Exercise « Nature Cures Clinic: A Naturopathic Acupuncture Chinese Medicine Clinic in Portland Oregon

Posts Tagged ‘Exercise’

Parent, Nourish Thyself

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

by Dr. Erika Siegel
Nature Cures Clinic physician

On top of being an excellent physician, writer, yogi and supermom, Dr. Siegel is also the creator of Nourish Me, a superfood supplement for kids and adults aimed at boosting immunity and overall health. Check it out at the Items We Love page of the Nature Cures Clinic store.

As new parents, we often forget how to care for ourselves. Birthdays pass unnoticed, hair is ignored and even teeth go unbrushed. It’s almost comical at times how little we tend to ourselves during the early days (baby drool and sticky hand prints were my accessories for years!). As time goes on, though, many parents start to “reclaim” themselves in some way or another.

I encourage everyone to take a good look at the ways we are (and are not!) currently caring for ourselves. The people I know who are really thriving in their lives make their health a daily priority. If you have been putting yourself on the back burner, here are some ideas to help you get your groove back!

A Few Minutes is Better than None

We all have activities we long to do but can’t seem to find the time. Perhaps it’s yoga, reading a favorite book, taking a walk, crafting, or playing music. We tend to wait until we have the right setting to really get down with our favorite hobbies…

Translation: We rarely do them anymore.

My husband Matt, for instance, complains regularily about missing his long Northwest bike rides. I almost have to push him out the door to go for an hour ride around our local hills (while he groans that he’d rather not go at all because the ride will not be epic enough!). However, when he just sucks it up and takes that shorter ride he always comes back smiling because it was “SO worth it!” When I stop my own whining and get on my yoga mat, I find that a 10 minute session really can nourish me and provide more that I ever would have guessed.

Here is one idea for you: If one of your goals is to become more physically fit, you can literally spend less than 30 minutes a week on the “100 push-ups program.” Within weeks, you will be amazed at how quickly you can rip out a long set of pushups. This is an exercise that you can do anywhere, tones your whole body, and is great for all levels (yes, you can cheat and put your knees on the ground). The 100 pushup program is truly a good time (and yes, there’s an app for that).

Sometimes we just have to integrate our favorite things and do them in a less-than-ideal way. For Matt, he attaches a trailer to his bike and schleps the kids all over the place. For me, I do “yoga” in the living room while the dogs and kids treat me like a licking stick/jungle gym. Other ideas of integration: Listen to your favorite music while you clean the house, dance around while you do that aforementioned cleaning, bring a craft (knitting?) to doctors appointments or places where you will be waiting around, simultaneously clothes shop and catch up with your friends at a clothing swap (invite the ladies over to trade gently worn clothes and hang out! It’s an amazingly fun and economical way to refresh your wardrobe!) (oh I could go on….)

Here’s the Nourish Me challenge: For the next week, try to do something daily that you usually save for longer stretches of time. Shoot for 5-10 minutes of that activity and see how it can squeeze itself back into your life!

Don’t Wait Until Life Gets Easier, Less Crazy or Less Busy – Reality Is, It Might Not!

Come on, you know this by now; life is packed and (at least from my seat) does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Perhaps it’s time to stop telling yourself the story that the near future holds this magical amount of more time or energy to take better care of yourself. Remember, this is not a dress rehearsal, your life is not waiting to start after the kids are a bit older or you change jobs. You are in it right now. This. is. it. Tomorrow is a great time to create the life you want.

Here’s the Nourish Me challenge: After reading this post, write down a few things that you can realistically bring into your life, starting tomorrow. (Baby steps are great!)

Pencil It In

Schedule breaks, exercise, cooking sessions and dates. These things will not spontaneously happen anymore. As a parent, it needs to be in the books. Many at-home parents share that they should have more opportunities to take care of themselves, but it still doesn’t happen. So the solution is, you schedule that morning run or phone call with a friend as if it were part of your job (because caring for yourself IS part of your job!).

Here’s the Nourish Me challenge: Plan a date with your love or friend for next week!

Start the Day off Right

One of our biggest needs, that is severely ignored, is our need for hydration. So many patients I work with discover that when they took my advice to drink more water, they really felt the difference. Water is required for every single metabolic process in the body, and dehydration will disguise itself as fatigue, hunger and moodiness. (Yes, you may actually be thirsty and not as tired as you thought!). Caffeine depletes you of water and if you aren’t hitting 8-10 cups daily, you aren’t getting enough. I recommend starting each day with a big glass of water; it’s really not very hard! And while you do it, consider taking a few seconds to set an intention to have a really good day!

