Please join us in welcoming Dr. Tejinder Ghag, Naturopath to the Vitality Team.  She offers a plethora of services so please click on the link below to learn more.

The Vitality Clinic Team

Dr. Ghag Welcome Sign

If you have Blue Cross or Green Shield as your Extended Health Provider, we will now submit claims on your behalf.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the clinic to learn more about this service.

Wow, I can’t believe Vitality Clinic has had it’s doors open for 13 years already!  It fills me with immense pride, joy, and gratitude when I think of all the amazing patients, staff, and Practitioners who have walked through these doors.

As a Chiropractor, I love knowing I’m making a difference in someone’s health, but what has me smiling the most at the end of the day is knowing I have had the privilege of being able to share in so many personal and professional accomplishments. I relish in hearing your stories of health, engagements, marriages, births, death, and even divorce because it makes me feel connected to and part of your lives.  Thank you SO much for sharing these with me!

Another aspect of what I love about being a Chiropractor and Vitality Clinic’s owner is that every time someone walks through Vitality’s doors, I have the opportunity to learn.  I am still continuing to grow as a person, owner, and Practitioner and each new story or experience provides me with additional knowledge to learn from.

I know I speak on behalf of all staff and Practitioners’ at VC when I say we look forward to continuing to provide you with the best possible care we can and wish you much success in 2018.

All the best and see you soon,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Now is the time of year when routines take shape again and patterns emerge.  If you haven’t sought out Chiropractic care, now is a perfect time to take those first steps.

Related Links:
Why Seek Out a Chiropractor
Is Chiropractic Safe?
What to Expect at Your First Chiropractic Visit
Chiropractic isn’t all About The “Crunch”
Low Back Pain
Neck Pain
Headaches
Lower Back Stretches
Upper Body Stretches
Core Exercises

Have a great day,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

It’s back-to-school time and all this encompasses; back packs, homework, books, school sports, the odd sports or playground injury, and trips to school. The activity can be great for you and the kids, but heavy backpacks and poor posture can lead to various issues later on in life.

Here are 5 easy tips that will help keep the entire family healthy for back-to-school:

1. Find a good backpack! A good pack is light, snug, and comfortable to wear. It should be made of vinyl or canvas, with two wide padded shoulder straps and a waist strap. All straps should be adjusted so the pack is snug against the wearer’s back, and not “falling away” from the body.

A quality back pack is only as good as the way it is packed! Make sure the heaviest objects are close to the body and any bumpy, odd-shaped objects are placed on the outside, away from the back.

The weight of the backpack should be equivalent to a maximum of 15% of your total body weight!

2. Help set you and your back up for success when you’re hitting the books! When you are studying or reading, find a quiet place where you can concentrate on what you’re doing. Ensure you maintain proper eye level to either your book or computer by using a stand or pillow to prop the book or computer on. This will reduce the amount of strain on your neck and shoulders from having your book lay flat. Ensure you are implementing the “rule of 90’s” when it comes to sitting posture. Lastly, make sure you have a water bottle on your desk so you can take frequent small sips.

3. Returning back to school sports after some time off during the summer? If you have taken time off, you may need to spend some extra time helping your body return to pre-summer shape.

Be sure to warm up for a minimum of 10-15 minutes before playing. The warm up should involve simple movements that are sport specific your sport and also increase your heart rate. Remember, stretch before activity to prevent injury and stretch after to promote flexibility.

4. Moving your kids into their college dorm room, new apartment, or re-organizing your den? Improper lifting of moderate to heavy objects is one of the most common ways to injure your lower back. Be sure to label your boxes so that you or individuals helping you know what can be found inside, and how heavy they will be.

Before lifting make sure you have balanced footing and a good grip (boxes with handles are ideal).

When you are ready to lift or move an object, stand so that your nose, hips, and toes are facing it. Keep the object as close to your body as possible, bend with your knees and hips, and lift while engaging your quad (thigh) muscles.

5. Commuting. Sometimes the commute in is easy, while other days it seems you are stuck in never ending traffic. Ensure you have positioned your seat and head rest to abide by the “rule of 90’s”, have your water bottle handy, and give yourself more time than needed. It’s better to arrive safely, even if that means you might be a few minutes late!

Have a great weekend,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Related Links:
Sprain vs Strain
Posture at Work
Standing versus Sitting Desks
Low Back Pain
Neck Pain
Upper Body Stretches
Lower Body Stretches
Care of Head, Neck and Upper Back

Are you one of the lucky ones looking forward to a much deserved holiday or extended travel? If you are, then congratulations and have an amazing trip! But if you are an individual who has a regular workout routine, chiropractor, or massage therapy treatments helping you to maintain your optimal health, consider planning ahead for the sudden change in your routine. Carrying luggage, sitting and waiting beforehand in the terminal or during your flight, and sleeping on a different mattress may aggravate an already existing ailment. Conditions such as piriformis syndrome, sacroiliac (SI) instability, sciatic pain, lower back, and knee pain. We put together a valuable list of tools you can easily incorporate into your journey to help keep you feeling fantastic!

Lower Back Support

Even if your flight is only a few hours in duration, sitting on the airplane can be uncomfortable and may aggravate ailments you already have; especially for the hips, lower back, and knees.

Sitting without support causes your lumbar spine to reverse it’s curve (slouch), adding compressive pressure to your sacrum and relevant joints. Your pelvis tilts posteriorly (backwards) and your hip flexors tighten into a shortened position. A lumbar support cushion will protect your spine by encouraging a proper posture. Otherwise, ailments like piriformis syndrome, sciatica, sacroiliac weakness, and hip flexor tendonitis will be aggravated and cause pain.

Before you take off, ask your chiropractor or massage therapist for a lower back support. They should be able to order you a proper fitting cushion.

Take Stretch Breaks

These days, unless you have a whole row to yourself, there is generally not enough room at your seat to properly stretch. If you’re on a long flight, please consider taking some time to stand up and implement some stretch breaks. Use the privacy and space of the washroom to stretch your hips and quads. Squat down to stretch your hips and grab an ankle at a time to stretch your hip flexors.

Sweat It Out

You may be exhausted from the travel but taking an hour to warm up your body once you have reached your destination is crucial. Additionally, if you are dealing with jet leg this is even more vital to your overall well-being. Exercise releases positive hormones that will help you feel great and boost your energy levels.

A cardiovascular workout will soften adhesions and loosen tight joints. A low impact workout like swimming, cycling, yoga, or treadmill walk are a few examples. If your destination does not provide a gym or yoga studio, using nature or hotel stairs can make for excellent substitutions!

Fascial Stretching

After working out, follow it up with this stretching program. Hold each stretch for 1-3 minutes and practice strong diaphragmatic breathing during each posture.

Water

Stay hydrated! It can be tricky with security check points to always have water with you, but do you would being yourself a disservice if you didn’t bring your water bottle to fill after. You’ll be encouraged to finish it at each check point keeping you hydrated and energized.

Proper water intake will help with
• Immune support
• Decreasing fascial adhesions
• Increasing energy levels

If you can incorporate all these tips, or even most of them, you will certainly appreciate the benefits!

Happy Travels,
The Vitality Clinic Team

Why you might want to cut out caffeine from your daily routine…

If you are an avid coffee drinker then you know all too well of the comforting and alluring love affair that exists between you and your daily coffee. The comforting smell, powerful taste, and lest we forget- that poignant adrenaline punch it adds to your mornings and afternoons. How on earth would you ever get through the day without coffee? And a bigger question still, why should you have to? Don’t studies show that moderate coffee intake has been associated with everything from enhanced exercise performance to a lowered risk of heart disease?

The answer is yes, this beautiful bean can in fact do wonders! A high quality coffee bean can increase your metabolism, productivity, energy levels, antioxidant levels (and for some people… their personality). But in order to achieve these benefits coffee drinkers need a seriously high quality coffee free from any added sugars or creams, and consumed in moderate amounts. Really.. who does anything in moderation these days, and when coffee calls do you REALLY care where it comes from?

Good coffee is hard to come by!

It’s essential to pay attention to where the coffee was grown, when and where it was brewed, and what effort has gone into the growing process. A single cup of coffee can contain Vitamin B2, B5, Manganese, Potassium, Magnesium and Vitamin B3. Although the percentages of these are not very high, if you are drinking premium coffee then it is no wonder after a good cup of joe you look and feel better!

However, it is important the plant was grown in healthy soil and has been graded according to colour, taste, appearance, and size. The best quality beans come from suppliers who are specific and transparent in describing the origin of their beans. Labels and advertisements can be deceiving. So, if you are looking to justify your coffee habit with the health effects, please make sure you do your homework on the beans you are consuming.

Bad Coffee!

Regardless of the quality, excessive caffeine consumption can be a real problem. Even if you are closely limiting your daily coffee intake, you are still risking the unpleasant side effects capable of wreaking havoc on your system.

Individuals with high cortisol levels from chronic stress, those suffering from panic attacks or anxiety, pregnant women, surgical patients, those on any medication or anyone prone to a caffeine dependency may want to consider a light consumption or eliminating caffeine all together.

Symptoms of ingesting too much caffeine:

• Restlessness
• Anxiety
• Dizziness
• Upset stomach
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Increased heart rate
• Tremors

Caffeine affects people in different ways depending on your genes. These genes help the enzymes break down caffeine in the liver, as well as control receptors in the brain which are affected by caffeine.

If you already have a sensitivity or any aforementioned underlying factors, caffeine is probably not the healthiest of choices.

An unfortunate truth… Many suffering from anxiety or insomnia will turn to coffee as an outlet, unaware or naïve it will actually perpetuate their problems. There are natural ways to support a healthy system which we have touched on in previous articles.

Give breaking up with coffee an honest effort; you might be surprised with the results!

Oh, but the wicked withdrawal…

If, for some unfortunate reason, you missed your morning cup of coffee and have experienced fogginess, headaches, irritability and/or fatigue, you have experienced the beginning stages of caffeine withdrawal. Your initial response is probably “Quick, find the nearest coffee shop!”

Unfortunately, the symptoms go far beyond that and are a very clear sign of just how dependent our bodies have become to caffeine. Caffeine withdrawal is a very unpleasant experience and as a result, quitting coffee is avoided by most.

Common symptoms of caffeine withdrawal:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Lethargy
• Constipation
• Depression
• Muscle Pain, Stiffness, Cramping
• Lack of Concentration
• Flu-like symptoms
• Insomnia
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Anxiety
• Brain Fog
• Dizziness
• Heart Rhythm Abnormalities

Withdrawal symptoms may last up to a week for light caffeine consumers and possibly two months or more for those who have been consuming ~1000 mg or more daily.

Natural ways to detox from coffee

Maybe you’ve already tried quitting coffee but stopped due to withdrawal symptoms or gave in too soon. Perhaps you know you should quit but are dependent on it so intensely the idea of quitting leaves you overwhelmed and feeling hopeless. Whatever your situation, remember that trying is not failing! Sometimes it takes multiple attempts until you are stubbornly committed to seeing the detox through to the end.

Ways to help:

1. Water: Increasing your water intake will help detox the caffeine from your system and aid in a healthy functioning circulatory and digestive system. Muscle cramps, headaches and constipation are all withdrawal symptoms which can be easily remedied with proper hydration.
2. Heat and Cold: Contrasts are an excellent way to kick start your whole body. If you feel sluggish in the morning try turning your shower to cold before you get out. It can be quite jarring at first, so start with just your feet. Challenge yourself as you immerse more and more of your body under the water. This will kick start your adrenal system and metabolism, increasing alertness and energy and decreasing stress. Win, win!
3. Alternative Therapies: Seeking out additional help during your weeks quitting caffeine can be supported by therapies like naturopathic treatments, acupuncture, massage therapy, and chiropractic treatment. Your muscles and digestive system go through a hefty shock when the caffeine intake all of a sudden stops. Your whole system locks up and the result is a stiff, congested, and painful body.
4. Sleep: It is crucial you make sleep a priority! Although, this may not be a problem due to the fatigue and lethargy you will feel during the day if you are used to a few cups of coffee everyday. Avoid taking long naps during the day and focus on a healthy sleep pattern.
5. Herbal Teas/Lemon Water: These will save you! Peppermint tea in the morning and afternoon can be incredibly refreshing! It is calming on the stomach and makes you alert and invigorated. Warm lemon water in the morning has a hundred different benefits, but one important to you in your ‘post coffee life’ is that drinking it will boost energy levels and increase metabolism. This is great for those still looking for that “pick-me-up” in the mornings.
6. Peppermint Oil: For some people, the withdrawal headache can be the worst symptom of them all. A natural remedy for those avoiding over the counter medication is diluting a few drops of peppermint oil with coconut oil and rubbing it on the back of your neck and around your ears. This cooling sensation works magic on a headache and will distract your nervous system enough for you to get on with your day.
7. Persistence: The most important of them all. It takes three weeks to break a habit and three months to create a new one. You might feel fantastic after two weeks sans caffeine and  want to “reward” yourself with a cup. Although this feels like a great idea, it is a slippery slope that will instantly aggravate and initiate withdrawal symptoms all over again.

Ultimately, after you have officially kicked the habit and are no longer at the mercy of coffee, you will experience increased energy, sounder sleeps, stable moods, sustained productivity, an increased relaxed state, and a larger bank account. ?

Good luck and stick with it!
The Vitality Team

*information in this blog provided in part by the following website 

Whether or not people want to talk about it, digestive disturbances are more common than realized. In fact, “60 to 70 million” to be exact! For some, this is a constant battle; for others, it may only be a transient condition. Either way, it is not comfortable to deal with. Luckily, there are preventive and holistic measures which will decrease symptoms and flare-ups.

DECREASE STRESS

To stand up against digestive disease, we first need to address how the brain is influenced by stress levels. There are a number of hormones released when the brain is in a state of stress. This may cause a loss of appetite, uncontrollable cravings, irritability, bloating, irregular bowel movements, low energy, etc, etc. The list goes on, and it doesn’t take a doctor to figure out when the mind is under stress, the whole body can go haywire.

With how demanding and hectic schedules are for the average person, it is of no surprise the majority of individuals are in a constant state of stress. And the body part most affected by this is the digestive system. The gut is also known as the “little brain”; interesting fact- there are more nerve cells in the stomach and intestines than the entire spinal cord! The connection between the gut and brain is remarkably complex, with a directly correlation to our mood and emotions. A recent article by HealthDay summarized that, “95 percent of the body’s serotonin (the ‘happy’ hormone) is found in the digestive system and not in the brain”! Therefore, the brain affects the gut and the gut affects the brain…dramatically!

If the nervous system is overwhelmed it will activate the “fight or flight” response, slowing down digestion, decreasing absorption of nutrients, creating a misfiring physiological effect, and a dysfunctional gut. Long term, high stress levels can lead to stomach ulcers, aches, nausea, irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, diarrhea, and constipation. OUCH!

The Main Tools To Decrease Stress:
• Daily meditation
• Increase physical activity
• Practice breathing exercises
• Decrease sugar and carbohydrate intake
• PLENTY of sleep- this is a big one!
• And talk to your Naturopath- you may be lacking key supplements

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY

Massage: Manual therapies like massage decrease stress and anxiety levels by creating a relaxed state in the individual seeking them out. Further, the Registered Massage Therapist’s at Vitality Clinic have practical experience working directly and indirectly on digestive issues. Directly, your therapist will increase blood flow, stimulate the release of serotonin, encourage peristalsis (the contraction and relaxation of your intestines, which creates the movement of bowels through your system), and significantly reduce stress in your gut and mind.

Chiropractic care: Spinal adjustments help boost the immune system which makes the body’s defence system more effective. Also, the relationship between the nerves exiting the spinal cord and the end organ (somatovisceral relationship) acts very much like a garden hose. If there is a “kink” in the garden hose (ie nerve exiting the spine) the water (ie information being provided) can’t flow as efficiently, and the garden (ie digestive tract) may not flourish. Adjustments “unkink” the hose allowing for optimal flow of information and the best outcome for the “garden”.

Naturopath: Your diet and balance of good vs bad bacteria in your gut is an extremely important factor when it comes to digestive disturbances. If your gut is not functioning optimally, it may leave you feeling sluggish, toxic, low energy, lacking motivation, and emotional. Naturopathic Medicine views digestion “as the key piece to any naturopathic plan.” It is important to see a licensed Naturopath to help you with digestive wellness. Different approaches may include dietary modification, food allergy testing, homeopathic remedies, nutritional supplementation (like probiotics), immune support, IV therapy, and blood testing.

Acupuncture: The final meal ticket (pun intended) that is going to bring it all home for you is acupuncture! Not kidding, guys. Acupuncture is derived from ancient Chinese Medicine. It describes in detail metabolic changes in the body including the production of energy. It says that “our energy is produced from two sources: air inhaled during breathing and energy from food provided by proper digestion.” So, the doctors and scholars are focused on these two processes as the keystone for health and well-being. Inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, stomach ulcers, nausea and vomiting, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, biliary colic, xerostomia, gout, acid reflux, etc. Our Registered Acupuncturist can help with all these digestive disturbances! Evidence Based Acupuncture quotes that, “acupuncture is more effective than pharmacotherapy in the treatment of diseases of intestines”, and they have hundreds of studies to support this statement!

