September 2010

activelife

ACTIVELIFE GUIDE 3rd ANNIVERSARY

Indianapolis

COLLECTOR’S EDITION

T OU E K R IS WO ERC 14 EX PG.

Guide

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

STRIKE A POSE Motherhood Never Looked So Good!

Laura Marenco

The Hottest New Thing in Plastic Surgery or Maybe the Coldest!

Shoulder Issues Really Can Be a Pain in the Neck

Is Your Head on Straight?

Is Naked Really Better?

Mouth Guards

September 2010

Tuna

Burger

with Carrot-Ginger Sauce

How

Long Should I

Rest

Between

Sets?

A BODY IN NEED

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activelife Guide 3

activelife Guide.com Try our interactive, user-friendly format.

Be Active LIVE WELL Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

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0 1

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FEATURES +

COVER STORIES

16

A BODY IN NEED

STRIKE A POSE

18 The Hottest

Motherhood Never Looked So Good!

Laura Marenco

New Thing in Plastic Surgery or Maybe the Coldest!

Is Your Head on Straight?

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23 Is Naked Really Better?

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Health

By Samuel J. Bacon, DDS

Mouth Guards When you hear the term mouth guard, you automatically think of the plastic piece a football, lacrosse, or hockey player wears to protect their teeth, and it’s true that these sports have the highest risk of oral trauma.

Technology has come a long way, though, not only in protecting the teeth, but also in increasing athletic performance. In this month’s column, I’ll explain how new advances in mouth guards will not only keep your teeth safe, but how they may help you get the most out of your everyday workouts.

Without a doubt, the main purpose of a mouth guard while active in full contact sports is to protect the teeth from trauma or loss and to prevent jaw fractures, neck injuries, and concussions. It has been estimated that wearing a mouth guard reduces concussions by 50%, and facts show that the mouth is the most injured area of the body during contact sports.

Wearing a mouth guard is highly recommended for those participating in boxing, basketball, field hockey, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, soccer, wrestling, water polo and rugby—any full contact activity.

Recent research has linked mouth guards to increased stamina, strength, and mental focus during all types of physical activities. Under

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Armour has a line of performance mouth guards worn by professional athletes and weekend warriors to get the most out of every workout, practice, or game. The key to Under Armour’s product is reducing the clenching of teeth during strenuous activities. By reducing the amount that back teeth are clenched together, your body produces less energysapping hormones, such as cortisol. Results have shown athletes of all ages can benefit from these customized mouth guards.

Mouth-formed (“Boil & Bite”) These are available in most sports stores and are relatively inexpensive.

The plastic mouth guard shell is boiled in water for 10 to 45 seconds, cooled under tap water, and molded and adapted directly in the mouth.

These are very common as they provide an affordable solution; however, the bulky size restricts airflow and hinders speech.

Custom-made Highly recommended and most effective, these are made at dental offices from a cast of your teeth. While they are more expensive than the store-bought variety, they provide the greatest protection and comfort.

Your training will see increased results due to improved airflow to your lungs.

Protecting your teeth during activities should always be your first priority when shopping for a mouth guard, so make sure you shop for quality products. Talk with your dentist if you have additional questions about customized options to ensure you know all that is available to you.

Ask How

ON THE COVER Laura Marenco

activelife Guide Experts

15

Long Should I

Rest Between

Sets?

24 Children’s Snacks

6 Mouth Guards

10 Tips for Healthier Snacking

20 Tuna

Burger

with Carrot-Ginger Sauce 21 Shoulder Issues

Really Can Be a Pain in the Neck www.activelifeguide.com

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activelife

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Guide

Your guide to a healthy lifestyle

EDUARDO PEÑA EDITOR - IN - CHIEF

Happy Labor Day...

L

ISMAEL PEÑA ASSISTANT EDITOR MATTHEW HUME SENIOR WRITER

...and Happy Birthday!

