Tips and tricks for better nutrition

At Midwest Chiropractic, we like to motivate our patients to live healthier lives. This means we often assess what they’re eating, how they’re eating and why they’re eating. If you’re looking for some quick tips and tricks for better nutrition, check out the list below.

1. Don’t skip meals. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When you skip a meal, your body recognizes that it doesn’t have food to convert into energy. At that point your body goes into “survival” mode, slowing your metabolism and storing excess food or glucose as FAT. If your body is routinely fed, it will increase your metabolism, breaking down the fat since it thinks it doesn’t need it anymore.
2. Drink water. Water is essential to achieving a healthy diet. Avoid soda and sweetened drinks. The Mayo Clinic recommends that men consume 3 liters (about 13 cups) and women should consume at least 2 liters (about 9 cups) of water per day.
3. Eat lean protein. Aside from water, protein is the most prevalent material in your body. Research also indicates that increased dietary protein (not necessarily a “high protein diet”) may reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing “bad” LDL Cholesterol and raising “good” HDL cholesterol. Protein helps keep muscles strong, and contains the building blocks for most of the enzymes in the body. These enzymes drive the metabolic rate of our bodies. Good sources of lean protein include dairy products, soy products, meat (lean meat is also an excellent source of iron), fish, and poultry.
4. Choose more whole grains. Most people eat less than half the amount of fiber needed each day. Choosing whole grains, such as whole wheat breads and high-fiber cereals will help you achieve your fiber needs. By increasing the intake of fiber, you reduce your risk of diseases such as colon cancer and heart disease. Fiber also makes you feel full while helping to control your blood cholesterol and blood sugar.
5. Eat more vegetables and fruits. A healthy diet should contain at least five servings of vegetables and fruits each day. Fruits and vegetables are naturally high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and they are low in calories. Fruit and vegetables are critical to proper nutrition. Make sure they are part of your daily menu. Fruit is also an excellent choice for in-between meal snacks too.
6. Exercise. 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week is the standard recommendation. Consistent exercise will decrease your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and prolong your life. Walking, swimming, jogging, weight lifting, bike riding, and aerobics are all good examples of exercises that will improve your overall health.

What is the Vagus Nerve?

Learning About the Vagus Nerve

At Midwest Chiropractic, we strive to provide our patients with the best care. By enlightening them on ways to improve health and manage stress, they can enjoy their daily lives to a greater capacity and live a longer life. Helping patients learn about the Vagus nerve can teach them more about controlling the body and the organs that reside inside of it.

What is Vagus Nerve?

The vagus nerve is actually two cranial nerves that extend from the brain stem and connect down to the viscera. Sometimes this nerve is referred to as cranial nerve X, the 10th cranial nerve or the wandering nerve. These nerves are used to send a variety of signals throughout the body, but will also transfer signals back to the brain. The vagus nerve is also known for wandering through the body, weaving through the abdomen and branching into other nerves that extend through the limbs and organs.

The vagus nerve is used to regulate a variety of body functions including the heartbeat and the muscle movement necessary to keep you breathing. This nerve also regulates the chemical levels in the digestive system so that the intestines can process food and keep track of what types of nutrients are being gained from the food that is taken in.

By learning more about the body and how to regulate it, we can expend less energy and feel better each day. Stop by Midwest Chiropractic today if you’re interested in receiving a health assessment and understanding how the body works.

Walking: The best way to trim your waistline and improve health

Go for a walk! Your body will thank you. 

Did you know it was this easy to trim your waistline and improve your health? By walking for 30 minutes a day, three days a week, your body will thank you as overall health improves.

You don’t have to travel far to get exercise. However, hiking long distances can improve your mental health, strength and stamina.

Basic Benefits 

Physical activity doesn’t need to be complicated. Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can help you live a healthier life.

For example, regular brisk walking can help you:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes
• Strengthen your bones
• Lift your mood
• Improve your balance and coordination

The faster, farther and more frequently you walk, the greater the benefits.

By walking for 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week, your overall mental and physical health will improve.

