Nutrition
Posted on 2009-06-23 12:03:41
Friday, June 5, 2009
Nutrition
A great article from ACA Today regarding proper nutrition.Nutrition Advice for a Healthy New You
There
is no better way to rejuvenate your health than by eating more
nutritiously. In fact, even a few simple changes in your diet and
lifestyle can have a positive impact on your health-and can also
prevent a variety of health problems in the future.
The
traditional coffee and doughnuts for breakfast; a hamburger for
lunch-or no lunch; candy, cookies, and a soft drink for a snack;
followed by a huge dinner with more protein than a person needs-are
unhealthy dietary choices.
As
a result, younger people are starting to suffer from heart disease-not
only because of poor diet, but also because of an epidemic of
inactivity.
To reverse the alarming trend, many doctors of chiropractic urge
patients to stop smoking, eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of water,
exercise regularly, and augment their balanced diet with appropriate
nutritional supplements.
What Can You Do?
The ACA offers the following prevention and wellness advice:
Lifestyle Changes
-Exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes three or four days a week.
-Eat out more sparingly.
-Food preparation methods in restaurants often involve high amounts-and the wrong types-of fat and sugar.
-Brown-bag your lunch to control your fat and sugar content while adding nutritious fruits, vegetables, and grains.
-Limit your intake of alcohol and quit smoking. Drinking alcohol excessively and/or smoking hinder your body's ability to absorb nutrients from your food.
-Exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes three or four days a week.
-Eat out more sparingly.
-Food preparation methods in restaurants often involve high amounts-and the wrong types-of fat and sugar.
-Brown-bag your lunch to control your fat and sugar content while adding nutritious fruits, vegetables, and grains.
-Limit your intake of alcohol and quit smoking. Drinking alcohol excessively and/or smoking hinder your body's ability to absorb nutrients from your food.
Dietary Changes
-Eat more raw foods. Cooking and canning destroys much of the nutrition in foods. With the exception of canned tomatoes, which can help prevent prostate cancer,1 fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables always have more natural vitamins and minerals.
-Select organically grown foods when possible, because they have lower amounts of toxic elements, such as pesticides and heavy metals.
-Consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. Whole-grain breads and cereals, beans, nuts, and some fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber. High-fiber diets can help prevent digestive disorders, heart disease, and colon cancer.
-Drink eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Coffee, tea, soft drinks, and alcohol are dehydrators. Don't substitute them for water.
-Eat more raw foods. Cooking and canning destroys much of the nutrition in foods. With the exception of canned tomatoes, which can help prevent prostate cancer,1 fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables always have more natural vitamins and minerals.
-Select organically grown foods when possible, because they have lower amounts of toxic elements, such as pesticides and heavy metals.
-Consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. Whole-grain breads and cereals, beans, nuts, and some fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber. High-fiber diets can help prevent digestive disorders, heart disease, and colon cancer.
-Drink eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Coffee, tea, soft drinks, and alcohol are dehydrators. Don't substitute them for water.
Vegetarian Diets
Research
shows that a good vegetarian diet as part of a comprehensive health
program can help prevent heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.2,3
However, fried foods, hydrogenated fats, and commercial meat
substitutes may contain more sugar and fat than a meat-eater would
consume.
If you are considering a vegetarian diet, keep the following tips in mind:
-Don't rely on fruits and vegetables at the expense of grains and legumes. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to consume a wide range of nutrients.
-Tiredness, malaise, and anemia can be signs of deficiencies. Have your B12 and iron levels checked at least once a year.
-Consume fortified foods or take supplements to obtain the nutrients you no longer get from animal-based products, such as vitamin B12.
-Before eliminating animal products from the diet, learn to do it right. Children, pregnant and breast-feeding women, and people recovering from illness should consult their health care practitioners.
Supplements 
According
to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, dietary supplements are not
substitutes for foods, nor can a person sustain good health by just
taking vitamin and mineral supplements.4 When taken properly, however,
supplements can play an important role in achieving maximum health. If
you are considering nutritional supplements, keep the following tips in
mind:
Remember
to consume dark green vegetables, oils, nuts, and seeds, which are
sources of magnesium, fatty acids, and many other vitamins and
minerals.
Don't "self-prescribe." Consult a health care practitioner, such as a doctor of chiropractic, to determine what supplements are best for you. If you have symptoms such as headaches, chronic fatigue, or cardiac problems, seek professional advice from a health care provider who specializes in nutrition.
Cycling and Foot Pain Hot Foot!
Posted on 2009-06-23 12:02:26
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Colavita Moves into the Number one spot on the NRC rankings!
