April 2024 Health Newsletter

Did you know that 52% of adults around the world are trying to lose weight?

From achieving your dream body to boosting your energy and beyond, you need to pay attention to your nutrition if you want to be happy and healthy. Although this task seems simple, the reality is that lots of people struggle with their nutrition because there's so much misinformation out there.

Have you ever wondered if you're making the best decisions for your wellness? Read on if you'd like to dive into seven of the most common nutrition myths that are spread around today.

1. You Need a Large Calorie Deficit to Lose Weight

Many fad diets that have been promoted throughout the decades have encouraged people to enter starvation mode by consuming 1,200 calories or less. Some people could reach 1,200 calories by eating one meal at a restaurant, which means that these expectations set people up for disappointment. In addition, long-term calorie restriction will slow your metabolism down, which makes it harder to maintain your ideal weight.

Although it's hard to be patient, good things take time and weight loss is no different. Shaving off 100 or 200 calories a day won't make you feel like you're depriving yourself and you'll still be able to meet all of your nutritional needs.

2. Dieting Means Nothing Without Exercise

Lots of people are surprised to hear that dieting makes up the bulk of everyone's weight loss achievements. The reason why this occurs is that it's much easier to abstain from grabbing another bread roll at dinner than it is to exercise for an hour to balance out those calories. If you're someone who hates exercise, then you'll be relieved to know that you can still lose weight without spending your days in the gym.

However, it's still important for your overall wellness to find physical activities that you like. Not only will going on a walk or doing some yoga boost your physical and mental health, but you can also tone up your muscles. Exercise shouldn't be the main focus of your wellness journey, but you shouldn't maintain a sedentary lifestyle.

3. Calories Are the Only Thing That Matters

If you're among the majority of people who would like to lose weight, then you've probably come across the phrase "calories in, calories out" often. It's true that being mindful of your calorie intake can help you achieve your weight loss goals, but the quality of your calories matters more than the quantity arguably. A simple fact that demonstrates this is that you could lose weight by only eating cookies in theory, but you'd feel terrible because you're not giving your body the nutrients it needs.

Eating whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can keep your calorie count low while still helping you feel full and energetic thanks to the fiber and vitamins.

4. Healthy Eating Has to Be Expensive

Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow have raised a lot of eyebrows because of how expensive their wellness routines are. Even everyday people believe that all of their food needs to be organic and contain exotic spices to burn fat. If you're on a tighter budget, you can still prepare all kinds of nutritious meals with the help of ChiroThin that will please your palate and your stomach.

There's no denying that finding fresh fruits and vegetables at a fair price can be a challenge, so you can save a fortune by buying frozen produce instead. You can avoid throwing out spoiled produce and enjoy more nutrients since fruits and vegetables are frozen at their peak. Other healthy staples like brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and beans cost less than a dollar per serving.

5. You Need to Avoid Carbs or Fat

Our bodies need a balance of carbs, protein, and fat to function well. Denying yourself an entire macronutrient will spell out big trouble for your health in the long run. Instead of eliminating entire food groups from your diet, you should focus on choosing the most nutrient-dense options.

White rice certainly isn't a "bad" food, but you can get more bang for your buck when you eat brown rice instead. If you're worried about fat, try to reduce your intake of fried foods and top your dishes with wholesome avocado.

6. You Should Eat Lots of Small Meals or Fast

Some of the most common nutrition tips people give are to either eat constantly throughout the day or fast and eat one big meal a day. The truth is that we all have unique hormones that dictate when we get hungry. Trying to stick to a trend that goes against your biology will make you miserable.

If you're the type of person who never feels hungry in the morning, then don't force yourself to eat breakfast because you heard it was the most important meal of the day. Try to stay in tune with your hunger cues and stop eating when you're comfortably full.

7. Your Body Needs to Detox on a Regular Basis

Another nutrition myth that can lead to dangerous eating habits is the idea that you need to help your body detox. As long as you have a functioning liver, your body knows how to remove waste without you needing to think about it.

Doing smoothie cleanses or other fad diets will upset your bowel movements and make you irritable. Just continue to focus on eating nutrient-dense foods.

Did You Believe Any of These Common Nutrition Myths?

There are tons of popular nutrition myths out there, so you shouldn't feel bad about falling for them. Now that you've read this nutrition guide, you can equip yourself with the knowledge and tools you need to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Are you ready to get started on the path to a healthier you?  Call 407-931-1492 for help getting started!

5 Telltale Signs You Have a Slow Metabolism

(and How to Speed It Up!)

Everyone has a friend or family member born with a naturally high metabolism. They can eat what they like, do mild exercise, and stay fit and healthy. But for the rest of us, weight loss can be extremely hard, especially if we are suffering from a slow metabolism. 

If you are doing exercise and dieting but still failing to lose weight, it could be down to a slow metabolism. Below, we discuss five telltale signs of slow metabolism and how to solve them.

1. Weight Gain

Unexplained weight gain does not necessarily come from overeating. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. Eating too few calories can actually slow down your metabolism.

This is because the body senses that food is limited. As such, the rate it burns calories becomes lower. As such, excess calories take longer to get rid of and use as energy.

