Search This Blog

What are trigger foods? The good, the bad, and the yummy. Be afraid. Be very afraid!

By Dr. Jon Thomas, DC, PSc.D, Board Certified Chiropractic Physician.


One of the things I talk about frequently with NutriMost patients is trigger foods. Within medical research trigger foods have been studied widely involving migraines, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, acid reflux, gout, and even obesity! One key is to understand what is meant by “trigger” food.

Weight watchers has a very helpful definition of trigger foods. “A trigger food is a specific food that sets off a course of overeating where control is lost. The most common trigger foods are calorie-dense, highly palatable foods that are often combinations of sugar and fat (e.g. ice cream, cookies) or fat and salt (e.g. nuts, potato chips, French fries).”

Trigger foods go even deeper then this! It has everything to do how foods relate to your metabolism! Understanding what foods YOUR body metabolizes well and what ones disrupt your bodies functions is key, especially important for anyone endeavoring to lose weight.

Courtesy of Public Domain Pictures
Recovering alcoholics sometimes say that one drink is too many and a hundred drinks are not enough. Trigger foods can be like that. One Oreo cookie leads to another, and another, and another, until finally the package is empty. And then it’s time for a run to the grocery store.

Is there any hope for a hardcore Oreo addict? There is once they understand how the food impacts them and what alternatives are available that don’t affect them in the same way. Many people eat trigger foods and don’t realize its impacts as it affects how the metabolism functions and shifts the body into fat storage. This imbalance leads to excess fat storage resulting in being overweight and obese.

Courtesy of Public Domain Pictures
The food could be chili cheese French fries, pizza, chocolate chip ice cream, or grandma’s biscuits and gravy, but the result could be apparent or not. In fact, some of these foods may have no impact at all and be safe “indulgences.”

“It's basically encoded in our DNA to binge on salty, fatty, and sugary foods or on various combinations of the three. Back in the day, foods with high levels of these nutrients (and ergo, lots of calories) were rarely found in nature, so when our hunter-gatherer ancestors discovered them, they ate them to completion to ensure they wouldn't, you know, die of starvation later.” The Foods You're Most Likely To Binge On, Stephanie Eckelkamp, Prevention Magazine

How can people deal with trigger foods?

Courtesy of Public Domain Pictures
Most human beings are vulnerable to one or more trigger foods. Many of us know exactly what those foods are or we can figure it out. For example, if you grew up eating every morsel of chocolate you could find on Christmas morning and you’ve been doing that ever since, chocolate might be a trigger food for you.

Change starts with awareness. Make a list of the foods that you know you have difficulty with every time. Whether its that you can’t stop at just one, or you observe bloating and weight gain after eating them. Those foods could include salmon, hummus, pizza, doughnuts, tortilla chips, peanuts, Girl Scout cookies of any variety, fried chicken, Chinese food, pasta, cheese, chocolate cake, vanilla cake, pineapple upside down cake – the list of possible trigger foods could go on and on.

Make note of variations in form that change the way you react to a food. For example, someone might lose control when eating salted peanuts, but might not have a problem at all with unsalted peanuts. Or, perhaps muffins with chocolate chips are a problem while plain muffins are not.

After you have begun to identify your trigger foods, you can start taking steps to avoid them. First, stop buying foods that cause problems for you. That sounds incredibly simple, but there are people who know which foods are a problem and continue to keep those foods in the house. Even though they have a problem every time they eat it, they keep it around. Don’t do that if you don’t have to.  

If someone else in your home likes your trigger foods and keeps them around, you might not be able to keep them all out of your house. If possible, have those stored either out of sight or somewhere behind healthier foods.

The NutriMost program educates people about trigger foods. It also helps people to identify their own trigger foods and to develop strategies for avoiding them. If you’d like to find out more about NutriMost.

---

In this article, I have discussed trigger foods, how they work, to recognize them, and how to avoid them.

If you have a comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below. If you know of someone who might benefit from the information in this blog, please share it with your friends, colleagues, and on social media.

The Google Plus button and other social media sharing buttons are below.

At Vibrant Life, we address all of the key elements to add vibrance and vitality to your life. This includes nutrition, chiropractic care, and fitness. If you need to consult with a chiropractor about your neck, back, or any other health concern, please contact our office to set up an appointment.

Dr. Jon Thomas is a Board Certified Chiropractic Physician. His practice, The Vibrant Life Health Center, is located in the Mandarin section of Jacksonville. His interest in health and fitness started early, and his athletic pursuits have included BMX racing, Professional Snow Skiing, Water Skiing, Baseball, Weightlifting, and Martial Arts. After studying and learning from some of the top health experts throughout the world, Dr. Thomas dedicated his life to helping people of all ages to transform their lives. The objective for each patient is to initiate the body’s healing and to work progressively toward a body that functions optimally. Dr. Thomas is seen regularly on TV on First Coast Living, where he discusses the transformations of his patients. He also speaks at events throughout the community and writes informative articles to improve the health of residents throughout Jacksonville.

