Cassie's Update/8WW Thoughts

I used to be a cheerleader in high school and we were required to condition every day during practice, so I was used to working out every day.  Once I graduated I took a break from working out but that break lasted longer than I thought it would.  I worked out maybe once a month or so before I started working at Waukee Wellness and Chiropractic.  


When I started here I realized how important it is to eat healthy, stay active, and take care of your body if you want to live a long and healthy life.  I did the 8 Weeks to Wellness program and I learned all kinds of things about ways to stay healthy such as eating right, exercising correctly, and getting regular adjustments and massages.  I went from working out maybe once a month to working out at least 4 days a week, getting adjusted at least once a week, one massage a month, and I changed the way I look at food.  I began trying new things and eating fresher, healthier foods.  I realized it’s not hard to eat better; I just had to look at my options differently; and working out became something I wanted to do, not something I had to do.  


It isn’t always easy to find the motivation I need to work out, but I always feel better afterwards.  I’ve learned that getting adjusted isn’t just to help a sore back or neck, it helps your body communicate better with itself to help you stay healthy.  Massages are more than just an indulgence, it relieves the body of multiple kinds of stress and can help with things such as swelling and herniated discs.  I understand that it gets difficult to fit everything into your busy schedule but I always have a feeling of accomplishment and I know that I am doing something good for myself.

Memorial Day (Week) Workout--Air Force Style

Red White Blue

We are entering our 3rd of 10 weeks of Fit for Summer Boot Camp here at the office. It has been super fun so far and people are doing so great! The classes have a great mixture of ages (ranging 32-64) and fitness levels (some have NEVER worked out before, and some see me at least weekly already). It's an interesting dynamic because it's non-threatening and my current clients tend to help out the new joiners. We would love to welcome more people into the class for the last 7 weeks for a pro-rated amount! 

This week we are honoring Memorial Day and our veterans by doing an Air Force Physical Fitness Test. One of my current clients is in the Air Force and has his test this Friday. What are the requirements you ask? 
1. Running 1.5 miles in 14 minutes or less
2. Doing at least 40 push ups in 1 minute
3. Doing at least 40 sit ups in 1 minute

If you and your family are looking for a great workout, this would be a fun one! You can use it to teach your kids about exercise and also about what our soldiers have to do just to stay in the military. Comment on how you and your family or friends use this exercise this week and how many of you 'passed' the test!

Fevers: Sweat It Out or Start Tylenol?

I was going to blog about the benefits of coconut oil, but I feel like writing about what's happening in our home tonight. We have a sick little boy. Normally, we have to convince ourselves that one of the kids are sick because they keep playing and eating like usual. Tonight was a different story. 

Our two-year-old stopped playing. And eating. And being himself. 

As a mother, it breaks my heart to see him feeling tired, fevered, and sick. Here's where the Nyberg's differ in health care choices though. Most of the families I know would start the Tylenol regime to break the fever. Some parents would take their kids to Urgent Care to get checked from a medical doctor and possibly get a prescription. I know exactly how these mothers are feeling--I need to do whatever I can RIGHT NOW to make my child feel better. 

However, we disagree with Tylenol and prescription pharmaceuticals for our children for many reasons. The main reason is that we trust our child's body to heal itself. He has a fantastically strong immune system and we trust his body to fight off the virus or bacteria that has taken temporary residence in him. "Have you more faith in a spoonful of medicine than the innate power that created the human body?" --BJ Palmer

I am also very fearful of the side effects of medications. Many parents haven't researched what effect over-the-counter drugs have on a human's body, especially a little body. For example: while the child's liver is working over time to get rid of the sickness, the last thing we want to do is to add more stress to his liver (which is what Tylenol does). Tylenol has also been linked to increased risk of asthma, and contributes to liver and kidney problems. 

If you lower the fever and you never give the body a chance to fight off infection on his own, the likelihood of him getting sick again increases significantly. 

So what do we do? We monitor the fever closely and keep the kids as comfortable as possible. Tonight that meant eating fresh fruits, drinking lots of water, getting adjusted, going to bed early, and lots of snuggle time with Mom and Dad. We also found that a cold washcloth kept him happy. Please note: We are NOT anti-medicine--it definitely has it's time and place in our society. 

The idea behind chiropractic is that through gentle adjustments, the body is able to EXPRESS the illness by itself. Under no circumstances do we ever SUPPRESS symptoms (or illness). We want to help the body get rid of the illness through whatever way it needs to--fever/sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. Preventing these elimination methods keeps the toxins in and we stay sick MUCH longer. And guess what? The illness will probably present itself again in the near future. 

All moms/parents do what we think is best at the time. I urge all families to consider natural health care for their children. We get to see amazing miracles every day in children under regular chiropractic care.  (www.icpa4kids.org) 

"The power that made the body, heals the body." --BJ Palmer

Obesity is a solution, not a problem.

"Obesity is a solution, not a problem."

What a thought! When I was first listening to this on a video I had to rewind because I thought I was hearing it wrong. But once I determined my hearing is 100%, I stopped the video to think about it. So stop and think-how can obesity be a solution? Simple. Everyday we have tons of stress-physical, chemical and emotional. There's no avoiding it, however we can reduce it. Regardless, we are also responsible for how we respond to that stress. Do we eat? Work out? Meditate?  