MOVEMENT

When you are exercising or stretching your body, you are increasing the blood flow to your organs, and giving them an ‘internal massage’. It’s like wringing out a dirty towel. A great practice to help with digestive health is yoga. It incorporates twisting, stretching, strengthening and relaxation- all of which are crucial to promoting a healthy system. Getting in the habit of walking after you’ve had a big meal is also important; doing so directly aids in digestion. Any way you can get your body moving is going to be helpful! Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to work, stretch while relaxing in front of the television, implement a 10 minute morning stretch routine. Your body will thank you for it!

A happy gut really does mean a happy life!
The Vitality Team

In recent months many patients have been coming to see me with symptoms of heartburn, indigestion, and stomach pain.

With any type of digestive issue it’s important to look at diet because you may be eating foods that irritate the gut or impair optimal digestion. Food sensitivities to wheat and dairy are common. You may see significant improvement after a 3-week trial of no wheat (bread, pasta, crackers, etc) and no dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese).

You can get more specific information with food sensitivity testing. This quick in-office test looks at over 120 different foods and shows which ones are the biggest issue for you.

Aloe vera, slippery elm, and DGL (licorice) are herbs that soothe and heal the gut. Aloe juice can be taken daily, slippery elm powder can be mixed into water or applesauce, and DGL tablets can be chewed with any irritation or pain.

If you have been on prescription antacid medications for many years you may have reduced absorption of vitamins and minerals such as B12, iron, calcium and magnesium. Blood tests can determine the levels of some of these nutrients and extra supplementation may be indicated.

There is no reason for you to suffer with digestive problems. Consider booking an appointment so you can have better digestion and overall greater health.

Have a great day,
Dr. Natalie Mazurin
Vancouver Naturopath

Mountain Climbers are an easy and effective body weight exercise that can be done at home, at a park, or in the gym. They provide a full body work out for strength building as well as a great cardiovascular workout – Warning: this exercise might cause excessive perspiration! Using all four limbs at the same time, upper body stability is required to propel the legs back and forth, up and down, flexion to extension, all while the core maintains postural integrity.

Full body workouts are usually more “functional” as they don’t focus on building hypertrophy to just one muscle, they require numerous muscles working together at the same time to build muscle strength and endurance. Some of these specific muscles that are worked during the exercise include deltoids, biceps, triceps, pecs, obliques, rectus abdominals (the 6 pack muscle), lower trapezius, latissimus dorsi, quads, hamstrings, and the psoas (hip flexors).

Cardiovascular benefits include strengthening the heart and lungs, increase blood flow, calorie burning, and a boost to the metabolism to increase fat burning. The more reps performed at high speeds leads to increased amount of energy expenditure, resulting in more calories burned. Muscle toning and fat burning, wrapped up into one simple low cost exercise.

How to perform Mountain Climbers:
1. Start in a plank position with hands flat on the floor directly under the shoulders and toes of both feet holding the lower body up so the body is in a flat starting position.
2. The right foot comes off the floor and the knee comes up towards the chest, as close to your body as possible. At this point, there is a three point contact and the core is fighting to keep the body in a straight line – core workout!
3. Extend the right hip back to the starting plank position without bobbing the hips to maintain a straight line from shoulders to the feet. As the right foot is coming back to the floor, the left foot lifts up and the knee is flexed up towards the chest as described above.
4. Ensure the shoulders are moving as least as possible from the position over top of the hands on the floor.
5. Mountain Climbers can be done slowly, with short intervals of both feet on the ground at the same time, but they are often sped up so there is a moment in time of neither foot on the ground as one hip is flexing up towards the chest and the other is extending back towards the ground. To increase the cardiovascular workout, speed up the leg motion.
6. 20 reps is a good amount, but depending on level of intensity and fitness, more or less reps can be performed while providing good health benefits.

When not to do Mountain Climbers

If you are experiencing low back pain, or radiating pain down the leg, Mountain Climbers may lead to longer duration or increased intensity of low back pain or leg pain. Do not continue to perform Mountain Climbers if you have moderate low back pain during the exercise, or if a mild level of low back pain persists the day after performing the exercise.

Have a great day,
Dr. Lucas Tisshaw
Vancouver Chiropractor and A.R.T provider

In Vancouver, standup paddle boarding, also known as SUP, is one of the most popular summertime water activities, and it’s easier than you think! You’ll get a core and leg workout from maintaining your balance, and it’s a great off-season training activity for both skiers and snowboarders.

Flat water boards tend be larger (longer, wider, and with higher volume) which provides more stability. They usually have a flat bottom, which forms a big, stable platform. The size of the board you choose will ultimately be based on your weight and experience on the water.

From a fitness and postural perspective, I love the calm, relaxed nature of flat water paddleboarding which allows you to consciously focus on several aspects of your body.  For example, trying to stand up without hunching over provides a great opportunity to practice postural alignment in a dynamic setting. Think about when you are at the gym and you are trying to maintain your balance while standing on a BOSU ball or wobble board. This is conceptually the same only you have water and a board underneath you. One key aspect of maintaining a neutral standing posture in a dynamic setting is to ensure you are not locking (hyperextending) your knees. Pay attention to relaxing your quadricep (anterior thigh) muscles and ensuring you are maintaining a neutral pelvic tilt; this will provide a much more stable environment capable of recovering from small dynamic shifts in your balance. If you don’t unlock your knees, over time, this could lead to knee, hip, or back pain.

If you’re aware of your posture (or being constantly reminded by your Chiropractor ? ), tight upper traps, neck tension, and weak low back muscles are likely responsible.  With SUP, you have to consciously be paddling on both your left and right sides, so shoulder mobility is also important. Imagine trying to navigate with your paddle, while your shoulders are scrunched up by your ears (I refer to this as your “schneck”.) Wall Angels are a stretch/stability exercise I recommend to almost every patient with neck or shoulder issues.

People often ask me if SUP is good for your core. SUP provides you with a fabulous opportunity to engage your abdominal muscles to create stability and minimize rotation in a dynamic setting. This is due to the balancing and bilateral paddling motion, which is a different motion than traditional crunches or exercises like the plank that people use to work their core.

If you want to experience the serene environment of calm waters while getting in a work-out, SUP is perfect for you. Bear in mind you still need to consider other forms of exercise to create a well balanced exercise regime, but this is one of my new favourite activities to recommend to my patients. I did it for the first time while travelling in Mexico and I can’t wait to get out and do more of it.

If you are concerned you are not “conditioned” enough to start SUP yet, here are some ball exercises, core exercises, leg exercises, upper, and low back stretches to prepare you.

Enjoy the sun!
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Insomnia is a common issue that arises for a variety of reasons. The best way to achieve a good nightʼs sleep is to match impaired sleep patterns with the most appropriate treatment.

Light sleepers have difficulty because every little noise or movement causes them to stir. This may be due to low levels of the brain chemicals serotonin and melatonin. In addition to sleep disturbance, there may also be anxiety, depression, or chronic pain.

Melatonin can be helpful in this type of insomnia. To mimic natural release take a small dose of melatonin (1-3mg) at the same time every evening (ie. 1 hour before bed) and sleep in complete darkness.

Restless sleepers struggle to get comfortable and tend to feel wound up and unable to relax. Muscle tension, restless legs, and jaw clenching may also occur.

This may be associated with low levels of GABA, a brain chemical that promotes calming and relaxation. Doses of GABA range between 100-500mg and can be combined with melatonin. Take a dose at suppertime to promote relaxation and again at bedtime to help with sleep.

Night owls tends to get an evening “second wind”. Perhaps they can get to sleep but after a couple hours (bing!) they are wide awake again.

This may be due to elevated cortisol. Cortisol gives us energy and alertness throughout the day. When cortisol is high at night it impairs our ability to fall or stay asleep. High cortisol levels are commonly found in chronically stressed individuals.

Phosphatidylserine is a nutrient that helps lower cortisol levels. It can be taken an hour before bed, at bedtime, and with waking during the night.

Your naturopathic doctor can help identify the pattern and underlying causes of your sleep disturbance and determine the most appropriate treatment. Book an appointment with Dr. Mazurin and put an end to your sleepless nights.

Dr. Mazurin’s personal website

Related articles:
Sleep A, B, and ZZZ’s
Sleep Hygiene
This Just In.. Sleep Is Really Important
Best Sleeping Position for Neck Pain
Ideal Sleeping Positions

Life stressing you out? With all the demands of today’s society, stress levels are on the rise.

Research has shown that Massage Therapy may reduce stress hormones such as cortisol and increase good hormones like serotonin and dopamine.

Lets look at what these hormones actually do:

a) Cortisol, when constantly produced due to a persistent stress response, along with other stress hormones, can increase risk of anxiety, depression, digestive problems, heart disease, sleep problems, weight gain, memory loss and concentration impairment.
b) Serotonin is a neurotransmitter released by the brain that helps relay messages from one area of the brain to another. It can have a positive impact on relaxation, sleep, and mood stabilization.
c) Dopamine, also a neurotransmitter, plays a part in motivation and concentration.

Long-term exposure to cortisol and low levels of serotonin and dopamine can have negative impacts on the body. Trying to manage everyday stress is key in maintaining a happy and healthy life. Massage Therapy may help to get you back on the right track. RMTs may help to promote relaxation, decrease depression, improve sleep, and decrease muscle tension, stress and anxiety.

If you are suffering with any of the above, come in and treat yourself to a massage. Your body and brain will thank you!

Have a great day
Nicole LeBlanc
Vancouver Registered Massage Therapist

Vitamin B12, or Methylcobalamin, is one of the most important substances that our body needs. It is found within the Central Nervous System and a lack of this essential vitamin may cause fatigue, impaired immune response, and depression.

Many times patients come in feeling run down and exhausted from the daily stresses of work and home. In conjunction with regular Acupuncture treatments, having a B12 shot can help boost energy, improve sleep, reduce anxiety, and improve hair, nails and skin.

Vitamin B12 Injections can be helpful for people dealing with:

• Depression
• Anemia
• Poor memory
• Male and female infertility
• Fatigue (including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
• Poor immune response

Please contact the clinic to book your appointment today.

Have a wonderful day !
Julianne Petersen
Vancouver Registered Acupuncturist and certified Acupuncture Injection Therapist

We are currently looking to fill an RMT position so an opportunity awaits you!  Here is the current ad we have listed:

VANCOUVER: Lovely wellness clinic located in a beautiful heritage home in Yaletown currently seeking an RMT to work 3 days per week. Fridays and Saturdays are a must due to volume of daily call/drop ins. You would work alongside two chiropractors (one specializing in Sports Therapy, and the other ART certified), a Naturopath, a Registered Acupuncturist, and two other RMTs.   The schedule is created so there is never more than two RMTs working the same day.  Rent is based on a flat daily rent versus percentage. If you are interested in this opportunity, please email our Office Manager, Jacqui, at [email protected] or call 604-687-7678.

Have a great day and we look forward to hearing from you!
Dr. Crysta Serné
owner of Vitality Clinic

If seasonal allergies are an issue for you, this year take a proactive approach to your symptoms by addressing some of the most common root causes. Your body will produce more dramatic allergy symptoms when exposed to poor diet, increased stress, and immune challenges.

Here are 5 easy steps you can take to help reduce the severity of allergy symptoms through improved nutrition, stress reduction, and immune support.

–REDUCE SUGAR: keep treats out of work & home, cut out juice & soda, half the sugar in your coffee
–GET SOME B-SHOTS: regular b-vitamin injections help boost energy and calm the nervous system
–EAT GOOD FATS: include good fat foods such as fish, coconut oil, and avocado, take a quality fish oil supplement daily to reduce inflammation
–DRINK ANTI-ALLERGY TEAS: sip 1-2 cups per day of nettle, licorice, or green tea
–INCLUDE VITAMIN C & BIOFLAVONOIDS: these natural anti-histamines can be found in berries, kiwis, and coloured peppers, for an extra boost add a vitamin C supplement 1-2 per day

A complete allergy treatment program may include acupuncture, IV vitamin therapy, and personalized nutrition. Donʼt wait for allergies to drag you down; contact Vitality Clinic today to book your appointment.

Have a great afternoon,
Dr. Natalie Mazurin
Vancouver Naturopath

Tired? Stressed? Struggling to maintain a healthy weight? All of these issues can be related to low thyroid function (hypothyroidism).

Symptoms such as fatigue, depression, dry skin, hair loss, cold intolerance, weight gain, and constipation may be a sign that your thyroid is working sluggishly.

Many people become frustrated when they experience symptoms of low thyroid but find the results from standard blood testing (TSH) within normal range. One of the most important steps in properly treating the thyroid is getting complete thyroid blood testing.

Your naturopathic doctor can order the Complete Thyroid Panel which includes TSH, both thyroid hormones (T4 and T3), and anti-thyroid antibodies. Correctly identifying and treating low thyroid can make a world of difference to someone who has been drained and exhausted for too long.

If youʼre ready to get to the bottom of your thyroid issues, contact Vitality Clinic today and book an appointment.

Have a great afternoon,
Dr. Natalie Mazurin
Vancouver Naturopath

Kidney 27 Shu Fu (The point where kidney Qi infuses into the Fu organs)

This acupuncture point is found on the upper chest in a depression under the clavicle two inches from out from the little dip in the center of the throat.

The Kidney Qi is what grabs hold of the Lung Qi to help distribute the air (oxygen) into our bodies. When this process is dysfunctional, there can be onset of cough and or shortness of breath. It’s main function in acupuncture is to unbind the chest to alleviate cough and wheezing. It is also instrumental in harmonizing the stomach to reverse rebellious Qi (Reflux).

For self care between regular acupuncture appointments:

Try tapping with the ends of your fingers on this point (Emotional Freedom Technique Point). Tapping on each side will add more power.

Rubbing essential oils (such as lavender) on this acupuncture point helps calm the chest from coughing during the night and is a great way to get some much needed sleep when you have a cold.

For a congested nose, peppermint or eucalyptus essential oil applied to this acupuncture point will rise to the nasal passages to help open the chest and clear the nasal passages so you can breath in the much needed oxygen to help you get better sooner than later.

This is your acupuncture tip of the day!

Julianne Petersen
Vancouver Registered Acupuncturist

By now most of the new yearʼs resolutions we came up with may be fading into the distance. Our intentions are always good, but often we fall short of the finish line.

An effective way to create real change is to choose small goals, create attainable actions, and set a realistic time period. Also, having someone who knows your plan ensures that you have support and can be held accountable.

A proclamation such as “Iʼm going to eat more healthy this year” is too vague and lacks a focussed plan. Youʼll see better results if you chose a specific meal, dietary habit, or food group to focus on.

For example, one of the simplest ways to create a healthy diet is to include more fruits and vegetables. This naturally boosts your intake of fibre, vitamins & minerals, and may help reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases and cancers.

If youʼre looking for an easy way to kick-start healthy eating then take on this challenge:

FOR 1 MONTH INCREASE YOUR DAILY INTAKE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
• Aim for 1 serving at breakfast, 2 at lunch, and 3 with dinner.

• If youʼre already into fruits and veggies then work on adding that much more (+1/+2/+3) to each of your meals.

Your naturopathic doctor can provide guidance and support while you work towards your optimal dietary goals. Tests such as blood type, food sensitivity, and body composition can be used to determine where you are starting from and the most effective way to get you where you want to be.

Have a great day,
Dr. Natalie Mazurin
Vancouver Naturopath

Research suggests that benefits of massage therapy, both physically and psychologically, post-surgically contributes immensely to the healing process (Adams, White and Beckett, 2010).

Benefits of Massage Therapy Post Surgery or Injury

Decreases
o Pain
o Blood Pressure
o Heart Rate
o Anxiety
o Fatigue
o Nausea
o Depression

Increases
o Blood Flow
o Endorphins
o Dopamine

By addressing the above symptoms, massage therapy can allow your body to focus on recovery.

In addition, massage therapy is a great tool to treat scar tissue post surgery or injury. Scar tissue is a build up of fibrous connective tissue that can cause serious issues down the line including, but not limited to, limited range of motion and flexibility, postural misalignment, pain, and nerve impingement. After waiting the recommended six weeks, your RMT can perform myofascial techniques to the scar to help decrease adhesions in order to prevent complications and help you recover.

So whether you are recovering from surgery or an injury, consider the benefits of massage therapy to help you return to your optimal wellness quickly!

Have a great day,
Nicole LeBlanc,
Vancouver Registered Massage Therapist

Spleen 6 ~ SanYinJiao (3 Yin Crossing)

Spleen 6, found on the inside leg just above the tip of the inside ankle bone, (four finger tips up). It is called 3 Yin Crossing because it has three acupuncture channels running through it, the spleen, liver, and kidney channels.

These acupuncture channels influence our body’s ability to handle stress, provide good blood circulation, and help us to feel grounded and supported. It is also the first point used for gynecological issues such as PMS, infertility, and menstruation.

You can use it on your own as an acupressure point to assist you or someone else, to relax; reduce pain and/or go to sleep.

That’s your acupuncture tip for the day !