RAMÓN GARCIA PHOTOGRAPHER

Marenco, a figure competitor who transformed her life a few years ago by discovering a passion for fitness.

Laura is also one of activelife Guide’s experts, and she would love to hear from you and answer any questions you have regarding fitness and nutrition.

In this issue we also have a special article from Dr. Bruce W. Van Natta. In it, he tells us everything about the hottest new thing in plastic surgery, and how this new procedure, called Zeltiq, will revolutionize current weight loss procedures on the market.

L

abor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national celebration of the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

We hope you enjoy our September issue, and we thank you for your continued support of activelife’s mission to encourage people to be more active.

Remember…

This September is also activelife Guide’s 3rd anniversary, and we want to thank all our readers, partners, and friends who continue supporting activelife Guide each and every day. We are proud to be the first health and wellness magazine in the Indianapolis area, and we continue to grow and expand our coverage area. We are always interested in your comments and suggestions for future issues— let us know how activelife Guide can better serve you and your community!

Be active, live well!

As we celebrate our 3rd anniversary, we would like to introduce you to Laura

JUSTYNA DORUCH MARKETING COORDINATOR STACEY DAVIS GRAPHIC DESIGNER CIRCULATION ACTIVE LIFE GUIDE CORP. activelife Guide is published monthly by activelife Guide Corp.

6037 Saw Mill Dr., Noblesville, IN 46062; Copyright by activelife Guide Corp. activelife Guide is a registered trademark of activelife Guide Corp. activelife Guide strongly recommends that you consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program. If you follow these fitness tips, you agree to do so at your own risk and assume all risk of injury to yourself, and agree to release and discharge activelife Guide from any claims.

CONTACT INFORMATION http://www.activelifeguide.com Info@activelifeguide.com

Eduardo EDUARDO PEÑA

EDITOR - IN - CHIEF

ADVERTISING advertising@activelifeguide.com Phone: 317.776.1689 COMMENTS & FEEDBACK editorial@activelifeguide.com Phone: 317.776.1689 SUBSCRIPTIONS admin@activelifeguide.com _________________________ Your guide to a healthy lifestyle _________________________

Cover Story

Do activelifeguide.com 8 activelife Guide

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Indianapolis

STRIKE A POSE Motherhood Never Looked So

Good!

BY Matthew Hume PHOTOGRAPHS BY John Lanthrop 10  activelife Guide

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E

An activelife Personified

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AURA

MARENCO

W W

hat do you think of when you hear a newborn’s cry?

Do you ponder the miracle of life? Do you reflect upon all those sleepless nights and nighttime feedings? If you’re the mother, you’re likely also to be wondering why the scales seem to be lying to you. You’ve already delivered—the numbers can’t be right, can they? And if they are, how can you lose that weight? These were the pressing questions for Laura Marenco after giving birth to her son Diego a few years ago. Our featured active life this month, Laura is a personal trainer and nutritional advisor based in Carmel; she also competes as an NPC figure athlete. “I gained over 50 lb. when I was pregnant with Diego,” she tells me. So after 6 weeks of recovery—Diego was born via

C-section—she resolved to get back to the gym and lose the weight. “I found that through weight training, cardio, and eating clean, I could get my metabolism back in gear. Within 16 weeks post-baby, I lost 40 lb. and was able to achieve my pre-pregnancy weight again in no time.”

The following summer she competed in a figure competition and took first place in her class. “I

won against girls 10 years younger who had no kids!” Now that’s something to be proud of—and Laura knows it.

Most of the athletes we have featured this year have pointed to childhood activity as fundamental in their active lifestyles as adults.

Not so with Laura: “I was not athletic growing up whatsoever. In fact, I have never played sports.”

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It wasn’t until her college days that she decided to take some advice from fitness magazines on how to lift weights and discover for herself how weight lifting and cardio training could benefit her life. And from that delayed start, she’s come a long way. Laura is a national-level figure competitor with the National Physique Committee (NPC), the federation for amateur bodybuilders, fitness, and figure competitors in the United States. Figure competition keeps Laura on her toes— to compete, she has no choice but to maintain her lean muscle mass and her healthy lifestyle.