Going from Despair to Confidence with NutriMost


By Dr. Jon Thomas, DC, PSc.D,  Board Certified Chiropractic Physician.


Courtesy of Vibrant Life Health Center
Health and Wellness Open House on Saturday, May 21st

Tracy and I and the rest of the team are really looking forward to our Health and Wellness Open House on Saturday, May 21st. It will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Vibrant Life Health Center, 12627 San Jose Blvd., Suite 502. We’ve been planning this for some time as a way of introducing ourselves to people in the surrounding community who are not yet familiar with the range of services we provide.

We’ll be giving away the NutriMost program to one fortunate person who will have the opportunity to lose twenty pounds or more in just forty days. By the 4th of July, someone is going to be looking and feeling great! We have details on how to enter the contest for that on our Facebook pages or on the First Coast Living website. 

Courtesy of Vibrant Life Health Center
We’ll be doing Tytron nerve scans for free and we’ll be offering a body composition analysis for $20, which is a substantial discount off the regular fee. We will have refreshments and we’ll be giving away a Whole Foods and Native Sun gift card for $250. Other items to be given away include an Urban Coffeehouse Gift Card, a Beauty Package from Metamorphosis Salon, and Mini Massages by Zyra Arroyo, LMT of Massage Renaissance.

If you have an aching back, sore knees, persistent pain in the shoulders, stiffness in the neck, or any other condition for which chiropractic could help, be sure to come by. It will be a perfect opportunity to find out how chiropractic treatment can put your body, and your life, back into alignment. Treatment is making a very positive difference in the lives of many people and you’ll be able to talk to some of them at the open house.

Several NutriMost patients will also be at the Open House. They will be telling their stories of shedding twenty pounds or more in just forty days. Real people with real stories! Anyone who is interested in NutriMost will be able to ask people who have been on it how it worked for them.

From Despair to Confidence with NutriMost

Courtesy of Vibrant Life Health Center
I personally walk patients through the process in the NutriMost program. By the time some patients find NutriMost, they’ve lost hope that anything will work for them. They’ve tried system after system, program after program, and nothing has worked for them. They’ve tried medications, they’ve done this, they’ve done that. Some people are completely discouraged by the time they try NutriMost.

We team up with them and walk them through the phases. As their bodies begin to function more effectively, they become hopeful and then confident. By the time they go through the process of transformation, they become amazed at what they’re accomplishing and at what they can accomplish. NutriMost puts the pieces together for people to accomplish their weight loss and wellness goals.

Patients can contact me about any challenges they may be facing at any time, and they do. This is one of the biggest differences between NutriMost and other programs, and it makes an enormous difference. Seeing the positive changes people are making in their lives is very gratifying for me personally. As far as I’m concerned, nothing compares to that.

People face challenges in the process of losing weight. They might be going to an event where they know there will be an excellent buffet with lots of delicious food. Maybe even their favorite foods. It’s not easy to walk by when the food looks and smells really good. It takes a plan and I love being in a position to help people in those challenging situations. I love what I do and I love the connection I have with people.

Courtesy of First Coast Living
One size does not fit all when it comes to the way people’s bodies work. We’re all at least a little bit different and those differences affect the way we process food, gain weight, and lose weight. People have trigger foods which are just no good for them and which should be avoided. For me, it’s salmon. Other people can eat all the salmon they want and have no problem whatsoever. Of course, they have different trigger foods that they should avoid.

NutriMost addresses the differences. We present each patient with a customized program that will work for him or her. It all starts with a body composition analysis which shows in great detail how a person’s body is functioning and how it’s processing things.  By the end of that, people know what their deficiencies are and where the body is not functioning optimally. They know what challenges are specific to them, challenges that might not be a problem at all to other people.

I sit down one-on-one with every patient and explain how the program works and how it’s going to work, very specifically, to address the issues they might have. We look at fat metabolism. We go through all the steps and make sure they know how to contact me whenever they need to. We stay in touch through daily texts. We are with them every step of the way.

Courtesy of Vibrant Life Health Center
After a patient has gone through the 40 day NutriMost fat burn, we take them through a three step program. We do a reset in which we program the body to continue to function optimally. After that, people go into a reentry phase where they start trying the foods that they weren’t eating while they were in the fat burn phase.

