181 Grand Ave. Suite 200 Southlake, Texas 76092 - (817)-488-4466
What Can I Do About Allergies?
Allergies are a response from your body to things you breathe, eat or touch such as pollen, dust or dander. Most people experience the symptoms of allergies in one or more of these major body systems due to the release of histamine:
RESPIRATORY — increased histamine can cause muscle constriction and affect breathing.
LIVER — becomes weakened which causes its productivity to remove toxins to be hindered and the body’s response to invaders to be compromised.
ADRENALS — if the body is stressed,cortisol is released to try and promote an anti-inflammatory environment. Long term stimulation of adrenals can lead to a host of other problems.
IMMUNE SYSTEM — to fight off invaders, the body will increase in IgE antibodies, which causes the blood vessels to dilate, the intruder to migrate further into the system and the system to react with more severe symptoms.
The histamine response can be a vicious cycle. The body’s histamine response interferes with the proper function of your nervous system and your immunity. Many people wonder why sometimes they are affected by allergies and other times they’re not. This can happen when your nervous system is out of balance. If your body is already out of balance, it will not be able to handle any extra inflammation and will send histamine out improperly. Something has caused a shift in your threshold and now instead of being able to properly function, your immune system is on edge and overreacts to the slightest foreign substance. If your body is balanced, however, you will be able to handle the allergen without having a reaction.
We see commercials all the time that tell us that histamine is the culprit and by covering up histamine, we are now able to breathe again and are totally healthy. Is this really fixing the underlying problem? Your body was made to produce histamine. It is a necessary function of your body. Here are alternative treatments:
- Get adjusted regularly! Chiropractic adjustments help shift your nervous system toward the parasympathetic state and away from stress mode. This gives your body a chance to increase its immunity. It also removes any interference in the immunity pathways so your body can heal more efficiently.
- Make sure your lifestyle isn’t running you into the ground. Get rest, drink water, exercise, eat healthful foods! If you think one of the aforementioned things isn’t affecting your immunity, think again. Sometimes just changing those small things can make a big difference in the way we feel.
- Ask your chiropractor about the following supplements: homeopathic medications, essential fatty acids, probiotics, adrenal support and a good multivitamin with high anti-oxidants. One or more of your systems may need extra support and taking a simple supplement until it can function on its own may be an easy fix.
Be well,
Dr. Beights
Workout Woes?
A regular exercise program is important because it can lower your risk of disease such as heart problems and some cancers. It can also boost energy levels and give mental clarity. Beginning an exercise routine can be intimidating and frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be.
If you’ve never followed a workout plan before, it’s important that you ease into it and start slowly. The number one mistake I see of workout newbies is overindulgence on their first visit to the gym. This leads to injury and soreness that can inhibit you from keeping up with your workout schedule. I would recommend dreaming of what you want to be able to do at your most fit and then cutting that by ¼ to start. If you really want to be able to do 100 pushups, start out with trying 25. Was that too easy? Try doing more next time. Was that too difficult? Cut back on that intensity until your body is ready to give it another shot.
The number one question I receive is, “What type of workout is best for me?” Keep in mind that everyone is different. Judge what’s best for you by how you feel afterward. Some people feel great focusing more on weight training, some on long distance running, walking or swimming and others with meditation and yoga. You could even be one of the balanced body types who needs to change it up every day. Listen to your body. If it’s hard to drag yourself to the spinning class but you look forward to pumping iron, go with it!
After about a month of getting your body in the rhythm of working out 3-5 times a week, really begin to focus on the types of workouts you are doing and decide if this is what’s best for your body. If you see that you’ve been doing all upper body and are feeling good, try easing into lower body workouts. Eventually, your body will be strong enough to alternate workouts for different muscle groups. Alternating workouts is a great goal to work towards because it gives each muscle group the attention it needs and when you switch to another group the next day, the group you worked out previously can rest. As you rotate workouts, you gain muscle and strength by building muscles and then allowing them to relax. Otherwise, if you continue the same workout every day, you will hit a plateau.
I recommend finding a good personal trainer to make sure that you are doing the exercises correctly so you don’t injure yourself and to help you find the best fit for your workout routine. If you have questions or want direction on your workout, feel free to talk to me about it at your next visit!
Be well,
Dr. Jennifer Beights
Wholistic Healing Chiropractic
(817)488-4466
Brown Bag It!
Brown Bag Lunch
When you pack your lunch yourself, you can choose healthy foods instead of resorting to fast foods or unhealthy alternatives. And…brown bag lunches are generally cheaper and save you precious time that would have otherwise been wasted going out to eat during your lunch hour!
