At Vibrant Life Health Center we understand and that each person is uniquely different and requires specific services that focus on your health care needs individually. We are excited to share with you our official Blog to provide you with information on health tips, information, and steps you can take to transform your health and add years to life and life to years!
In the past, my blog has concerned itself with telling you how to correct health issues or improve a condition. Whether you wanted to lose weight, eliminate pain, correct a structural or nutritional imbalance, and/or become more active, I have shown you the steps needed to accomplish that goal. This week, I want to cover the other side of chiropractic care, which is concerned with helping patients sustain their health day in and day out. This philosophy is at the heart of my practice.
At Vibrant Life Health Center, this tenet is so important that it’s stated right on our homepage:
We at Vibrant Life Health Center are here to help you obtain optimum performance so that you feel healthy and have a positive outlook on life. However, this is only going to happen if you are able to SHIFT your mindset and lifestyle in these five areas: Skeletal Structure, Headspace, Intake of Nutrients, Functional Fitness, and Toxic Burden.
By Dr. Jon Thomas, DC, PSc.D, Board
Certified Chiropractic Physician.
Courtesy National Day Calendar
Did you
know that May 27th was National Heat Awareness Day? Heat is one of the
leading weather-related killers in the United States. The National Weather
Service asks people to think about the heat on National Heat Awareness Day,
which is observed each year on the last Friday in May. That coincides
with Memorial Day weekend, a weekend when many Americans start spending more
time out in the sun.
One of
the biggest problems people have in hot weather is staying properly hydrated.
Maintaining the proper fluid level in our bodies is just as important as
keeping the radiator in your car topped off. Actually, since dehydration can
lead to serious illness or death, it’s more important.
In a
Fitness Magazine article titled, The Ultimate Energy Drink: How to Stay Hydrated,
Stephanie Dolgoff writes, "Water protects and hydrates our organs,
transports nutrients to our cells and helps us stay energized and mentally
sharp. It also balances the level of electrolytes and minerals such as sodium
and potassium in our bodies to keep our muscles functioning properly.”
Dehydration
occurs when the loss of body fluids is greater than the amount of water being
taken in. More water is moving out of our cells and bodies than what we consume.
Florida gets hotter than many other parts of the country. That makes it
especially important to take precautions. When the heat is on, be sure to stay
hydrated, avoid alcohol and caffeine, and avoid overexertion. Some days
it’s much better to stay in a cool space than it is to be outside in the heat.
Courtesy National Weather Service
Prevention
When it
comes to dehydration, a fluid ounce of prevention is worth a gallon of cure. If
you’re not careful, dehydration can sneak up on you very quickly, especially in
places with hot and humid summer climates like Northeast Florida. Pay attention
to the environment and try to anticipate situations where you may need to
increase your fluid intake.
For
example, if you’re going out on a kayak or canoe, take extra water in case your
excursion takes a little longer than anticipated. If you’re working in the yard
on a hot day, take breaks at regular intervals and drink water during your
breaks. Don’t wait till you begin to get thirsty. If you do, you’ll already be
well on your way to becoming dehydrated. Dehydration starts when body fluids go
down by just one percent. However, people don’t even get thirsty till their
fluids go down two percent. Here are some additional tips.
Pay close attention to weather reports and avoid
exercising and working outside on very hot days or during the hottest parts of
the day.
Plan strenuous outdoor activities for early in
the day or late in the day when the temperature is cooler.
Avoid alcohol. Alcohol increases water loss and
even impairs your ability to sense the earliest signs of dehydration.
If you have to be outdoors when it is very hot, wear light-colored and
loose-fitting clothing. And keep a bottle of water nearby.
Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Symptoms
of Dehydration
The
symptoms of dehydration range from minor to severe. They include:
Increased thirst. Don’t ignore thirst. Get some
water or a sports drink.
Dry mouth, which is also referred to as cotton
mouth.
The color of urine can be a reliable indicator of dehydration.
According to DripDrop, clear or light yellow urine is normal.
When urine is darker orange, it’s a sign that the body is running low on water.