Many people turn to food, including myself in the past, for all the wrong reasons. Ever wonder why food is really here? FUEL. Think about your daily habits revolving around food. Do you go get that mocha on the way to work because you're stressed about things at home? Do you celebrate someone's Birthday or a holiday with cake and other goodies? When you want to catch up with an old friend do you meet up for wings and beer? Or my personal favorite-'rewarding' yourself for  losing weight by going out for a nice, big pasta meal. 

I was first made aware of this when my cousin was diagnosed with a disease where her body rejects all food. She is 19 and now has been getting nutrients from a tube they placed in her stomach for about a year. My family quickly learned that holidays were much more than the insanely large meal we had been revolving it around in the past. Now we eat something small together and spend most of the time playing games or catching up on each others lives. 

So what do we do with this thought? Change! When you start to get stressed or irritable, remember that eating that piece of cake isn't going to help you at all. It's actually going to set you back for many more reasons than the fat content if you take into consideration the chemicals that are in it that will effect your body. Some awesome solutions to a stressful week at work are exercise, massage, meditation, reading or writing in a journal. I personally work out multiple times a week, get a massage every 3-4 weeks, read daily and write in a journal typically 3-4 times a week. When one of these starts to slip, I notice my stress levels rise. So give it a shot-maybe add some daily reading to your list. Try setting aside 15 minutes a day. My husband does well right before bed. I love to get time in before I leave for work in the morning to start my day off well. And we recently incorporated reading our Bible every night after we finish dinner before we get up to clean up the dishes. 

I look forward to hearing how all of you are adding new ways to reduce stress, celebrate holidays, and reward yourselves! Leave us a comment!!!

--Emily

Do you have sweet cravings? Craving sugar a lot?

For someone like me who rarely eats the sweets, being around family at holiday gatherings can be an overwhelming time for my tastebuds! Austen and I typically eat raw, sauteed or grilled fruits and veggies with chicken or pork for most meals. So coming to a meal where there are many processed foods and sweets is a party in my mouth! One might think it would be ok for just that one time, however I often find myself craving sweets or processed foods for days after those meals. Anyone else feel the same way? Here's an article I found that can help get rid of those lingering sweet cravings. I would encourage everyone to give this a shot, as that 1 milk chocolate egg after each meal does add up!

http://www.jointhereboot.com/index.php?option=com_zoo&task=item&item_id=465&Itemid=595&lang=en

--Emily 

Katie's Before and After 2011--->2012

The other night I was at a friend's birthday party with people I haven't seen for awhile. While I love looking and feeling better, it's still hard to hear how much better I look now. It makes me think of where I was a year ago and how my life has changed so much since then. 

Then the question that I always get asked, "What did you do to lose weight?" assuming I will say something like Weight Watchers or Kosama or Farrell's or Jenny Craig. 

I attribute becoming healthy to my mental power to eat real foods and exercise regularly. That doesn't come easy though. I needed some help LEARNING how to eat balanced meals and how to exercise regularly.  A lot of people have good intentions about getting healthy but rarely stick with anything because they see it as a short term program. I needed a good lifestyle modification program that would teach me how to live healthier. Thanks goodness for 8 Weeks to Wellness! 

But here's the important part: Even after the 8 weeks were finished, I kept going. 

I still exercise regularly (both at Waukee Wellness & Crossfit 515), and I eat real food (Paleo). Neither of these options are "fad" diets or exercise programs. They are LIFESTYLE choices I continue to make daily. Of course I still indulge once in awhile, but overall I know that my body is going to be with me the rest of my life, and I want a LONG life with awesome HEALTH! 

Should Mercy have a McDonald's?

I've written on this before, but I am quite passionate about hospital food. I spend a fair amount of time as a hospital-based doula in Central Iowa hospitals, and inevitably I end up needing food from the cafeteria. This past week, I learned of a national anti-junk food campaign that is targeting Mercy Des Moines for having a McDonald's in it. (Read Article Here)

There are two sides to this story. The anti-junk food campaign thinks that a hospital is sending a biased message: “Health professionals are devoted to caring for sick children and adults and to preventing illness,” the Boston-based group wrote to hospital administrators. “But these efforts cannot compete with the profit-driven mechanisms by which McDonald’s and the fast food industry operate their business, and the toll that McDonald’s practices have had on children’s health."

Mercy stated their opinion too: "Hospital administrators said in a prepared statement that the McDonald’s “provides an alternative to visitors and family members to dine in a familiar environment that can be a comfort, particularly for children, during stressful times. McDonald’s offers a variety of choices, including healthy foods such as salads, and provides nutrition information for its patrons.”

Katie's Opinion:

I've had to work really hard in any hospital to find something healthy to eat--whether it was at Mercy's McDonalds or any hospital cafeteria. The bottom line is that these hospitals don't care what their patients, staff, and visitors are eating. If they did, they would be offering much healthier options. I tend to get a salad (you have to pay for it by the ounce), which includes the non-nutritional iceberg lettuce, assorted bland veggies, and fattening dressing with lots of hydrogenated oils. Forget adding any protein there unless it's eggs for breakfast. It is not good protein.  If possible, I try to bring food from home. 

I've also had the privilege of working with moms who are on bed rest for the remainder of their pregnancies. Some have been on reduced-sugar diets (low carb). Instead of offering them quality proteins and fresh veggies that would make their bodies and their babies so much healthier, they can order pretty much whatever they want and only need to report how many carbs they are eating so it can be controlled with insulin. Urgh! The hospital system is obviously flawed, and at the expense of our community. 

It would seem that the place which presumably has the biggest goal of getting people healthier would make nutritious food available to its consumers. 

I'm done on my soap box. Time to go find a really colorful, organic salad somewhere!