Developing a Routine

As you start your walking routine, remember to:

• Get the right gear. Choose shoes with proper arch support, a firm heel and thick flexible soles to cushion your feet and absorb shock. If you walk outdoors when it’s dark, wear bright colors or reflective tape for visibility.
• Choose your course carefully. If you’ll be walking outdoors, avoid paths with cracked sidewalks, potholes, low-hanging limbs or uneven turf.
• Warm up. Walk slowly for five to 10 minutes to warm up your muscles and prepare your body for exercise.
• Cool down. At the end of your walk, walk slowly for five to 10 minutes to help your muscles cool down.
• Stretch. After you cool down, gently stretch your muscles. If you’d rather stretch before you walk, remember to warm up first.

Staying Motivated 

Starting a walking program takes initiative. Sticking with it takes commitment. To stay motivated:

• Set yourself up for success. Start with a simple goal, such as, “I’ll take a 10-minute walk during my lunch break.” When your 10-minute walk becomes a habit, set a new goal, such as, “I’ll walk for 20 minutes after work.” Soon you could be reaching for goals that once seemed impossible.
• Make walking enjoyable. If you don’t enjoy solitary walks, ask a friend or neighbor to join you. If you’re invigorated by groups, join a health club.
• Vary your routine. If you walk outdoors, plan several different routes for variety. If you’re walking alone, be sure to tell someone which route you’re taking.
• Take missed days in stride. If you find yourself skipping your daily walks, don’t give up. Remind yourself how good you feel when you include physical activity in your daily routine — and then get back on track.

Once you take that first step, you’re on the way to an important destination — better health.

Save your spine by eating right!

Did you know you can improve spinal health through the foods you eat? 

Understanding spinal health from a nutritional perspective can improve back pain and ease the damage done to broken or strained vertebrae. By eating the right foods we can heal the body rather than damaging it through further nutritional deficiencies and food-based destruction.

Check out this list of foods if you’re looking to maintain and redevelop the health of your spine.

• Calcium:Found primarily in dairy products.  However, kale and broccoli are excellent vegetable sources of calcium.
• Magnesium:Dark chocolateis an amazing and tasty source of magnesium.  Nuts like almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, and sunflower seeds are also high in magnesium.
• Phosphorus:Also found in many nuts and seeds like brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Cheese is also a great source of phosphorus.

Foods like pineapple, chicken, avocado, red onion, tomatoes and leafy greens are all foods designed for spinal health.

• Vitamin D:Eggs and fatty fish like anchovies and salmon are great healthy food sourcesof vitamin D.  However, 20 minutes a day of sunlight is the best way to get vitamin D and will meet your daily requirements for mineral absorption.
• Vitamin K: Leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus and even cucumber are natural sourcesof vitamin K.  The richest source of the potent K2, which is the best form for calcium absorption, is found in a japanese food called natto.  Although this fermented food is difficult to find, a pill form is easily purchased at most health food stores or online.

By maintaining spinal health through regular exercise, chiropractic care and proper nutrition, you won’t have to feel the effects of premature aging. You can also maintain a healthy spine and enjoy the benefits of living with full mobility. The best part about maintaining spinal health is the new foods you get to try. So start eating for spinal health and today and notice instant benefits.

New Changes at Midwest Chiropractic!

Midwest Chiropractic and Dr. Joe have some very exciting news!

Not only have we been working to advance our practice by instituting new treatments and techniques, we are now on social media! We decided to enter the digital era as a means of connecting with clients in an electronic way. We want to spread information about our practice faster and we want our clients to share the news.

For us, the best part about social media is connecting with others instantly and the ability to expand our reach. Our hope is that we build strong connections by meeting new clients online through the information we share.

Through our use of social media, we also hope to meet new chiropractors and other chiropractic facilities. We know that our techniques and treatments will improve your health and create a straighter, stronger, taller spine, but we want to learn more about what we’re doing. There might be doctor out there who’s using an alternative technique that works better than the ones we are using. There might be a conversation someone is having with clients that improves their overall well-being. And there might be a group out there that shares trending news about holistic health. They all exist on Facebook and we can’t wait to find them.

Liking us on Facebook

On our Facebook page we are working to connect with clients and others in the chiropractic community. Our posts are filled with pictures and #hashtags that are just aching to be shared and posted on other pages. To like our page, log into Facebook and search “Midwest Chiropractic LLC”. Click like and get connected our information instantly!

Reviewing us on Yelp!