How much water should a person drink every day?
In the not-so-distant past, the so-called rule of
thumb for recommended water consumption was one size fits all: eight 8-ounce
glasses of water per day. That has changed. Obviously, a large person needs
more water than a smaller person. Also, a person who is active outside in a hot
climate for much of the day will need more water than a person who sits in an
air-conditioned office all day.
Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
According to WEBMD, people should drink between half an ounce
and an ounce of water per day for each pound they weigh. For example, a person
who weighs 150 pounds should consume between 75 to 150 ounces of water a day
depending on there activity level. Someone living in a hot climate would want
to take in about 150 ounces per day. Someone in a cooler climate might need
less than 100 ounces per day.
A person who calculates that he or she is
drinking a lot less than the recommended amount per day should develop a plan
for ramping up the quantity. It’s not a good idea to try to double the amount
of water being consumed overnight. The increase in intake should be made more
gradually so that the body can adjust accordingly.
Drinking fluids isn’t the only way to stay
hydrated.
In an article for Daily Burn, Emily Faherty writes about foods that
can help people in their efforts to stay hydrated. It’s no coincidence that
watermelon has water in its name. Watermelon is 92 percent water and it does a
nice job of quenching thirst. Watermelon also contains salt, calcium, and
magnesium making it ideal for helping with hydration.
Celery stalks are about 95 percent water. Celery
also has fiber and minerals, including potassium and vitamin K. Cucumbers,
which are 96 percent water, can also help you to keep your cool in the heat.
Strawberries are 92 percent water and they are loaded with fiber and vitamin C.
Lettuce and spinach also have high percentages of water.
Working these foods into your diet will help you
to maintain the proper fluid levels.
Self-treatment for mild dehydration
Mild dehydration can normally be corrected by
consuming fluids. That doesn’t mean chugging down lots of water. Here are a few
suggestions on how to take in fluids slowly to bring your levels up to where
they should be:
Sip small amounts of water.
Drink carbohydrate/electrolyte-containing drinks.
Sports drinks like Gatorade are good for this.
Add Lemon to your water to aid with cellular absorption, this will
also help with your body’s alkalinity.
It’s very important to stay properly hydrated in
hot weather. Maintaining an awareness of the environment around you and
planning for situations where your body may need more water than normal is one
of the keys to avoiding dehydration. Staying in tune with what’s going on in
your own body is the other key. Taking appropriate steps to avoid dehydration
and taking action quickly when symptoms present themselves will help you to
maintain the balance your body needs and enjoy the summer in spite of the
searing heat.
---
In this article, I have discussed dehydration,
how to stay properly hydrated and avoid dehydration, symptoms of dehydration,
and what to do if you become dehydrated.
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 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.
by Dr. Jon Thomas, DC, PSc. D, Board Certified Chiropractic Physician.
For some time, we have been planning
on hosting an open house to introduce ourselves to people in the surrounding
community who are not yet familiar with Vibrant Life Health Center and with the
spectrum of services we provide. I’m very excited to announce that we will be
having a Health and Wellness Open House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May
21st.
The event will be at Vibrant Life
Health Center, 12627 San Jose Blvd., Suite 502. We’ll be doing Tytron nerve
scans for free and we’ll be offering a body composition analysis for $20, which
is a big discount off the regular fee. We’ll also 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. Look for details to enter on our Facebook
pages (https://www.facebook.com/vibrantlifehealthcenterjax/)or on our TV segments on First Coast Living
Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.
We will have refreshments and we’ll be
giving away a Whole Foods gift card for $250. There probably aren’t very many
people who wouldn’t like to have one of those!Other items to be given away include an Urban Coffeehouse Gift Card, a
Beauty Package from Metamorphosis Salon, and Massages by Zyra.
Also, several Chiropractic patients
will be on hand sharing their stories. If you’re curious about how chiropractic
treatment can put your body, and your life, back into alignment, this will be
an opportunity to talk to people for whom treatment has made a significant
difference.
