Dr. Crom’s Weekly Adjustment

Nutrition Advice for a Healthy New You

There is no better way to revamp your health than by eating more nutritiously. In fact, even a few small and simple changes in the way you view food and your lifestyle, can have a positive impact on your health-and any health problems that you may be experiencing at this time. The traditional coffee and doughnuts for breakfast; a drive through for lunch-or no lunch; candy, cookies, and a soft drink for a snack; followed by a huge dinner with more protein than a person needs-are unhealthy dietary choices. As a result, younger people are starting to suffer from heart disease-not only because of poor diet, but also because of an epidemic of inactivity. Processed foods and video games are making our children obese and extremely unhealthy

How can you reverse this alarming trend. Start by eating a balanced diet, drink more water (you should drink half of your body weight in ounces per day), STOP SMOKING, exercise, and supplement the vitamins and minerals that you are not getting from your food.

What Can You Do?
The American Chiropractic Association offers the following prevention and wellness advice:

Lifestyle Changes

• Exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes three or four days a week.
• Eat out more sparingly. Food preparation methods in restaurants often involve high amounts-and the wrong types-of fat and sugar.
• Brown-bag your lunch to control your fat and sugar content while adding nutritious fruits, vegetables, and grains.
• Limit your intake of alcohol and quit smoking. Drinking alcohol excessively and/or smoking hinder your body’s ability to absorb nutrients from your food.

Dietary Changes

• Eat more raw foods. Cooking and canning destroys much of the nutrition in foods. With the exception of canned tomatoes, which can help prevent prostate cancer,1 fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables always have more natural vitamins and minerals.
• Select organically grown foods when possible, because they have lower amounts of toxic elements, such as pesticides and heavy metals.
• Consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. Whole-grain breads and cereals, beans, nuts, and some fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber. High-fiber diets can help prevent digestive disorders, heart disease, and colon cancer.
• Drink eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Coffee, tea, soft drinks, and alcohol are dehydrators. Don’t substitute them for water.

Vegetarian Diets
Research shows that a good vegetarian diet as part of a comprehensive health program can help prevent heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. However, fried foods, hydrogenated fats, and commercial meat substitutes may contain more sugar and fat than a meat-eater would consume.

If you are considering a vegetarian diet, keep the following tips in mind:

• Don’t rely on fruits and vegetables at the expense of grains and legumes. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to consume a wide range of nutrients.
• Tiredness, malaise, and anemia can be signs of deficiencies. Have your B12 and iron levels checked at least once a year.
• Consume fortified foods or take supplements to obtain the nutrients you no longer get from animal-based products, such as vitamin B12.
• Before eliminating animal products from the diet, learn to do it right. Children, pregnant and breast-feeding women, and people recovering from illness should consult their health care practitioners.

Supplements According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, dietary supplements are not substitutes for foods, nor can a person sustain good health by just taking vitamin and mineral supplements. When taken properly, however, supplements can play an important role in achieving maximum health. If you are considering nutritional supplements, keep the following tips in mind:

• Remember to consume dark green vegetables, oils, nuts, and seeds, which are sources of magnesium, fatty acids, and many other vitamins and minerals.

Don’t “self-prescribe.” Consult a health care practitioner, such as a doctor of chiropractic, to determine what supplements are best for you. If you have symptoms such as headaches, chronic fatigue, or cardiac problems, seek professional advice from a health care provider who specializes in nutrition.

References

1. Pohar KS, Gong MC, Bahnson R, Miller EC, Clinton SK. Tomatoes, lycopene and prostate cancer: a clinician’s guide for counseling those at risk for prostate cancer. World J Urol. 2003 May;21(1):9-14. Epub 2003 Mar 22.
2. Beilin LJ. Vegetarian and other complex diets, fats, fiber, and hypertension. Am J Clin Nutr. 1994;59(suppl):1130-1135.
3. Dwyer JT. Health aspects of vegetarian diets. Am J Clin Nutr. 1988;48(suppl):712-738.
4. Economic Characterization of the Dietary Supplement Industry: Final Report. In “U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition” March 1999.

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Golf is generally viewed as a game of leisure or relaxation and not an athletic event requiring highly athletic motions. This common misconception often results in injuries. As Paul Chek stats: Getting your club head speed to over 100 mph takes the amateur golfer 90% of their peak muscle activity to accomplish this feat. That is the same as lifting a weight that can only be lifted 4 times before total fatigue. So you can imagine what that is doing to your body when you are taking that powerful of a swing 30-40 times per round. I know what you are thinking- If golf is such an athletic event then how can guys like John Daly or Kevin Stadler play it so well. Well there is always the exception to the rule, and they also have been playing and practicing golf for so long that they has developed the muscle strength that they requires to perform. But what I am really talking about here is the amateur golfer. The golfers that show up to the golf course 5 min. before their tee time. They take a couple of swings with their drivers on the first tee, touch their toes a few times and then try to hit the ball with everything they’ve got. These are the golfers that are going to at some point experience pain. Usually this pain is going to hit the lower back, but it can also make it into the hips, knees, elbows and wrist. Knowing that golf is going to take so much energy and strength, don’t you think it is in your best interest to give your body a little time to get warmed up and loose? Considering the fact that most of us ride in a cart and don’t walk, it takes longer and more of an effort to get our muscles prepared for a round. Just a few friendly tips to try prior to your next round.Get there a little early. Give yourself some time to stretch and warm up. Making sure that you focus on warming up the muscles you will be using through out your round. In this case it will be all of them to one extent or another. Start by increasing your heart rate with some simple movements. Then stretch your neck, shoulders, arms, lower back, hamstrings and calf muscles. Finally, start swinging a club slowly. I recommend a 7 iron, usually starting at about 50% and working up from there. This type of warm up will allow you to play a better round of golf, and help you prevent injuries.One last thought, if you would like to add distance to your shots. Try improving yourself before you run out and buy a new $400 driver. You are the one swinging the club. You are the main “club” in your bag. Just improving your flexibility can add that 10-15 yards a new driver would, not to mention it will add to your overall health and wellness.

There are many websites, videos, and golf shows developed to help improve your body for golf. I would recommend you choose one. If you aren’t doing anything at this point, something is better then nothing. I have attached a video of the warm up program that I do prior to playing a round. Mike in the video has a lot of great products. I don’t personally know him, but I do use a lot of his books and videos in my clinic.

I hope this has helped to show you the importance of how your body during a round of golf.

If you have any questions about improving your flexibility or strength please feel free to contact the office. We would be more then happy to point you in the right direction.

http://www.performbettergolf.com/article5

See you next week with more great health news and notes.

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Thank you for visiting our blog.  We plan to inform you on a variety of topics, all related to your health and wellness. We will be posting about ways that can help you live a stronger, healthier life with small lifestyle modifications. Please join us weekly for our latest post.

Dr. Crom

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