She is proof positive that it’s never too late to transition into a healthy lifestyle—and that having a baby doesn’t have to bring it to a grinding halt!

When you think of bodybuilding, your mind likely imagines hulking, superhuman figures, their veins popping out of biceps, triceps, quadriceps, and foreheads alike. Laura sets us straight: “Figure competition, unlike bodybuilding, is a competition where the judges are looking for a feminine physique.” So no incredible hulkstresses here. “The focus is on symmetry of the body, muscle tone and definition—some muscle development, but still keeping feminine curves and an overall package demonstrating a healthy, athletic look.”

As the competition draws nearer—she starts preparing about 3 months out—her workouts and nutritional routine do begin to approach superhuman levels. “I train hard—about an hour of weight training followed by 45 minutes of cardio, 5 to 6 times a week. The closer to the show, the more intense the workouts become. I eat every 2 to 3 hours, drink at least a gallon of water a day, and avoid sweets and fatty, salty foods.”

Laura strives year-round to maintain a “clean” diet—one based on low-fat proteins, healthy fats (like Omega-3s), and complex carbohydrates, and also low on refined sugar and simple carbs (white rice and white bread, for example). “My diet consists of clean proteins such as whey protein, chicken breast, tuna, low-fat hamburger

meat, turkey, and salmon.” She’s also a fan of old-fashioned oatmeal, sweet potatoes, multi-grain whole wheat bread, low-carb yogurt, and fresh vegetables. And, of course, plenty of water to drink. “I try to eat healthy and clean 90 percent of the time; I indulge once in awhile but try to stay on track as much as possible. Being a personal trainer, I need to practice what I preach and be a role model for my clients.”

Laura’s clients are a motivating factor in her healthy living. They also bring her a sense of purpose. “I love what I do. I want to help educate the public, especially my clients, on how to make healthier choices when it comes to eating— the importance of portion control and which foods to avoid at all times.” She emphasizes the importance of weight training in increasing

5% of muscle mass is lost. By weight training and building lean muscle mass, we can prevent injuries as we age, speed up metabolism, and burn more calories at rest.” Maintaining muscle mass can also help prevent osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. “Many of us get intimidated by heavy weights in the gym.

I want to help my clients achieve a nice, toned physique and show them that lifting a little heavy weight doesn’t hurt a bit—in fact, it’s quite the opposite!”

Patience and consistency are required elements of any journey toward healthier living. Laura points to the refrigerator as a good place to start. “Clean up your fridge and pantry from junk, get rid of the sugar, and replace with fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, and quality meats.” But she advises newbies not to go cold turkey.

“Success is achieved in baby steps. Once you have the eating part more or less in control, focus on joining a gym or getting a personal trainer to help you with the workouts.”

Laura suggests making a date with yourself at least 3 times a week to workout.

“Write it in your calendar, and don’t make excuses! I always tell people that being in shape is a commitment for life and a lifestyle in and of itself. You can’t start an exercise program, see results, and then go back to your old habits.”

She may not have been active as a child, and her husband may not share her enthusiasm for working out (she told this to me in strictest confidence), but none of this has kept Laura from following her calling. “My job as a trainer and nutritional advisor is very, very rewarding. I know that this is my mission in life.”

So clean out that pantry, pick up some weights, and make a date with a healthier life.

lean muscle mass, and how lean muscle is particularly important to women as the years go by. “For each decade after the age of 25, 3% to

Laura Marenco is available online at www. lauramarencofitness.com.

Contact her for pricing on personal training sessions, or visit her at Point Blank Nutrition on 146th Street for information on nutrition plans and supplement recommendations.

Laura welcomes your phone calls and e-mails, or stop by Point Blank Nutrition to meet her in person. www.activelifeguide.com

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Fitness

ask activelife Guide Experts

Q: How Long Should I Rest Between Sets?

