Archive for April 2020
The Importance of Getting Good Sleep
The health benefits of a good night of sleep go beyond simply setting you up to take full advantage of the next day, ready and alert for the things you need to do. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night is actually crucial in more ways than one.
One distinct benefit of a good night of sleep is the effects on your body. As you get into that restful sleep you want to be getting, your body relaxes totally and completely, which supports healthy blood flow, which targets areas of the body which need repair.
Another important benefit of getting a good night of sleep is its effect on your brain. A good night of sleep supplies energy to your brain and helps it replenish itself and rid itself of chemicals and toxins that can be introduced to you from things that might be out of your control, like your environment. Alzheimer’s and Dementia are believed to come about from plaque which builds up in the brain, which has been shown to be one of the results of consistently not getting your requisite 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
Tips to get good sleep include eating healthy foods, restricting the times you eat (and never eating too close to bedtime), and limiting the amount of caffeine you consume each day. Exercising 4-5 times per week for 45 minutes to an hour will also help your body know when it’s time to rest.
If you have any questions about how chiropractic treatment helps boost your ability to get a good night of sleep in, contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic today to learn more.
Tips for an Enhanced Immune System
When it comes to your immune system, there are many factors that can either bolster your defense against infection and viruses, or make you more susceptible to getting sick.
Below, Espinosa Family Chiropractic goes over a few ways you can boost your immune system at home.
First, get plenty of Vitamin C, whether it’s from supplements or from the foods you’re eating. Red bell peppers have even a larger amount of Vitamin C than an orange — and none of the sugar. Vitamin C protects your cells from harmful free radicals and has replenishing effects on your body.
Limiting smoking and alcohol intake will also greatly improve your immune system. Partaking in either or both will significantly increase your chances of getting sick.
Exercising is also of great importance. When your body is in good shape you’re in a far better position to ward off infection than you are when you’re out of shape.
Limiting food consumption to 8 hours out of the day will also help your body fight off inflammation due to the fact that you’re no longer bogging down your immune system. Limiting sugar and processed carbohydrate consumption will also limit inflammation.
If you have any questions about how our treatments give our patients an immense immune system boost, contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic today to learn more.
Home Exercise Essentials
Since many of us are taking our fitness routines indoors and at home, it’s a good idea to invest in the products and workouts that get the best results for you. Below, Espinosa Family Chiropractic goes over a few at-home fitness essentials that are well worth the time and price.
First, kettlebells are an amazing tool that will open up a plethora of workouts for your legs, arms, and even your core muscle group.
A jump rope is a good tool, especially if you have wood or tile floors that you’re comfortable skipping some rope on. This will add much-needed cardio into the mix while also giving your calves a serious burn.
A pull-up bar — one of those kinds that you can install on a doorway simply and easily — is another good investment, just as long as it doesn’t mess up the crown molding. This way you can get a serious upper body workout while also hitting your lats as well.
A yoga mat and a muscle roller are both excellent fitness tools to have at home as well, that way you can get your stretch in while relieving any tension in the body.
Contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic if you need any additional quarantine tips. We’re here to provide our essential services to our community in a safe and regulated environment.
How to Limit Your Screen Time
Too much screen time is a big issue as most Americans are following through with their civic duty and staying home for the lion’s share of each day.
It’s still important to limit your screen time even though it might be tempting to binge-watch your favorite TV shows all day. Pair that with many folks working their jobs remotely on their computers — not to mention handling our smartphones all day — and we have a major problem on our hands.
As more and more of us in the community are trying to get our work done online, it’s important not to clog up your provider by being online for anything other than necessity.
Try reading a hard copy of a book you have — it’s a good way to rest your eyes from damaging blue light that comes from TVs, computers, and our smartphones.
As an antidote to our time spent staring at the computer and TV, do some neck stretches and neck exercises, making sure to keep perfect posture throughout the day.
Play music and listen to podcasts, which will enable you to get other things done, like clean the house, or be more productive for your employer. Listen to audiobooks to break up the monotony.
If you have neck tension or back pain resulting from this new lifestyle, chiropractic treatment can help. Contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic to learn more about how we’re providing essential treatments in a safe environment, not to mention helping our medical community by taking in non-emergency patients who need assistance during this time. Call today to learn more.
Eating Healthy: A Primer
As we all hunker down in our homes amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to ensure we’re staying healthy, and nutrition plays a huge role in how we feel and how our body functions on a day-to-day basis.
First, it’s important to eat clean, whole foods. It’s also crucial to ensure you’re getting your daily dose of vegetables.
It’s also a good idea to eat smaller portions, and then to maybe split your food consumption over 4-5 meals per day, that way you stay fueled and never bog your body down with too much food to digest, which will help you stay energized throughout the day.
Eating clean in easier on your digestive system. The simpler and cleaner the foods you can put into your body, the easier your body digests them. Processed foods put extra strain on the body to digest and often cause inflammation, which will make you feel cruddy in all sorts of ways.
Chiropractic treatment is considered essential during these times, and Espinosa Family Chiropractic is providing treatment to those who need it while taking every possible measure to keep our community safe and prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
Contact us today to learn more about who we are and how we keep entire families healthy and active.
Chiropractic for the Sinuses/Respiratory System
Aside from treating neck and back pain, chiropractic treatment helps calibrate the body to perform in an optimum capacity.
Tension in the neck and spine can cause the sinuses to become congested, interrupting your normal breathing rhythm.
One way that chiropractic treatment helps our patients is that it boosts the immune system, which helps your body ward off colds and infection more effectively. Chiropractic adjustments, especially in the targeted at the upper cervical area (which is at the neck), has been shown to relieve tension that occurs in the brainstem. This tension can cause headaches and congestion, which is why the adjustment can often improve your sinus passages and inspire them to drain.
Chiropractic treatments have been shown to improve breathing and respiratory system functionality — even for those with lung disease and asthma.
As we learn more about the body and particularly the sinuses, we’re learning that bacteria and germs like to hide in the nose and sinuses — it’s one way that COVID-19 has been attacking people. Keeping clear sinuses and working to improve your respiratory system will work hand-in-hand in keeping you healthy and active.
Please take care during this time. Contact Espinosa Family Chiropractic today to learn more about how we’re helping local hospitals by treating patients with non-emergency issues, not to mention providing our drug-free, all-natural, essential treatments that help treat a variety of health conditions. We’re taking every measure to keep our patients, our staff, and our community safe during this time.