Check out our Yelp! page by searching “Midwest Chiropractic LLC” in the search bar. By giving us a review about your experience with Dr. Joe and the reception staff, you can tell help other people find a new place to receive excellent chiropractic care.

Visiting our WordPress Blog

On WordPress, we strive to connect with health conscious bloggers in an attempt at learning more about our chiropractic community. We also want to spread knowledge to people who are interested in knowing more about their personal health and wellness. Check out this like if you would like to connect with us and see what we’re doing online: https://midwestchiropracticllc.wordpress.com/

10 Tips for a Healthy Spine

Improve spinal health by following these suggestions:

1. When standing, keep one foot forward of the other, with knees slightly bent. This takes the pressure off your low back.

2. When sitting, sit with your knees slightly higher than your hips and provide good low back support.

3. When reaching, stand on a stool to reach things that are above your shoulder level. This can prevent unnecessary injury

4. When moving heavy items, pushing is easier on your back than pulling. Use your arms and legs to start the push. If you must lift a heavy item, get someone to help you.

5. When lifting, kneel down on one knee with the other foot flat on the floor as near as possible to the item you are lifting. Lift with your legs, not your back, keeping the object close to your body at all times.

6. When carrying two small objects (one in either hand) may be easier to handle than one large one. If you must carry one large object, keep it close to your
body.

7. When sleeping, sleeping on your back puts 55 lbs. of pressure on your back. Putting a couple of pillows under your knees cuts the pressure in half. Lying on your side with a pillow between your knees also reduces the pressure.

8. When controlling your weight, keep in mind that Weight additional weight puts a strain on your back. Keep within 10 lbs. of your ideal weight for a healthier back.

9. Quit Smoking! Smokers are more prone to back pain than nonsmokers because nicotine restricts the flow of blood to the discs that cushion your vertebrae.

10. Treat minor back pain with anti-inflammatories and gentle stretching, followed by an ice pack.

Chiropractic Adjustments and Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, especially when it involves a properly aligned spine. If you are pregnant, or know someone who is, this article expresses the importance of visiting a chiropractor on a regular basis when you are expecting. There’s many benefits to getting regular adjustments before and after you go into labor. Check out the list below and stop by Midwest Chiropractic today if you need an assessment.

Many people think that swollen ankles, lower back pain and hormones gone wild is a natural part of pregnancy. However, chiropractic care can lessen these painful symptoms of pregnancy or eliminate them all together.

Methods Used to Eliminate Pain 

Since the spine is considered the central force of life, it controls the nervous system and plays a major role in how we feel on a daily basis. When a baby is growing inside a female body, the baby develops at the physical expense of the female. From a chiropractic perspective, this often results in vertebral subluxations and as previously mentioned, lower back pain.

By receiving adjustments on a regular basis, your spine can be realigned and pain can be prevented. This can result in a healthier, happier baby since the mother’s body endured less pain and tension as a result of the pregnancy.

After Pregnancy

Receiving chiropractic care after pregnancy not only helps the body, but the mind as well. By getting a spinal adjustment after a woman gives birth, she can  prevent and treat postpartum depression. That’s because a chiropractic adjustment creates more blood flow in the spine and makes it easier for circulation to reach the brain.

Working with Midwest Chiropractic 

By selecting Midwest Chiropractic, you have opted for a safe alternative to invasive treatment and harmful medicines. Dr. Joe has worked extensively on spinal health for the past 26 years and is eager to help you. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to call at our office at 847-253-2112.

Questions To Ask Your Chiropractor

When visiting a chiropractor, make sure you come prepared with a list of questions to ask that will help realign your spine as well as your health. By preparing yourself for the visit, you can become an advocate for your own health and as you experience the power of healing within your own body. Don’t hesitate to do your own research, the list of questions below might help you get started.

1. What conditions do chiropractors treat?

Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) care for patients of all ages, with a variety of health conditions.  DCs are especially well known for their expertise in caring for patients with back pain, neck pain and headaches…particularly with their highly skilled  manipulations or chiropractic adjustments. They also care for patients with a wide range of injuries and disorders of the musculoskeletal system, involving the muscles, ligaments and joints.

Getting a chiropractic adjustment can help everyone relieve tension in the spine and create more mobility.