Many people who have lost substantial amounts of weight have had the discouraging experience of getting it all back. Some get it all back and more. Yo-yo dieting doesn’t work in the long run. In order to lose weight and keep it off permanently, the body needs to be reset and the new settings have to be maintained. That’s what NutriMost does and that’s why NutriMost works.

Come on out to the Open House on Saturday, May 21st, and talk to some people who have found the answers to their weight problems with NutriMost. 

---

In this article, I have discussed Vibrant Life Health Center’s upcoming Health and Wellness Open House, which will be on Saturday, May 21st. I’ve also discussed the differences between NutriMost and other weight loss programs.

If you have a comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below. If you know of someone who might benefit from the information in this blog, please share it with your friends, colleagues, and on social media.

The Google Plus button and other social media sharing buttons are below.

At Vibrant Life, we address all of the key elements to add vibrance and vitality to your life. This includes nutrition, chiropractic care, and fitness. If you need to consult with a chiropractor about your neck, back, or any other health concern, please contact our office to set up an appointment.

Courtesy of Vibrant Life Health Center
Dr. Jon Thomas is a Board Certified Chiropractic Physician. His practice, The Vibrant Life Health Center, is located in the Mandarin section of Jacksonville. His interest in health and fitness started early, and his athletic pursuits have included BMX racing, Professional Snow Skiing, Water Skiing, Baseball, Weightlifting, and Martial Arts. After studying and learning from some of the top health experts throughout the world, Dr. Thomas dedicated his life to helping people of all ages to transform their lives. The objective for each patient is to initiate the body’s healing and to work progressively toward a body that functions optimally. Dr. Thomas is seen regularly on TV on First Coast Living, where he discusses the transformations of his patients. He also speaks at events throughout the community and writes informative articles to improve the health of residents throughout Jacksonville.

Springtime Sports Injuries: How to avoid them and what to do about them.



