Dr. Milley interviewed at The International Laser Therapy Conference!

23 and 1/2 Hours

A Fantastic message. I couldn’t have said it better myself – and I definitely couldn’t have drawn it better!

New Year, New You

While many people use the  New Year as an opportunity to improve their health, the majority of people fall off the wagon within the first couple weeks of January. This is often because people make unrealistic goals, and expect to make huge behavioural changes right away. When we can’t maintain these changes, we fall right back into our regular unhealthy patterns. So how do we make resolutions that stick? Check out these tips to help make 2012 your best year yet!

1. Set Realistic Goals. First set a resolution that is attainable over a longer period of time. Losing 10 lbs over 3 months  is what we would call a long-term goal. Then break down that plan to have smaller weekly goals. For example losing 1-2 pounds a week would be a good short-term goal.

2. Create an action plan. Put into writing how you are going to achieve these goals. Consider what day-to-day changes you will focus on, how you will avoid pitfalls, and who to go to if you need assistance with your resolution.

3. Make your health a priority. The most difficult part of keeping a resolution is figuring out how to work it into an already hectic life. Plan ahead so that your first concern is your resolution, and then work life around it. For example, decide how you are going to fit in exercise this week. Write it down on a calendar and think of it as an appointment you cannot miss. Then schedule the rest of your life around it.

4. Share your goals. Studies show that those who discuss resolutions with their friends or family are more successful in achieving their goals. Sharing goals gives one accountability and a supportive structure to help keep them on track. Consulting with a knowledgeable health care practitioner will help you keep your resolution and convert it from a 2 week health kick to a lifelong change.

All The Best for 2012!!

Happy New Year from all of us at the Magna Health Centre!

Dr. Davis and I are  looking forward to a fantastic year of health and wellness blogging. We appreciate all the great feedback we have received on the site, and hope that you will continue to share the gift of health with your friends and family. 

We have some great things coming your way in 2012 so read, remember and pass it on!

Sincerely,

Dr. Stephanie Milley & Dr. Christine Davis

Keeping Holiday Stress Levels in Check

The holiday season is nearly here. It’s the wonderful time of year when we indulge in food, drink and celebration. For the most part the holidays bring feelings of love and joy. However, work deadlines, holiday shopping and family events can also be a source for stress, fatigue and even sadness. One study by Greenberg Quinlan and Rosner  in 2006 surveyed thousands of people in the US and found that there was a substantial increase in the following emotions during the holiday season. 

 

Fatigue  68% 
Stress  61%
Irritability  52%
Bloating  28%
Sadness  36%
Anger  25% 
Loneliness  26%

 The study also noted that holiday stress has a particular impact on women.  Women are more likely to report an increase of stress during the holiday season because in many cases they are still doing most of the meal preparation, decorating the home and shopping for gifts. In addition, they have a harder time relaxing during the holidays and are more likely to fall into bad habits to manage their stress, like comfort eating.

 Holiday stress also has a strong  impact on lower middle-income individuals. This group feels the weight of stress from work plus the seasonal rush to find time to get everything done. In addition, their worries about money are heightened by the commercialism of the season and the pressure to spend a lot of money.

 The holiday season also means that people are much more likely to behave in sedentary ways like watching TV, sleeping, eating and drinking to manage their stress.

 So what should we be doing to help manage our holiday stress levels? Here are 5 techniques which will help to keep you calm and stress free this holiday season.

 1) Deep Breathing: Studies show that engaging in deep breathing activities 3-5 times a day can decrease blood pressure, anxiety and stress. Try this technique.

Sit comfortably and close your eyes. With your mouth closed, exhale deeply through your nose. Imagine that you are pouring the breath out of a jug, starting at the top of your chest and moving down through your mid-torso and into your diaphragm. Pause for two counts at the bottom of the breath, then inhale through your nose. Refill the “jug” slowly, counting to five (or seven if you can make it). Start at the bottom, expanding your diaphragm and belly, then your mid-torso, and lastly the top of your chest and lungs. Pause for two counts and exhale as before. Repeat 5–10 times.

 2) Progressive muscle relaxation: This technique is useful when trying to relax after a long day.  It helps the mind focus on just the activity at hand, and not on the millions of other things that are on your “to do” list. Try this technique. With the eyes closed and in a sequential pattern, a tension in a given muscle group is purposefully done for approximately 10 seconds and then released for 20 seconds before continuing with the next muscle group. The mental component focuses on the difference between the feelings of the tension and relaxation.

  3) Get organized: Creating lists of what needs to be accomplished in the short-term (today) and long-term (this week) will help you prioritize holiday tasks. Creating a budget for gift giving helps you lay out how much you can afford per person and will help you manage the financial stress that can go along with overspending on holiday gifts. Lastly, planning social events in advance on a monthly calendar will help you ensure that you are not overextending yourself with social obligations and parties.