Here’s the Obvious Nourish Me Challenge: Drink a full cup of water every morning this week!

Tags: balance, Children, Dr. Erika Siegel, Exercise, family, nourish me, Nutrition, parenting
Posted in Alternative medicine, Articles by our Doctors, Children, Dr. Erika Siegel, Exercise, General, Health, Healthy lifestyle | Comments Off

Cleanse: Day 4

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

Well, Day 4 has come and gone, and my cravings for mac n’ cheese went with it. I didn’t believe it was possible, but I am actually starting to feel full on just one real meal a day and some shakes. Tomorrow is the big one – shakes only.

In addition to feeling full, I had enough energy to do a 30 minute moderate session on the elliptical machine and some light resistance training. I haven’t been on a very regular exercise routine in a while, so I am sure that I will be a bit sore in a few days. It felt really good to get my body moving and also made it easier to hit my water goal.

I’m planning on eating some avocado on Day 5 to help me feel full, I hope it gets ripe in time!

Tags: Diet, Exercise, lifestyle, Nutrition, Weight loss
Posted in Caloric restriction, Diet, Elimination diet, Exercise, Healthy diet, Office Manager Blog | Comments Off

Summer Event: Prepare and Repair

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

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By Dr. Leslie Fuller
Nature Cures Clinic physician

It is that time again — summer sports event season. And Portland has a lot of them. We naturopaths like exercise, we even recommend it to our patients and participate in events ourselves… what we don’t like, however, are the injuries and stress to the body that improper training and poor physical body maintenance can lead to.

For the last several years, I have worked in the medical tents at the end of the Portland Triathlon and Portland Marathon, and I’ll be there again this year. Most athletes that we see come our way at the end of the race have one of few things ailing them: extreme muscle spasm/soreness, hypothermia or hyperthermia, or blood sugar imbalance. This article is going to take a look at the specifics of preparing and repairing our bodies for big athletic events — hopefully to keep readers out of the medical tents due to intense musculoskeletal pain.

Stress reduction is a common theme of any treatment protocol for most patients. We live in a stressful world and most of our work environments contribute to the daily stress load. Something to keep in mind, however, is that exercise itself is also a stress. And just like all other stressors in life, it too needs to be balanced.

First and foremost, and often most obvious from the aches and pains earned during the event training process, is musculoskeletal system balance. When a body is experiencing pain, it is hard for it to perform at its maximum output. So keeping our bodies out of pain is a huge goal for any athletically-aimed treatment program. Most musculoskeletal pain in tendons and ligaments is caused by an imbalance around the joint.

When a muscle is overly strong or over developed, it can cause a whole joint (and often a whole side of the body) to function improperly. This improper function leads to poor biomechanics, and often pain. Wear and tear around joint can be caused by overtraining — both by performing the same repetitive motion on a weak joint and by not replenishing the body when it is broken down. Cramping, muscle spasms, and even sore muscles are a sign of a potential nutritional deficiencies.

In preparing for a big event, take time during the hours of training to listen to the aches and pains in your body — they are signs that something is not right. Often, it is simply a problem of biomechanics and posture. Having an expert fit you into you bike saddle better or watching you run on the treadmill will help eliminate possible imbalances in your gait and posture. Remembering that stretching and strengthening is very important — for every overly strong and tight muscle, there is an equally overly stretched and weak one.

Our muscles and tendons thrive on protein, calcium, magnesium and good food — in the form of fats and sugars — as well as many trace nutrients. The best way to prevent nutritional deficiencies is to make sure all of these necessities are incorporated into the diet. The key to proper event training nutrition is not a surprise: every body is different and has different needs. Figuring out what fuels your body best both pre-event and mid-event is highly important. And, having a well-balanced post-event nutrition strategy will help you recover quicker. While carbohydrates such as starches, vegetables and fruit are the quickest fuel sources, healthy fats and proteins are also extremely important.

