Let's face it, excess weight negatively impacts all aspects of our health- the physical, psychological, and emotional. From back pain to depression and to poor self image, all facets of life are affected by poor weight management. Despite this, few people understand the long term effects of being overweight. We tell ourselves that our weight really only impacts our self esteem, self image, or beauty. We deny ourselves the truth that excess weight increases the risk for 50 different health problems many of which are leading causes of death. Today we will discuss emotional health, but check back for Parts 2 and 3 where we explore the physical and psychological.
When we look in the mirror and find discontentment with our physical appearance we dehumanize ourselves. We disregard the qualities that make us human and replace them with an image- a single glimpse at something rather than into it. We are far too complex to be understood by a single glance and yet frequently we make the mistake of judging ourselves by our physical appearance. The person we see in the mirror is not a complete description of who we are, it merely bears the mark of the time we have served.
To achieve emotional health we must learn to stop criticizing the physical. We must begin to uncover that which lies within by observing what is keeping us from total health. For some that means peeling back the layers of fat and excess weight while for others it means digging beneath the surface level muscles and composition.
Self reflect on how excess weight or lack of healthful weight may be impacting you from within. Forget outward appearances, what does your body look like within? How have years of poor eating affected your internal organs? How has your unhealthy lifestyle damaged your heart and lungs? How has your poor self image impacted your mental health?
In our society we put a high price on physical appearance and in doing so we forget the value of health and longevity. We hold tight to the saying "age before beauty" and yet our entire society seems to be on a conquest to find the key to eternal youth! This week make it your goal to atune yourself with the innerworkings of your body and mind. Set aside your perceived physical self and see yourself for who you actually are. View yourself as a person, a human, a creative being with emotions, thoughts, senses, experiences, and potential. Set aside all false notions of beauty and swap them for wholesome and valuable measurements.
Health starts from within.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
Thanksgiving is tomorrow and you're waist line is likely cringing in anticipation. Before you prepare to unbutton your jeans, don stretchy pants, or swear to "be good" in the days following, check out our tips and tricks for surviving Thanksgiving!
1. Swapportunities. Seize them. I am a firm believer that labels such as low fat, low calorie, low sugar, or fat free are often much worse than the full fat goodness we tend to avoid. Save yourself the chemicals and artifical substitutes by sticking with the full fat ingredients. This Thanksgiving, a great place to perk up your nutritional content is in your mashed potatoes. That's right. The holy grail of thanksgiving delights. Here are two healthy swaps to make your mashed potatoes a friendlier side dish.
Swap out 1/3 of your potatoes for carrots. Peel them, dice them, and boil them just as you would potatoes. In fact, you can boil and smash them in the exact same pot as your potatoes- less dishes! Carrots are high in Vitamin A, low in carbs, and won't alter the texture or flavor of your potatoes. The best part, they add depth of color to your dish without any extra effort!
Not a fan of carrots? Allergic to potatoes? Go for Cauliflower Smash. Boil or roast a head of cauliflower until tender. Mash and prep as you would normal mashed potatoes and enjoy your low-carb swap that won't leave you feeling sluggish. Cauliflower is high in Calcium, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin C, Potasium, and Magnesium.
2. Movember! Now I know the actual "Movember" movement has nothing to do with physical activity but it was a pun I couldn't pass up. At InHealth, Movember is all about embracing the month of November with physical activity and exercise despite the limited daylight hours in the Northwest this season, every opportunity to get moving is one to seize!
If you aren't the primary cook in the house and can afford a few hours in the morning to run, take advantage of the Turkey Trot's happening in your neck of the woods. What better opportunity to burn some calories, increase blood flow, and embrace the last few days of fall.
Don't have time in the morning? Invite the family out for some exercise before your meal (since Lord knows getting anyone up after all that Turkey is a true challenge). You can head out for a walk, jog, bike ride, game of basketball or football. Whatever gets the family up and moving!
3. Eat! Whatever you do, do not, I repeat do not fast before your meal. Starving yourself silly will only lead to overconsumption at the table. Start your day off right with breakfast and lots of fluids to kick start your metabolism. Stay fed throughout the day leading up to the big dinner so you can enjoy the food's quality rather than gorging on a large quantity. Remember that your empty stomach is about the size of a fist as your begin to heap the food onto your plate.
Last but not least, enjoy! I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with good company, gratitude, and love.