2. How do I select a doctor of chiropractic?

One of the best ways to select a doctor of chiropractic (DC) is by getting a referral from a friend, family member, colleague, or another health care provider. You can also check out our Facebook page to learn more about how we care for our patients at Midwest Chiropractic LLC.

3. Does chiropractic treatment require a referral from an MD?

You do not need a referral from an MD to visit a chiropractor. In fact, some MDs frown upon the work chiropractors do since it deviates from a health plan based on pharmaceuticals.

4. Is chiropractic treatment safe?

Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness, stiffness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise.

5. Is chiropractic treatment appropriate for children?

Yes, children can benefit from chiropractic care. Children are very physically active and experience many types of falls and blows from activities of daily living as well as from participating in sports. Injuries such as these may cause many symptoms including back and neck pain, stiffness, soreness or discomfort.
Are chiropractors allowed to practice in hospitals or use medical outpatient facilities?

6. How is a chiropractic adjustment performed?

Chiropractic adjustment or manipulation is a manual procedure that utilizes the highly refined skills developed during the doctor of chiropractic’s intensive years of chiropractic education. The chiropractic physician typically uses his or her hands–or an instrument–to manipulate the joints of the body, particularly the spine, in order to restore or enhance joint function.

If you have more questions regarding how chiropractic treatment could benefit your health, feel free to give Dr. Joe a call at 847-253-2112 so he can help improve your spine.

10 reasons you need a spinal adjustment

If you haven’t visited a chiropractor before, you should start now! At Midwest Chiropractic LLC, we pride ourselves on the ability to enhance a patient’s health without invasive treatment. After receiving one spinal adjustment from Dr. Joe Baric, or patients mood is lifted and tension is put at ease.

The spine is the center of human life. If a single nerve, nodule or disc slips out of place, an adjustment is necessary to fix the imbalance. 

Why Chiropractic Care Works

By taking a holistic approach to health, the spine is identified as the center of human life. If a single nerve is out of place, it can result in unnecessary pain and mental imbalances or stress. All chiropractors, including Dr. Joe Baric are aware that the body has the ability to heal itself with enough exercise and proper diet. By acknowledging this, we manipulate the spine to realign the human mind and body.

Visiting a chiropractor on a regular basis and receiving spinal adjustments can improve:

1. Back Pain
2. Neck pain
3. Headaches
4. Ear Infections
5. Scoliosis
6. Asthma
7. Blood Pressure
8. Tough Pregnancy
9. Organ Function
10. Surgery Prevention

At Midwest Chiropractic LLC, we assess the patients health before manipulating the spine. Misalignment happens for a variety of reasons including; poor diet, poor posture, inflammatory response, degenerative diseases.

That chair is going to kill you: Negative consequences of sitting

Do you sit in a chair all day hunched over and glued to the keyboard? Do you drive home through miles of traffic, hanging over the steering wheel like you’re clinging to the edge of a cliff? Do you sit down to eat dinner, to read a book, to give your child a bath?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your spine could be in serious danger. According to the Washington Post, sitting for four to eight hours a day can increase your chances of an early mortality as well as disk damage and an inflexible spine.

Bad Back: When the human body is active, it allows the spinal column to stretch and absorb nutrients that exist in the bloodstream. However, when the human body remains sedentary for long periods of time on a consistent basis, nutrients can’t be absorbed, making it harder for blood to flow. A loss of circulation to the spine results in collagen build up and eventually herniated lumbar discs.

Leg Disorders: Sitting for a long period of time can also slow blood circulation in the legs and cause fluid to remain stagnant. Problems like swollen legs, varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis can occur overtime. Sitting too much can also result in the softening of bones. This occurs because the human body is not being exercised enough with weight-bearing activities like walking, swimming or running.

Fatigue and Fogginess: When we sit still for long periods of time, all body functions slow including the though processes taking place in the brain. Exercise can counter the imbalances in the brain created by sitting because most exercise will force the neck and shoulders to move.

If you’re hoping to prevent the damage done by a sedentary lifestyle, try adopting a proper exercise regimen that integrates cardio activities, weight lifting and most importantly, yoga. Not only will these activities get you moving, your spine will be able to circulate nutrients throughout the body while activating all necessary functions in the body.