By Dr. Jon Thomas, DC, PSc.D, Board Certified Chiropractic Physician.
Public Domain Image
Spring has definitely sprung. The weather has warmed up and people are spending much more of their time outdoors. Golf fans are getting excited about the Tournament Players Championship, which is coming up soon at TPC Sawgrass.
After the cold months of winter, people are now playing tennis, golfing, running, and engaging in many of the activities that they couldn’t do during the winter. Unfortunately, some are injuring themselves.
One of the most important things to remember whenever you are exercising is to warm up. Unlike expensive sports cars, the human body wasn’t made to go from a state of rest to full speed in a matter of seconds.
It’s also important to know your limitations and not to push yourself too far too fast. Advancing your abilities takes time and repetition which should involve a plan and goals along the way. An important piece to include in your plan is a functional movement assessment like those performed at Vibrant Life Health Center. Based on your activities this will identify areas your body may have limitations or weaknesses that a good therapy and exercise plan can address. The result can be eliminating those points of weakness and fatigue that can cause injury.
Lower Back Strains
Activities that require sudden twisting motions or a lot of bending can cause lower back strains. Golfers are susceptible to back injuries because of the range of motion required to hit the ball. The motion required to successfully swing a golf club involves a good deal of stretching and twisting.
Exercising to stay flexible and strong is one of the best ways to avoid back injuries. Chiropractic adjustments, which put the spine into proper alignment and improve range of motion, are one other proactive measure people can do to avoid back injuries.
As many people know, when lower back strain does occur, a chiropractic adjustment effectively addresses the condition restoring proper spinal alignment. At Vibrant Life Health Center we also address the soft tissue related to injuries to reduce healing time and improve overall movement patterns.In many cases, a single adjustment by a skilled practitioner can provide instant and lasting relief.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis players are very susceptible to a condition commonly referred to as tennis elbow. The medical term is Epicondylitis and it can be very painful. The twisting and stretching involved with swinging a tennis racket are the cause. One of the frustrating things about tennis elbow is that it can take a longer time to heal than other sports injuries.
Chiropractic manipulations which focus on the elbow can improve an individual’s range of motion. It can also speed up a player’s recovery so that he or she can get back onto the court as quickly as possible.
Knee Injuries
Running puts a lot of strain on the knees. Anyone who plays a sport that requires running and sprinting, like baseball, basketball, or football may have knee problems from time to time.
Knee problems have put an end to the careers of many professional athletes. Chiropractic treatment can strengthen the knee muscles and stretch them to improve range of motion.
Strained Hamstring
The hamstrings are three muscles located in the back of the thigh. They enable people to bend and flex at the knee. A hamstring strain is an injury to any one of the hamstring muscles.  
A pulled hamstring is one of the most common of all injuries among all athletes. One minor slip can stretch the hamstring too far. Sometimes a hamstring actually tears. Some people even hear a pop when that happens. That would be an unpleasant sound for sure!
A good warm-up routine is one of the keys to avoiding hamstring injuries. Minor hamstring strains can be treated with rest and ice. For serious hamstring strains, a chiropractor can make an adjustment and massage the tissue to reduce the time it will take to heal.
Neck Strain
Cyclists and mountain bikers sometimes experience neck strain and stiffness. Tennis players can also experience neck strain from looking up repetitively to serve. The pain can make it challenging to move the neck normally.
Ice can relieve the discomfort of neck stiffness. Gentle stretching of the neck can also bring relief. Stretching exercises can be used to improve flexibility and strengthen the neck as well.
Like adjustments to the lower back, an adjustment to the cervical spine by a skilled and experienced chiropractor can bring instant and lasting relief to people suffering with neck pain. In addition, improper mechanics in the neck can lead to head aches and shoulder issues as well. Regular evaluation and chiropractic adjustment can have a dramatic impact on reducing and eliminating these types of issues.
Courtesy Oakley Originals
Ankle Sprains
Ankle sprains involve stretching the ligaments in the ankle. Ankle sprains are very common in nearly all sports. Landing on your foot at an odd angle or with too much force can easily cause a sprain. Walking, running, or playing sports on uneven surfaces increases the risk of spraining an ankle. Football, soccer, and basketball have high incidences of ankle sprains due to the sudden changes of direction that are required.
There may be swelling, bruising, and difficulty in moving the ankle. Moderate ankle sprains normally heal with time. When recuperating from an ankle sprain, it’s a good idea to apply ice and rest the ankle. It could take four weeks or more to heal from an ankle sprain, depending on the severity of the injury. Stretching exercises can help the healing.
Proper stretching and wearing shoes that fit well can help to avoid ankle injuries. Also, as much as possible, it’s important to avoid walking or running on uneven surfaces. People who have sprained their ankles might want to look into temporary precautions like using a brace or taping up the ankle.
Rotator Cuff
Rotator cuff muscles allow precise movements with the shoulder. Rotator cuff injuries are common in sports like softball, tennis, volleyball, swimming, and weight lifting, which require arm motions above the head. When the rotator cuff muscles stretch too far, they can become inflamed and cause joint pain.
For shoulder pain that lasts more than a few days, range-of-motion exercises can strengthen the rotator cuff muscles. Strengthening helps hold the shoulder firmly in place.
Treatment for serious rotator cuff injuries can include physical therapy, heat, and electrical muscle stimulation. Chiropractic can also be very effective for treating problems with the shoulder and the rotator cuff muscles.
Avoiding Injuries
The best ways to avoid sports related injuries are to stay in shape, maintain a healthy weight, and avoid activities that might cause injuries. Staying in shape keeps your body stronger and more flexible. Maintaining a healthy body weight prevents excessive stress on knees and ankles.
Proper equipment is also very important for avoiding injuries. Make sure that the gear you use is in good working order and that it fits properly. If you have any doubts about your gear, take it to an expert and they will check it out and suggest any necessary improvements.
Chiropractic care is important for athletes of all levels, from weekend warriors to professionals. Chiropractors are familiar with skeletal structure, muscle groups, and how they work together. A skilled Chiropractor knows how to address injuries throughout the body.
---
In this article, I have discussed some of the most common injuries that people have in the Springtime. I’ve also discussed how proper stretching before a workout can help to prevent injuries and how chiropractic treatment can help when an injury does occur.
If you have a comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below. If you know of someone who might benefit from the information in this blog, please share it with your friends, colleagues, and on social media.
The Google Plus button and other social media sharing buttons are below.
At Vibrant Life, we address all of the key elements to add vibrance and vitality to your life. This includes nutrition, chiropractic care, and fitness. If you need to consult with a chiropractor about your neck, back, or any other health concern, please contact our office to set up an appointment.
Dr. Jon Thomas is a Board Certified Chiropractic Physician. His practice, The Vibrant Life Health Center, is located in the Mandarin section of Jacksonville. His interest in health and fitness started early, and his athletic pursuits have included BMX racing, Professional Snow Skiing, Water Skiing, Baseball, Weightlifting, and Martial Arts. After studying and learning from some of the top health experts throughout the world, Dr. Thomas dedicated his life to helping people of all ages to transform their lives. The objective for each patient is to initiate the body’s healing and to work progressively toward a body that functions optimally. Dr. Thomas is seen regularly on TV on First Coast Living, where he discusses the transformations of his patients. He also speaks at events throughout the community and writes informative articles to improve the health of residents throughout Jacksonville.