Happy Thanksgiving!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
The majority of my childhood memories are marked by some sort of food "moment". As I'm sure is the same for many others. Let's face it, we have holidays devoted to the consumption of food. From Thanksgiving, to Halloween, and all of the days in between which are dedicated to a different kind of food (i.e., carbonated beverage with caffeine day, national peanut butter fudge day, etc.) Food plays a big role in the human life. Unfortunately for many of us, food plays an unhealthy role in our lives. We seek food for comfort or fulfillment in varying ways. We are taught to eat chicken noodle soup when we fall ill, or to seek ice cream on hot days, we learn that just one apple a day can keep the doctor away or that it is normal to need a coffee packed with sugar and creamers at the start of each day. So much of who we are revolves around food and the consumption of it.
As we grow older we become responsible for our own health- we no longer rely upon someone to perfectly portion our veggies, protein, and carbohydrates. If we fail to take responsibility we face inevitable issues and ailments. Recent studies estimate 25.8 million people or 8.5% of Americans are living with Diabetes at this very moment. 95% of which is said to be Type 2 Diabetes, a type which is caused by genetic and lifestyle factors. That is 24 million more people than the 1.7 million infected with AIDS, or the 1.6 million who will be diagnosed with cancer this year. That percentage should be astonishing to you. We are allowing ourselves and those around us to slowly decline into a state of unhealthfulness. A state so severe we will likely die because of it.
At some point we all must choose health. We must choose health for ourselves, for our loved ones, for future generations, and for the sake of appreciating life. We must become health builders. I use the term health building quite frequently to demonstrate that health is an unending spectrum. Rarely, if ever, do we reach a stopping point at which we declare ourselves healthy and incapable of improving upon our current condition. Rather, health is something to be built upon day after day. It is a goal you strive for knowing you may never fully grasp because the work will never be done- health can decline just as easily as it can be built. A few missed workouts turn into a month long hiatus and a couple of potato chips turn into a full bag eaten.
Ready for the challenge?
Where do you find yourself amidst your personal quest for healthfulness? What steps can you take daily to build your health? In what ways are you falling short and in what ways are you succeeding?
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
If you answered yes to that question, you should attend our Psychology of Performance event tomorrow night, November 14th, at 7PM!
If you haven't heard about our Psychology of Performance event yet, you've mastered a technique for avoiding memo's that I can hardly fathom. From the signs in the office, to the signs in the elevator, to the in-person invitations, and the emails- it's unlikely you have yet to hear about our event. In the event that you haven't or are deciding whether or not to attend, read on!
The Psychology of Performance event will feature speakers Dr. Dan Tripps and Ariana Kukors. Dr. Tripps will speak on performance anxiety and performing under pressure while Ariana will share her story as an Olympic athlete and World Record Holder. We will also hear from coach Lisa Dahl of the Get Wet program who will share her vision for the program.
So basically, this event is worth your attending if you:
- swim, like to swim, have swam, or may swim in the future
- enjoy sports, compete in sports, have played sports, or plan to play sports
- compete, perform, have competed, have performed, will compete, or will perform
- care about advocacy for underrepresented youth, like youth, were once a youth, etc.
Essentially, you have every reason to attend this event as it will be a chance to learn, grow, and share. Check out the flyer, and RSVP before it is too late! If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
I have come to truly appreciate the patients at InHealth PLLC. We see an exceptional range of people come through our doors each day. From the devoted parents who bring in their athletic children, to the Iron Man competitors gearing up for their next race, to the world record holders and olympic athletes. I am impressed by every individual that seeks treatment within our office.
As I have grown more familiar with these faces and their stories, I have also learned a bit about competitive athletes and those they surround themselves. These individual are different. Not in a quirky, "that's strange", kind of way. But in such a manner that you feel a different kind of exuberance when surrounded by them. Competitive athletes exude life, drive, passion, and awareness. In no way does this mean non-competetive athletes lack liveliness, drive, passion, or awareness. Rather, I find that it does not ooze from their pores and sparkle in their eyes as it often does in competitors.
Simply put, competitive athletes seem to be in pursuit of something that keeps them constantly chasing. They are always on the go, reaching, striving, or leaping for that next personal record.
Although I hesitate to say it, I know there is a difference between the active individual and someone who competes on a national or international level. It may be the result of genes or it may be the byproduct of their situation. But there is something that sets competitors apart. It could be the reliance upon their bodies, the mental toughness, the drive to win, or something innate.
Whatever it may be, there is something to be appreciated about those who continue to pursue competition. And there is also something to be learned. How often do you find yourself passionately in pursuit of something? How many times a week or month do you seek to do your very best at a task? Are you allowing yourself to constantly seek out that which you love? Are you making time for your passions outside the walls of your office or your home life?
I hope you learn to unleash your inner athlete.
Find your inner drive, passion, liveliness, and awareness.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
If you haven't already, check out part 1 of Gabrielle's post "Thinking about trying acupuncture?" She continues here with even more answers to you acupuncture questions!
How many treatments will I need?