I would recommend bringing leftovers from the night before. Soups and stews make for healthy and easy lunches. Before you leave for work in the morning just heat up your leftover soup or stew and put it in a stainless steel thermos. No need to microwave or do other preparations and you have an easy lunch ready-made. Pairings to have on hand to compliment any healthy lunch are cut up fruits and vegetables (hummus dip and nut butters go great with these). Other ideas for a healthy lunch include fresh salads, hard boiled eggs, nuts dipped in raw honey, granola, raw pumpkin seeds, a quickly blended smoothie or natural yogurts or kefirs. There are also plenty of healthy bars that you can make on the weekends for your snacks and also a few that you can buy at the stores to keep you going throughout the day.
If you’re finding it difficult to be inventive, create a lunch club at work. This is an excellent antidote when boredom or time considerations make packing a daily lunch difficult. Two, three or more colleagues can take turns bringing homemade lunches for the others. This saves time several days a week for everyone.
Be Well!
-Dr. Jennifer Beights
Here’s To A Healthy 2010
2010 is already off to a great start! If you’re looking for better ways to make this the best year yet, try this healthy tip.
Seasonal eating. Foods in season are fresh and generally healthier. Our bodies were made to eat seasonal foods because that is when these foods will naturally have more flavor and thus be more enjoyable to eat.
Here are some examples of fruits and vegetables available during the seasons:
Spring: Artichokes, asparagus, green beans, honeydew melon, limes, mangoes, oranges, pineapple, spinach, sugar snap peas, and onions
Summer: Apricots, bell peppers, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, corn, cucumbers, grapes, honeydew melon, nectarines, plums, raspberries, strawberries, summer squash, tomatoes, watermelon, and zucchini
Fall: Acorn squash, apples, broccoli, cauliflower, cranberries, grapes, pears, sweet potatoes, turnips, and winter squash
Winter: Apples, Belgian endive, chestnuts, dates, grapefruit, kiwifruit, oranges, pears, persimmons, sweet potatoes, tangerines, turnips, and winter squash
Because organic foods are grown seasonally, it will be easier to eat organic as well! For a more plentiful list of seasonal foods in Texas, check out: http://www.picktexas.com/product/produce_avail_main.htm
Be well!
Dr. Beights
Ready For The Holidays?
The holidays are right around the corner and you know what that means…feasts and parties! With the holidays bringing in flu and cold season, don’t you want to eat your pumpkin pie and enjoy it, too? Here are some great tips to keep you happy and healthy through the holiday season.
- Moderation is key. If you really want to enjoy that piece of pumpkin pie, skip the candied cranberry sauce and yeast rolls. Overloading your system with sugar or foods that easily convert to sugar can cause a major decline in the ability of your white blood cells to fight off germs.
- Prepare ahead. Remember last year when you chatted the night away with coworkers at the holiday party and ended up with only 4 hours of sleep? If you know it will be a late night, catch a few extra Z’s in the nights beforehand as well as after. Aim for 7-9 hours a night. They had a full buffet of desserts that you just couldn’t say “No” to? Consume about 300 less calories for a day or two before and after that big calorie-fest.
- Optimize your vitamin D. Not only is it great for bone health but it’s powerful to your immune system! Check out my earlier blog for detailed info.
- De-stress your day. Stressed out? Take a breath and make a laugh! Deep breathing exercises have been proven to lower blood pressure and relax muscles and deep-bellied laughs have shown to raise natural killer cells and interferons. If stress is overtaking your day, make sure you are getting adjusted more often to help balance out that nervous system. Keeping your body in a sympathetic state too long will surely make you susceptible to illness.
- Make it berry merry. Eat berries regularly to increase your vitamin C levels as well as your powerful antioxidants (cancer fighters).
- Get a whole body checkup. Make an appointment to make sure you aren’t in need of extra supplements or boosts to your nervous system to get healthy. Chiropractic care has been proven to boost the immune system and prevent illness.
If you are concerned about your health or have any other questions about the upcoming cold and flu season, don’t hesitate to contact me. Make it a great holiday season this year!
-Dr. Jennifer Beights
Chronic Illness and Autoimmune Disorders.. Is There an Answer?
Do chronic illness and immunity problems plague you? You’re not alone. The answer to most problems lies within your body and it is my job to find the answer. The causes of chronic illness or autoimmune problems are pretty vast but here are just a few big factors: environment, toxins, diet, and stress. All the above cause our bodies to get on the wrong track or can cause it to get stuck. Over time, the stresses on your body build up and we end up with injuries or recurring pain. Injuries or pain is our body is trying to tell us what is wrong; we just need to listen to it!