Rest periods between sets is a very important and sometimes overlooked contributor to the success of any strength training program. How long you should rest really depends on your training goals and level of conditioning.

Optimal rest periods between sets can vary from 30 seconds or less, up to 5 minutes! In technical terms, it takes 2 ½ to 3 minutes for the phosphagen (Creatine phosphate/ATP) stores to recover fully from a set of intense exercise, but this does not mean it’s a one-size-fits-all approach. Let’s take a look at some of the facts about rest intervals.

Strength Athletes If you are training for explosive, low-repetition activities of short duration, muscle hypertrophy and endurance are not your primary concerns. Weight lifters, power lifters, sprinters, football players, sprint cyclists, and other athletes in sports emphasizing high intensity/short duration activities, this is you! Your optimal rest period range between sets is 3 to 5 minutes. One reason for this longer rest is to allow full phosphagen recovery before you begin the next set.

Hypertrophy and Endurance Athletes If you are looking into toning and increasing muscle size, this is you. Your optimal rest period range is 30 to 60 seconds. Another way to look at this is to shoot for a work-rest ratio of 1:1. This means that you spend the same amount of time resting as it took you to complete the previous set. Using this rest interval between sets creates high lactate levels in the exercising muscles. This forces the body to improve its ability to buffer the accumulating lactate, thereby improving your ability to sustain moderate, near-maximal,

Laura Marenco, PT

or maximal contractions over a given time period. High-volume, short-restperiod training has also been found to increase human growth hormone levels when compared to training with longer rest periods. In addition, muscular hypertrophy (growth in size) will be maximized using the 1:1 workrest ratio in conjunction with high training volume and a weight load between your 8- and 12-repetition maximum.

The Unique Case of Circuit Training Traditional circuit training incorporates a rest period of typically less than 30 seconds, or a work-rest interval a fair margin greater than 1:1. So where does this fit into an athlete’s training? One has to understand that circuit training is designed to provide a happy medium between strength and aerobic training. Due to the short rest interval between sets, strength gains are less than optimal with circuit training (30% to 50% less) when compared to traditional strength training. However, modest gains in aerobic capacity can be achieved. So who benefits from circuit training? Athletes that require a balance of both strength and cardiovascular endurance for their sport; athletes and fitness buffs with limited time; and anyone wishing to add variety to their training would all benefit from circuit training.

Special Considerations Keep in mind that whatever you are training for, beginners need more rest between sets than seasoned veterans. If you are just starting out, stay in the conservative end of your range. If you are experienced you will benefit more from a shorter rest period. In addition, athletes coming back from periods of detraining due to injury or otherwise should increase the amount of rest between sets until back in normal physical condition.

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Nutrition

By Roger Spahr, MD

A BODY IN A NEED

H

ow often have you gone to the nutritional aisle at the local health food store or perused the aisles at the grocery store and found yourself scratching your head in bewilderment? How many times have you been assaulted by the latest “juicer” machine that makes tasty treats from all sorts of vegetables and fruits? It is enough to make your head spin almost as fast at the juicer itself.

What does your body really need? Good question. We shall start with the basics. If your digestive system is compromised with poor digestion, reflux, gas and bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea (loose stools), or if you have an inflammatory bowel problem, then you have nutritional deficiencies. Sorry, but it’s true. The nutrients from your foods never reach you adequately. In future columns we will address these issues to improve your situation.

Your body depends on B complexes to operate your energy systems, neurotransmitters, and blood components, to rebuild tissues, and to stabilize nerve tissue and emotions. These complexes also reduce allergic responses and reduce inflammation by serving as cofactors.

They are depleted by stress and highcarbohydrate diets. That means whether you eat pasta or candy bars to the exclusion of other macronutrients, you place yourself at risk for problems in the areas mentioned above.