Several NutriMost patients will also
be at the event telling their stories of losing twenty pounds or more in just
forty days. Real people with real stories! Anyone who is interested in
NutriMost will be able to see how people look after NutriMost and ask them if
it really works and whether they’re keeping the weight off.
Memorial Day is Coming Up: Time to lay
unwanted pounds to rest with NutriMost.
It’s hard to believe that Memorial Day
is only a few weeks away! With the weather warming up, people are looking
forward to spending time around pools and taking trips to the beautiful beaches
of Northeast Florida. It’s time for fun in the sun and time to try to get back
into a bathing suit. Or, just as importantly, to look good in a bathing suit.
That intro may have seemed a bit
shallow, but the fact is that most people like looking good, whether that’s in
business attire, at a Jaguars’ game, or at the beach. The problem is that many
people gain weight over time, and most have a hard time shedding unwanted
pounds.
The good news is that there is one
program that has helped many people to lose the weight in Jacksonville. It’s
called NutriMost and it is the ultimate program for burning off the fat.
In the past few months, 10 patients
have lost 431 pounds!
Losing forty pounds in forty days
truly is a game-changer in terms of health and wellness. It’s beyond the level
of weight loss most people can envision in such a short period of time. Yet
people have been doing it with some regularity with NutriMost.
When you change your body, it changes
your perspective on what you’re capable of doing. It changes your outlook on
what you’re going to be able to do this year. It’s really exciting to watch
people as the light of awareness turns on for them.
At Vibrant Life, we are always looking
for ways to be more effective and more efficient. Everything we do, we do for
the patients. There are several tools that we use to transform our clients’
bodies into fat-burning machines. Whether a patient wants to lose twenty
pounds, or sixty, or eight, or a hundred, we can customize the program to the
patient’s objectives.
NutriMost focuses on real food, not
shakes or food out of boxes. There are no injections, medications, or
surgeries. We show people how their bodies are really working. They learn about
the different ways in which their bodies may be out of balance with regard to
nutrients and hormones.
NutriMost works within the patient’s
body so that, in the end, the metabolism is completely reset. Once people
finish a cycle with NutriMost, their metabolism continues to hum along. They
don’t gain the weight back because their bodies are working at a whole
different level.
The technology of NutriMost enables us
to see the fat metabolism in patients’ bodies. We uncover the deficiencies, the
interferences, and the imbalances that are preventing their bodies from working
optimally. Once we see exactly what the challenges are, we can specifically
adjust the program to address those issues. NutriMost reboots the body’s
ability to burn fat.
Just like making a key to start your
car, NutriMost is like making a key to turn on the metabolism and get the body
functioning properly. NutriMost provides a customized list of what you can eat
while you’re on the program and what foods you should be cautious about. For
example, I have discovered that salmon is one food that simply doesn’t work
well with my physiology. Salmon causes a problem, so I avoid it. It’s not
complicated.
NutriMost gives people an awareness of
what specific foods cause problems for them. It’s one of the biggest reasons
NutriMost is working so well for so many people. Armed with that information,
they have a much better chance at losing weight and keeping it off.
---
In this article, I have discussed
Vibrant Life’s upcoming Health and Wellness Open House. It will be on Saturday,
May 21st, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and it will be the perfect
opportunity for people to learn about NutriMost, chiropractic treatment, and
other services that Vibrant Life provides.
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.
by Dr. Jon Thomas, DC, PSc.D,
Board Certified Chiropractic Physician.
Dr. Jeffrey Bland and Susan Bland
“What’s above ground is easier to
see and, in many ways, easier to treat. But unless you dig down and uproot the
weed, you’ll never contain it; you’ll only stunt its growth.” Jeffrey Bland, PhD, Founder of the Institute
for Functional Medicine, as quoted in Experience Life Magazine
One of the reasons so many people
are suffering with poor health these days is that we have not been educated on
the definition of true health. When people understand what
health really is, they can actually create their own wellness philosophy and
determine which lifestyle approaches are best for them.
What is health?
