4 Ways to Love Your Spine
With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, you’re probably thinking more about how to make the day special for your partner than what you can do for your spine. That’s where we come in! Here are a few ways you can show your back some love this Valentine’s Day (and beyond).
1. Do something active. Your spine was designed to move! In fact, a brisk hike or walk with your loved one is a great pre or post dinner activity.
2. Stay hydrated. When you don’t consume enough water, the fluid-filled sacs in your spine deplete, making it harder to move.
3. Be conscious of your posture, whether it’s sitting at a desk or moving around. Incorrect posture places a great deal of stress on the body.
4. Book a visit with us. If it’s been a while since we’ve seen you, we’d love to welcome you back!
Finding Your Natural Rhythm
Ever wonder why we have good days and bad days? Or why we can be extremely productive one afternoon with focused energy, and struggle to complete basic tasks the next?
It all has to do with our natural rhythm. And while we aren’t all on the same schedule, there are steps that can be taken to ensure we have more happy, productive days than not.
Here’s how to do it without the need for excess caffeine and sugar:
• Set monthly goals vs long term goals. Our bodies thrive on 28-31-day rhythms. Take what worked into the next month, and so forth.
• Prep your meals ahead of time. This way, when you’re naturally hungry, you’ll have healthy options instead of reaching for a sugary snack.
• Stick to normal bed times and wake times to help regulate your energy needs.
Eating Well in 2021
One hope our team has for patients in 2021 is this—that fad diets come to an end. Typically, these diets are hard to follow and sometimes not nutritionally balanced. Instead of jumping on the latest trend, try incorporating the following when it comes to your food:
Add more color to your plate. Aim to fill half of your plate with fruits and veggies, ¼ with whole grains, and ¼ with protein.
Savor it. If you tend to eat quickly, you likely never truly enjoy your food. Slowing down when you eat can help create a better relationship with how you fuel your body.
Find ways to swap sugar. Reducing your sugar intake doesn’t have to mean cutting out sweets completely—instead, make small changes like eating plain yogurt over sweetened options or choosing reduced sugar condiments over regular dressings.
Feb 04, 2021 at 3:20 PM
One of the best ways I've found to enjoy sweets is to bake with dates and raisins in place of refined sugar, or to use maple syrup and stevia. Putting salt into baked goods also brings out the flavour of the natural sweetening. I just make sure I'm using a healthy salt, like Himalayan! In my opinion, healthy food doesn't have to be (and shouldn't be!) gross!
Feb 05, 2021 at 2:50 PM
Caroline these are fantastic tips that we 100% agree with, and couldn't have said it better ourselves! Thank you! - Dr. Trina and Dr. Brian