How Chiropractics Aids in Weight Loss For Adults
When it comes to losing weight, the majority of us think that changing our diet, and adding in a few days of exercise is the magic trick needed to see great results. Now, while I can attest to the fact that eating right and getting the body moving on a frequent and regular basis does work for shedding those unwanted pounds, having your body in the right physical and mental condition to be able to do so is equally as important.
If the body isn’t in the right state to take on physical activity, if the mind isn’t ready to take on the rigors of a healthier eating regimen or workout plan, then the attempts at losing weight in a healthy manner can become futile. Giving your body and mind the best possible chance to succeed, to work in your favor, and to skyrocket your overall health and well-being, needs to come with some maintenance in the process.
When I first attempted to change my diet, to up my workout routine and to get in shape, I quickly realized that eating my fruits, vegetables and lean forms of protein, as well as hitting the weight a few times a week, wasn’t all I needed. When my body wasn't feeling as great as it should, when my mind wasn't operating as clearly as I knew it could, everything else in my healthy lifestyle efforts suffered too. Turning to chiropractic care was one of the smartest thing I have ever done. Not only does regular chiropractic care help me to better know and understand my body and its needs, but it also helps me to keep track of just how my body is functioning, so that I can have more efficient workouts, and better day to day functioning. With my body in better condition on a more regular basis, and with a licensed doctor of chiropractic helping to monitor my health every step of the way, getting healthier, losing weight and living a happier life, is made all the more easier.
What is Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractic care is the practice of fixing misalignments within the joints, mainly throughout the spine and often in the upper vertebrae or the lower extremities. These misalignments, otherwise referred to as subluxations, are aided through chiropractic care as it is the practice of attempting to fully alleviate any nerve pressure, thus allowing the body to run and heal optimally.
Regular chiropractic care helps to correct blockages that may occur within the body, either pertaining to the joints or even to other important bodily functions like blood flow and heart rate. Specifically targeting the source of pain, and using manual manipulation to try to alleviate it means that the body is better able to function at a high level, and in turn, you’re more mobile, flexible and healthier overall. Chiropractics allows the body's natural functions, like the healing function, to perform optimally so that the body can do what it was designed to do, which is to heal itself whenever it comes under duress or has any form of bacteria or foreign pathogens threatening it.
According to the University of Minnesota and the Center for Spirituality & Healing, because chiropractics takes care of the spine and nervous system, it is one of the more optimal, non-invasive ways to adequately regulate the health of the entire human system. One of the main basic philosophies of chiropractic care is that the body naturally seeks proper balance in order to function; if any one of the many structures that makes up the entire human body is in any way compromised then an individual's health can be adversely affected. Chiropractics focuses on the upkeep of the spine and its surroundings, to help normalize human function and health.
So, How Does Chiropractics Help with Weight Loss?
Due to the fact that chiropractics is the practice of re-aligning the spine, and correcting any blockages that may hinder the way in which the body works, regular chiropractic care aids the body in weight loss in a variety of different ways. As I mentioned earlier, I found out the hard way that losing weight and getting healthy wasnt done through healthy eating and a few days in the gym. Getting the body right means that you’re giving yourself an opportunity to actually be healthy from head to toe, from the inside out.
When you’re able to have a fully functional immune system, central nervous system, blood flow, heart rate and digestion, this then means you’re healthier and the body is performing as it should. When all systems are go, the body can truly start to shed weight, and you’ll really begin to see results. When you’re healthy, you’re more relaxed, and being relaxed may be one of the most important things you need to keep consistent as possible when aiming to lose weight; this is mainly because cortisol (the stress hormone) is directly correlated to fat storage within the body. When you’re stressed, you become tense, you struggle to lose weight, and the vicious cycle continues, making you grow even more dissatisfied and frustrated with the entire process.
Everything within the body is connected, and the gut and the central nervous system are no exception. Losing weight is a challenge for many people because of underlying blockages, conditions or issues that are ongoing with in their digestive system that they simply do not know about. Your digestive systems works best when the mind and body are in a relaxed state, and manipulation is an effective way to ensure that your digestive system is in the right alignment, and in full working order. If your body isn’t properly processing the foods that you eat, and not working to the best of its ability it can seriously hinder your weight loss efforts. Regular chiropractic care not only allows you to be informed of how you’re gastrointestinal function is performing, but it also gives you the avenue to make sure that it’s staying healthy and working for you the way it should. Common issues such as retaining water or irregular bowel movement contribute to weight gain, but are easily adjusted through manual manipulation, getting you back on the right track for losing weight efficiently.
