Burn Fat Dr. Ala's Way

These fat burning strategies are not for the faint of heart, but they are for the person who wants results and wants optimum body composition.  This is about more than just losing weight, this is about losing FAT weight.  Too often people focus on just the number on the scale.  However, this number doesn't tell you if you've lost, fat, muscle/lean tissue, or water weight.  Often times when people try to lose weight on their own, they end up losing lean tissue and gaining or maintaining fat weight.  This is undesirable for many reasons.  Fat weight looks less desirable, it burns fewer calories, it doesn't support the skeletal system as well, and it stores toxins that can lead to disease.  Lean tissue on the other hand, looks better, feels better, burns far more calories, doesn't store toxins, and supports your frame adequately.

So, if you are ready to shed some FAT weight, consider what I recommend and how I live, in order to shed fat pounds and maintain the lean ones.  Then, call our office to have a BIA test run on you so you can see more than just the numbers on the scale...and actually see what you are losing!

Fat burning strategies:

1. Intermittent fasting.  

2. High intensity exercise.

Intermittent fasting is a great way for the body to clean out all the garbage that is stored.  The body goes through a process call apoptosis.  Apoptosis is the programmed cell death, whereby the body, when deprived of caloric intake, actually uses the stored energy as fuel.  These stores are often garbage that is no longer needed or is actually a threat to our health.  I practice intermittent fasting one day per week.  For example, on Monday, after my evening meal, I cease eating until Tuesday at my evening meal.  This requires lots of discipline, but the effects are profound.

High intensity exercise is not only extremely effective, it is also more efficient.  A recent article in Men's Fitness stated this phenomenon perfectly.  

      "The magic of high intensity interval training (or HIIT for short) lies its ability to keep you burning fat even after you leave the gym. In short, your body isn’t able to bring in enough oxygen during periods of hard work. Therefore, you accumulate a “debt” of oxygen that must be repaid post-workout in order to get back to normal. The result — your metabolism is revved for hours after you leave the gym. 1

Each of these strategies on their own are effective and beneficial, but if you want serious results, consider combining the two strategies like I do.  You can super charge your fat loss efforts by combining these strategies as they actually mimic each other.  Consider my favorite benefits of these strategies when used together.

"Both strategies keep insulin levels ridiculously low, which keeps your body in fat burning mode."2  Primarily, spikes in insulin levels are caused by food intake.  When fasting, you avoid these spikes.  High intensity exercise has been shown to lower insulin and keep insulin levels low for several hours post workout.

"Both strategies increase Growth Hormone production in a big way."2  By fasting, you increase GH production as the body's 'fight or flight' response is heightened.  High intensity exercise has been shown to increase GH production by as much as 450% if you exercise properly.

My favorite benefit of the combination of these strategies is the increase in brain power and focus.  "Adrenaline is released by the adrenal glands during high intensity exercise protocols, which is a precursor to helping you release and burn off more fat."2  Fasting also increases neurotransmitter products which is key in increasing focus and concentration.

Now that you have the keys to losing fat, I challenge you to test these strategies.  Then call us for a BIA test to watch your results.  With this test, we can measure your fat mass, muscle mass, and water distribution.  Watch your results and your body transform as you accept my fat-burning challenge.

1. Duvall, Jeremy. "8 Amazing Fat Burning Intervals." Men's Fitness.  http://www.mensfitness.com/training/cardio/8-amazing-fat-burning-intervals

2. Otake, Shin.  "MaxWorkouts." http://www.xtremefatlossdiet.com/special/fflwe-mg1.php

How Can Chiropractic Care Help With Work Injuries?

Our doctors were recently asked to share about chiropractic care and workplace safety at a local manufacturing facility.  The information shared was so great, we thought you'd like to be in on it too.

The most common workplace injuries we see are lifting injuries or repetitive motion injuries.  This often results in a sprain of the ligaments or a strain of the muscles, which results in soft tissue breakdown.  Chiropractic care is the only treatment option that carries little risk and is the most cost effective.

Before an injury occurs, we like to focus on prevention.  Chiropractic care, used as a preventative measure to help joints move more freely, is the best way to reduce your chance for injury.  You can think of your joints like a hinge.  If you use chiropractic care as a preventative measure, your joints will be like a well greased hinge.  It moves, opens, closes easily without much effort.  Without preventative care, the joint becomes like a rusty hinge which takes more force to open, close, and move.  If a joint becomes fixated, like a rusty hinge, it takes more muscle power, or force, to move, thus increasing your chance for injury.

There are some other preventative measures that you should also consider.  First, consider nutrition.  The best place to start is to reduce simple carbohydrates and sugars.  Next, increase your protein intake, particularly at breakfast.  Then, do not be afraid to add good fats.  And finally, hydrate!  A good rule of thumb with hydration is to take in half your body weight in ounces of water each day.  For example if you weigh 100 lbs your should drink at least 50 ounces of water daily.