It's perfectly reasonable to want to know how many treatments you will need to feel better. Unfortunately, there is no black and white answer to this question, mainly because there is no "end point" when you no longer need Acupuncture. Acupuncture is a type of treatment you can get even when nothing is "wrong" yet. For instance, you may come in for prevention before your seasonal allergies hit, or you may come in for immune boosting treatments before flu season. Maybe you are training for a big race season, and while you are injury free, you'd like to stay that way. That being said, most people first seek out Acupuncture for a very specific complaint that they would like resolved and the sooner it's resolved the better!
Typically, people feel a general sense of relaxation and wellbeing, and often a slight reduction in pain, even by the end of the first treatment. Acupuncture is a process, and treatments have a cumulative effect, so after about 3-4 treatments, most people can tell there has been a significant reduction in symptoms, at which point treatments can be spaced further apart.
The exact number of treatments you need depends on how long your condition has been going on (acute or chronic) and how well your body responds to Acupuncture. Acupuncture treatment should always be approached as a process, it is correcting imbalances and restoring your body's innate ability to heal. If you have been struggling with chronic knee pain for 10 years, it is more likely that it will take longer to resolve than knee pain that just started when you were out running 3 days ago. As with any type of healthcare, the sooner you can get in for treatment, the sooner you will be back on the road to health and wellness!
What does Acupuncture feel like?
Let's get to the point- you want to know if it hurts, right? I would say 95% of people that come in for Acupuncture say it took them months to come in, because they were terrified of the needles. Most people's past experiences with needles have been unpleasant, even traumatic, and it sounds like an awful idea to lie on a table with needles in their body- by choice. And yet these same people come back, eager for their next treatment. Hopefully that gives you some assurance! Acupuncture needles are tiny, literally about as thin as a hair. They are such a fine gauge that they bend when I touch the tip with my finger. I tap them in gently and quickly so the poke you feel is minimal and sometimes undetectable. Once the needles are in, you may feel any number of sensations around them- common descriptions are achy, warm, and tingling. Everyone feels something different, and you may even feel something different from week to week, but the main guideline I remind people of is it should NOT be uncomfortable. Acupuncture is not to be "endured." It is a therapeutic treatment that calms down your nervous system and while it is a foreign sensation during your first treatment, it should feel quite pleasant and enjoyable. I ask that patients let me know if anything feels uncomfortable at all, so that I can make adjustments as needed. Most people leave the treatment feeling deeply relaxed and calm.
Other signs that Acupuncture is working
I usually ask patients to pay attention to how they're feeling after the treatment, so they can give me feedback at their next visit that will help me fine tune their future Acupuncture treatments. Even if you were just coming in for pain relief, there are a number of added benefits to receiving Acupuncture treatment that include improved quality of sleep, improved mood, a balanced digestive system, and decreased stress levels. I have even had people report less frequent colds, and clearer skin. These are all good signs that your body is taking the treatment and using it to benefit your overall health.
If you are thinking about trying Acupuncture, I hope this helped answer some of your questions. If there is anything else you would like clarified, please don't hesitate to contact me at gabrielle@inhealthseattle.com
Best wishes for your health and happiness!
Gabrielle Anderson, L.Ac, EAMP
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
So, you're thinking about trying Acupuncture. Your friends are telling you how amazing it is, but you still have a lot of questions: What does Acupuncture feel like? What are the benefits of Acupuncture? Needles are not one of my favorite things- will the Acupuncture needles hurt? How many Acupuncture treatments will I need?
If you've been musing over these questions, you're not alone. These are some of the most common questions I get in my private practice on a daily basis. This article aims to answer those questions and more, because no matter how many of your friends have encouraged you to try it, it's important for you to be able to make an informed decision about your health, and the type of treatment you're seeking. If you've been waffling back and forth over whether you should take the leap to try Acupuncture, read on, and find out for yourself.
What types of conditions can benefit from Acupuncture?
First of all, Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at the entire individual to identify a pattern, rather than focusing on one specific symptom. For example, low back pain is a common complaint which responds very well to Acupuncture. But the pattern the individual is experiencing may also include high stress, restless sleep, and low energy, and Acupuncture looks at the big picture to identify a common cause, and correct the imbalance at the source. The focus of the treatment will be kept on back pain relief, but other benefits often include lower stress levels, improved quality of sleep, and a an improved energy level.
Acupuncture looks for a pattern that explains all your symptoms, and addresses the cause on a systemic level. That being said, there are certainly specific conditions that have been proven to respond very well to Acupuncture. Acupuncture is most famous for many types of pain relief (headaches, low back pain, neck pain, fybromyalgia, etc) but it also works very well for balancing your digestive system, it helps with mental and emotional imbalances (such as anxiety and depression), and can help balance hormones for issues such as PMS.