Julianne Petersen
Vancouver Registered Acupuncturist

Personal website

A muscle cramp is a strong, painful contraction often occurring in the legs, but not limited to. Onset is sudden and lasts from a few seconds to several minutes. When it occurs in the legs, it is commonly referred to as a charley horse.

Night time leg cramps are usually sudden spasms, or tightening, of muscles in the calf. The muscle cramps can sometimes happen in the thigh or the foot, although much less frequently. Unfortunately, cramps often occur just as you are falling asleep or waking up and can be quite disrupting to your sleep.

What causes muscle cramps?
The cause of muscle cramps isn’t always known. Muscle cramps may be brought on by many conditions or activities, such as:

1. Electrolyte deficiency (not having enough potassium, calcium, and other minerals in your blood.)

2. Dehydration.

3. Exercising, injury, or overuse of muscles.

4. Pregnancy. Cramps may occur because of decreased amounts of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, especially in the later months of pregnancy.

5. Standing on a hard surface for a long time, sitting for a long time, or putting your legs in awkward positions while you sleep.

6. Exposure to cold temperatures, especially to cold water.

7. Other medical conditions, such as blood flow problems (peripheral arterial disease), kidney disease, thyroid disease, and multiple sclerosis.

8. Taking certain medicines, such as antipsychotics, birth control pills, diuretics, statins, and steroids.

How can you stop a muscle cramp when it happens?
You may need to try several different techniques/tips to stop a muscle cramp before you find what works best for you as the cause of cramps depend on varying factors. Here are a few things to try to alleviate them:

1. Stretch and massage the muscle.

2. Take a warm shower or bath to relax the muscle. A heating pad placed on the muscle can also help.

3. Magnesium

4. Drink plenty of water.

5. Electrolyte replacement supplements or drinks.

If the aforementioned tips don’t alleviate the symptoms, consider coming in for an evaluation.

Have a great day,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Your iliotibial band (ITB) is fascia- a non contractile tissue- meaning it doesn’t have the ability to shorten or lengthen on its own. It relies on the muscles that attach to it so foam rolling your ITB is the same as trying to roll out a piece of paper versus trying to roll out pizza dough. You want to roll out muscles as they act in the same manner as pizza dough; they have the ability to shorten, and most importantly, lengthen. This is the entire point of rolling out an area. What you should be rolling out are the muscles that attach to the ITB; the TFL (tensor fascia latae), gluts, and vastus lateralis (VL).

In order to effectively roll out the vastus lateralis- one of the quad muscles- you want to place your leg on a 45 degree angle to the roller.  Do not place your leg directly on it’s side on the roller (as you have likely done in the past when believing rolling out the ITB was a good idea) as this will just glom the fascia right up against the VL and cause an inordinate amount of discomfort. Foam roll the TFL and gluts by placing the foam roller perpendicular to the muscle you want to roll.

The key to effective foam rolling is to ensure your muscles are already warm; never, never, never roll out a cold muscle! I advise my patients to foam roll after they have exercised and stretched. I suggest doing about 10-15 passes per muscle.

One of the most important tips to remember is to never foam roll an injured muscle.

Why do patients often think they should “roll out their ITB’s” in the first place? If you are a runner, cyclist, dancer, gymnast, or are active in any sports that relies heavily on your legs, you may be prone to ITB syndrome. This may affect your lower back, knees, quads, and the rest of the lower kinetic chain.

Stretching the TFL and foam rolling the aforementioned muscles will go a long way in preventing tight lower extremity muscles and ITB syndrome. If you would like to book an assessment to ensure you are performing optimally, please don’t hesitate to call or email the clinic.

Have a great day,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Cycling is an ever increasing sport and mode of transportation, growing in popularity across North America. Vancouver has always been a hot spot for mountain biking, with local mountains providing great access to cyclists from around the Lower Mainland. With Metro Vancouver becoming more bike friendly every year, increased cycling infrastructure, growth of biking organizations like HUB, and public events such as Bike to Work Week, ridership has steadily grown and people are commuting by bike to school, work, and social events.

With  BC’s GranFondo happening shortly, we thought it would be a good time to go over stretches and mobility drills for pre-race warmups and post-race cool downs or for general daily use when using cycling as your commute.

Calves
Tight calf muscles can contribute to any of the following conditions:
• Achilles tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis 
• Shin splints
• Patellofemoral pain syndromes
• Runner’s knee.

Lunge stretch: standing approximately 2 feet from a wall, place the front foot 3 feet ahead of the back foot. Keeping the back knee straight and ensuring that the front knee does not extend forward beyond the front foot, lunge into the stretch until the back calf begins to tighten. Hold the stretch for 8-10 seconds, switch sides, and repeat each side 5 times. Rotate the toes inward and outward to target different muscle bellies of the calf.

Downward Dog: The downward dog is a great stretch for multiple muscle groups, including the calves. Push the chest forward, pull the shoulder blades backward, and really aim the hips toward the sky to keep pressure off of the wrists. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times. “Walking the dog” (slightly bending one knee at a time) can help to deepen the calf stretch.

Iliotibial (IT) Band
The IT band is a dense concentration of connective tissue that runs along the outside of thigh, from the hip to the knee. The tensor fascia lata (TFL) is the muscular connection between the hip and the IT band. When the TFL is tight or overworked due to muscular and/or pelvic imbalances, the IT band can also become tight and sore, common in high volume cyclists.

Conditions arising from TFL/ITB tightness include:
• IT band syndrome
• Runner’s knee
• Snapping hip syndrome
• Femoral-acetabular impingement
• Trochanteric bursitis.

Standing Leg Crossover: Stand facing a chair or counter top. Put the left foot behind the right leg and move it out to the right, as far away from the right foot as comfortably possible. Without bending the low back, lower by bending the right knee until a stretch is felt in the left hip. Repeat on the other side. Hold each stretch for 10 seconds and repeat 2 times.

Hamstrings
The hamstrings are a powerful muscle group that is particularly important while cycling. Being a two joint muscle, the hamstring acts as both a hip extender and a knee flexor. The upper portion of the hamstring is used in the powerful down stroke, while the lower hamstring – the part just above the knee – is used in the pull phase of pedalling.

Standing Hamstring Stretch: Proper pelvic positioning and keeping a straight lower back is very important while stretching hamstrings. Place one foot on a chair, ledge, or bench in an easy half lunge position. Keep a slight bend in the knee while increasing hamstring tension by bending at the hips. Think about lowering the sternum (chest bone) and belly button toward the stretching leg, so that they are all in a straight line. Keep the hips square to the ground for optimal stretch. Hold for 10 seconds and perform 3 repetitions on each side.

Hamstring Mobility: Between a doorframe, lay face up on the floor and place one leg against the frame at 90 degree while keeping the other leg flat on the ground, through the doorway. Take an abdominal breath and tighten the core (think of the contraction that would occur when bracing for a punch to the stomach). Raise the grounded leg slowly and methodically to get as close to matching the raised leg at 90 degrees. Perform 10 controlled leg raises on each side.

Chiropractic and Cycling
Seeking treatment from a chiropractor who has specialty training in soft tissue therapies such as myofascial release, instrument assisted soft tissue manipulation (Graston), or Active Release Technique can speed up the recovery process and even prevent future injury. Tune in next time for more tips, exercises, and stretches that will optimize your cycling experience.

Have a great day,
Dr. Lucas Tisshaw
Vancouver Chiropractor and ART Provider

Getting excited or nervous about “back to school” time?
What does it mean to you ?

A feeling of being overwhelmed is often more prevalent at this time of the year. It is a transition time for our schedules as well as the weather, which is why you need to make sure your body is ready for the change.

Treat yourself to an Acupuncture and Cupping Detox treatment. You will feel rejuvenated and your body will love the circulation boost.

Call the clinic to book!

Have a great day,
Vitality Clinic

Consider IV Magnesium.

The majority of headaches are non-emergent, or not a result of a severe condition requiring medical attention. These non-emergent headaches can usually be classified as chronic daily, tension, migraine or cluster headaches. Of the latter, most respond quite well to daily magnesium supplementation, in addition to other vitamins and minerals as indicated during a patient visit.  Riboflavin, for instance, has a very positive prophylactic effect when it comes to migraines.

Chiropractic treatments, adequate hydration, a healthy diet, exercise, restorative sleep, relaxation techniques and supplementation as described above can work absolute wonders when is comes to headache prevention, but sometimes “life happens” and we can’t be quite so perfect.  So, what does the evidence say with respect to headache management? Once severe, life-threatening causes of headaches have been ruled out, there are a number of treatment strategies that are very useful when dealing with aggravating headaches that won’t quit:

IV Magnesium:  1 gram of IV magnesium sulphate is effective in reducing headache in patients with low serum magnesium. Considering the majority of adults in North American are magnesium deficient, this translates into a large number of headache patients who will likely respond favourably to IV Magnesium.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture treats the entire person, and can be tailored to the individual. Tension headaches often require the release of myofascial triggers points in the upper back and neck, while migraine and cluster headaches often respond better to points chosen based on the individual, taking their tongue and pulses into consideration.

My suggestion? Try a combination of the above, it takes about an hour, and will likely leave you feeling much relieved. Supportive medicine at its best!

Have a great day,
Dr. Kaleigh Anstett
Vancouver Naturopath

Ahhh, summertime at last! Flip-flops are a mainstay of summertime footwear, but they can be painfully bad for your feet and legs. Unlike sturdy shoes, flip-flops aren’t recommended for extensive walking because they offer no arch support, heel cushioning, or shock absorption.

Flip Flops allow your arches to remain as flat as they want to be and for some people, that may be OK depending on the structure of their foot. However, if you have a foot that tends to over pronate (fallen arches), you’re not receiving any additional support to help counter your biomechanics concerns. Your body is one large kinetic chain; all its parts are interconnected, with one part affecting another.  Not unlike the childhood nursery rhyme, your feet are connected and affect your ankles, knees, hips, and your spine. When you stand, walk, or run, you subject your body to the natural forces and postures that can cause stress and strain to that very kinetic chain. Simply put, your feet are the foundation for your entire body; they are the tires to your vehicle. When people walk in flip-flops, they alter their gait which may result in problems and pain from the foot that then travels up into the knees, hips, and lower back.

So then what happens? The short answer- your body compensates like it was built to do. A tweak here, a twinge there, and now you have changes to your entire posture.

Am I asking you to throw out your flip-flop? No! I’m asking you to use your logic. Concert all day? Walk along the Seawall? Wear some shoes that provide good support and are comfortable. The beach? Not a lot of walking? Flip-flops? Sure; it can be that simple. Although, if you get to the “my back is really sore and/or tight” stage, you may need a spinal adjustment as well. The moral of the story- the sooner you start walking with some support to your daily footwear, the better off you will be. Most of you already know if you have some issues with your feet or low back.

Here’s an interesting and fun test: next time you’re near a pool step in the water and then onto a dry patch of cement. Now look at your footprint. How does your imprint look? Do you have an arch (can you see an imprint of your toes, the ball of your foot, and your heel but there is a dry spot where your arch can’t reach the ground)? Or is the imprint flat (the whole foot is seen with no dry areas)? If you have little or no arch you have answered your own question, haven’t you? Consider having an evaluation to determine the cause of your fallen arches. You may require some adjustments to clear out a functional leg length discrepancy, a treatment plan to resolve an ankle or knee injury, or you may require orthotics. If you have arches keep in mind those arches will fatigue when you put a lot of strain on them (like walking around all day in flip-flops). It’s natural; the muscles in your feet are used to some support and if you have chosen a shoe without any, you are going to show some signs of fatigue. They will begin to drop thus initiating a change in your kinetic chain.

Hope this helps and as always, if you’re unsure, seek out the advice of a health care practitioner.

Have a great day and enjoy the sun,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Related Articles:
Ankle and Foot Adjustments may Alleviate Low Back Pain
Sunscreen
Vitamin D and the Sun

Stir the pot – no, not the chili – the exercise that is touted as one of the best core exercises on the planet by Canada’s own top spine researcher Prof. Stuart McGill, should be considered as an addition to your workout routine as soon as possible (after consulting a health practitioner).

Stir the pot puts dynamic strength and stability demands on your core, with muscles such as rectus abdominus, transversus abdominus, and internal and external obliques firing to keep the spine and pelvis in a neutral position while you balance on a Swiss (exercise) ball. One of the key aspects of this exercise is the somewhat unpredictable movements the spine will perform while the body attempts to keep balanced on a unstable surface. Compare this to a plank on the ground (planks are still great!); the ground is not moving, and is not going to move, and your body and spine know this. This forces the muscles to activate, but it is in a predictable fashion. Compare this to an unstable surface such as the exercise ball, which represents a real time scenario of, for example, getting out of a car. Your spine has to bend forward into flexion, rotate, laterally bend, and then extend while standing up straight.

Unless in an acute stage of low back pain, most people don’t think about stabilizing specific muscles to do this motion, instead, they just do it. In dynamic training with “stir the pot”, we attempt to put your core in a situation where it reacts to unpredictable stability demands on the fly, more like a real time situation. Reiterating that planks are a great exercise, as is side planks, superman’s, and a tonne of other core exercises, consider adding “stir the pot” to your exercise routine after consulting your favourite health practitioner at Vitality!

Have a great day and contact myself, Dr. Lucas Tisshaw or Dr. Crysta Serné at Vitality Clinic, to discuss a core stabilization program that is tailored specifically for you.

Sincerely,
Dr. Lucas Tisshaw
Vancouver Chiropractor rand ART Provider

If you work at a desk, you’ll want to do this stretch.

This stretch pays particular attention to the levator scapulae muscle, upper fibers of the trapezius muscle, and cervical paraspinal muscles.

Pay special attention to your hand placement and where you are looking when doing this stretch.

1. First, place your right hand behind your back and rest it palm side out against your left lower back.
2. Next, turn your head as far as it’s comfortable to your left.
3. Now look down towards your left hip.
4. With your left hand, place it on the back of the head as close to your neck as possible and GENTLY provide an additional stretch.

This should feel good and NOT painful in anyway.

(as shown from the back)

Once you have been in this position for 30-45 seconds, slowly remove your hand and with your neck still flexed (eyes facing the floor), move your head so it is positioned directly in front of you (chin to chest position). Now lift your chin and give your shoulders a little shake. By going through this motion versus directly from the position it was held, you are sure to prevent your muscles from reacting in any way.

Repeat on the other side, and as often as you want.

Have a great day,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Related articles:
Care of Head, Neck, and Upper Back
Mouse Placement
Stretches for Upper Back
Neck Pain
Posture at Work 
Work Hacks

Bicycling motion gets most of its power from the front thigh muscles (quads), combined with the seated position (hip flexion). As a result, bicyclists often experience tight hip flexors. If not maintained, this leads to a forward rotation of the hips which can cause other problems in the body structure such as low back pain.

Here is an example of a good hip flexor stretch: lunge forward and rotate your hips backwards (thrust forward).

Remember to stretch before activity and also a longer (1 minute on each side) stretch after activity.

Receiving regular hip flexor and leg muscle treatments from your massage therapist is always beneficial to prevent injury.

Take care,
Sydney Beagle,
Vancouver RMT

Active Release Technique (ART) is back at the Vitality Clinic! Dr. Lucas Tisshaw is a certified Active Release Technique Chiropractor serving Downtown Vancouver and Yaletown.

Active Release Techniques is an extremely effective, movement based massage technique used by chiropractors who are certified in it to treat overused, tight, or damaged muscles, ligaments, tendons, fascia, and nerves. Particularly sought out by athletes, from NFL football players to Ironman competitors to professional dancers, ART is the gold standard in soft tissue treatment techniques.

Tissues throughout the body can be easily damaged by acute trauma, such as a tear or a pull, or through an overuse or repetitive injury, such as sitting and typing for hours or throwing a ball with your kids. Scar tissue builds up and creates adhesions, leading to short, tight, and stiff muscles, or more serious discomfort from nerve entrapments. Scar tissue build up also leads to groups of muscles sticking together, further shortening muscles which produces weakness, pain, and abnormal movement patterns.

ART chiropractors are trained use their hands to evaluate the texture, tightness, and movement of soft tissues, and then treat the abnormal tissues by combining precisely directed tension with very specific movements. Muscles are placed under tension by the practitioner and then lengthened through active movement by the patient. This combination softens, stretches, and removes adhesions resulting in a decrease in symptoms, regain strength, and an increase in range of motion. There are over 500 specific protocols unique to ART, which provides the practitioner the ability to concoct the perfect combination of techniques to be used in each individual treatment. Active Release Technique is different than other forms of soft tissue therapy in that it incorporates the best of movement, stretching, and pressure points.

Every patient responds differently to ART; some heal faster, while others can have short lived soreness post-treatment. Everyone has different tolerance during treatment sessions, and it is the practitioner’s job to treat every case individually to ensure that the comfort level is within patient threshold.

If you run, walk, play on a team, ride your bike, dragon boat in False Creek, sit at a desk, or have scar tissue build up from surgery, call us to setup a complementary consultation with Dr. Tisshaw to discuss how Active Release Technique can start helping you today!

Dr. Lucas Tisshaw
Vancouver Chiropractor and ART Provider

Before race day, having acupuncture and cupping therapy treatment is a great way to prepare for it. Combined, they provide increased circulation to keep you mind and your body in a relaxed and positive state.