 4) Create Strategies to Minimize Stress: Shopping earlier or shopping online can help decrease the stress from store line-ups and mall parking. You may also consider forgoing gifts entirely and donating to your favourite charity. Lastly, delegating responsibilities such as chores, cooking, and purchasing presents means that you are  more able to enjoy the season instead of dreading the responsibilities that go along with it.

 5) Make Time for Exercise: It is important to aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day. Using an online tool like www.fitday.com will help to monitor your exercise levels and food intake over the holiday season.

 This season concentrate on positive emotions and staying healthy. Only then can you really enjoy the best of what the holidays bring.

In the Spirit of Mo-vember: Prostate Cancer, What Do We Know?

Image via Wikipedia

Whether it be a Handlebar, a Fu Manchu or a Mr. Belvedere, mustaches are making their appearances this month thanks to Mo-vember. The prostate cancer awareness project first started in Melbourne, Australia in 1999 and has been gaining attention ever since. What is the message from this month-long whisker-fest? Men, go get screened for prostate cancer. So in the spirit of Mo-vember, this author thought it was only fitting to share some of the facts on prostate cancer.

The good news is that if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer your odds of surviving five years are roughly 90%.  The bad news is that researchers haven’t figured out how to prevent prostate cancer, and this could be because they are looking at two different versions of the disease. The first is a slow-growing version that men may die with, but not die from. The second is an aggressive and potentially fatal version which has a faster onset and progression. Both forms of the cancer seem to exist, but we do not yet understand why there is a difference and what to do about it.

What we do know so far is that there are certain things that help the prostate and other things that harm it. Below are a look at a couple of things researchers are working on.

1) Green Tea 
Several studies have shown a link between a high consumption of green tea and a dramatic reduction in prostate cancer. The downside is the affective amount is at least 5 cups a day, an amount that few people drink. High quality green tea extract is being looked at as a supplement, but unfortunately we are not there yet. In the mean time, green tea has many other fantastic qualities, and it is an easy and inexpensive way to potentially protect the prostate. So drink up!

2) Tomatoes and Lycopene
While lycopene can be found in watermelon, carrots and papayas the greatest quantity comes from tomato sauce. Studies have shown that men who had the highest levels of lycopene in their blood were 60% less likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. Whether it’s lycopene or something else in tomato products, we know that it’s certainly beneficial to include tomato products in your diet.

3) Flaxseed
The estrogen-like compounds found in flaxseed may be responsible for slowing the rate of cell division in the prostate gland. This could translate into slower growth of  cancerous tumours. Further research will dictate how the role of flaxseed fits in to prostate cancer treatment, but in the mean time eating a tablespoon a day may be a reasonable supplement.

4) Diet, Exercise and a Healthy Lifestyle
We all know the benefits of following the advice of author and health activist Michael Pollan. “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly vegetables.” Regarding exercise we know that excess weight wreaks havoc on all of our bodily systems. Now we have other reasons eat well and remain active. The risk of fatal metastatic prostate cancer is 54% higher in those who are obese compared to those of normal weight.  Other studies have shown that men who are overweight are no more likely to get prostate cancer, but they are more likely to die of the disease. In other words, this is one of the thousands of reasons to eat well and exercise.

In conclusion, prostate cancer awareness is a year round effort. For this month though, go ahead and grow a mustache, but more importantly call your doctor and arrange for a prostate check.

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Turkey Pumpkin Chili. What do these three words have in common? A delicious dish!  Thanks to www.wholefoodsmarket.com  for this great recipe.

 Serves 6

Besides adding a sweet nutty flavor to dishes, pumpkin is a ready source of vitamin A, which boosts the nutrition content of this offbeat chili. Garnish each portion with a dollop of sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound ground white or dark meat turkey
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Method

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeños and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add turkey and cook until browned. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, water, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and add beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes more. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving: 280 calories (110 from fat), 13g total fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 55mg cholesterol, 580mg sodium, 23g total carbohydrate (8g dietary fiber, 7g sugar), 20g protein

Glowing From The Inside

Everyone knows the importance of eating a healthy diet for weight control, but how much do we know about eating for healthy skin? People spend a great deal of money on age-defying lotions, but few know that the most important skin care products come from your grocery store.  Read on to find out what tips we recommend to regain that inner glow and to keep it from fading.