Another excellent way to prevent injuries is to engage in some type of regular exercise.  If your workplace requires some type of physical labor, starting your work day with a simple warm up can greatly reduce your risk for injury.  By doing some simple exercises such as jumping jacks, running in place, and the like, plus adding some stretching, you increase blood flow to your tissues which prepares your body for work and greatly reduces your risk for injury.

If an injury does occur, there are a few treatment options you can consider.  First, physical therapy can be offered.  This treatment can be viewed as primarily a muscle therapy.  They may offer treatment and modalities that focus on the muscle groups.  Second, traditional medical care can be considered.  In a soft tissue injury, their primary goal is to reduce pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms thru medication.  The goal is to cover or mask the pain long enough for the patient to rest to allow healing.

At our office we offer a multi-faceted approach to injury care.  We focus on the the muscle and the joint health.  We offer modailities such as Ultrasound and Electrical Muscle Stimulation to reduce inflammation and muscle spasms.  Spinal manipulations are utilized to correct and repair the joint.  We also utilize Acupuncture for more chronic conditions.  Acupuncture causes fresh tissue injury, that will recreate the healing response.  Our doctors are also trained as functional neurologists which allows them to offer a more well rounded and whole system approach.  This approach requires them to look at all systems of the body to determine the precise cause of the pain, and then offers a course of care to correct that problem.

In conclusion, we are thrilled to help our patients improve their health and prevent injuries!  However, if you have endured an injury we would enjoy helping you recover and then work on prevention of future injuries!

Train Your Brain To Improve Your Athletic Performance

You are likely aware that we help athletes that have suffered concussions and other orthopedic types of injuries.

 But, did you know that we can help athletes optimize their performance?

Using our state of the art diagnostic equipment we can measure brain health and detect deficiencies.  Then we can offer a rehab program that will repair those deficiencies in the brain.  So, if you have not been injured and want to enhance your performance as an athlete, whether professional, or "run of the mill", you need to experience the most innovative way to detect your own brain capacity, integrity and endurance.   You will leave intrigued, but hopeful of improving your brain health!

If you'd like to begin this process, visit us on June 13th for a complimentary screening using our specialized equipment.  Then enjoy a brief assessment of your status along with a recommendation for future care to improve your performance.  Call our office for more details on this complimentary screening event! (218) 736-4113.

To Juice or Not to Juice?

As you may know, there is a great debate around juicing fresh fruits and veggies.  You will find some in one camp who argue for it and other who say it's not the best habit.  We suggest that it is a great habit with profound health benefits...IF it is done correctly.

Juicing is an excellent way to hydrate the body and provides an abundant source of nutrients that are readily available for the body to use without having to break anything down.  For example, if you juiced one whole cucumber, 1 carrot, and 1/2 an apple, you would be getting a large amount of nutrients that are readily available for the body to use.  The body does not have to break down a whole food (the juicer did that) instead the body can immediately use the nutrients.  In contrast, if you were to eat the cucumber, carrot, and apple, you would be quite full and you body has a lot of work to do before it can use the nutrients.  

The next item up for debate is fiber.  Some would argue that when you juice you lose valuable fiber that is essential for healthy elimination.  While fruits and veggies offer a healthy form of fiber that is needed by the body, fruit and vegetable fiber is non soluble in water.  There is another type of fiber called water soluble fiber, similar to that found in flax meal.  Water soluble fiber will enhance elimination and promote normal Peristalsis, which is the intestinal reflex to move stool. 

So, we would recommend that you juice the fruits and veggies to get some hydration and a super dose of nutrients that are readily available for the body to use.  In addition, eat a healthy amount of whole fruits and veggies in your diet.  

The next issue is what you juice.  Many people make the mistake of juicing far too much fruit and consequently giving the body a super dose of sugar.  If you choose to juice, be sure that at least 75% of the juice comes from vegetables, preferably green veggies such as kale, cucumber, celery, spinach, etc.  Then add just a little bit of fruit to sweeten it up, it doesn't take much fruit to give the lots of flavor, just a small piece is often enough.  See the recipes and tips for juicing below!

Juicing Tips:

Feel free to try any combination/recipe that you like.  I find it's easier to stick with the same one or two recipes, that way I can keep the fridge stocked.  I just buy a small variety of ingredients, but in large quantities, rather than keeping lots of different ingredients on hand.

Here is a great site to check out for more ideas:

http://juicerecipes.com/

#1, this is my primary go to recipe we use almost daily.

• 1 cucumber
• hand full of spinach leaves, (or you can use a couple leaves of kale instead of spinach), 
• 1 large carrot
• 1/2 an apple (or handfull of berries--strawberries, blueberries, anything to give it a bit of sweet)

#2, Green goodie

• 1 cucumber
• couple kale leaves
• small hand full of green grapes
• 1/2 green granny smith apple

#3

• 1/2 grapefruit
• 1 large carrot
• 1 cucumber 

#4

• 1/2 cucumber
• 3 kale leaves
• 1 apple
• hand full of spinach
• 1/2 lemon