Here at Nature Cures I work with a lot of musculoskeletal pain. Through diet, manual therapy, stretching exercises and naturopathic manipulative therapy I am usually able to help athletes avoid pain syndromes that prevent peak performance. I also use Prolotherapy, an injection technique that helps to stabilize weak ligaments and tendons and helps re-balance possible causes of joint and muscle pain. The modality of IV therapy can also reduce pain and inflammation, as well as provide excellent nutritional support during heavy training.

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Dr. Leslie Fuller is an avid runner and athlete, and understands the needs of an athlete’s body. If you’re training for a big athletic event, consider coming in to Nature Cures Clinic for a free 30-minute consult before, during or after your training.

Image courtesy Brighton Photographer

Tags: athletes, dr fuller, dr leslie fuller, Exercise, joint pain, marathon, muscle damage, muscle pain, sports, sports medicine, summer events
Posted in Articles by our Doctors, Dr. Fuller | Comments Off

Making Changes

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

by Anne Carruth, LAc, Dipl OM

I used to work at a gym. Checking people in, passing out towels, making small talk. January at the gym was fascinating. Membership instantly quadrupled, as folks catapulted themselves into their New Year’s fitness resolutions. Endless lines formed for the cardio machines. Yogis wrestled for mat space in surprisingly unZen-like fashion. Fat burners and protein powder flew off the shelves and personal trainers packed their schedules.

4457047403_cf2709a179 But by mid February, the “resolutionaries” quietly dissipated. Part of me was relieved to see the crowds thin, but a bigger part was sad, knowing that most of those who had stopped coming had given up the ghost. I don’t think they quit for lack of want, but rather support. When real life began to overshadow their fragile new routines, they didn’t have the backing to encourage them along, offer guidance and ease the discomfort that often accompanies change.

As an acupuncturist, I have the privilege of helping others make changes, both big and small, to improve their wellbeing. Take the standard goal of dropping a few pounds. Most people wanting to lose weight are battling food cravings and low energy. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs work wonders for improving digestion and reducing stress — two key players when battling cravings. And that sluggish, foggy-headed, heavy-limbed feeling that’s been interfering with your hopes of working out? That’s a perfect example of “qi stagnation.”

Our “qi”, or “chi”, is the vital energy flowing through our body. It makes our heart beat and our synapses fire. When our qi gets bogged down and begins to stagnate, we feel it everywhere. We lose our pep, that spring in our step and gleam in our eye. Digestion becomes less efficient, focus and clarity wanes, and we find ourselves sinking into the couch with a bowl of ice cream, instead of hitting the gym.

Acupuncture assists our qi in flowing smoothly again. Prodding it along, until eventually it resumes a balanced, healthy pace, and that foggy feeling begins to lift.

A cleanse is another killer means of boosting your energy, metabolism and spirits. What better way to kick off the New Year, than by detoxing all of the crud you accumulated in 2010. While a cleanse may be intimidating to do on your own, consider having a support team to guide you through the process. With your help, we’ll formulate a plan to ensure that the process suites your lifestyle. We’ll work to minimize detox side effects, such as hunger and low energy, and enhance your body’s cleansing abilities. As a practitioner, few things are more exciting than watching a patient on a cleanse. The effects are visible. Bloating melts away, the skin begins to glow, energy peaks, your eyes dramatically brighten. With a little planning, acupuncture, nutritional support, and cheerleading, you’ll be popping out of bed with newfound energy, and bypassing the coffee and pastries without a second thought.

Long story short, enlisting a support team is the most effective way to ensure that your goals are attained. Share your plans with others, so that you’ll be held accountable for your actions. Plan ahead. When you foresee irritability, withdrawal headaches or sleeplessness in your future, get some acupuncture treatments on the books. If you find yourself in a boring salad rut, meet with our nutritional therapist to come up with alternatives, or join a cleanse group and see what others are eating. When your legs get achy from covering those miles, get a massage.

All in all, there are plenty of ways to spoil yourself and maintain momentum as you make a change for the better. So whether you made an official New Year’s resolution or not, take this time to focus on your wellbeing, realize your body’s potential, and know that you’re not in it alone.

The Nature Cures Clinic Group Cleanse and Elimination Diet is a great place to start getting support and encouragement to make nutritional changes. Check out what other patients have to say about the experience here.

image courtesy lululemon athletica

Tags: addictions, Diet, Exercise, habits, resolutions
Posted in Anne Carruth, Articles by our Doctors, General | Comments Off