computerized nerve scans and health & wellness workshops

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