Whether you are a novice runner or have years of experience behind you, Acupuncture and/or Cupping can help you achieve your goals by keeping your muscles fortified and your energy high.

After race day, acupuncture and cupping therapy is also very beneficial. Research indicates that submicroscopic damage within the muscle cells remains for a couple of weeks. Cupping therapy relieves muscle soreness by providing gentle blood flow to the muscles. Muscles are like nets that need to have blood flowing through them in order to bring much needed nutrients to feed your body. However, when they are being challenged to perform on race day, they can get clogged with toxins that make the muscle hard and inevitably there will be soreness and pain. Acupuncture and cupping therapy helps bring healing nutrients into the muscles and also helps to remove waste products and damaged tissue.

Acupuncture opens up the body further by unblocking the energy that runs from your muscles to your tendons and your nerves. Our bodies are electrical beings that due to physical activities, mental strain and stress can become short circuited like a kink in the cord. Acupuncture points have very special properties that will help to re-connect the circuits so you can recover sooner rather than later.

Have a great day,
Julianne Petersen
Vancouver Registered Acupuncturist

So what is Kinesiotaping all about anyway?

Kinesiotaping gives support and stability to your joints and muscles without affecting circulation and range of motion. It is also used for preventive maintenance, edema, and pain management.

Kinesiotaping exhibits its efficacy through the activation of neurological and circulatory systems. The Kinesio Taping Method is applied over muscles to reduce pain and inflammation, relax overused tired muscles, and to support muscles in movement on a 24hr/day basis. It is non-restrictive type of taping which allows for full range of motion

Kinesio Tape can be used to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back strain/pain, knee conditions, hamstring, groin injury, rotator cuff injury, whiplash, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, patella tracking, pre and post surgical edema, ankle sprains, athletic preventative injury method, and as a support method.

Kinesiotape structurally lifts the skin and allows the flow of body fluids under the application area, reducing edema, inflammation, and discomfort.

Kinesiotaping simulates human skin in thickness and weight. It has an elastic component that allows a stretch 30-40% beyond its normal length.  Unlike other tapes that restrict movement, Kinesiotape allows for full range of movement while providing support to the muscle.

Kinesiotape is heat activated and durable which allows for a 3-4 day wearing periods This avoids the hassle of applying and removing traditional sports tapes every few hours. It also gives lasting support and pain relief.

Kinesiotape has a 100% high grade cotton, wavy design that enhances comfort and channels out air, sweat, and water.

Kinesiotape is hypoallergenic and latex-free minimizing skin irritation.

If you would like to learn more about Kinesiotaping or would like to book an appointment with Dr. Anstett, please contact [email protected] or call 604.687.7678

Have a great day,
The Vitality Clinic

This is a topic almost like religion to most people interested in health and well-being. This became all too apparent when I attended the gluten free expo in Vancouver in 2013 with a friend of mine. They had anticipated no more than 3,000 people, which to me already sounded like an unusual amount of people interested in attending such an event. But what’s even more surprising was that they had to shut the doors two hours into the expo because they unknowingly sold 9,000 tickets. WOW! This was when I first realized that this was real – that this was something people were quickly catching on to.

You may be hearing an underlying tone in my writing at this point, and you are correct, I feel it is a trend, but I feel people are still speaking their truth – “they do not digest wheat”. I needed to know why – “why are so many people presenting with symptoms similar to (IgG type) allergies when they ingest gluten?” And the truth lies in another contentious topic Genetic Modificaiton – that’s right GMO! Now, I am aware that we have been consuming GMO wheat for many years, so my question has to be further clarified – “why NOW are so many people presenting with symptoms similar to (IgG type) allergies when they ingest gluten?” The argument still lies within the fields of Monsanto.

While we still use Monsanto’s seeds in the production of most conventional (non-organic) wheat, we have more recently started dousing our fields with “Round up” just prior to harvest in order to boost yields and reduce harvest times. The result is that this herbicide is directly absorbed into the wheat kernels that we end up consuming. Studies have shown that glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) residues regularly show up in our bread samples.

The problem is the accepted view is that glyphosate is not harmful to mammals. However, glyphosate is a known toxin – in fact this active ingredient found in “Roundup” is a known disruptor in the shikimate pathway found in beneficial microbes found in our gut (commonly referred to as probiotics). These probiotics play a critical role in human health as it is becoming more and more apparent that the immune system starts in the gut. These “friendly bacteria” play a critical role in digestion, prevent what is known as “leaky gut syndrome” (permeability of the gastrointestinal tract). They also synthesize those important B vitamins that have been one of the more popular supplements for many years now.

Some conditions that are associated with the effects of glyphosate are:
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Celiac disease
• Macrocytic anemia
• Depression- deficiencies in tryptophan (precursor to serotonin), tyrosine (precursor to dopamine)
• Reproductive issues
• Thyroid disease
• Kidney failure
• Cancer
• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• Poor bile production

The list just goes on primarily due to the effects that glyphosate has on a very integral enzyme found in our bodies called Cytochrome p450.

So now that we have this information what can we do about it?
1. Don’t purchase products containing the main crops that use Roundup if you are not sure the source of these products.
• Wheat, feed barley, oats
• Canola
• Flax
• Peas
• Lentils
• Dry Beans
• Soybeans
• Forages

This does not mean do not eat these – just ensure they are non-GMO and organic.

2. It’s best to make your own products using your own flours that you are sure are free of GMO products and are safe to use. Try using alternatives to your general flour (eg. Quinoa flour for cookies and cakes or spelt flour for pizza crusts and breads)

What is most important – eat WHOLE FOODS, and if not be aware, know where your food is coming from and make educated choices. What we put in our bodies today may not affect us now, but it may affect how we age and how we handle the aging process, so why not be conscious consumers now?

Working with Allergies from a Nutritional Standpoint
Allergies are so often the cause of your digestive system being damaged, so working on healing the gut is paramount when addressing allergies and the first thing any qualified nutritionist look into. If symptoms persist allergy tests can be performed to more thoroughly elucidate what could be the causative factors. The most important advice I can give is if you are suffering from recurrent digestive issues/upset, seek out a qualified Registered Holistic Nutritionist. They are well trained to help you start from the bottom and get to the root cause.

Excellent articles to read on this topic are:
1. Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance
2. Monsanto Roundup: The Impacts of Glyphosate Herbicide on Human Health. Pathways to Modern Diseases
3. Monsanto’s Roundup Responsible for Skyrocketing Rates of Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance and Other Wheat-Related Illnesses?
4. GMO-Free Brands
5. Human cytochromes P450 in health and disease
6. Preharvest Staging Guide

Have a great day,
Karen Tattersall
Vancouver Registered Holistic Nutritionist

Most of us crave sweet or salty carb-rich food when we are feeling stressed. While will power and the easy availability of carbs has a lot to do with it, it’s not the end of the story. You can blunt your cravings for carbs by balancing your blood sugar using the following tips:

1. Eat at least 3 meals per day. These meals should be enjoyed at fairly regular intervals each day. Breakfast within 30 minutes to 1 hour after rising, lunch 3 to 4 hours later, and dinner 3 to 4 hours after that. A regularity to meal times keeps you from randomly grazing, binge eating due to low blood sugar from a prolonged fast, and it’s less stressful to have a routine!

2. Eat breakfast EVERYDAY. As a nutritionist I cannot emphasize this enough! The ideal time to break your overnight fast is within 30 minutes to hour of rising. Eating protein, fat and carbs at your first meal sets up your metabolism for the rest of the day. Numerous studies of show that breakfast eaters not only have higher intakes of key nutrients, they are also less likely to be facing weight problems come middle-age.

3. Eat all food groups. No one food group is banned. That’s right – grains are not your nemesis. Read on to find out how to enjoy the best grains for your health and weight loss goals.

4. Eat protein with every meal. Whether it’s eggs or leftover dinner meat, or a protein shake, make protein your first pick when your sit down to eat. This will help keep your blood sugar from crashing and calling out for a quick fix.

5. Water, water, water. Do you have a water bottle? If not – GET ONE! And keep it with you at your desk or in the car. Like nutrients, the body likes to absorb water in manageable amounts throughout the day – not in huge one huge dump all at once. Sip through the day, especially if you struggle with fatigue that’s making you want carbs.

6. Choose healthy carbs. Fruit, sweet potatoes, large flakes oats and quinoa are just a few of the many healthy carbs that release more slowly than carbs with white flour or sugar. If you need a carb fix choose healthy carb to indulge in.

7. Try cinnamon. Studies show that this naturally sweet spice can help keep blood sugar stable and this is good news if you crave carbs. Sprinkle some on your breakfast or try it in your cup of coffee.

Enjoy your day!
Karen Tattersall
Registered Holistic Nutritionist

Or so it appears to be on so many nutrition blogs lately. With the New Year (all to) quickly approaching many of us are thinking about getting back on the health wagon and what better way to do it then cleanse our body of all the waste it accumulated over the holidays, not to mention all those birthdays and going away parties that happen in the fall … oh and don’t forget our amazing summer we just had! The list just goes on, and then before we know it we’re back at January last year when we had all these goals to start 2014 off right. This story is all too common and I’ll be the first to admit I have fallen victim to this many times (I am real after all).

The problem is in not whether detoxing or cleansing is legitimate or not, the problem lies in how we treat are bodies the rest of those 358 days of the year (if the 1 week once a year cleanse is your thing). Many of the arguments are that there is no need to detox/cleanse because those amazing organs, primarily the liver, kidneys, and the skin, that process all the horrible things we subject ourselves to (knowingly and unknowingly) are amazing and need no help. Well to this argument I say “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?”. There are so many diseases well known and well documented that are all because we are putting too much stress on our bodies to have our organs performing optimally.

A cleanse by the simplest definition is: to make (someone or something) clean. This can be taken many ways but I like to think of it as “to make ones habits clean, to clean up ones diet, to clean up ones lifestyle, to clean up ones thought processes”. All of these when not clean, or shall we say dirty have MASSIVE effects on your health. I am a strong believer in getting introspective and taking a look at what we are doing to ourselves – how are you treating yourself? Maybe we need to take a step back and rethink a few things, maybe a few things need tweaking, maybe a few things need cleansing. Oops – did I say that? I sure did!

I think starting off the year with a cleanse is a GREAT idea; however I also feel this is not just a one week thing – this is a lifestyle. If you want to feel healthy and be your ideal you, your best you, you have to commit. Now don’t worry, I am not one of the health and wellness people out there that say, ok now, that means no dairy, no wheat, no alcohol, no caffeine, no this, no that for the rest of your life – that’s simply unrealistic. But I do think it’s essential to assess what’s really important to you. It’s time to prioritize a few things, and health and wellness should be at the very tippy top of that list!!

For the people that have done a cleanse or detox, most can honestly say they have felt better post cleanse. Some may have not felt much – and to those I say “Bravo” that means your body is doing pretty well already! There are also some that have felt horrible – to those I say “start slow, build up”. These people may have so much to rid their bodies of, that when they start to cleanse it overloads those organs we so love – our liver, kidneys, and skin. And then there are those that feel AMAZING!!! It is these people that keep the conversation up about cleansing and detoxing, because it works. I am of the “it’s amazing” and “eh, it didn’t do much” group now, but I started with it being tough.

It all starts somewhere, it’s got to start somewhere, it’s got to start sometime – what about now? Is 2015 going to be your year too?

Enjoy your day,
Karen Tattersall
Registered Holistic Nutritionist

Well it’s that time of year again, and everyone is searching out ways to best reach their personal goals. The most common being to lose weight, as we have seen – gyms are busier, and membership sales are at an all-time high! While this comes from a good place, it stems from a place where we feel we are lacking, and as a result we focus on what we don’t like about ourselves and how we would like to improve upon this. While this is a good tactic, it’s really hard to keep to these goals if we are constantly in fear of failure.

Now, if weight loss is your goal for the New Year, fear not there are other ways to do this rather than counting calories, diet products and crazy gym regimes. In this article I am going to focus on the other side of the coin that most people don’t know about, or haven’t researched enough about on their own. Don’t worry; there are lots of actual research articles that support this though. But first I want to tell you to stop counting calories, using diet products, and crazy gym regimes. These are more often than not short lived, and has FAILURE written all over it! The problems with all these are that they are backed by a very powerful emotion GUILT. Another thing to add to the avoid list are DIET FADS – please, please, please stay away from the “latest and greatest” diet/pill fads! If it seems too good to be true – it ALWAYS is!

It’s time to shift your mindset when it comes to “dieting”. By focusing less on fads and more on maintaining a healthy balanced whole foods diet, you’ll impact your ability to lose weight much more effectively, and more importantly install healthy habits that enable you to keep it off!

For sustained weight-loss FOCUS ON these 7 easy tricks
1. Drink water!!!!

As a nutritionist I can’t stress this enough!! So often we confuse thirst with hunger and end up eating, when what we really need is a glass of quality water. Researchers in Germany have also reported that water consumption can increase the rate at which people burn calories – the effects are minor, but it is now proven.

Also focusing on drinking quality water will help by replacing (and thus removing) higher calorie beverages (sodas, juice and fancy flavoured coffees).

2. Reduce your stress

Prolonged chronic stress is one of the greatest causes of weight gain (typically around the abdominal area). Researchers have proven that over-secretion of cortisol (the hormone we produce in response to stress) can cause excess weight gain by:
• Slowing metabolism – the body cannot tell the difference between chronic every day stress and being attacked. When stress is heightened the body shuts down digestion and reproduction – the result is poor metabolism.
• Promotes fat storage – excess secretion of cortisol promotes fat storage. This is the body’s natural instinct because there may be a need to store energy, which means conversion of glucose to fat for long time storage.

3. Get enough sleep

By simple habit, when we are tired we more often than not consume more caffeine and crave sugary snacks for an energy boost. Also when tired, we more often than not skip on exercise and cooking nice healthy meals at home (opting more often than not for unhealthy forms of comfort foods).

A good analogy is to think of sleep as a credit card. As you accumulate debt you pay higher interests – eventually the account simply shuts down until you pay it all off. If you accumulate too much sleep debt, your body eventually crashes.

Sleep is controlled by a small gland, the pineal gland, within the endocrine system, so if the hormone produced by the pineal gland (melatonin) is out of balance – this could promote sleep disturbances. The pineal gland is also seen as the master of the endocrine system, so if this gland is not working properly, it can result in hormonal imbalances seen throughout the whole body.

4. Clean and strength your liver

Do you have stubborn belly fat? It could all be due to an overburdened liver. Our liver is bombarded by thousands of toxins daily. As you age, your liver often becomes overwhelmed because of overuse. This results in these toxins getting stored in our existing fat cells. This stubborn fat is why it becomes difficult to lose weight.

Your liver is also responsible for recycling hormones, so this can cause hormone imbalances that can cause weight-gain and an inability to lose weight. Which brings me to #5 (next)

5. Balance hormones/endocrine system

Hormones play a huge role in how your metabolism functions—how you use food for fuel, whether food gets stored or burned, whether you feel hungry or full, whether you experience cravings or not, your mood, and even your motivation to exercise. All of these can be affecting you in ways that encourage or discourage fat loss.

Common endocrine/hormone disruptors are found on environmental working group website where they highlight the “Top 12 Hormone-Altering Chemicals and How to Avoid Them”.

A common endocrine gland responsible for weight-gain or weight-loss is the thyroid gland. This gland if under-active (hypothyroidism) promotes weight gain, and if overactive (hyperthyroidism) promotes excess weight loss. A simple blood test through your MD may show imbalance, but the healthy range that your doctor uses is very wide, and does not take into account many other factors which could be leading to symptoms related to hypothyroidism. There are other tests that can be performed from your home that can help determine if you do in fact have an under-active thyroid (feel free to email me at [email protected] for further information on this).

6. Balance blood sugar

Many of us have heard of the Glycemic Index when referring to diabetics, but not many of us realize that we would all benefit from considering this in our personal dietary intake. However, a more accurate indicator of the relative glycemic response to dietary carbohydrates is the “Glycemic Load”, which incorporates the relative quality and quantity of carbohydrates in the diet. The concept of glycemic load was developed by scientists to simultaneously describe the quality (glycemic index) and quantity of carbohydrate in a meal or diet. Short-term studies on appetite regulation and weight loss suggest that low glycemic-load diets may be useful in promoting long-term weight loss and decreasing the prevalence of obesity. A recent review of six randomized controlled trials concluded that overweight or obese individuals who followed a low-glycemic index/load diet experienced greater weight loss than individuals on a comparison diet that was either a high-glycemic index diet or an energy-restricted, low-fat diet. So in short monitor the carbohydrates you consume, simply keeping to low glycemic load foods and limiting high glycemic foods can aid greatly in the ability to lose weight. Note: low glycemic load diets also have positive results on reducing ones risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

7. Food ratios particularly for weight-loss

This is a hard one to nail down because these ratios are so specific to each individual.
It easiest to start with protein, as there is an “ideal range” of what to consume daily. From there we can use percentages based up your protein intake.

Protein: Higher protein intake increases your metabolic rate and is said to satiate persons for longer than the other two macronutrients (fat & carbohydrates). The general idea is to consume 1.0-1.5g/lb of body weight. We should try to have between 10-35% of our daily intake from protein.