In fact, research out of the Cleveland Chiropractic Clinic shows that manual manipulation is able to influence blood flow to the extremities as well as the brain, and offer a positive boost in cognitive function and mental clarity. Anyone that has ever tried to work out with “brain fog”, or the inability to properly focus, or even stay on track with a healthy eating plan when they weren’t necessarily feeling in the greatest shape mentally or physically, can attest to just how important it is to be running on all cylinders at all times.
Common Physical Ailments that Hinder Weight Loss
Aside from things like brain fog, or a lack of mental clarity, or even poor blood flow throughout the body, there are a few other common ailments that seriously slow down the rate at which the body is able to lose weight healthily. Everything from hormone imbalances to hypertension can drastically affect us, all without us knowing. Correcting physical ailments, even ones as small as misaligned vertebrae, help to give the body the range of motion, flexibility, mobility and overall ability in general, to be able to perform exercises, to walk and jog better, and to be able to push the body to physical exhaustion in order to gain strength and bolster the state of health of the individual. To better understand some of the ailments that could be plaguing you, what to look for, and how to combat them, take a look at this list of illnesses that have the potential to wreak havoc on your health and your weight loss goals:
1. Hypothyroidism - Characterized by little to no activity within the thyroid. The thyroid is a gland located in the neck, and is the sole mechanism that controls the rate of our metabolism. So, when the thyroid is not functioning at the rate that it should, it can usually manifest itself into severe weight gain, fatigue, headaches and decreased immune system function. For many people, decreased activity in the thyroid is due to a simple subluxation in the upper vertebrae or neck area. Chiropractic care aims to correct the subluxations causing pressure on and around the thyroid, restoring it to normal productivity. This allows for a better balance of hormones, an increased immune system level and the improvement of any gastrointestinal issues that may have resulted from a slowed down thyroid and metabolism.
2. Hypertension - Otherwise known as severely high blood pressure, this is actually quite a common condition, particularly here in the United States. This ailment is due in part to the repetitive and long-term force of the bodies circulating blood against the artery walls; when this is past a certain level it can become life threatening if not remedied. Blood pressure is determined by the amount of blood the heart is able to sufficiently, yet steadily pump, as well as the amount of resistance to blood flow there is within the arteries themselves. The more blood the heart can pump, and the narrower the arteries, the higher your blood pressure will be. This is often caused by subluxations on the arteries by way of nerves, ligaments and even tight muscles. So, keeping the body aligned not only helps with keeping the body limber, but it also allows the pathways for the blood to be open and for your heart rate levels to be within the normal range.
Knowing the many ailments that can possibly derail your weight loss efforts is one of the first steps in the right direction to knowing just how to combat anything standing in the way of your weight loss goals. Looking to proper chiropractic care for maintenance , prevention and upkeep is one of the best ways to use non invasive practices to stay healthy. The U.S Department of Health & human Services also has a great list that encompasses everything you need to know on how to choose a healthy weight loss plan, what it entails, and how to go about making it part of your life. I have found this list to be instrumental in keeping on the healthy straight and narrow, you may too.
So, the intricate workings of our bodies, both mentally and physically, are so essential to the health of us as a whole, that even the slightest deviation from anything within “normal” range, can drastically affect our health. When looking to lose weight, be healthier, happier, and lead a lifestyle that will see you live well into your later years, chiropractic care is one of the best non invasive forms of medicine that you can adopt in order to do so.
Our happiness, our stress levels and our ability to be free and clear in both body and mind, is dependant on how well the body is communicating with all of its parts. another. Things like stress, aches and pains, misalignments in the spine or vertebrae, may just seem like small inconveniences at first, but they can really put a damper on anything you do to try to get healthy. Now, I’ll be the first to say that weight loss is never easy, many of the people (myself included) that comprise the United States population suffer from weight issues in some form. Knowing that I had the tools to truly see out my goals, and continue getting healthier, happier and in shape, was the driving force behind my goals, but they were only ever achieved because of the understanding I took away from things like chiropractic care and extensive research in how I could truly improve.
Chiropractic care allows the body to operate well, it pinpoints blockages and misalignments, and gets to work at the very source of these issues. Many people have additional factors in their own health that hinder their weight loss efforts, from hypertension issues to a simple lack of flexibility to be able to move as freely as they would like. Losing weight isn’t always about hitting the gym and eating right, it’s also about taking care of your body so that you’re weight management goals can actually be achieved.
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