One core definition of health is
“a state of normal function.” If you wish to improve your health, you must
first find out what it is that causes you to function optimally. People are
more interested than ever before in biking, swimming, running, doing yoga,
lifting weights, taking supplements, and proper diet. Most people have begun to
realize that they must play an active role in their own health if they want to
keep it or get it back. Some of the most common health objectives include:
Enhancing overall well-being
Overcoming and preventing illness
Improving energy level and
appearance
Increasing
the length and quality of life
Courtesy of Wikimedia
However, none of these goals
cause the human body to function. To find what really causes you to function
nominally, you must first determine what is abnormal in your anatomy.
The Central Nervous System (CNS)
is composed of the brain, spinal cord, and spinal nerves. The CNS controls all
functions and healing in the human body. To have normal function - a
requirement for good health - the CNS must work without damage or interference.
There is a continuous flow of
information from the brain to the rest of the body and from the organs back to
the brain. When the head is in an abnormal position or there’s a misalignment
of individual vertebrae, it will interfere with the flow of information to and
from the brain. This interference keeps the organs from functioning normally.
A healthy spine is one of the
keys to having a healthy life. It’s also a very important part of Functional
Medicine.
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional Medicine is an
approach to health which addresses the whole person, not just whatever symptoms
may be bothering someone at any given time. At Vibrant Life Health
Center, we spend time with our patients listening to them and assessing the
numerous factors that are influencing their long-term health. We believe that
working in close partnership with our patients will help them to achieve their
fitness and health goals.
The Institute of Functional Medicine, which was established in the
1990s, asserts that:
Functional
Medicine offers a powerful new system model for the assessment, treatment, and
prevention of chronic disease. It is replacing the outdated and acute-care
models from the 20th century.
Functional Medicine utilizes the
latest in genetic science, systems biology, and understanding of how
environmental and lifestyle factors influence the progression of disease.
Functional
Medicine is enabling physicians and other health professionals to practice
personalized medicine. It empowers patients to take an active role in their own
health.
Why Functional Medicine?
Most physicians are oriented
toward the diagnosis and treatment of trauma or illness that needs to be
treated immediately. This is referred to as “acute care” and it includes
everything from heart attacks to broken bones. Physicians apply specific treatments,
such as drugs or surgery, that aim to treat the immediate problem.
However, the acute-care approach to medicine is ill equipped to address chronic
disease. Acute care does not normally take into account factors like stress,
diet, and exposure to toxins. Many physicians have no training to assess the
underlying causes of complex, chronic diseases. They don’t apply strategies
like nutrition, diet, and exercise to treat and prevent illnesses.
Essential Components of
Functional Medicine
Get the patient’s complete story
Identify and address the
patient’s lifestyle factors as well as any undesirable environmental factors
Address any clinical imbalance
the patient may have
Establish
a working partnership between practitioner and patient.
What is Biofeedback Technology
and how does it help patients?
Courtesy undergroundhealthreporter.com
Biofeedback is one of the many
tools we use at Vibrant Life Health Center to help patients achieve their
health and fitness goals. It ties right in with Functional Medicine. Mayo
Clinic has a good definition of biofeedback on their website.
“Biofeedback is a technique you
can use to learn to control your body's functions, such as your heart rate.
With biofeedback, you're connected to electrical sensors that help you receive
information (feedback) about your body (bio). This feedback helps you focus on
making subtle changes in your body, such as relaxing certain muscles, to
achieve the results you want, such as reducing pain. In essence, biofeedback
gives you the power to use your thoughts to control your body, often to improve
a health condition or physical performance.” Mayo Clinic
Relaxing sounds like it should be
easy, but for a lot of people it’s not. At Vibrant Life, we use biofeedback to
help patients train themselves on how to relax. We also use biofeedback to help
patients modify their behavior in situations that may cause stress and anxiety.
---
In this article, I have discussed
Functional Medicine, which addresses all the needs of the patient as opposed to
simply treating symptoms and conditions. I’ve also discussed biofeedback
technology, one of the tools we use to help patients achieve their health and
fitness goals.
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, Weight Lifting, 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.
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