The journal Psychopharmacology (July 2010) published a 33-day controlled trial. It revealed that a cocktail consisting of a high-vitamin-B complex, vitamin C, and mixed minerals demonstrated measurable and statistically significant changes in the study’s 215 healthy male subjects. The improvement was noted in their mood, cognitive function, and physical endurance parameters as measured by standardized tests.

Omega-3 fats, such as fish, borage, and flax oils, contribute to the structure of your entire body and reduce inflammation, allergy, depression, and assist in maintaining a good cardiovascular system. They do not reduce cholesterols; in fact, the first year you are taking fish oils you may see your total cholesterol increase. It is by reducing inflammation that they reduce cardiovascular illness. A 30,000-person study in Italy showed reductions in cardiovascular disease by 20 percent in cholesterol-lowering medicine groups and 22 percent reductions in the Omega-3 groups. This does not mean medications should not be used, only that Omega-3s also assist in cardiovascular health.

infections, tendonitis, depression, poor weight management, and increased inflammation. To get the optimized levels of 50–70 ng/dl, one needs to be exposed to at least 2,000–4,000 IU per day. This could be via non-sunscreened sun exposure, diet, or supplement. Most of my patients are in the deficient range of <30. Have your levels checked.

Specific minerals and vitamins may contribute to many functions in the body. If your diet is a Standard American Diet (SAD), chances are you are limiting your body’s ability to function normally.

To sum it all up, you should focus daily on the following: a multiple vitamin, 1500 mg of DHA/ EPA Omega-3, vitamin D of at least 2,000 IU if you live north of the Mason-Dixon line, B-complex, and at least 500 mg of vitamin C. Pills, tablets, liquids, juicers, and the like are all ways to take these nutrients. Which is best?

More of that to come in later installments.

Vitamin D continues to show in study after study that inadequate levels contribute to immune problems including prostate, breast, and colon cancers. Additional findings include chronic www.activelifeguide.com

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Science

BRUCE W. VAN NATTA, MD

The Hottest New Thing in Plastic Surgery—or Maybe the Coldest!

A “No incisions, no pain, no downtime.

Way cool!”

nyone who reads women’s magazines even casually is inundated by all of the articles on new techniques or procedures that are available or “coming soon.” The layman can easily be overwhelmed by the overhyped promises of fast results with no pain, easy recovery, and so on. As a practicing plastic surgeon it is even difficult for me to be aware of all of the offerings coming to market— especially when many of them are not really coming from legitimate sources.

I do endeavor to keep abreast of the leading promising technologies so as to be able to advise my patients and to be sure that I investigate potential options to incorporate into my private cosmetic practice. Along these lines I recently became aware of an exciting new technique for spot reduction of fat in particular areas of the body utilizing an old technology. This device, known as Zeltiq, suctions a roll of skin and the underlying fat into the applicator between two chilling plates that reduce the temperature to 42 degrees for one hour. There is no pain involved; in fact, the original use of the Zeltiq device was to provide anesthesia for dermatologic procedures. Fat cells, it turns out, are more sensitive to the effects of cold than the overlying skin. On average, 25% of the fat cells treated crystallize—basically die—and

the body slowly breaks them down and removes the debris over 2–3 months time.

During the treatment the patient can read or watch TV and afterwards leave the office to do whatever they want. No restrictions or limitations whatsoever! Again, the results take a couple of months to see—but they are real. If a particularly troublesome area requires retreatment (not a problem), areas can be treated a second or even third time to achieve the desired degree of reduction. I have examined the published medical studies on this, and I can tell you that this is the real deal. Two prominent Harvard researchers did the original study, and subsequent extensive clinical use in Europe and now in the United States has confirmed the effectiveness of this procedure. The FDA is one signature away from approval of Zeltiq for use for fat reduction, and that should come in September of this year.

The most common areas of the body to be treated include hip rolls, bra fat, and the abdomen. Basically, if you can grab an area of fat with two hands (not just skin—this can’t treat loose skin), then it’s likely you can be treated.

