Tag: healthy

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Wellness

How does chiropractic boost the immune system?

When the immune system is active, the human body gets to repair damage, fight infection, and prevent cancer cells. It is directly connected to the nervous system, which guides the immune system cells to where the damaged or infected area is. Failure of the nervous system to respond correctly to a damaged or infected area may result in autoimmune diseases or conditions in which the immune system can no longer differentiate the body’s own cells from foreign cells.

One of the reasons why the nervous system experiences malfunction is because of obstructions such as structural shifts in the spine and compression of nerve pathways. Freeing the nervous system from these obstructions allows the body to respond effectively. The best way to do that is through chiropractic. Chiropractic aims to remove interferences in the nervous system through spinal manipulation that not only boosts the immune system but also improves overall health.

Chiropractic has been found effective in helping boost the immune system. According to ​The Chiropractic Journal ​published in 1989​, ​chief of cancer prevention research at New York’s Preventive Medicine Institute and professor of medicine at New York University Ronald Pero Ph.D. found out in his three-year initial study that patients who received chiropractic care have 200% greater immune competence compared to patients who did not.

In 1991, Patricia Brenna Ph.D. also proved the positive effects of chiropractic on the immune system when her study revealed that patients who received chiropractic manipulation in the thoracic region have higher white blood cell response in the first 15 minutes.

In this time of the pandemic, people are advised to boost their immune system to protect the body against foreign invaders. Chiropractic certainly aids in the nervous system so the immune system can function properly especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a matter of fact, chiropractic has already been found beneficial during the 1918 flu pandemic. Studies show that 50 medical doctors were able to treat 4,953 cases, with 274 deaths in Davenport, Iowa while 150 chiropractors from Palmer School of Chiropractic were able to treat 1,635 cases with one death in the same city.

While chiropractic can be an excellent help in boosting the immune system, people should remember that prevention is always better than cure. It means that you do not need to wait for sickness before you start receiving chiropractic care. With a proper diet and healthy lifestyle, receiving chiropractic care soon can definitely keep you away from diseases, infections, and other sicknesses.

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Fitness

Stuck at home? Try these 7 effective exercises now!

Since the enhanced community quarantine has been implemented in March, many people have drastically adjusted their lifestyle to minimize contact with other people. It also means that there have been fewer interactions and physical activities for everyone.

Staying at home prompted people to sit more and move less, which can be threatening to their health. According to ​MayoClinic.org​, an analysis shows that people who sit for more than 8 hours have chances of dying the same way as obese people and smokers.​ Centers for Disease, Control, and Prevention​ has also enumerated the harmful effects of not getting enough physical activity, which are heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

Although gyms have reopened under certain safety protocols, floors are still limited to a number of gym-goers, and group classes are not open for all yet. Going to the gym is still at your own risk. Other coaches also suggest not to prioritize going to the gyms and instead advise people to start working out at home.

In my book titled ​Doc Rob’s Guide to Better Health and Wellness​, I listed down 7 sample exercises to keep you moving at home:

Air squat ​- The best way to work out without the use of any equipment is by using your bodyweight. Air squats strengthen the muscles in the buttocks, thighs, hamstrings, and quadriceps by bending the knees and squatting without the help of a machine.

Plank​ – Another bodyweight exercise is doing the plank. It strengthens the core and may reduce back pain by holding a pushup position with the elbows at 90 degrees.

Situps​ – Situps are great abdominal exercises that not only strengthen the stomach but also increase flexibility and improve posture. It is done by repeatedly moving from a lying to a sitting position.

Pushups​ – Pushups also make an excellent home workout to strengthen your arms and chest muscles. The popular exercise includes raising the body on the floor by extending the arms with the body straight and then lowering the body back down.

Burpees​ – By squatting, kicking the feet back to reach the pushup position, and jumping, the burpee routine strengthens the legs, chest, thighs, hamstrings, deltoids, arms, and abs.

Wall sits​ – The simple wall sit workout strengthens the quadriceps muscles by holding a sitting position with the back against the wall.

Walking Lunges ​- Walking lunges strengthen the quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, and core by stepping a leg forward and lowering the body to 90 degrees, and then returning to the standing position.

These home exercises are ideal for everyone to keep the body healthy and moving despite the limited outdoor activities. Even after the lockdown, creating your routine based on these exercises can benefit your body in many ways. There will be no more excuses for you to skip working out. Just do not forget to have fun along the way!

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Wellness

Bacteria does a body good?

People mistakenly thought that bacteria are always harmful to one’s health. Throughout the years, the idea of good and bad bacteria has cleared out this misconception and introduced the benefits of having the right balance between the two. Studies show that the right balance in the body is composed of 85% good bacteria and 15% bad bacteria. This simply means that more good bacteria should be available to eliminate extra bad bacteria, especially when infection occurs. 

The best and most popular good bacteria are probiotics. Probiotics are live microorganisms naturally residing in and on the body. They are beneficial for everyone’s health, mainly in the digestive system. When these good bacteria get flushed out of the system, eating probiotic food or taking probiotic supplements can fix the equilibrium. 

There are two common types of probiotics found in food items: lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. Lactobacillus is a friendly type of bacteria found in yogurt, other fermented food, and supplements. Different strains probiotics help alleviate different health problems. Lactobacillus acidophilus benefits the body in many ways including preventing diarrhea, reducing cholesterol, promoting weight loss, and many more. On the other hand, lactobacillus bulgaricus can have a positive effect on people with liver disease, common cold, and inflammatory bowel disease. The probiotic bifidobacterium is also a good kind of bacteria that can be found in dairy products. It helps ease gut problems and has shown positive effects on illnesses. Bifidobacterium bifidum has recently gained attention for its ability to restore intestinal bacteria after chemotherapy and treat constipation, lung infection, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) among others. Another kind of bifidobacterium is the multifunctional probiotic bifidobacterium longum. Apart from easing gastrointestinal diseases, studies also show that it can improve immune dysfunction. 

Probiotics are essential in keeping bad bacteria and germs at bay. They are proven to aid digest food, get rid of diseases, and produce vitamins. In cases that food sources mentioned above are unavailable, probiotic supplements are the best alternative to easily and quickly acquire its benefits. 

Supplementing with probiotics is a great way to enhance all the benefits of healthy bacteria in the gut. I highly recommend finding a quality probiotic & adding this to your daily supplemental routine.