Fats: The main thing to focus on for weight loss in particular is that you do not go over 35% of fat in your daily intake. I want to make note that you need fat to function properly as your brain and hormones are made up of fat, and we need fat for so many bodily functions … but I do want you to focus on GOOD FATS, monounsaturated (fats that are generally liquid at room temperature, ex olive oil) and polyunsaturated fats (fats found in fish). Reducing fat too much can have negative effects on your health, and does not aid in weight loss in the long term. Fat has a bad rep, but you should be consuming somewhere between 20-35% of fat daily.

Carbohydrate: DO NOT cut carbohydrate consumption; rather focus on whole food sources for your carbohydrates – not processed carbs. Cut down the white rice, the white bread, all the processed grains as a general blanket statement. Carbohydrates (as glucose) are your initial source for energy – for exercise, but also for every day bodily functions. Ensure lots of vegetables, and some fruit – focusing more on vegetables than fruit (see Point 6 – balancing blood sugar. Fruits in general are higher in on the glycemic scale). Think of your plate as a palate – use lots of colours with your vegetables. Each vitamin is linked to a colour, so more colour means more variety in vitamins. Also a more colourful plate is more appealing and you will enjoy and feel more satisfied when your food looks good. Ideally this should be your highest percent falling at around 45-65%.

For sustained weight-loss AVOID on these 3 myths
1. Low fat diets
Studies have shown that men (and women) who eat diets in which fat is less than 20% of their overall daily intake have significantly lower testosterone levels. This can lead to general fatigue and weight gain. Diets that are low in fat also lead to reduced absorption of fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K) resulting in vitamin deficiency.

2. “Fat-free”, “low-fat”, “light”, and “reduced-fat” products.
These products often add sugar, flour, thickeners, and salt to make up for the loss in taste that is associated with a reduction or loss in fat. This means added calories! Cut out the BAD FATS (saturated and trans fats), but keep up the good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats). These good fats help in lowering LDL (Low-density-lipoproteins) “bad cholesterol” and raising HDL (High-density-lipoproteins) “good cholesterol” in the blood. HDL is said to clear the bad cholesterol from the blood.

3. Counting Calories
We all have the “calorie in, calorie out” analogy, but counting daily calories is not the way to go about it. Understanding calories and how we utilize them is the key here. Knowing that fat contains 9 calories per 1 gram of fat, both proteins and carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram. This is important when thinking about the ratios of the three macronutrients. Stressing about the actual number is counterproductive as stress makes it hard to lose weight, and counting calories is so closely tied to failure and guilt that I highly recommend against this.

What I think the best New Year’s Resolution is to learn to truly love yourself, FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU. By all means work towards being your healthiest, happiest person, but the most important resolution should be to accept yourself and realize how amazing you really are.

Have a great day,
Karen Tattersall
Registered Holistic Nutritionist

As a drummer for almost 20 years now, I have dealt with many different aches and injuries from the repetitive movements involved with practicing and performing. Playing any musical instrument at a competitive level can often cause strain and tension on the body, most commonly in the wrists and fingers. This article explains how regular maintenance therapy treatments have proven to help eliminate and/or prevent such conditions from manifesting.

Read more

Taking proactive steps before injury occurs, will ensure your long lasting career as a musician.

Have a great day,
Sydney Beagle
Vancouver RMT

The holidays are upon us! Here are a few things to consider as we head into this jolly time of year.

Weather

1. Wear a scarf to prevent your shoulders from hunching forward or creeping up to your ears.

2. Wear appropriate shoes for the weather- if is is snowing or icy, heels are probably not the best option. The last thing you want to do is take a spill and end up in the chiropractor’s office for the majority of your holidays.

3. Keep an eye on the terrain- look out for icy patches or uneven surfaces which may be covered by leaves or snow.

Travel

1. Plan ahead if you know you are going to be carrying large boxes or heavy luggage. Grab a cart!

2. Lift with caution- use your hips and gluts, not your quads or back.

3. Bring a travel pillow- if you have a C shaped travel pillow and are going to be on a flight where you may fall asleep, consider placing it around the front of your neck so it will catch your head if you begin to nod off.

4. Wear clothes appropriate for the climate. Bring layers if you are going from somewhere warm to somewhere cold and vice versa.

Diet

1. If you want to avoid consuming too many appetizers or dessert treats at your company’s holiday party, consider eating a meal prior to going. This allows you to graze but not overindulge in the sweets or foods you would otherwise avoid.

2. If you have office that receives a large number of chocolates, consider drawing names so each staff has the option of taking them home versus having multiple open boxes lying around. I think we all have the tendency to grab a treat when we walk by them, regardless of whether we actually want them or not.

3. Hydrate! It’s easy to slip out of habits so make sure you continue to drink as much water as you can throughout the holiday season, especially if you will be consuming a cocktail here and there.

Lastly, stick to your workout routine as much as possible.

Have a great day!
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Related Articles:

Tips for Travelling

So you’re thinking about purchasing a new mattress, but you are wondering about which one is best suited for you. This is a topic of conversation I have on an almost daily basis with my chiropractic patients. I don’t claim to be the expert on mattresses, but I do know a lot about backs and back health.

Here are a few things to consider:

1. Mattresses should be replaced every 8-10 years.

2. Size- Deciding to go with a Queen or King sized mattress can mean the difference of a few hundred dollars so it is an important decision. If you are a tall individual, a King is a must as you need to ensure your legs don’t hang off the end of the bed! You don’t want to always have to resort to sleeping on the diagonal. Do you share your bed with a loved one… including your furry friends? If so, the extra room may be necessary.

3. Firmness– For the majority of my chiropractic patients, I advocate a semi-firm mattress; it’s the half way point between medium and hard. Far too often mattress are purchased too soft because they initially feel more comfortable. Unfortunately, they often don’t have the coil count to support the weight necessary, especially if there is more than one of you in the bed.

4. Coil count– most semi firm mattress have a coil count between 800-1000.

5. Pillow Topper– PLEASE do not purchase a mattress with a pillow topper attached! This will SIGNIFICANTLY reduce the life span of the mattress as the material will break down over the years due to different pressure points of your body. Your hips and pelvis region are heavier than your legs and your head and shoulders are heavier than your chest so the pillow topper will start to form this shape. You end up with lumps, bumps, or rolls. If you purchase a mattress you feel is a bit too firm, consider buying a pillow topper as an add-on. The second point to consider is if you purchase a mattress with a pillow topper attached, you forfeit the ability to flip your mattress. Rotating and flipping your mattress periodically is essential for maintaining it’s life span.

6. Comfort-  All things considered, you still need to make sure you receive a decent night’s sleep! If a mattress hits all the points listed above and felt super comfortable in the store but you are constantly tossing and turning (even after the appropriate break in time), you may need to choose a different mattress. Most stores realize you aren’t going to be able to determine whether the mattress is truly the right one for you by lying on it for 15 minutes in the store so most have a great exchange policy.  However, be sure but to check with the store on their particular exchange/return policy prior to making this investment.

7. Pillows– choosing a pillow is equally as important as the mattress yourself. I’ve recommended the same pillow for 14 years as I feel it is the best on the market. Why you ask? It is the only pillow I have found that provides the perfect amount of support and it allows you to sleep both on your side and on your back.

I can’t stress enough how important a good mattress (along with maintenance chiropractic care ) is to help maintain a healthy back!

Have a great day,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Related articles:
Sleeping Position
Sleeping Position for Neck Pain
A, B, and Zzzz’s of Sleep
Sleep Hygiene

I feel great! Do I still need to do core exercises?

Yes, yes, and yes! I’m sure yo’ve heard the old adage “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” Well even though you may think you are doing tons of core work when you are at the gym by doing a plank, deadlifts, and some abs, you aren’t working your core enough.

In order to truly maintain your core, you need to do at least 4-6 exercises geared solely on the core- I refer to these exercises as micro-movements. Sure, you’re working your core when you are doing box jumps and squats, but you are doing macro-movements and your core in engaged, not being isolated.

The sole premise for doing core exercises is to increase the endurance of the really small muscles (intrinsic) of the back (multifidus, rotatores, interspinalis, ) so your back doesn’t fatigue as quickly. It is not about power and strength, which is really what squats, deadlifts and back extensions are for. Don’t get me wrong- if you have a healthy back, these are great exercises to incorporate into a well rounded workout routine.

Here are many examples of core exercises you should incorporate into your exercise routine:
Supermans
Plank
Bridge
Single leg Bridge
Reverse crunch
Prairie Dog
Superheroes
Supine Heel Taps
Russian Twist
Ball Core Exercises
Mountain Climbers

There are a plethora of exercises to choose from so don’t limit yourself to just the ones mentioned above. If you want an individualized program based on your back concerns, please book an appointment and we will be happy to design one for you.

Have a great day,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

I get it. It’s hard to eat well while maintaining a strict food budget. Seeing a chiropractor isn’t only about your spine- here are some tips I have offered my patients over the years.

1. Buy bulk– quinoa, whole wheat or vegetable pastas, flour, spices, and nuts are often much less expensive when purchasing in bulk.

2. Invest in a slow cooker! The $30 you spend now will save you ten fold down the road for a few reasons.
a. you can purchase less expensive cuts of meat as cooking them in a slow cooker makes them much more tender.
b. you can batch book.

3. Batch cook– you can make a big pot of chili, soup (or stoup), or pulled pork and have leftovers so you don’t buy expensive meals or snacks on the go. Casseroles are another great way to “batch cook” as you can put them into portions and freeze them for later.

4. Meat can be the most expensive component to your meal and often puts you over budget. To ensure you are eating enough protein, use beans and quinoa in your meals as often as you can. Black beans in the cowboy chicken recipe I provided earlier this year, or a Mexican casserole (2 cups brown rice or quinoa, 2 cups back beans, shredded cheese and salsa to your liking.), red beans in chili, chickpeas in hummus, quinoa added to any salad etc, etc.

5. Make your own food as much as possible. Why spend $3 on a muffin when you can make a dozen for just a few dollars more.

6. Eat seasonally. Local fruits and vegetables in season are often much less expensive (and better for you!) than foods imported from somewhere else.

7. Find simple and easy recipes so you don’t feel overwhelmed in the kitchen. The majority of the recipes I post on the website are easy, nutritious, and cost effective. check them out here 

8. Plan ahead. Spend the time cutting up vegetables for quick and easy snacks, or portioning that yogurt and trail mix. You don’t want to find yourself famished without anything to eat as you will undoubtedly buy that expensive pre-made meal as it’s the “easier” option.

Hope this helps!
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Here’s a great article I found on the exercise cost of soda and juice in our diet.

Read article here.

Have a great Monday,

Caitlyn Fry, RMT

Often when patients are in for their initial visit, I will observe they have a laundry list of supplements, vitamins, and minerals  they take. When I ask them why they are taking them, the most common respond is “because I read it was good for me.”

I CAUTION you not to take supplements (aka nutraceuticals) without consulting a health care professional first as there can be serious adverse reactions when taken with other prescriptions or supplements. For example, garlic should be avoided if you have a bleeding or blood clotting disorder or diabetes, or if you are taking any medicines to prevent or treat a blood clotting disorder or diabetes.

Another example is Glucosamine Sulphate (GSS). It should not be taken by anyone allergic to shellfish as that is often where the GSS is derived from in the supplement.

Another important factor is knowing HOW much of the supplement to take. Vitamin C is a perfect example; depending on its dosage it can work to prevent scurvy (a very uncommon malady nowadays), serve as an antioxidant, or increase wound healing.

Lastly, it is often wise to discuss what brands to purchase different supplements from. It is due to something called “label claim”. In essence it means what it says on the label is exactly the amount of the product inside the bottle. Sadly, the majority of big name drug stores and supplement companies can’t meet “label claim”. Their products of often only have a fraction of the product in it when tested (often via chromatography) and use fillers in lieu of. By engaging in this practice, it substantially decreases the cost of the product. The Chiropractors and Naturopath at Vitality clinic purchase products guaranteed to meet label claim- the amount on the label will be the exact amount found inside the supplement until the expiration date.

We, as practitioners, would prefer you to purchase the products we dispense but you DON’T HAVE to! Often, we don’t even carry the product you’re interested in. At least know you can have the discussion with us and we can offer you alternatives or ensure you are taking a quality brand.

Have a great weekend,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

The professional athletes of the NFL use regular chiropractic treatments to stay healthy, limber, and maintain their peak performance for Sunday game day. Some specific players, such as Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, have been long time proponents of chiropractic for frontline treatment and assessment of musculoskeletal injuries and long lasting wellness care.  Another is Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers Super Bowl Champion Quarterback: “Performing at my best is important to me and should be to everyone. I am blessed that my dad is a chiropractor. Getting adjusted regularly – along with practicing other good health habits that my mom helped me to establish – are all part of my goal to win in life and on the field.”

Here are a few links that shed more light into the great relationship of football and chiropractic care. For all you office athletes grinding out hours sitting or standing, get ahead and get adjusted!

Q and A with Dr. Jim Kurtz, Seattle Seahawks Team Chiropractor

Chiropractic, a touchdown for the NFL

NFL Youtube testimonials for chiropractic benefits

The roll of chiropractors in the NFL

As chiropractors become further ingrained in professional sports culture, we will only see an increase in athletes praising chiropractic in other leagues such as the NHL, Major League Baseball (MLB) , Major League Soccer (MLS), the NBA, and the Professional Golf Association (PGA).

Have a great day,
Dr. Lucas Tisshaw
Vancouver Chiropractor and ART Provider

Here are a few of my favourite Hallowe’en recipes.  They are perfect for making the night of a party or a great way to make use of your leftover jack o’lantern.  As per most of my recipes, they are all really quick and easy to make!

Toasted Curry Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 4 to 7 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden brown.
4. Remove from the oven and cool.
5. Serve or store in an airtight container.

Serves 4

Bacon Devilled Eggs with Dill

Ingredients
12 eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey mustard
3 tablespoons dill, minced
salt and pepper to taste
5 thick slices bacon

Preparation
1. Immerse the eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring water to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to very low, so that the water remains hot but below a simmer. Cover and let eggs stand in the hot water for 10 to 11 minutes. Drain eggs and run under cold water until cool to the touch.

2. While the eggs are cooking, heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon to the pan and cook about 4 minutes on each side, until crispy and golden brown. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Once cool, crumble into small pieces and set aside, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons for garnish.

3. Peel the cooled eggs and cut in half lengthwise on a cutting board. Scoop out the yolks and mash them in a mixing bowl.

4. Add the mayonnaise, honey mustard, 2 tablespoons of the dill and the bacon to the yolks and mix well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Using a small spoon, fill the egg-white halves with the yolk mixture and place on a serving platter.

6. Garnish with dill and bacon bits and serve.

Serves 12

Fiery Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups butternut squash or pumpkin, seeded peeled and cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
Juice from 1/2 a lime
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Put the squash or pumpkin in a baking dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, tossing once or twice during cooking, until tender.

3. Transfer the squash or pumpkin into a food processor and add the garlic, ginger, chili, and remaining oil. Process until smooth, then briefly pulse in the lime juice and check the seasoning.

4. Scrape the dip into a bowl and serve hot, warm or cold. (It will thicken on cooling so give it a good stir before serving.)

Serves 4

Cheddar Eyeballs

Ingredients
1 cup extra sharp Cheddar, grated
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
6-ounce bottle stuffed green olives, drained

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a food processor, combine the cheese, butter, cumin and salt and process until combined. With the machine running, add the flour and stop as soon as a ball of dough forms.

2. Scoop up a tablespoon of the cheese mixture and mould it into a ball. Push an olive into it, with the stuffed end showing. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and olives.

3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until just golden brown. Serve warm.

36 Servings

Blood Chilling Gazpacho

Ingredients
6 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cups tomato juice
1 large avocado, finely diced

Preparation
1. Combine all ingredients except tomato juice and avocado in a blender or food processor. Pulse until pureed.

2. Strain mixture through a course sieve into a glass bowl or pitcher. Press to extract all the juices. Stir in the tomato juice, cover and refrigerate until well-chilled.

3. Just before serving, dice avocado. Pour gazpacho into soup cups and garnish with diced avocado.

Serves 8

Enjoy,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Did you know having your ankle or foot adjusted can alleviate low back pain?

Whether you’ve been standing on your feet all day, dancing, or running, your feet can take a beating. They are analogous to the wheels of your vehicle; aside from helping you get from one place to another, they also help reduce and absorb the shock that travels from the ground up.

So if you experience low back pain, knee pain, hip pain, a leg length inequality, scoliosis, ankle sprains, or headaches, you should have your feet checked as part of your regular maintenance chiropractic visit.

Ask your Chiropractor to evaluate them at your next maintenance visit!

Have a great day,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Related Articles:
Causes of Low Back Pain
Rehabilitation Back Injuries
Sciatic Pain
Lower back Stretches
Correcting Faulty Posture
Orthotics
Sleeping Positions
Tips to Consider When Purchasing a New Mattress
Running Injuries
Core, Core, and More Core

The Canadian food includes a small note on oils and fats, indicating that one should consume no more than 2-3 tablespoons of unsaturated fat daily, and this fat should come from sources such as canola oil, vegetable oil, olive oil and soft margarine. It further suggests limiting butter, lard, hard margarine and shortening.