We just recently received our Zeltiq machine. I will proceed carefully, but I don’t see any reason we cannot www.activelifeguide.com

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By Bruce W. Van Natta, MD treat fatty upper arms, medial thighs, and other areas. As with all areas of medical treatment, proper patient selection is key. If someone has a lot of loose skin on her abdomen after childbearing, then this procedure would not be a good choice. As in liposuction, removal of fat in areas with pre-existing loose skin will only make the sagginess of the skin worse.

BEFORE

Currently I am the only plastic surgeon in Indiana to have this device. It will never replace liposuction in my practice, but it gives me yet another tool in my toolbox to offer patients who are good candidates for small reductions. Not only does Zeltiq offer qualified patients the option of limited fat sculpting with no downtime and no pain, but it is significantly cheaper than conventional liposuction, which involves operating room and anesthesia charges. The cost for a single treatment is $850. Two treatments cost $1500 and four are $2600. Be aware that if you treat both hip rolls that counts as two treatments.

Finally, how long does the treatment last? Like liposuction, once fat cells are removed or eliminated from a particular area, they are gone for good.

The problem areas we all have and that are resistant to diet and exercise were genetically set at puberty—our genetic proportioning if you will. If we remove some of the fat cells from a problem area either with liposuction or Zeltiq, they do not come back. If we subsequently gain or lose weight, it is done according to the new proportioning of fat cells. We won’t gain as much as we would have in the treated areas but will proportionately gain a little more in each of the other areas containing fat cells in our body.

That’s what makes Zeltiq so exciting: fat cells that are crystallized from the cold and then subsequently removed by the body are gone for good—with no incisions, no pain and no downtime.

Way cool! That’s precisely why I am enthusiastically offering it to my patients who are good candidates. If you would like to learn more you can go to www.chillmyfat.com. www.activelifeguide.com

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

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Recipe

Tuna Burger with

Carrot-Ginger Sauce Ingredients For the Sauce: 1 small carrot, roughly chopped 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce Pinch of sugar Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Ingredients For the Burgers: 1 pound sushi-grade tuna 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce Juice of 1/2 lime 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 cup spicy sprouts, for garnish 4 whole-grain hamburger buns 1/2 avocado, sliced

Preparation Prepare the sauce: Pulse the carrot and ginger in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar and process until smooth. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons water and combine; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside.

Prepare the burgers: Chop the tuna into chunks. Wipe out the food processor and add the tuna; pulse a few times to break up the pieces. In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, the soy sauce, lime juice, cilantro and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Pour over the tuna and process until well blended. Form into 4 patties; brush each lightly with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Preheat a grill or grill pan. Once hot, add the burgers and cook for 2 minutes on each side for rare, or to desired doneness.

Toss the sprouts in the carrot-ginger sauce. Place the burgers on buns and top with avocado and sprouts.

Per serving: Calories 435; Fat 22 g (Sat. 3.8 g; Mono. 11 g; Poly. 6 g); Cholesterol 43 mg; Sodium 662 mg; Carbohydrate 28 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 32 g www.activelifeguide.com

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Shoulder Issues Really Can Be a Pain in the Neck.

Shoulder pain has plagued so many fitness and sports enthusiasts. Painful clicking leading to stiffness and lack of normal motion; eventual weakness; loss of the gains that took months to acquire. This is the story told by far too many athletes. So why is this such a common tale? Typically it’s because so many people do the same thing! No warm-ups to get the shoulder prepped for training; too much weight too early; and lastly, chronic forward head posture.

A decrease in the normal curvature and/or a forward head position will cause undue stress to the shoulder.

Let’s take a look at the awful things that can happen during dysfunctional shoulder motion stemming from an inappropriate neck position.

Labral Tears A tear in the suction cup–like anatomy of the shoulder. This is often seen in swimmers and anyone who throws something such as a baseball or football.

Surgery is the only correction once damaged. The results afterward typically involve removal from the sport.

