There is no better time to start on a healthy new YOU than now!  I know many people make New Year resolutions, myself included.  I hope this post will guide you in your new goal.

In my practice I urge my patients to stop smoking, eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, and use nutritional supplements when needed.

 Lifestyle Advice

  • Move!  Stay active!  Move it, or lose it!  Exercise for 30 minutes a day 4-5 days per week.  Exercise can include a brisk walk.  Anything to get your heart rate elevated for at least 30 minutes straight.  Sitting is the new smoking.  Inactivity is killing this generation.
  • Eat at home more often.  Eating at home lets YOU decide what goes into your food.  This allows the best and most wholesome foods to find their way into your diet.  (Pro tip: Pack your lunch instead of eating out on your break.)
  • Limit alcohol intake and quit smoking.  Excessive alcohol can limit your body’s ability to heal quickly.

 

Diet Advice

Let’s talk diet advice for just a bit.  If you are going to “go on a diet” for 2015 please consider this: Fad diets don’t work.  Try and change your lifestyle instead.  By changing HOW you eat, WHY you eat, and lastly, WHAT you eat, you can change your life.  Instead of cutting carbs or going on a juice fast or eating only grapefruit, try making small but important changes in your diet.  Take a look at last year’s 21 day cleanse Dr. Cooper and Alex did.

Now, when I talk about changing your “diet”, I am using the word in the sense that a bear’s diet consists of berries, salmon, and the occasional pot of honey.  I am not using the word in the sense that “I need to go on a diet.”  One talks about the food you eat normally, one talks about a fad/trend/short term change.

diet advice from winnie the pooh and portland chiropractor chris cooper

I guess this is a normal bear’s diet… right?

  • Eat more raw foods.  Over cooking and canning foods ruins some of the natural nutrition found in foods.  Fresh or frozen veggies are best.
  • Eat more whole foods.  Instant oatmeal is much different than whole oats.  The nutrition is lost when foods are processed.  Try and eat your foods as close to the natural form as possible.  Corn on the cob is better than cornflakes.  Baked potato is better than potato chips.  A nice cut of steak is better than a frozen steak burrito.  I hope I am getting this idea across well.  Whole foods will ALWAYS be more nutritious for you than processed foods.
  • Drink more water.  Drinking 8 glasses of water a day is good.  More is even better.  Use this formula to learn your ideal amount of water.  Take your weight in pounds (180), divide in half (180/2=90), drink that amount in ounces per day (90 oz.)  That is a lot of water but it will help you stay hydrated and less hungry throughout the day.
  • Eat fiber!  If you follow the whole foods advice this shouldn’t be a problem.  Whole foods have natural fiber in them already.  High fiber diets can help prevent digestive disorders, heart disease, and colon cancer.

Supplement Advice

The best way to get the vitamins and nutrients you need everyday is to eat perfectly healthy.  Since it is incredibly hard to eat 100% perfect every day, it is important to supplement with nutritional supplements.  Consult your health care provider about which supplements are best for you.

I personally feel that everyone can benefit from some simple supplements.

  • Multi-vitamin.  This needs to be from a trusted and good source.  Many vitamin companies use forms of the vitamins that don’t absorb into your body.  Therefore the vitamin is passed in the urine or stool.  Waste of money and you still didn’t get the nutrition you needed.  Dr. Cooper is well versed in proper forms of the vitamins you should find in your multi.  If you have questions, please feel free to bring in your bottle and I will read the ingredient label for you.
  • Essential Fatty Acids.  My favorite EFA pill comes from Biotics Research.  The average fish oil pill you buy will have DHA and EPA.  Biotics offers a blend Omega 3, 6 and 9:
    • ALA (Alpha-Linolenic acid)
    • EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)
    • DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)
    • GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid)
    • Oleic acid

These other EFA’s are excellent for cardiovascular health, reducing inflammation, proper brain function, healthy cholesterol, and cell repair.

  • Vitamin D.  Dr. Cooper is a chiropractor in Portland, Oregon, so during the winter months, sun is in limited supply.  Studies have shown that the vast majority of people living the the beautiful northwest experience lower levels of Vitamin D in the blood.  Vitamin D helps with bone health and also mood levels.  Everyone in the northwest should consider supplementing with Vitamin D during the cloudy seasons.

 

Chris Cooper is a chiropractor in Portland, OR servicing the communities of Portland, Vancouver, Beaverton, Milwaukie, and Gresham.  Contact the office for a free consultation at (503) 257-1324 or use the Contact Us page to send an email.