Fats have been given an extremely bad rap in the past few decades, and were mistakenly identified as a major contributor to cardiovascular disease and obesity. In recent years, it has become clear that diets high in grains and other carbohydrates (like sugar) are much more dangerous. Healthy fats are essential, and cannot be removed from any diet without consequence. Try to consume fatty foods like nuts, seeds and avocados daily, but not in excess. Eat about a handful of nuts or seeds, or an entire avocado.

Make sure you’re choosing foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, as opposed to those high in omega 6 fatty acids, to dampen the body’s production of pro-inflammatory molecules. Vegetable oils, canola oil, most margarines and commercial salad dressings are high in omega 6 fatty acids, and should be avoided. Instead, make your own salad dressings out of olive, walnut, grapeseed, or avocado oil, and cook primarily with coconut oil, as it has a high smoking point. I also prefer butter to margarine, as it is quite low in inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids, and use it in moderation. Margarine on the other hand, is quite high in omega 6 fatty acids and should be avoided.

Fish oil is one of the most efficient ways to introduce high doses of anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids into your diet, and is quite effective at reducing your bodies inflammatory response via the mechanism described above.

To Summarize

Avoid sugar, refined grains, and omega 6 fatty acids. Eat a whole foods diet consisting of foods your great grandmother would recognize at food. Dairy is not an essential part of a healthy diet, neither are refined grains. Fill your plate with non-starchy vegetables (50%) carbohydrates including fruit, starchy vegetables and non-refined grains (25%) and protein including meat, poultry, legumes and fish (25%). Avoid processed, inflammatory oils high in omega 6 fatty acids, and consume nuts, seeds, and healthy fats like avocado daily.

At the end of the day, eat if you’re hungry and follow these rules. Calorie counting will not be necessary if you follow these rules. Armed with this new food guide, head to the grocery store, fill your cart with whole foods, and enjoy!

The Series:
The CFG- time for a revamp
Milk and Milk Alternatives
Grains
Meat and Meat Alternatives
Fats

Have a great day,
Dr. Kaleigh Anstett
Vancouver Naturopath

Related Articles:
Understanding Coconut Oil
Fat Facts

The food guide suggests trimming the fat and skin before cooking meats, and cooking methods such as roasting, baking, and poaching as opposed to frying or deep-frying, and choosing luncheon (deli) meats with lower sodium. The food guide also indicates fish such as char, herring, mackerel, sardines, and trout should be included regularly, as should meat alternatives such as beans, lentils, and tofu.

My advice – Meat and meat alternatives
Following fruits and vegetables, meat and meat alternatives are the next most important food group. Meat and meat alternatives offer essential vitamins, minerals, and most importantly, protein! Avoid processed meats, and aim to purchase the best quality you can afford. Grass-fed and pastured meats offer the biggest nutritional bang for your buck, and are high in fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D, A, and K2 – vitamins typically deficient in the standard north American diet. Eggs, legumes, and tofu are great sources of protein. Specifically, sprouted organic tofu is much higher in protein (about twice the amount of non-sprouted tofu), and does not contain GMOs. Tempeh is another great source of soy protein, is versatile and also less processed than tofu.

Fish should be eaten in moderation due to environmental contamination. Check out the Environmental Working Groups online tool for more specific information based on age, sex, and additional health factors. Like carbohydrates (starchy vegetables and grains), I advise patients not to consume more than 25% of their daily intake in the form of meat and meat alternatives.

The Series:
The CFG- time for a revamp
Milk and Milk Alternatives
Grains
Meat and Meat Alternatives
Fats

Next and last blog in the series- Fats

Have a great day,
Dr. Kaleigh Anstett
Vancouver Naturopath

Related Articles:
Protein, Protein, and More Protein

The food guide suggests that individuals between 19-50 years of age consume between 6 and 8 servings of grains products daily. Considering ½ a bagel is one serving, readers could presumably eat up to 4 bagels daily while staying within the limits of the Canadian Food Guide! The food guide also recommends to eat a variety of grains, and to choose whole grain products over refined white products, which is good advice. The food guide also encourages whole grain products over refined white products and suggests choosing grain products low in fat, sugar, and salt.

My Advice – Grain Products
Unfortunately, whole grain products such as bread and pasta actually have a higher glycemic index than refined products.  The jury is out on whether whole grain products are indeed a more healthy option than refined grain products, which is why I like to advise against consuming processed grain products on a daily basis.  I encourage patients to limit their entire carbohydrate consumption to no more than 25% of their daily intake.  Non-refined grains such as bulgur, quinoa and brown rice are much better options than processed grain products like pasta and bread, as they are higher in essential nutrients and gentler on blood sugar and metabolism.  So to reiterate, instead of counting grain servings daily, take a look at carbohydrate consumption which includes your starchy vegetables and grains, and stay away from processed grains as often as possible, regardless of whether they are made with whole grain or refined flours.

A Note on Gluten Free products
Although many people feel better on a gluten-free diet, it’s hard to know if gluten itself is the culprit. The fact that wheat products generally wreak havoc on blood sugar may explain some of the effects of going “gluten-free”. A smaller subset of the population that suffers from either celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, likely benefits more than most when switching to a gluten-free diet. Be wary of calorically dense, gluten free imitation products, as they are generally higher in calories and sugar and are in no way healthier options unless the person in question truly has celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. If you decide to go gluten-free, fill the gap with healthier grain alternative like brown rice, quinoa, or root vegetables.

The Series:
The CFG- time for a revamp
Milk and Milk Alternatives
Grains
Meat and Meat Alternatives
Fats

Next in the series- Meat and Meat Alternatives

Have a great day,
Dr. Kaleigh Anstett
Vancouver Naturopath

Related Articles:
Quinoa Vegetable Soup
Kale, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad
Asparagus, Spinach, and Quinoa Soup

The Food Guide suggests 2 servings of milk or milk alternatives daily, and no longer suggests that milk and milk alternatives should be an individual’s main source of calcium as it did in the past. This is likely due to the fact that a diet high is green vegetables is higher in calcium (and other essential minerals) than a diet high in dairy. The food guide now suggests that everyone consume lower fat milk or soy products fortified with vitamin D, in order to ensure adequate vitamin D intake.

My advice – Milk and Milk alternatives

Dairy is generally not required as part of a healthy diet. Our bodies produce some vitamin D on their own when exposed to sunlight, and vitamin D supplements are a cheap, easy, and an efficient way to improve Vitamin D intake. Foods such as salmon and pastured (grass-fed) meats are also much higher in vitamin D than dairy products, and will be discussed to a greater extent in the blog on meat and meat alternatives.

A Note on Probiotics
Many people equate yogurt with probiotics, and this is because yogurt indeed, does contain probiotics. In actuality, most if not all fermented foods contain probiotics, or bacteria that is generally considered beneficial when ingested. Organic, all natural yogurt, without additives, is a good option for individuals that can tolerate it, but unfortunately many people are sensitive to dairy, largely due to the fact that it contains lactose (a sugar that lactose-intolerant people are unable to digest) and casein, a milk protein that many people are sensitive too. Yogurt however, is usually quite low in lactose, and therefore much easier to digest for the average person who typically has a tough time with dairy.

For those with pronounced digestive disturbance, (bloating, cramping, IBS-like symptoms or inflammatory bowel disease) systemic inflammation, autoimmune disease, or a history of antibiotic use, professional probiotic supplements are often indicated. Since these products differ widely, it is important to receive professional advice in choosing the appropriate combination and strength of probiotic species.

The Series:
The CFG- time for a revamp 
Grains
Meat and Meat Alternatives
Fats

Next in the series- Grain Products

Have a great day,
Dr. Kaleigh Anstett
Vancouver Naturopath

Related Articles:
Kefir

For decades, the Canadian food guide has been a go-to for individuals and health professionals searching for the latest in evidence based nutrition. The food guide promises to provide the most up-to-date research and information regarding food choices for individuals and families, and is used across the country in health facilities and hospitals to ensure adequate nutrition for in-patients

But is the information provided by the Canadian food guide all its cracked up to be? Is it really your best source for accurate evidenced-based nutritional science? Let’s take a closer look to find out.

Let’s take a look at recommended daily servings for adults aged 19-50 and deconstruct each requirement individually. The food guide recommends:

• 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables
• 6-8 servings of grain products
• 2 servings of milk and milk alternatives
• 2-3 servings of meat and meat alternatives

Fruits and Vegetables

This is perhaps the most redeeming recommendation given within the food guide, considering fruits and vegetables are by far the most important component to any diet. However, ½ cup of juice is considered 1 serving, when in fact, juice is not a fruit or a vegetable. Readers could conceivably consume 4-5 cups of juice per day, and comply with the standards set by the food guide. The food guide does suggest readers consume at least one serving of dark green, and one serving of orange vegetables daily, and warns against consuming deep-fried vegetables and suggests consuming actual fruits and vegetables more often than juice. However, I feel this information is incomplete, leaving far to much open to interpretation.

My advice – Fruits and Vegetables
Eating fruits and vegetables doesn’t need to be complicated! At least 50% of what you consume daily should be classified within the fruit and vegetables category, and 80% of this portion should ideally be fresh or frozen or juiced, not canned, not dried, not processed in any way. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain the greatest variety of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that contribute to good health, the functions of which are really too numerous to discuss within this article.

The important point to remember, is that we should all try to incorporate as many non-starchy vegetables into our diet as possible; they are generally very low in sugar, friendly to our metabolism, and are the most nutrient dense foods we can put into our bodies. Non-starchy vegetables typically grow above ground, and are often leafy in nature. They include vegetables like onions and garlic, leafy greens, cucumber, squash, peppers, eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower and bokchoy, celery, rhubarb and radish, to name a few. Indeed, more than 7-10 servings of non-starchy vegetables daily would be fine!

I generally advise patients to limit starchy vegetables and other carbohydrates to no more than 25% of what they consume daily. Starchy vegetables include potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes and yams, parsnips, beets and other root vegetables.

The Series:
Milk and Milk Alternatives
Grains
Meat and Meat Alternatives
Fats

Have a great day,
Dr. Kaleigh Anstett
Vancouver Naturopath

Link to EWG tool

Related Articles:
Why Eating Fruit is Essential to your Overall Health
Eating Seasonally for Optimal Health
Super Foods
Cooking Vegetables

Alright ladies and gents, NFL football is in full swing which means for some people, the TV on Sunday is focused on sports sports sports. If you get together with friends and go full out with snacks and lunch, try some of these ideas that would likely be hitting the dinner plates of the guys you are watching on TV and skipping the bags of chips and two medium pizza special from your favourite ‘za joint.

Devilled Eggs – Protein! Easy! Delicious!

Veg platter with hummus – red pepper, raw broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumber – whip up a can of chick peas in the blender with olive oil and tahini or grab a tub of hummus from the store. A great way to replace dip with a healthy, filling, and tasty option.

Guacamole – grab a few avocados, mash, throw in some seasoning, and get a small back of rice crackers, organic corn tortilla chips, or use the veg platter to dip the rich and creamy guac.

Sweet potato salad – as delicious or better than regular potato salad with more nutrition. Add in a bunch of chopped veg and you have a perfect mix. Personally, a dressing mix between olive oil, Dijon mustard, and dill is a great combo.

Have a great day,
Dr. Lucas Tisshaw
Vancouver Chiropractor and ART Provider

Does rain deter you from going for a run? If it’s a torrential downpour, then I’m skipping the day and heading for the gym, but if it is a reasonable drizzle or showers, then a run in the rain can be a terrific outdoor experience. Here are some simple tips to help you get out that door:

1. Do your warm up indoors. You warm up, right? Donkey kicks, fire hydrants, glut bridges, and lunges are 4 simple and quick warmup exercises you should probably consider prior to running as these all will activate your gluteal muscles and your core cylinder, taking stress of the knees and low back. Do them inside in your living room before heading out in the rain!

2. Wear a hat. Simple. Keep those pesky misty raindrops out of your eyes as we don’t want to be focusing on squinting and keeping our sight lines open.

3. Dress in layers. Don’t wear too much clothing to try to keep dry or you will end up overheating and sweating more than usual. Find the right rain shell for you or skip it completely and embrace that you are going to get wet.

4. Put your iPod in a plastic bag. Throw in your credit card to stop for a warm drink after!

5. Have a warm snack at home waiting for your arrival. A homemade soup or chili is perfect for a post run bite.

*we also advocate wearing proper attire (unlike the reallyy great picture to the right. )

Have a great day,
Dr. Lucas Tisshaw
Vancouver Chiropractor and ART Provider

The acupuncture point, Neiguan – Pericardium-6, called Inner Pass is a very important point that can alleviate nausea and vomiting.

It is found on the inside of the arm, 3 fingers width from the wrist crease and between the two tendons.

Sometimes when we eat too much, such as at Thanksgiving… we can feel a bit under the weather afterwards.
By pressing or massaging this point with the baby finger of your other hand, we can alleviate your upset stomach and feel better again.
If someone you know is at the vomiting stage, you can help them feel better by pressing or massaging the point for them.

That’s your acupuncture tip for the day!
Julianne Petersen
Registered Acupuncturist

Often, individuals are unsure of when to start Chiropractic care once they have been in a motor vehicle accident. This brochure provided by the BCCA may help one decide what steps to take.  After the Crash Brochure

If you have additional questions, or would like to book an appointment, please contact the clinic.
You may also contact the Chiropractors directly if you have any additional questions. [email protected] or [email protected].

Have a great day,
The Vitality Team

In the Fall and Winter seasons barometric pressure drops, and this, more than the chilly damp and rainy weather, is the science behind the increase in joint pain that some people start feeling around October and November. With less barometric pressure, our body tissues expand, placing a slight increases in pressure against the joints.

Our joints are richly innervated with sensory receptors that detect this increase in tissue pressure, which results in the surrounding musculature to tighten up and brace the joint, as the nervous system reacts to what it thinks could be potential danger. Where does a chiropractor come in? As musculoskeletal experts, we work with the entire body, not just the spine, and have a toolkit of joint mobilizations, muscle work, and adjustments that increase joint range of motion and decrease joint discomfort.

The increase joint and muscle mobility from chiropractic sessions sends good positive signals from the sensory receptors in the joints to the central nervous system, leading to feedback loop of less musculature tightness and joint stiffness.

Have a great day,
Dr. Lucas Tisshaw
Vancouver Chiropractor and ART Provider

Sitting at a desk for long hours can cause muscles in the neck and shoulders to become tense. Upper trapezius and levator scapulae are the two most common muscles that ‘cramp’ up or develop myofascial trigger points.

Here is a quick stretch you can do while seated at your desk:
Bring your head towards your chest and slightly rotate to one side. Use your hand on the same side to grab the base of your skull on the opposite side. Pull gently sideways until a pain free stretch is felt. Play around with the rotation a bit to target the different fibres and find the ‘sweet spot’. To increase the stretch intensity, try to lower your shoulder to the ground.

This can prevent tension headaches and neck pain from occurring after a long day at the office.

Try this twice a day, holding for 30 seconds on each side, and you should feel a world of difference!

Have a great day,
Sydney Beagle, RMT

Related Articles:
Industrial Athlete Explained
Care of Head, Neck, and Upper Back
4 Simple Work Hacks
7 Minute Workout While at Work

It is the time of year when we all pull out our array of scarves or pashminas.  As a Chiroprctor, I advocate the use of them for more than just their fashion statement.

When you are chilled, people have a tendency to migrate their shoulders up around their ears.  This creates mucsle tension and joint fixations.  Scarves help keep the neck warm and the shoulder in their rightful position!

Keep warm and have fun shopping!

Have a great weekend,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

As the days get shorter and the temperature falls  you might notice your energy levels drop, your mood becomes less cheerful, and you become more susceptible to colds and flu.

Here are 5 things you can do to support your body and enjoy and happy, healthy fall.

1. Sleep: be sure to get 7 to 9 hours a sleep each night and aim for a couple of hours before midnight.  For every hour you sleep prior to midnight, it’s similar to receiving 2 hours after!

2. Get outside: as we see less and less of the sun we need more natural light exposure to stimulate happy hormone production. Read more

3. Exercise: 40 minutes of exercise 3 to 4 times a week will help stimulate and strengthen your immune system and elevate your mood.

4. Watch your sugar intake: 1 tbsp of sugar will suppress your immune system up to 80% of its function for 4 hours!

5. Water!!!! Drink it! 90% of us are dehydrated 70% of the time.  Read more

Have a great week,
The Vitality Team

Vancouver, BC – The British Columbia Chiropractic Association (BCCA) is urging all parents to help children avoid back pain and injuries by using a simple set of guidelines when choosing a backpack for the new school year.  As a doctor, I want to do what’s most important for my patient’s long term health,” said Dr. Crysta Serné, Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Chiropractic and Sports Therapy Clinic.

“Before going out to buy a backpack, it’s helpful to talk to your kids about the type of backpack you want to buy. By following a few simple guidelines, you can help your child choose a backpack they like and avoid serious back problems.”