Check back for part 2 where Gabrielle answers more of your questions about acupuncture!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
We have good news! InHealth is starting a weekly running group that will be held on Wednesday evenings! Led by our Acupuncturist Gabrielle Anderson, the group will meet at InHealth a little before 6pm, and we will leave promptly at 6pm. With the Burke Gilman trail, UW campus, and Ravenna trails all in our neighborhood, InHealth is a perfect launching point for all kinds of fun running routes that will vary in length from week to week.
We welcome runners of all levels and encourage everyone to go at their own pace. We will hopefully have enough people that those with a common pace can enjoy running together! Gabrielle will do her best to explain the route and distance before departing, and if you aren't up for doing the full mileage, she will point out turnaround points for shorter mileage options during the run so everyone can find a length that works for them.
Feel free to contact Gabrielle at gabrielle@inhealthseattle.com with questions and suggestions! We look forward to seeing you there!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
An incredibly common complaint throughout the summer months is muscle cramping. As we increase our physical activity and embrace the sunshine our muscles experience fatigue and dehdration- resulting in muscle cramps. Rather than reaching for medications or yet another electrolyte infused sports drink, consider our favorite all natural remedy, watermelon.
This juicy fruit is rich in Vitamin A, B6, C, and Potassium. We rely upon these vitamins to protect our immune systems, form blood cells, and maintain healthy eyes. The potassium found in watermelon helps our cells maintain the necessary water balance they need to thrive- low levels are commonly tied to muscle cramps. If you are like me and seem to be chugging water throughout the day and yet still experience muscle cramps, chow down on some fresh watermelon for hydration and potassium.
Now, before you rush off to the store and purchase the remaining stock of watermelons check out these tips and tricks to finding the ripest and sweetest of the bunch.
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Symmetry is key! Your melon should be firm, bruise-less, and without dents or cuts.
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Bigger is better! In this case, weight is everything. Find a symmetrical watermelon and lift it. It should feel heavyfor its size- keep in mind watermelons are 92% water!
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Spot the belly! Find the underside of the watermelon and make sure there is a creamy yellow spot where the melon sat in the soil and ripened under the sun.
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Say no to seeds! Unless you enjoy the gritty bite of a large black seed, opt for seedless watermelons. Most often they are speckled with tender white seeds which are safe to swallow- don’t worry, it is impossible to grow a watermelon in your stomach.
With the perfect watermelon in tow, be proud of your pick and feel free to share some of these fun facts:
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The first watermelon harvest on record occurred in Egypt nearly 5,000 years ago.
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Close relatives of the Watermelon are the cucumber, pumpkin, and squash.
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Once hollowed out, early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.
This month the InHealth team has been getting in touch with their wild side! The staff has been off on various adventures amidst the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest. Gabrielle just returned from a week long trek in the Pasayten Wilderness, Brooke from the Wonderland Trail, Alexa from Leavenworth, and the Rindals from Camano Island. With an abundance of exploring, calorie burning, and muscle building it seems only necessary to review a few of our favorite trail bars and snacks. Keep in mind these are excellent sources of nutrition for those active days when you need to sustain your energy. If you’re not on the trail reach for whole, nutrient dense, foods.
#1- Clif Bar
Clif Bars contain: carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Not to mention they are all organic!
What you won’t find in them: trans fats, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, GMO’s or artificial sweeteners and flavorings.
Why we love them: Clif Bar’s come in twenty different flavors ranging from Coconut Chocolate Chip and Blueberry Crisp to Spiced Pumpkin Pie and Iced Gingerbread. Not only are they tasty but half a bar every 45 minutes-1 hour will keep your energy levels high and your body strong.
#2- Kind Bars
Kind Bars contain: all natural ingredients “you can read” like fruits, nuts, and whole grains. Additionally, they are full of fiber, protein, antioxidants, and necessary vitamins.
What you won’t find in them: GMO’s, artificial flavorings, high fructose corn syrup, or anything with a name you can’t pronounce.
Why we love them: Kind Bars taste good. You can taste the ingredients (and see them) which adds to the overall appeal. Enjoy their Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate and Protein bar or give the Apple Cinnamon and Pecan a try!
#3- Pro Bar
Pro Bars contain: fiber, carbohydrates, protein, omega-3’s, omega-6’s, and whole, raw ingredients.
What you won’t find in them: GMO’s, high fructose corn syrup, and trans fats.
Why we love them: Pro Bars are designed to be a meal replacement bar and are an excellent source of fiber, protein, and carbohydrates. Try the Superberry & Greens which is packed full of spinach, spirulina, broccoli, veggies, and antioxidants!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kevin Rindal, Seattle Chiropractor at DrRindal@InHealthSeattle.com.