Rotator Cuff Tears The rotator cuff consists of the SITS muscles, which are meant to hold the arm to the shoulder. Persistent incorrect motion can lead to micro-damage caused by repetitive stress to the tissues, leading to eventual breakdown.

Once damaged, surgery is the only correction.

Neck Spasms Due to the forward head posture, the scalenes—muscles attaching from the top three bilateral ribs to the neck—can become chronically tight and can reduce the ability of an athlete to push air out of the lungs, as well as reduce the normal flow needed in head rotation. Once a significant amount of damage occurs, disc damage, arthritis, and nerve damage result.

There are some things you can do to offset the process and reduce your risk of injury. A simple device can be created by cutting a 30-cm-long piece from a pool noodle. (Make sure that you use the flower-shaped noodle—the solid round shape will not work and will be painful.) The neck-noodle, as I call it, is placed low on the neck while lying down on the floor. By using this simple tool, you will be letting gravity create pressure which can result in neck curve correction. Make sure you build up to 15 minutes total, with the initial application being only 2 minutes. Any longer time period at first may result in a nasty headache. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our office to aid you in a plan for prevention. There is more that can be done!

About the Author: Dr. Todd McDougle has been caring for elite-level athletes for over a decade. He has postgraduate education via the Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician program and has developed his own technique that has launched many career athletes into the next level. He is on the Board of Directors of the International Chiropractors Association of Indiana and is the Insurance Compliance Council Chairman for that organization. He has his practice in Fishers where he serves as a chiropractic physician and continues to be the only physician in Indiana to perform scoliosis bracing for people suffering from that affliction. www.DrMcDougle.com www.activelifeguide.com

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Health

By Robert Prather, DC, DABCI, LAc

Is Your Head on Straight?

Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic A gentle, effective approach to renewed health and relief of discomfort without manipulation.

Y

ou are probably asking yourself, “Atlas Orthogo…

What?” It’s simple; let me explain.

Atlas is the top bone of the spine. It is the vertebra that the head sits on.

Orthogonal means at right angles, or square.

The atlas should be sitting level—or square—on the neck, and the head should be square on the atlas. The head is designed to be vertical, and the eyes are designed to look level with the horizon. The center for balance is located within the ears. If the atlas is misaligned, it causes the head to tilt.

The body instinctively tries to straighten the head up while keeping the head over the feet (center of gravity). This causes stress throughout the rest of the spine, the shoulders, the pelvis, the hips, the knees, and the ankles.

Misalignments are often deceiving. Even though symptomatic pain may appear in the lower back, legs, shoulders, arms, or other parts of the body, the cause is very often located in the cervical spine (neck).

One of the most obvious differences between this unique method and general chiropractic care is the gentle, painless way in which an Atlas Orthogonist works. No manipulation (twisting or cracking) is ever employed or needed. The Atlas Orthogonist’s methods require such light touches to the affected area that patients who expect a forceful manipulation as part of their treatment find it hard to believe

that anything effective has been accomplished.

Their doubts and fears vanish as quickly as their pain and discomfort.

The Atlas Orthogonal spinal correction is painless and barely felt by the patient. The atlas adjustment is so gentle that you would actually feel more if someone were to blow in your ear. Because of the precise X-ray analysis, a correction can be made without any forceful jerking or twisting movements.

The accuracy of the procedure affords the patient longer lasting effects. Thus, one or two adjustments is in many cases all that is needed to get proven results. And while the atlas can again lose its proper adjustment, for most patients the procedure results in far fewer visits than most other procedures. The end result is that Atlas Orthogonal provides simple, gentle, and dramatic results. That translates into greater relief, better health, fewer office visits, and less money spent.

When most people think of chiropractic corrections, they think of neck pain, back pain, or muscle aches. The Atlas Orthogonal spinal correction can help your body work better no matter what type of health problem you may have. The misalignment of the bone structure of the head and neck can block the communication between your brain and body, causing pain, stress, and tension. This stress and tension can affect all physical–and even mental—activity of the body, and many symptoms can be relieved by correction of the atlas misalignment.