As many as 55 percent of today’s students are carrying loads far in excess of the recommended 15% of bodyweight, with some students’ packs topping the scales at an alarming 40 pounds. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there has been nearly a 300 percent increase in backpack-related injuries among school children in America since 1996. “This is an important issue for doctors of chiropractic because we focus on wellness and preventative care,” said Dr. Serné. “Our job is to help prevent health problems and that’s why doctors of Chiropractic are so concerned about children carrying backpacks that don’t fit well or that are too heavy.”

Backpack Safety Checklist: When choosing a backpack, look for:
Padded shoulder straps
Padded back
Lumbar support
Waist belt
Multiple compartments
Correct size

How to pack:
Loaded backpacks should weigh no more then 15% of the child’s body weight
Distribute the weight properly; load heavier items closest to the back

How to wear:
Take the backpack off when standing for a long time
Wear both shoulder straps
Tighten straps until snug, but not tight
Use the stabilizing waist strap

Chiropractic is a health care discipline which works to improve the function of the spine and other joints in the body to allow the inherent power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery.

Have a great day,
The Vitality Team

*information courtesy of BC Chiropractic Association

Warming socks should be used at the first indication of any inflammation or congestion in the ears, eyes, sinus, throat, or lungs. Use warming socks when you have a fever or you feel you are starting to ‘come down with something.’ It has also been used effectively for headaches, insomnia, fevers, and a variety of other conditions.

The warming socks treatment is best if repeated for as many nights as necessary to improve the condition. Children love the treatment. You can put the socks on after the child has gone to bed if you wish.

Materials
• 1 pair of cotton socks
• 1 pair of wool socks
• 1 bowl

Instructions
• Warm feet with hot water (you can also just use your bath tap)
• Soak cotton socks in ice cold water
• Wring out cotton socks so they are wet but not dripping
• Put on cold cotton socks
• Immediately put on dry wool socks over wet cotton socks
• Get into bed and wrap up

If you wake and have a chill, remove socks, and warm feet again with warm water.

Have a great day,
The Vitality Team

On several occasions every day in my Chiropractic practice, I am presented with patients who suffer from chronic inflammation; osteoarthritis, tendonitis, overuse injuries, old injuries, ect, ect. I have blogged in the past about the foods that one can take to help eliminate inflammation in the body (The Anti-Inflammatory Diet), but unless you want to gnaw on a Boswellia branch, sometimes food alone isn’t enough. Ibuprofen/Advil is often the patient’s drug of choice to combat that nagging, low grade, chronic pain one feels. I would like to provide you with information so that you have options, and then potentially reach for a natural alternative.

Dr. Meschino is a Naturopath, Chiropractor, and has his Masters in Nutrition. He is also the founder of Adeeva, a Canadian owned nutraceutical company. He has developed, in my opinion, the best natural anti-inflammatory product. Nature’s Relief* is comprised of four ingredients and depending on the dosage, can help alleviate acute and chronic inflammation.

I could speak volumes about the benefits of this product (in combination with other nutraceuticals and a healthy diet,) but it is so nicely summed up in the following video.

Should you wish to learn more about this product and many others, please call the office to book and appointment.

Enjoy your weekend!
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

*please consult with a health care professional prior to taking product as there are contraindications and considerations.

I have been a sports junkie all my life. I love football, and have been a Patriots fan for years – yes- all the way back to when Drew Bledsoe was throwing the pig skin for them, and Tedy Bruschi was their amazing linebacker. (FYI- Tom Brady didn’t come on the scene until 2001!). Proudly wearing my Bruschi jersey, I can’t wait to watch the season opener on September 7th against the Miami Dolphins. What made today even more amazing was as I was perusing through Facebook, I came across this amazing endorsement for my profession.

Who was it from? None other than Tom Brady! Ahhh, life is good.

Whether a Patriots or Bears fan, here is the full NFL season to check out. 

If you want some great ideas to serve during a football game, check out these football recipes.

Have a great week everyone,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

From work, to play, to how much milk we put on our cereal, we need to exercise discipline and moderation. This is not some new revelation but it’s worth revisiting, especially when it comes to the foods we eat. I love the old adage “it’s not strong enough until it’s too strong” as it demonstrates how delicate the balancing act in our body really is.

Every second of every day your body is tirelessly working to be as efficient as it can; I suggest we help it out as much as possible. Just like tires or the clutch in your car wear out, things can wear out in your body. The difference is that your body is the only vehicle you will have for life so let’s provide it with as many preventative tools as we can.

I can go into a biochemical spiel about the effects of prostaglandin pathways and homocysteine levels affect inflammation in your body, but I suspect you would prefer a few dietary tips instead.

Anti-Inflammatory                                                     Pro-Inflmmatory

EFA’s                                                                                Red Meats/Fats
Fish Oils                                                                          Dairy products and Eggs
Vitamin E                                                                        Peanuts
Bioflavinoids                                                                  Processed foods/Oils
Vitamin/Mineral Co-Factors                                      Alcohol
Most Fresh Fruits/Vegetables                                   Coffee
Seeds and Sprouts                                                       Black Tea

The body’s clean up crew:
Lungs, lymph and kidneys
Liver (antihistamines, C-P450, deconjugation)
Circulating digestive enzymes (proteases)
Anti-oxidant nutrients (Vit A,C,E, Zinc, Selenium, etc).

Articles related to inflammation and/or immunity:
The Anti-Inflammatory Diet
8 Foods to Boost Your Immune System
Strategies to Improve Immune Function
Your Body’s Response to Stress
Cupping
Glucosamine Sulphate
Chiropractic and Immunity

Have a great week,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.  I thought they were fitting as it is Labour Day and all.

Enjoy Labour Day!
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

The castor bean (Oleum ricini), is known principally as a cathartic (strong laxative). A gentler use is in the form of a pack placed over the abdomen, usually with heat applied. The oil is absorbed into the lymphatic circulation to provide a soothing, cleansing, and nutritive treatment, which stimulates immune function and tonifies internal organs.

Use
The COP has many applications and has been used in specific cases such as uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts that are non-malignant. Other conditions that respond well include: headaches, liver congestion, constipation, diarrhea, intestinal disorders, gallbladder inflammation, conditions of poor elimination, night time urinary frequency, and joint inflammation. Most important, COPs are extremely useful in general detoxification.

It is to be used with caution in pregnancy or during menstruation as it may cause additional bleeding.

Materials needed
• castor oil
• flannel or cotton cloth that is large enough to cover abdomen
• heat source (hot water bottle, heating pad)
• old towel

How to administer a COP
1. fold cloth into 2 – 3 thickness to fit over entire abdomen
2. Drizzle castor oil onto the cloth. I recommend poking a hole in the aluminum cover of the bottle rather than removing it completely. Note: the pack should not be dripping with oil, it should have just enough oil to make a slight mark on furniture as if you were going to polish it….however, do not test this as the oil will stain furniture, clothing etc. (therefore you might want to lay a towel under you before you begin your pack.)
3. Lie on your back with your feet elevated. Place the cloth over your entire abdomen, cover with towel and apply heat.
4. Leave pack on for 45 – 60 minutes. This is an excellent time to take for yourself. Practice meditation, deep breathing, or whatever relaxes you. Do not watch television or read anything that is stimulating as this is a time for relaxation.
5. Store the pack in a zip lock bag and reuse until the cloth is saturated (then throw it out and start again.)
6. For maximum effectiveness it is important to apply the pack as often as possible and on consecutive days. Try for at least 4 consecutive says per week.

Have a great day,
The Vitality Team

I have been pondering this thought now for a number of years. Actually, 13 to be exact… ever since the government chose to discontinue paramedical services (chiropractic, massage therapy, naturopathy, acupuncture, etc) as part of the Medical Services Plan (MSP). Yes, some patients are eligible to receive MSP premium assistance and I am pleased to offer that option whenever possible. However, the majority of patients walking through our doors pay private fees and are then reimbursed through their extended health plans. I often akin our profession to retail services- we are selling ourselves, our profession, and our belief system, and we have to market ourselves accordingly. We have to ensure that we provide exemplary service or the patient will take their money and go elsewhere.

Yay!!

I am not sad or disappointed by this revelation. In fact, I am delighted by it as it means that we have to work even harder to make sure we provide the best care we possibly can to our patients. And just like retail, you might like the feel of a sweater better in one store than in another – they both offer the same type of sweater, but one is just a little more to your liking.

So what sets me apart from any other Chiropractor? You will NEVER here me say I am better than any other individual is. Not only is that egotistical and unkind, but it’s also completely unethical. Instead, let me offer you some insight into what I do. Then you can make the decision for yourself.

I LOVE what I do. It’s what gets me up in the morning, well aside from my meowing cats and 15 month old son… I have an unyielding passion for my craft that energizes me- it pushes me to want to expand my knowledge base, explore new ideas, and constantly do better. I love that I am able to bear witness to the evolution of so many life events- graduations, marriages, and births. Sure, I adjust almost any body part imaginable, and I rehabilitate almost any injury one can think. It is extremely rewarding to be able to offer this care, but all it takes is for one person in my day to say, “Wow, I feel better,” smile again, or say “What? I had no idea you adjusted ankles. Awesome!” to make me want to come back and do it all over again the next day.

I was taught the same information as any other Chiropractic graduate. Perhaps my brain processes the information differently and my hands feel things differently. Maybe that’s what sets me apart? All I know is that I never want to stop being a Chiropractor.

Have a great day!
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

To learn more about myself and the treatments I offer, please peruse through our articles and blogs.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Prairie Dog
4 Stretches for the Lower Back
Upper Body Stretches
Chiropractic is Not All About the “Crunch”
Understanding Coconut Oil
Epsom Salt Soaks
Plantar Fascitis
Industrial Athlete Explained

As with Acupuncture, cupping therapy has been practiced for thousands of years by many peoples of the world.

Cupping therapy uses Acupuncture points and the meridian lines of the body, to place glass cups instead of needles. Most people report feeling relaxed and calm following cupping therapy. It is a safe and relaxing technique that will help you to feel rejuvenated and open.
It is an effective treatment for many ailments from releasing lung congestion from the common cold to relieving muscle pain.

Benefits of Cupping Therapy

1. Enhances function of the lymphatic system, which acts as the body’s garbage collection service.
2. Detoxifies the muscles by promoting blood flow into the muscles to relieve pain.
3. Improves blood and synovial fluid flow in the joints to relieve stiffness.
4. Strengthens the Respiratory System.
5. Relaxes body and the mind so the sympathetic nervous system can rest and repair.

Clarissa Low is classically trained in the art of cupping as well as Acupuncture, but if you are unsure of needles, why not give cupping therapy a try? Call the clinic to book.

Have a great day,

The Vitality Team

We refrain from using the word “bath” in our conversation as some individuals detest baths. However, they will “soak” their body knowing it is an effective treatment for soothing sore, achy, and tight muscles and joints.  Home care is an essential component to the services we offer our Chiropractic and Naturopathic patients.

Hydrotherapy can actually be as effective as oral analgesics in treating sore, aggravated muscles and tendons, and may be practiced up to 3 times/day for about 20 minutes.  The athletes among us can attest to the pain relief achieved upon immersing their sore bodies in a warm soak following prolonged physical activity.

Epsom salts, or magnesium sulphate, are a particularly effective adjunct to warm bathing, as soaking in Epsom salt has the beneficial side effect of increasing magnesium levels within the blood, assisting in muscle relaxation. Add 2 cups of Epsom salt to a hot bath and soak for 20 minutes.

If it’s an especially hot day and a warm bath doesn’t sound all that refreshing, fill your tub 1/3 of the way full with hot water, add 2 cups of Epsom salts and dissolve.  Fill the remaining space in the tub with cold water, and enjoy.

Adding essential oils to your Epsom salt soak can take relaxation to the next level – add 5-10 drops of pure organic essential oil to your bath for the following benefits:

Lavender is an antiseptic, gentle muscle relaxant and anxiolytic.  In fact, double blind placebo controlled studies have demonstrated that Silexan, an 80 mg lavender oil capsule, is as effective as lorazepam in improving symptoms of uncomplicated anxiety, and anxiety related sleep disturbance.  We love this powerful botanical.

Teatree also an antiseptic, teatree oil is a good choice if prevention of fungal infections is a top priority.  If you have a tendency towards athlete’s foot, or ringworm, this oil can help prevent infection after exposure (think less than clean gym showers.)

Eucalyptus is anti-inflammatory and analgesic.  Eucalyptus improves the immune system’s response to pathogens, and is effective in treated uncomplicated respiratory tract infections when added to baths or humidifiers and inhaled as steam.

Have a great day, and enjoy your soaks!
Dr. Kaleigh Anstett, Vancouver Naturopath
Dr. Crysta Serné, Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Following up to a blog written last week on why sitting is the new smoking, we will up the ante and state that vigorous running for 5 minutes per day can significantly improve your health. New research not only has compared people who run versus people who do not run, but they have also compared high volume runners to low volume runners and concluded that there are only a small difference in outcome markers between the groups – the point here is that if you only want to exercise vigorously for 5 minutes per day, you are still gaining huge benefits to your health and wellness. This topic was recently written and posted in the New York Times Well Blog. Check out the full article here 

Dr. Tisshaw and Dr. Serné both have experience working directly with athletes and runners to prescreen for faulty movements and injury risk, as well as treating the wear and tear on the feet, knees, hips, and back while pounding the pavement.

Have a great day!
Dr. Lucas Tisshaw
Vancouver Chiropractor and ART Provider

I have an overwhelming number of patients in my chiropractic practice coming in because they have right sided upper back pain.  Here’s a quick tip to consider when sitting in front of your desktop.

If you are not a two finger typer, like myself, and do not require looking down at your keyboard, move it ever so slightly to your left.  This minor shift now allows you to position your mouse directly in front of your right hand.  By making this simple change, you prevent your right shoulder from repetitive external rotation.

Of course, I advocate coming in for an assessment and chiropractic treatments to prevent further issues.

Related articles:

Industrial athlete explained

Care of heard, neck, and upper back

Stretches for upper back stiffness

Upper back stretches

Correcting Faulty Posture

Hope this helps!
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

I’m sure by now you have heard of lycopene- that nutrient that acts as a great antioxidant?  Well if not, here’s what you need to know about lycopene.

You can find lycopene in certain vegetables and fruits. Once you consume the foods with lycopene, your body will use it as an antioxidant. However, for your body to benefit from it, you need to eat enough of the foods containing lycopene. The fruits and vegetables that are great sources of this substance can easily be added to your daily health regimen. The following are some foods that contain high concentration of lycopene:

• Tomatoes
• Pink Grapefruit
• Pink Guava
• Watermelon
• Papaya

As a Chiropractor, I treat individuals on a daily basis suffering from inflammation.  I often have to advise them against eating tomatoes as they may create additional inflammation in your body.  To learn more about my anti-inflammatory diet, click here.  Watermelon is a great way to keep up your lycopene stores and ’tis the season to eat it.

Here are some great ways to indulge in this sweet and refreshing fruit, courtesy of the folks over at Huffington Post. Click here

Enjoy the holiday!
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Find this link for 12 simple exercises using only body weight, a chair, and a wall.  This workout can be done in 7 minutes, scientifically proven!

If you did not see the previous post on 4 Hacks at Work to Improve Health, go back and combine this 7 minute workout with the other simple tips for improved wellbeing in the long term.

New York Times Well Blog Scientific 7-Minute Workout

Have a great weekend,

Dr. Lucas Tisshaw

Chiropractor

During the ups and downs of our work schedules throughout the year, sometimes it’s hard to fit in the time to be active and get the exercise we need to get the blood flowing and maintain good health. You may have heard that “sitting is the new smoking”. Why? Because sitting for just a few hours a day has been linked to negative health outcomes which include elevated risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and many other chronic health conditions, let alone sitting leads to increased muscle and joint soreness due to excessive unnatural posture (sitting!) for hours a day. Chiropractic care combined with as much active moving and healthy eating is the perfect complement to counteract our new “addiction” of chronic sitting. Continue your regular hands on care through chiropractic adjustments and massage, but increase the levels of activity where you can! Do you get regular dental cleanings and then go home and not brush your teeth until your follow up appointment? No! We can all use regular chiropractor tune ups to help us improve our joint movement, posture, and increase wellness through nervous system stimulation, and we will build on this wellness improvement if we fit in regular exercise where we can, even if it means to develop an easy routine while at work.

Get outside during Lunch
It is so easy to watch the clock hit noon and head to the fridge to grab your brown bag and head back to your desk to eat, but that’s exactly what you have been doing for most of the day already. Pick up that meal and head right out the door to a park that is at least 10 minutes away from the office. Stretch, walk, stand, breathe, and enjoy the outdoors for those precious moments! Or maybe you can pack your runners and have a 25 minute power walk or run before heading back to the office for regular lunch routine – either way, get out of the chair!

Take regular water cooler breaks
As depicted in a famous Seinfeld episode, the water cooler is a great place to break up your day at the office and socialize with colleagues. This breaks up your sitting routine, helps you toward your goal of at least 2 L of water per day, and adds to your social wellness with more human interaction.

