From Your Chiropractor: 3 Life Hacks for Better Health
By Sara Butler
Health trends come and go. I mean, who can forget the ill-fated werewolf and tapeworm diets? The thigh master? If only it were only that easy! You can bet your sweet bippy people have tried all manner of crazy things to get healthy, but no matter what new health trend is on the horizon, you can be sure that good health is not achieved in a one-size-fits-all way. It would be nice if you could reach the best health of your life by eating cabbage soup every day or taking a Jazzercise class, but the truth is that your approach to optimal health is as unique as you are; something chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic make their mission to educate patients about.
There are simple things you can do to sharpen your picture of overall health. Beyond seeing your chiropractor for regular adjustments, these chiropractic health hacks can help you to see the forest through the trees – or the true health through the crazy health fads!
Forget the Purple Diet – Eat the Rainbow!
The purple diet is a real health fad in which people eat only purple foods such as plums, cabbage, and grapes. Mariah Carey professes to follow it. No one is saying that plums, cabbage, and grapes aren’t good for you because they certainly are. In reality, berries are high in antioxidants that are good for your brain and heart, but focusing on any one food group is never a good idea. You must diversify if you want to healthify.
A balanced diet is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health and wellness. One of the best ways to ensure you’re getting what you need is to eat foods of all colors. Red foods are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which is known for helping reduce your risk of cancer. Orange foods (naturally orange, not cheese puffs) are full of beta-carotene; beta-carotene is converted by the body into Vitamin A, which helps to maintain healthy eyes and healthy mucous membranes. You get the point here – eat all the natural colors of the rainbow to get all your body needs to stay healthy. Skittles don’t count.
Plus, I kind of imagine a diet in which you eat only purple things eventually turns you into Violet from Willy Wonka -- a giant blueberry that needs to be juiced. There’s a lesson to be learned there.
If You’re Going to Fast, Make it a Techno-Fast
Fasting is and always has been a fad, but it’s not a good way to improve your health or even achieve long-term health goals. But one fast that will make a difference in your health is a fast from technology. You know, pretend it’s 1989 every once in awhile. Put on some Debbie Gibson, do the moonwalk, and just unplug from the modern world.
You may feel a bit naked and alone without your smartphone or tablet, but that’s exactly why a technology fast is in order. It’s not practical for a lot of people to go even 24 hours without access to devices, but you can limit your use of electronics in small ways that have a big impact. This is especially helpful at night because the light emitted from electronics promotes wakefulness. Using electronics in the hour before bed is not a great way to get a good night’s sleep – and everyone knows that a good night’s sleep is essential to overall health and wellness.
As part of your nightly routine, get rid of your devices and find a way to relax and unwind as you get ready for sleep. You may be surprised how easy it is to fall asleep and stay that way when you cut yourself off just a little from technology! You can dream about your smartphone, just don’t use it before bed!
Forget a Cleanse – Water Works Just Fine!
You can’t avoid being bombarded from all sides with the idea of a cleanse. Remember how your coworker professed to lose 10 pounds in 12 hours by drinking lemon water laced with turmeric and maple syrup? Well, not only is that a terrible long-term health solution, it also probably tasted pretty terrible. If you’re looking for a way to keep your body healthy and functioning at its best, then all you really need to do is drink plenty of water.
Your body needs water in order to do pretty much everything. This includes getting rid of waste and detoxifying the body, which is what all these fancy cleanses profess to do in the first place! The only absolute is you get enough water on a daily basis. You should try to drink half of your weight in ounces of water per day. So, if you weigh 180 pounds, aim to drink 90 ounces of water. That’s it!
At The Joint Chiropractic, we’re big proponents of the idea that taking care of your health doesn’t have to be complicated. Just stick with the basics and they’ll take you where you need to go for good health and wellness.
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this page are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.