Montel Williams describes how the Atlas Orthogonal adjustment changed his life by relieving his symptoms from multiple sclerosis: “I am walking differently, my pain is less, I have already regained strength in my left leg. It’s the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me.”

Not only do I find the Atlas Orthogonal technique to be one of the most important ways to help my patients, but I also find it essential for maintaining my own health. I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease (hyperthyroid disease) as a sophomore in high school. I dropped from 175 lbs. to 145 lbs. and experienced a host of symptoms that impaired my life academically, athletically, and socially. Through the Atlas Orthogonal adjustment in my freshman year of college, I once again experienced the health and vitality that I had before the Graves’ disease. Truly, the Atlas Orthogonal adjustment has been one of my life-changing experiences, just as it has been for many of my patients.

You can learn more about the Atlas Orthogonal adjustment on our Web site at PratherWellness. com.

Dr. Robert Prather of the Prather Wellness Center is the host of the Voice of Health radio show, which airs every Saturday at 9 a.m. on Freedom 95.9 FM WFDM and NewsTalk 1430 AM WXNT. www.activelifeguide.com

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Kids

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Children’s Snacks 10 Tips for Healthier Snacking Snacking is a major pastime for many kids — and that’s not necessarily bad. Snacking can help your child curb hunger throughout the day, as well as provide energy and important nutrients. But the quality of the snacks is key. Consider these 10 tips for healthier children’s snacks.

1. Keep junk food out of the house.

Your child won’t clamor for cookies or candy bars if you don’t keep them on hand. Instead, set a good example by snacking on healthy foods yourself.

2. Go for the grain.

Whole-grain snacks — such as whole-grain pretzels or tortillas and highfiber, whole-grain cereals — can give your child energy with some staying power.

3. Mix and match.

Serve baby carrots or other raw veggies with fat-free ranch dressing. Dip graham cracker sticks or fresh fruit in fat-free yogurt. Top celery, apples or bananas with peanut butter.

4. Broaden the menu.

Offer out-of-the-usual fare, such as pineapple, cranberries, red or yellow peppers, mangoes, tangelos or roasted soy nuts.

5. Revisit breakfast.

Many breakfast foods — such as low-sugar, whole-grain cereals and wholegrain toast — make great afternoon snacks. Likewise, a small serving of last night’s casserole could double as an after-school snack.

6. Sweeten it up.

Healthy children’s snacks don’t need to be bland. To satisfy your child’s sweet tooth, offer fat-free pudding, frozen yogurt or frozen fruit bars. Or use skim milk, fat-free yogurt and fresh fruit to make your own smoothies.

7. Have fun.

Use a cookie cutter to make shapes out of low-fat cheese slices, wholegrain bread or whole-grain tortillas. Eat diced fruit with chopsticks or make fruit kebabs. Make a tower out of whole-grain crackers, spell words with pretzel sticks, or make funny faces on a plate using different types of fruit.

8. Promote independence.

Keep a selection of ready-to-eat veggies in the refrigerator. Leave fresh fruit in a bowl on the counter. Store low-sugar, whole-grain cereal and fruit canned or packaged in its own juice in an easily accessible cabinet.

9. Don’t be fooled by labeling gimmicks.

Foods marketed as low-fat or fat-free can still be high in calories. Likewise, foods touted as cholesterol-free can still be high in fat, saturated fat and sugar. Check nutrition labels to find out the whole story.

10. Designate a snacking zone.

Restrict snacking to the kitchen. You’ll save your child countless calories from mindless munching in front of the TV. If your child needs to snack on the go, offer string cheese, yogurt sticks, cereal bars or other drip-free items.

Teaching your child to make healthy snack choices now will set the stage for a lifetime of healthy snacking. Start today! www.activelifeguide.com

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