It was the day before Christmas Eve and I just found out that the director for the original team I was going to work with this year was not going to be with the team. After a few choice words and a bit of complaining. I started to call around to different teams looking to find a new team to work with and the Tour of California was coming up quick. I called team Colavita and was able to work something out and get out to California to start the season at the largest event of the year. Having Lance back in action made this ToC even wilder. I must say that I was a bit nervous meeting the team for the first time because that's always the strangest
part and not being with them at training camp made it even worse but
hey I can blend with the best of them. I was picked up by the two massage therapist Balee Holt and Susan Somye. We exchanged info about ourselves and had a few laughes
and I felt comfortable already and that was important because these
ladies would be sending the guys for me to work on and without their approval as "mother Hens" for the team I would be hard pressed to build confidence. I then settled in my room and panicked for a few moments that they would not come into my room ........they did of course and soon I had met all of the American and Italian guys on the team and began to do some work. I finally met Seba
Alexander the D.S. of the team and he sat me down with the rest of the
team and explained that he had no clue how I would help with the
team.....I instantly liked him. I went over how I would contribute and
by the middle of the tour I was working on the whole team and most of
the staff it was an very difficult week but I grew to respect the team
and Athlete's. So Congrat's Team Colavita now hold onto it.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Cycling and Hot Foot or Metatarsalgia
The
foot forms one of the three primary contact points between the body and
bike, so it’s no surprise that it can be one of the main sources of
discomfort and/or injury. “Hot foot” is something that most of us have
likely experienced, but is spraying water on the foot or loosening the
straps on the shoe all we can do? By Rick Rosa, D.C.,D.A.A.P.M.With the temperature soon to be reaching 100° in the Washington DC area, I was asked by a reader of this blog, who who had been experiencing foot pain, which he soon came to learn, was a condition known as “Hot Foot.” He asked me about it and wanted my help to “cool off” the situation. “Hot Foot” or Metatarslgia is caused by the compression and inflammation of nerves and joint tissue in the metarsal heads, which is the area right above a well placed pedal spindle. It is characterized by pain and a sensation of burning as well as numbness. Many cyclists believe that splashing water on the feet will help with the symptoms, but that is a symptomatic treatment that is not getting to the root of the problem, namely an inflammation in the nerve and surrounding tissues. The
Joys of New StuffRecently, I had a case of a young man who had classic symptoms of metatarsalgia that began after putting in some long miles on his bike on a hot day shortly after buying new shoes and pedals. He claimed that the pain kept returning when he climbed hills or during a long ride. In taking his history, I noted that the new shoes and pedals were made up of much stiffer carbon fiber. In addition, he was in the habit of using regular short socks that he would wear with his regular running shoes. There was no evidence that organic diseases, such as diabetes or degenerative joint disease, was present in his history. Exam DetailsUpon physical examination, I found that he had significant restricted movement in the joint tissue of the foot and ankle. He had an obvious fallen medial arch (foot was flat) and was pronating. In addition, he had very tight gastroc/soleus (calf), as well as Achilles tendon. His foot would swell up from the heat and this would only add to the pressure on the forefoot, excacerbated by the thicker socks he wore.
Treatment
The treatment in his case worked out well. We began using ultrasound, Low level laser and manipulation of the foot and ankle as well as ice baths in order to restore proper biomechanics and reduce inflammation. I placed a small pad that was inserted into his shoes under the metatarsal heads in order to spread them out and reduce pressure in hopes that this would help him without the need to be fitted for orthotics. I also suggested that he get thin socks and asked him to loosen the lowest strap over the metatarsal heads to decrease the pressure that was building up during the long rides. He was very diligent about performing the stretches I gave him for his calf muscles and Achilles’ tendon, which added to his recovery. In this case he was able to acclimate well with these minor adjustments, primarily because most of the injury was due to the sudden change in stiffness of the carbon pedals and shoes.
In one study done by Jarboe and Quesada on the effects of shoe stiffness on the forefoot, they found that carbon shoes can be 42% to 550% stiffer, which translated to an average increase in the pressure of 18% over more traditional plastic shoes. (1)Other Things to ConsiderIn other cases, casting for an orthotic that will support the metatarsal heads as well as the medial arch is needed. Orthotics correct and support proper biomechanics, which evenly distribute the pressure on the metarsal heads. In cases of extreme events like RAAM they place the cleat way back or cut open the toe box to help alleviate pressure on the forefoot but this is not ever necessary for the amateur cyclist. Lastly, moving the seat down 1 cm and shifting the cleat back 1 cm can also take some pressure off the metatarsal heads. However, I am not a big fan of this because I believe this can force other biomechanical issues to other joints, such as the knees to come about unless of course I personaly fit you to that position myself. Also using pedals with a large platform is better for distribution of the pressure over the forefoot and will not pinpoint all your weight and force into a small area. Using cortisone injections and surgery is rare and is usually related to other issues, such as neuroma’s, seasamoid issues, or acute trauma to the foot.As always remember to work with a qualified professional.
References1. Jarboe NE, Quesada PM. “The effects of cycling shoe stiffness on forefoot pressure.” Foot Ankle Int. 2003 Oct;24(10): 784-8.2. Cailliet R. Soft Tissue Pain and Disability. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company 1996 pg 442-445
THIS WEB SITE IS NOT DESIGNED TO, AND DOES NOT, PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. All content ("Content"), including text, graphics, images and information available on or through this Web site are for general informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, OR DELAY IN SEEKING IT, BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON THIS WEB SITE. NEVER RELY ON INFORMATION ON THIS WEB SITE IN PLACE OF SEEKING PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. • PezCycling/ Dr. Rosa Not Liable: PezCycling or Dr. Rosa IS NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY ADVICE, COURSE OF TREATMENT, DIAGNOSIS OR ANY OTHER INFORMATION, SERVICES OR PRODUCTS THAT YOU OBTAIN THROUGH THIS SITE.