After we find the source of your pain then we can work towards a solution. Chiropractic adjustments along with supplementation can help put your body back on the right path. Chiropractic adjustments permit the immune system to function more effectively which can aid in eliminating or reducing chronic illness, immunity problems and stress!
I would love to discuss in person what I can do to help resolve your recurring autoimmune or chronic illness.
Call my office today to set up an appointment and we’ll get you back on the right path!
(817)-488-4466
-Dr. Beights
Stress Relief Starts Within
Stressed out? Don’t let it overrun your life. It’s easy to say, but if we spent more times caring about ourselves we might live a little longer and sleep a little better. Today we’re so wrapped up in life (money problems, dual income/working families, bad economy) it’s no wonder people have issues with stress making them physically sick or even causing them to suffer some forms of depression.
When you are stressed, your brain sends out specific chemicals and your body responds with hormones to try and deal with the problem. Unfortunately if these chemicals and hormones release too often they can cause many problems within your body. Weight gain, headaches, back aches, decreased immunity…the list goes on but I think you get my point. Prolonged exposure to high levels of stress can cause your entire physiology to change. By working on the part of the nervous system that opposes stress, chiropractic adjustments, along with supplementation and my guidance can help balance you out, naturally, and counteract the negative affects on your body.
Call me today to set up your appointment for stress relief!
(817)-488-4466
-Dr. Beights
Welcome, Anne!
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| Wholistic Healing Chiropractic welcomes Anne, a professional licensed massage therapist. Anne brings fourteen years of experience and has additional specialization in Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Trigger Point Therapy, Pre-natal Massage, and Neuro-Muscular Release.
Massage hours are Mondays 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Fridays 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Additionally, massages may be scheduled on Thursdays from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM in your home or office. You may call 469-867-2884 to schedule your massage. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22nd, Anne will be giving FREE fifteen minute chair massages! Schedule your chiropractic adjustment along with a FREE massage for the total experience! Call Wholistic Healing Chiropractic at 817-488-4466 to reserve your spot for Thursday, October 22nd only. -Dr. Jennifer Beights |
Headache Help Available!
Headaches (especially migraines) are definitely a hassle but we can take an aspirin or some other product and hope the headache goes away…. but sometimes they don’t…. why? Your body is trying to tell you something. In general, your body will give a pain signal when something is off balance or not right. Your body might be having problems from diet, toxin build up, lack of sleep, stress levels, muscle tension in your cranium, misalignment of your head and/or neck or a long list of other possible issues.
What can I do about it? My chiropractic care can help pinpoint your problem. My chiropractic adjustments aid in improving the nervous system function and body immunity which can help eliminate the causes of the stress on your body that cause the pain. Basically, I help clear up the road map of your body and work with you to eliminate the things that are causing stress factors on your body be it toxins or other causes. Over time as we work together you may find your headaches or migraines have reduced in frequency or stopped all together. That’s the goal of my work, to put you on the right track. I believe if listen to our body and aid it in the journey we can eliminate pain naturally.
Treat the source of your problem and you’ll find the key to a pain free life. Give my office a call, I’d like to help you get pain free.
(817)-488-4466
-Dr. Beights
Why Junk Food Tastes Good
Before refrigeration, we had to depend on color, smell and the consistency of our food to know whether it was edible. Now, 90% of all of the money that Americans spend on food goes to fast food giants. So why do we reach for the two all beef patties, special sauce, onions, cheese, pickles, lettuce on a sesame seed bun instead of carrot sticks and apples slices?
Well, turns out canning, freezing, dehydrating and storing food gives it a cardboard taste. No one wants something that tastes of cardboard. So what’s a fast food chain to do? Take it to the lab. Chemical factories came to the rescue in an attempt to reproduce the original taste of foods. That unique taste that a fast food burger has actually comes from a scientist in a white lab coat applying a few drops of specialized chemicals dubbed “flavoring.” Some even got smart and started claiming “natural flavoring.” Don’t be fooled; there is little to no difference between natural flavor and artificial flavor. Both are man made additives doing what they do best-enticing your sense of smell. Up to 90 % of flavor comes from the aroma of food. Our taste buds can account for bitter, sweet, salty and sour but our sense of smell is where it’s at. Basically, the science behind the scent of your perfume is the same as the one that is added to give flavoring to your sausage biscuit.
Maybe one day we will all be able to buy a big vial of burger essence to sprinkle on our carrot sticks and save ourselves calories. At least then we would know there was some sort of nutritional value behind the flavor. As is, the nutritional value to a fast food burger is about the same as eating the plastic wrapping surrounding it. Don’t let the nostalgic aromas get to you, reach for the carrot stick instead.
-Dr. Jennifer Beights