• Eating the right kinds of protein. Protein is necessary for cell repair. Our favourite picks are fish, followed by these other protein-packed animal products: egg whites, skinless chicken and turkey breast.
• Healthy fats are essential. Fats and oils  provide anti-inflammatory protection and antioxidants. Look to fatty fish for anti-aging omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon, mackerel and albacore tuna are among your best bets. Also include extra virgin olive oil. It has the double benefit of helping your skin and possibly lowering your bad cholesterol.
• Avoid  sugar and high-glycemic carbohydrates. This category of food includes potatoes, rice and white pasta which can cause a spike in blood sugar resulting in harmful chemical changes in your body. These foods fuel the creation of  free radicals and the break down collagen, therefore ranking them among skin’s greatest enemies. Our bodies need carbohydrates though, so get your fill from low-glycemic fruits and vegetables.
•  H2O please.  While the number of glasses per day is still open for debate, we do know that drinking plenty of water between meals means that our cells are staying hydrated and also enzymatic properties are functioning optimally during meal times.
• Green Tea. This beverage deserves a category all its own in any article about foods for healthy skin. Green tea’s anti-inflammatory properties, and its ability to protect cell membranes may help prevent or reduce the risk of skin cancer. A study published  in the Archives of Dermatology shows that whether taken orally or applied to the skin, green tea can reduce the risk of damage from ultraviolet light (such as the burning rays of the sun), and thus reduce the risk of skin cancer.

For more information on how to best balance a healthy diet, contact your local healthcare practitioner trained in nutrition. Or if you are in the area contact our clinic in Aurora, ON.

Study shows caffeine “perks” us up

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Let the coffee drinkers of the world rejoice. A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has discussed a positive relationship between caffeine and depression. This study looked at more than 50,000 women who were free from depression at the beginning of the study. This group was followed for 10 years to observe the relationship between caffeine and depression. Interestingly, those who drank 2 to 3 cups of caffeinated coffee a day had a 15 % decrease in depression, and those that drank 4 cups a day had a 20% decrease.  Those who drank decaf coffee or other beverages with lower caffeine levels such as tea did not show the same association. The study also found that regular coffee drinkers were more likely to drink more alcohol, be current smokers and were less likely to be involved as volunteers or in community groups. They also had less obesity, fewer blood pressure issues and lower rates of diabetes.

The proposed relationship between caffeine and depression is as follows. Depression is caused by an inadequacy in  3 neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. A deficit in these neurotransmitters results in changes to brain chemistry thereby producing symptoms of depression such as decreased mood, motivation, activity level, sleep etc. The current thinking is that caffeine works on neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin in the brain thereby mitigating the chemical changes caused by depression.

While we do know that some caffeine increases our alertness, enhances psychomotor performance, and let’s be honest makes people happy, we also know that too much caffeine can cause jitters, palpitations and insomnia. So while this study does bring some interesting possibilities to future mental illness research, it does not mean that we should all run out and overdose on Starbucks.

Increase Your Core, Decrease Your Pain

Anyone who has ever suffered from back pain will tell you they’ll try ANYTHING to get back to feeling normal again. Drugs, lotions, hanging upside down by their ankles, you name it. For some reason, what many people don’t try is preventative care.

Research has shown  that increasing our core stability (meaning the muscles in our midsection) is one of the greatest tools one can use to both treat and prevent low back pain. I can hear the groaning now, ”Exercise?! I don’t like going to the gym. I don’t have any equipment. I don’t have enough time in the day.” What if you didn’t need a gym membership, no equipment was necessary, and you only needed the time it takes to make your morning coffee?

Dr.Stuart McGill, professor of spine biomechanics at Waterloo University has come up with three exercises dubbed the “McGill 3″ that are the  key exercises for back pain prevention and treatment. Give them a try. All you have to lose is your pain.

1) CRUNCH
Lie on back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hands resting behind head. Suck stomach in and curl body to lift shoulder blades off floor. Maintain abdominal hollow as you lower slowly back down .Keep neck in neutral, elbows back, do not pull on head. If having difficulty maintaining neutral neck position, exercise can be performed with hands on chest. Stop if the exercise causes pain.  Repeat 15 times, 2 sets.

2) SIDE BRIDGE
Lie on one side with knees bent, weight supported by elbow/forearm which rests directly below the shoulder. Knees, hips and shoulders are in line. Raise hip off floor, moving spine from side flexed to neutral alignment. Maintain abdominal hollow. Avoid rotating backwards or forwards. Hold position for 3 relaxed breaths, slowly lower and repeat. Stop the exercise if it causes pain. (Modify with weight supported on bent knees) Repeat 15 times, 2 sets.

3) BIRD DOG
On hands and knees, keep back flat and maintain an abdominal hollow. Slowly extend one leg behind while at the same time reaching opposite arm in front until parallel with floor. Keep trunk stable, avoid twisting. Hold for 3 relaxed breaths, slowly return to start position, repeat. Stop if the exercise causes pain. Repeat 15 times, 2 sets.

Do each of the exercises as prescribed every other day.

For pictures and printable instructions click here: McGill 3