Tag: health

Magnesium is a mineral which helps with many functions and biochemical reactions that our body conducts on a daily basis. This is why magnesium is in the top five for both the most needed, and the most abundantly found minerals within our body. Unfortunately, the majority of us tend to have a deficiency in this lovely mineral which in turn can cause our body to not function at an optimal state.

Magnesium is predominantly found in our bones, roughly 60%, and the rest is found within muscles, soft tissues and blood. Most chiropractors will advise clients to either start taking magnesium as a supplement or increase the volume taken within their diet in order to help as a natural muscle relaxant, to improve nerve conduction/function and to aid in soft tissue healing (this pairs greatly with getting chiropractic care). Typically, clients also notice additional benefits to the above (whilst noting these are naturally subject to variance from person to person).

Supplements are usually the easiest option to increase mineral/nutrient intake in our body. There are many forms of magnesium available, but the best in regards to absorption is usually magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium orotate and magnesium carbonate. Its preferable to take magnesium supplements at night time before sleep to maximise its benefits as you rest.

The recommended daily intake of magnesium is around 400mg per day for men and 310mg per day for women. The dosage can be increased depending on your doctor’s recommendations for your specific needs.

Next time you are in for your regular adjustment ask your chiropractor whether increasing your magnesium intake would be beneficial to you!

Eat to heal yourself

By eating a well balanced diet, one can naturally obtain the nutrients required by your body to maintain a functioning and healthy immune system. This includes nourishing foods rich in certain vitamins and minerals such as seasonal fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts. Adding more herbs and spices to meals have shown to help during winter months as they have more antibacterial properties. Lastly, supplementing when you need the extra boost can help your body have a better fighting chance. Vit C – infamous for being the biggest immune booster, vit B6 – also known for its biochemical reaction support in the immune system and vit E – a powerful antioxidant which helps fight infections.

Cut back on sugar and alcohol

As we reach colder temperatures we also reach out for more comfort foods, usually high in sugar.  Sugar feeds bacteria and even moderate amounts of alcohol can have dampening effects on the immune system.  Try cutting these out completely especially when you know your immune system has been compromised.

Exercise and rest

Exercise is crucial for our immune system as the slight increase in body temperature increases the blood flow through out our body allowing WBC (white blood cells) to better detect infection. Exercise also decreases the release of stress hormones which dampens our immune system. As beneficial as exercise can be its also important to know when you’re doing too much. Learn to strike that balance. Our immune system is rebooted and fine tunned when we sleep so make sure you’re getting adequate sleep in to allow this to occur – typically 6-8 hours.

Wash your hands

Its never fun when the person standing next to you in a rammed tube starts sneezing and coughing in your face! May be an obvious statement but wash your hands after being on public transport and public areas to minimize chances of infection.

Manage stress

Its a well known fact that stress causes our immune system to go haywire. Find ways to calm yourself and chill – yoga, meditation and doing activities that make you happy can really counteract the affects of stress. 

Get adjusted

If your nervous system is working better your immune system will work better! It’s a misconception to think that being ill means its ok to miss your regular chiropractic adjustment – in fact now is the time you need it more.

For when your immune system is struggling – My not so secret anymore tea recipe:

• 1 thumb size piece of ginger
• ½ lime
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 10 corns of black pepper
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 10 pieces of cloves
• 10 pieces of cardamom

Boil 1 ½ – 2 cups of water with all the ingredients apart from the lime, bring to a boil until the liquid reduces to 1 cups worth and then squeeze in the lime.

Yup this baby burns and its all for 1 cup of tea!

Its becoming a popular trend for women to get under chiropractic care during their pregnancy journey and thereafter. But this trend isn’t just a fad. The benefits of being under chiropractic care are countless – pregnant or not. During pregnancy however, the benefits become intriguingly appealing especially because chiropractic offers a safe and natural way of getting the body aligned, functioning well, ensuring baby has plenty of space to grow and prepping mum for delivery.

The ideal positioning for baby to be delivered is LOA (left occiput anterior) which means head down and back facing mum’s tummy. Allowing for the easiest exist for baby as they can be pushed through the pelvic opening with ease – this means less pain for mum and baby during labour and less distress for baby coming into the world – win win situation really! It also means higher chances of mum being able to have a natural delivery with less chance of intervention.

In some cases, babies can stay in breech position after 37 weeks of pregnancy (approx. 4% of pregnant women). The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported an 82 % success rate of helping babies turn into the right position for delivery after receiving chiropractic care – specifically Webster technique. Pregnancy can be overwhelming with so much changing so quickly. Its important to educate yourself, to embrace these changes and enjoy every bit of the process.