Switch up the ergonomics of your work station
A quick an easy addition to your office is to get an exercise ball that you can sit on. This doesn’t mean you have to use it for 8 hours a day, but roll it over in place of your chair for 20 minutes every couple of hours. Exercise balls force your body to contract some core muscles and improve spinal posture. The more involved process of an ergonomic change would be getting an adjustable desk for different heights which allows you to choose between standing and sitting. You might realize that a standing work station improves your life dramatically!

Create your own office workout “circuit”
You know those stripped down outdoor fitness circuits that can be found in some of our parks that often include a dip bar, a few chin up bars, maybe some rings, and some sort of box apparatus to jump on to? Well they are great if you know how to squeeze the most out of them and I want you to use your office in the same way.

• Dips off your desk or office table
• Squats against the wall
• Planks and bridges on the floor
• Lunges around the office
• Calf raises while holding your desk
• Wide grip pushups against the door frame

Tune in soon for a post on scientifically researched study of a combination of exercises that can be done in 7 minutes to improve your health and wellness!

Have a great day,

Dr. Lucas Tisshaw

Chiropractor

The Chiropractors at Vitality Clinic treat areas in addition to the spine.  We have been trained to adjust and treat extremities- TMJ, ankles, feet, knees, hips, wrist, elbow, and shoulders!

If you have an injury to any one of these areas, consider coming in for an assessment today!

Enjoy the sun,

The Vitality Team

A sprain is an injury to a ligament or joint capsule. A ligament is a thick, tough, fibrous tissue that connects bones together. Commonly injured ligaments are found in the spine, ankle, knee, and wrist.

Ligaments are often injured when they are stretched beyond their natural limit (i.e. too far from their normal position) and they lose their ability to stabilize the joint. The purpose of having ligaments is to hold your skeleton in a normal alignment — ligaments prevent abnormal movements. However, when too much force is applied to a ligament, such as in a fall, the ligaments can be stretched or torn; this injury is called a sprain.

A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon.   Tendons are connective tissue that attach muscle to bone.  Commonly injured tendons are in the shoulder, back and neck, achilles, and elbow.  Strains commonly occur due to repetitive overuse or traumatic injury.

Both sprains and strains are categorized based on the severity of their injury from Grade 1-5.  A Grade 5 sprain/strain is a complete rupture and often requires surgical intervention.

As multimodal chiropractors, we are trained and equipped to treat sprains and strains of any nature.

Have a great day,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Do you experience back pain, a chronically tight hamstring, or feel like one leg is heavier than the other?  You may have a leg length inequality.  One of the easiest ways you can determine if you have a leg length discrepancy is to perform a wall hamstring stretch.

Lie on your back and place your legs against the wall- ideally your legs should be at 90 degrees to your back, and there should not be a bend in your knees.  Flex your feet towards your head.  Now look at where your heels rest on the wall – do they line up?  If one leg rests higher on the wall than the other, you have a leg length inequality.  It may be functional and caused by conditions such as, but not limited to, pelvic rotation or imbalances in the muscles attaching to the pelvis.  Alternatively, it may be anatomical and caused by conditions such as scoliosis of the spine, a previous fracture of one of your leg bones (femur, tibia, or fibula), joint degeneration, or a combination of functional and anatomical inequalities.

Regardless of the nature of the leg length inequality, if you notice a discrepancy in the height of your legs, get checked out.  It’s important to find out the cause.  Read on to learn more about leg length inequalities.

Have a great day,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Thank goodness for summer! Vancouver is currently experiencing one of the hottest summers in recent history. In fact, some areas of the lower mainland recently reached temperatures approaching 40⁰ Celsius- that’s HOT. We all realize it’s dangerous to spend too much time in the sun, dehydration and severe sun burns are too often side effects of summer fun. We’d all like to prevent these nasty outcomes, so what’s the best way to do that?

Stay hydrated – and when I say stay hydrated, I mean drink water or coconut water, ideally from a glass or stainless steel container. Please stay away from artificially flavoured neon sports drinks (you know who I’m referring too). As Dr. Serné mentioned in her blog on water, add sliced fruit if you’re not a fan of pure water.

Wear sunscreen – sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 helps to reduce your risk of sunburn, via UVB exposure. However, keep in mind that many sunscreens with a high SPF will not protect you from UVA rays, which do not cause burns, but contribute to the development of serious skin damage and melanoma – the most deadly skin cancer. The solution? Wear protective clothing, avoid prolonged sun exposure, and wear a broad spectrum sunscreen without common additives like retinyl palmitate, which may promote the development of skin tumours in sun exposed skin (how perfect!) or oxybenzone, a known hormone disruptor. Most commercial sunscreens contain both of these additives. Mineral sunscreens containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are a great alternative to traditional sunscreens, and offer broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. The added bonus? Sun protection starts immediately – no need to wait 30 minutes in the shade.

If you find yourself in the sticky situation of being at the beach without your mineral sunscreen, a traditional sunscreen is better than none at all, but keep in mind it won’t be effective until about 25 minutes post application.For more information, and to see how your sunscreen stacks up, visit the Environmental working groups sun safety page at this link.

Enjoy the outdoors this summer!
Dr. Kaleigh Anstett
Vancouver Naturopath

Everyone knows water is essential for life, but do you know how much you are supposed to drink in a day?  The kidneys can only filter water at a certain rate, so my rule of thumb is to drink 500ml per hour to a maximum of 3 litres.  Anything more than 500ml and you’re quenching your thirst but not hydrating your tissues.

If you struggle to drink water as part of your daily routine, here are a few suggestions:

1.  Add lemon or cucumber for flavour

2.  Start with drinking water at room temperature; it is easier to digest and often you can drink more without realizing it.

3.  Always have a water bottle nearby so you get into the habit of continually drinking small amounts throughout the day.

Don’t forget about your electrolytes as you need to make sure they stay balanced in order to aid with water absorption (coconut water is a great source.)

Have a great day!
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Having a hard time sleeping with the warmer weather?  With hotter nights upon us, many individuals are pulling their fans out of storage.  The key to having fans work to their maximal efficiency is dependent on where you position them in the room.  A fan should never be pointed directly at you, especially when you are sleeping.  This could potentially cool down one side of the body faster than the other, creating imbalances and muscle tension to the joints they attach to.  This could ultimately lead to muscle strains and conditions such as torticollis (wry neck).

Cool the air in the room by placing an oscillating fan in the corner of the room, opposite your bed.  If you have a ceiling fan, ensure it is not positioned directly over the bed.

Have a great day,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Caitlyn Fry , RMT has first hand knowledge of what treatments are necessary by dancers as she is a former one.  Check out her latest submission.

Enjoy the sun,

The Vitality Team

Here is a CRAZY article about how the sugar industry stifled the wise words of John Yudkin, a man who in the 70’s warned us about SUGAR and all the dangers that it can create…..imagine if the world had been entitled to this information when it was published?! Healthy heart = happy life !

Caitlyn Fry, RMT

click to read article

Everyone knows yoga is good for the soul, but how great is it to see the studies being done to show what it can scientifically do for the body!

click to read article 

Enjoy the sunshine,

Caitlyn Fry, RMT

When determining what pillow would be best suited for you, consider your own sleeping position.  Contoured pillows can be very useful if sized appropriately for your neck and back sleeping is your primary sleeping position.  NEVER purchase a contoured pillow if you ever find yourself on your side as it will create an inappropriate fulcrum on one side of the neck.

If you sleep on your side, your pillow should be firm enough not to allow the head to drop below the shoulder you are sleeping on.  Ideally, one should have their neck at 90 degrees to their shoulder.

Of course, stomach sleeping should be avoided for a number of biomechanical/postural reasons.

For 14 years, I have recommended one pillow brand- Therapeutica.   It allows you to sleep on your back and on your side, and they come in a variety of sizes.

Should you want to consider purchasing one, you need not be a patient of the clinic to do so.  If dispensed by a Chiropractor, they are often covered under extended health plans.

Have a great day,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

There has been a lot of talk about Glucosamine sulphate (GSS) so I wanted to share my thoughts on it….

GSS is essential to a joint’s ability to provide shock absorption. If you have undergone trauma to a joint (including repetitive strain/sprain), or you are older than forty, your body’s ability to manufacture GSS is decreased. The basic idea is that if you think of cartilage as a brick and mortar system, collagen fibers are the bricks, and chondroitin sulphate is the mortar. It helps keep the collagen fibers intact and run parallel to each other. Further, there is a negative charge on the molecule so when negatively charged molecules comes in close contact, they repel… hence more shock absorption. Lastly, sulpher is a water loving molecule that is found on the end of the glucosamine. It attracts water to the molecule so that this also helps maintain the health and viscosity of the joint.

The problem is chondroitin sulphate. It is a disaccharide polymer, which is a fancy word for…. it is HUGE molecule. Think of chondroitin sulphate as a train and glucosamine sulphate are the cars that make up the train. It is easier to eat the parts of the train, rather than it whole, and then have the body reassemble it once it has passed through the intestinal tract. Chondroitin sulphate has about 9% absorption rate, whereas GSS is about 90%.

So why do so many companies have both on their label? My personal opinion is cost- it is a lot cheaper to mass produce chondroitin sulphate than pure GSS. I will give some manufacturer’s the benefit of the doubt and suggest that they did some research and believe that chondroitin is the better product. Sure, when injected. Unfortunately, most studies on chondroitin sulphate are based on injection, not oral consumption.

So the bottom line is that if you have achy, tight, sore, and possibly arthritic joints, pure Glucosamine Sulphate (GSS) is a great product to help re-establish normal joint function.

Here is a short video on the GSS I dispense in my clinic.

Have a great weekend,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractic and owner of Vitality Clinic

I was sitting talking to my front desk staff when she mentioned that she had a sore neck from sleeping. I looked at her quizzingly and asked what position she slept in. She giggled and under her breath whispered, “On my stomach, with my hand tucked underneath me.” My mouth dropped as I was positive she was taught that is the WORST position to sleep in. Although, it did provide me with a great tip to offer you, so I am choosing to look at the positive outcome of the situation.

TIP: Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees. The pillow under your neck should be large and firm enough that when you lie on it, your neck is maintained at 90 degrees to your shoulder. 

You should not sleep on your side with a contoured pillow as it will create a tilt in your neck. Contoured pillows are only designed for sleeping on your back. *

Sleeping on your back is another alternative. It is best to sleep with a pillow tucked under your knees, and a contoured pillow behind your neck. If you find it difficult to “turn off” the brain when on your back, consider purchasing black out blinds to make the room as dark as possible, or wear an eye mask.

Have a great day and great sleep everyone!
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

*if you would like more information regarding pillows, mattresses, or sleeping positions, please contact reception to book an appointment.

As a Chiropractor and Sports Therapist, I am asked on an almost daily basis about how much protein one should consume in their diet.  The answer is it entirely depends on many variables such as athletic activity, injury response, aesthetic goals, etc, etc.  However, I thought I would share this great list of common foods and the amount of protein in each, courtesy of Women’s Health (and yes, this is just a list of foods so men can use it as a guide too! ).

Have a wonderful day!

Dr. Crysta Serné

Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

I’m a fan of eating the majority of my vegetables raw, but when I do cook them, this guide comes in very handy.  Although, I would encourage you not to use a microwave if at all possible.  Always remember that variety is the spice of life; the same holds true for eating vegetables. Ensure you eat a variety of colours to provide your body with the vitamins and minerals essential to allow you to perform at your best.

*infographic courtesy of mindbodygreen.com

Have a great week,

Dr. Crysta Serné

Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Here’s a great infographic I found from the folks over at green tidings’ on natural remedies.  I think it is fantastic as one can see how many of these ingredients are in the supplements I dispense for pain, muscular, and joint concerns.  PLEASE do not take anything without consulting a professional first, especially if you take any pharmaceutical drugs.  Drug interactions do occur and the dosage recommended is very important!

I wanted to post this to demonstrate you don’t have to turn to the chemical drugs to treat common ailments.

Have a great week,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

For a number of years now, I have referred to a moderate percentage of my patients as “industrial athletes.”  I developed this description after seeing individuals entering my chiropractic office with the same muscle fatigue after sitting for hours upon hours in front of their computer.  Although there are additional sets of muscle groups involved, my “industrial athletes’ ” muscles essentially undergo the same fatigue as someone who is training for a marathon.  I educate both sets of patients on the importance of developing efficiency of their systems, and endurance of the key muscles involved in both activities.

If you find yourself exhausted at the end of a day and often can’t find that comfortable position,  chances are you may need to increase the strength and endurance of your core muscles.

In addition to regular maintenance chiropractic visits, here are some basic exercises that can help.

Wall Angels:

Ensure your butt is flat against the wall and you are not arching the middle of your back.  Keep your arms and hands flush against the wall and elevate them over your head.  Repeat 10 times.  If you are unable to keep your arms flush against the wall, start with holding the pose in the picture below for 10 second intervals.  Alternatively, you can initiate the exercise while face up on the floor.

Plank:

Hold the position below for as long as you can without losing your technique.  Repeat 5 times.  Note in the picture below my shoulders are placed behind my elbows; this makes the exercise more challenging but it focuses the work onto the back and abdominal muscles, and not the shoulders and chest.

Prairie Dog (aka Bird Dog):

Hold the position below for as long as possible without losing your technique (usually from 10-45 seconds.)  Repeat on the other side.  Repeat 5 times per side.

Supermans:

Hold the pose shown below 3 seconds per side.  Repeat 10 times per side.  Attempt to relax your gluteus muscles as much as possibe as you want to feel the muscles in the small of your back working.

*Please note I do not take responsibility for any injuries sustained as a result of attempting the above exercises.  If you are unsure of the proper technique or have an existing back condition, consult your health practitioner prior to initiating the exercises.

Have a great day,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

Often patients ask me if eating fruit is necessary due to the carbohydrates (sugars), and therefore, increased calories they contain.  The simple answer is, YES!  The old adage of “eating an apple a day to keep the doctor away”, has merit.  However, as with everything in life, moderation is key.

The folks over at Natural Healthy Concepts came up with this brilliant infographic to demonstrate the benefits of fruit in your diet.

Check it out…

Have a great week,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

We may have posted this once before on our Facebook page, but as we go in to play offs it seems particularly relevant! This is a great animated short by DocMikeEvans that is not only informative but fun to watch.

Play safe everyone!

Kari

I know there has been a lot of hype about how Vancouverites love their kale.  I actually just made kale chips this morning!  Why wouldn’t we want to take advantage of a relativelty inexpensive produce that is packed full of nutrients?

Here’s a great infographic from the folks over at nutribullet, followed by my recipe for Kale chips.

Kale chips
1. Rinse and de-stem the kale.
2. Place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil (or really any oil you have.. I use grape seed myself).
3. Season with garlic poweder (optional), seasoning salt, and pepper. 4. Transfer kale to a cookie sheet.
4. Place in the oven at 200F for 20-30 minutes or until the kale is dark green and crispy. You don’t want to see any black or you’ve over cooked it.

There you have it; a nutritious snack for all!

Kale Pesto
Great as a burger topping, on pasta, or as a dip with chips.

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch kale leaves, de-stemmed
½ c oil packed sun dried tomatoes
½ c hemp seeds
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs olive oil
½ tsp sea salt

Preparation
Place everything into food processor and pulse until smooth

Enjoy and have a great rest of your week,
Dr. Crysta Serné
Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic

I just recently returned from a trip and I thought I would share with you a few of my thoughts and tips.

1.  Whenever possible bring your own pillow

I know it can be cumbersome to pack, but your neck will thank you for it.  Most hotel pillows are too soft and therefore, create an inappropriate fulcrum for your neck when you are sleeping.  When sleeping on your side, attempt to have the pillow maintain a right angle between your neck and your shoulder.  Avoid sleeping on your stomach at all cost.

2.  If travelling on a plane where sleep is a possibility, bring a travel pillow 

Long arduous flights can create awkward sleeping positions.  I found that if I took a travel pillow and actually turned it around so that it supported the front of my neck, I didn’t have the “head bobs” that can cause muscle and joint pain.

3.  If on a plane or in a car for more than an hour and a half, get up and move around 

If you’re on a road trip, stop at rest stops to get blood flowing into your legs again; that is what rest stops are designed for (apart from the obvious bathroom breaks.)  If on a plane (and safe to do so), get up and walk the aisle a few times.  This can eliminate a restless leg scenario or potential muscle cramping.  It is also good for your lower back to change positions regularly as muscles and joints don’t appreciate being in one position for too long.  Not unlike what you should do if you have a desk job!

4.  Stretch, stretch, stretch

If you are sleeping in a foreign bed, your body will notice.  Stretch your lower back, hamstrings, and neck muscles before you retire for the evening, and also when you have finished your shower in the morning.  Never stretch a cold muscle!

5.  Stick to your routine as much as possible

If you go for a run every morning, attempt to stick to doing so even if it is of a shorter duration.  If you practice yoga or work out, try to maintain your routine with as much regularity as you can.

6.  Carry travel insurance ALWAYS

Accidents can strike at any time, that is why they are called accidents.  Even if you are travelling over the border for the day, carry proper medical insurance.  Your health and your pocket book will thank you for it!

Safe travels!
Dr. Crysta Serné
Vancouver Chiropractor and owner of Vitality Clinic