If you feel this may be the case, begin to increase your calorie intake gently over the next 6 weeks. Take your measurements and see if the increase has actually made you lose weight. 

For anyone who is piling on the pounds but conducting a regime of healthy eating and exercises, there could be an underlying problem. This could be a sign of hyperthyroidism. This is a condition where a lack of hormones from the thyroid gland slows down the body’s metabolism. 

Any surgery should be able to do a thyroid check. Al it takes is a simple blood test and the results will be back in a few days. It can be corrected with prescription hormone pills. 

2. Slow Metabolism Fatigue

One sure way to tell if you have a slow metabolism is tiredness. Though it may also be attributed to a number of other factors, sorting out your sleep will undoubtedly help kick-start your metabolism.

As your body is burning energy at a much slower rate, you are lacking the vital products you need to keep going. This results in a constant feeling of fatigue. 

To avoid this, make sure you are getting a full night’s sleep. That sleep should be good quality, deep, unbroken sleep. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep does decrease your metabolic rate.

There are a number of reasons why you may not be getting enough sleep, and you should address these or discuss them with a doctor. Try to avoid sleeping in the day if at all possible, so your body can establish a pattern for sleep. You should be aiming to establish a circadian rhythm. 

A lack of sleep can also result in a higher risk of contracting illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. It can also impact your mental health, which may also cause problems with your metabolic rate. 

3. Bad Skin and Hair

A slow metabolism inhibits the supply of nutrients to the cells in your body. As such, you may find that your cells are not repairing as much or are losing their healthy glow. This could manifest in dry skin and hair, or brittle nails. 

Your body will also attempt to keep in the heat, meaning you do not sweat as much. Though this may sound like a benefit, a lack of sweat can stop oils and moisture applying themself topically to your skin. This results in the dryness of the area. 

A high protein diet can increase the rate of metabolism. This increase is known as the thermic effect, and it is much higher in protein than it is in fats and carbohydrates. 

To address the problem, try to increase the intake of nutrient-rich proteins in your diet. Dairy products and fish are excellent as they have the Omega 3 oils and calcium you need. If you are vegan or lactose intolerant, pulses and seeds, particularly chia seeds, can provide what you need.

4. Mental Health Issues

A lack of the thyroid hormone in the body, one of the main causes of slow metabolism, can also impact mental health and some cognitive abilities. For example, loss of memory can be one of the signs of slow metabolism. 

It can also impact your sex drive, due to a lack of testosterone. Finally, it can cause depression. As your body slows down, your mood can slump drastically meaning you feel low and sad.

If you notice any of these symptoms and you lead a lifestyle that involves sitting or lack of movement, then you should try to get active. The movement will help burn calories and exercising can increase endorphins in the brain, lifting your mood. Even if you are working, make sure you have a regular break in which you leave the computer screen, walk around, and interact with other people. 

5. You Crave Carbohydrate and Sugar

Occasionally, some bodies can be resistant to insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas. It regulates how your cells burn and metabolize calories and energy.

Insulin resistance can manifest in a craving for carbohydrates and sugar. As your body can not absorb glucose, it needs the quick-burning energy from these products to function. However, it is a vicious circle as the more of them you eat, the more likely your body is to convert them to excess fat.

Try to regulate your diet by cutting down on refined sugar and carbs. Sugary drinks are the main contributing factor, as the fructose in them can cause spikes and troughs in your energy levels. 

Addressing the Problem

Once you think you have a slow metabolism and have started to address the problem, allow around 6 weeks to see if your change has made an impact. If this does not work, then seek the help of a medical professional. 

Are you ready to get started on the path to a healthier you? Call us today at 407-931-1492 to see if you qualify for our doctor supervised weight loss program.

For those individuals grappling with chronic back or neck pain, finding effective relief can be a daunting challenge. In the pursuit of alleviating discomfort and improving quality of life, chiropractic care should be at the top of the list. But what does the evidence say about its efficacy? Let's briefly review just some of the research to understand the role of chiropractic care in addressing musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain and neck pain.

Chiropractic care is founded on the principle that proper alignment of the spine is essential for overall health and well-being. Practitioners, known as doctors of chiropractic (DCs) or chiropractors, employ hands-on spinal manipulation and other manual techniques to adjust vertebral misalignments (subluxations) and restore proper function to the musculoskeletal system. While chiropractic treatment has been traditionally sought for back and neck pain relief, its effectiveness has been the subject of numerous studies and clinical trials.

One of the most comprehensive reviews of chiropractic care for back pain was conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality ("Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). (2017"). Noninvasive treatments for low back pain.). Their analysis of available evidence concluded that spinal manipulation—the primary treatment modality in chiropractic care—was effective in reducing acute low back pain and improving function. Additionally, the AHRQ found that chiropractic care was associated with fewer adverse effects compared to other treatments such as medication or surgery.

Furthermore, research published in reputable medical journals supports the efficacy of chiropractic care for both acute and chronic back pain. A study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that patients with chronic low back pain who received chiropractic spinal manipulation experienced greater pain relief and functional improvement compared to those who received standard medical care.

Similarly, chiropractic care has shown effective in managing neck pain, which often stems from poor posture, muscle strain, or cervical spine misalignments. A systematic review published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics concluded that spinal manipulation performed by chiropractors was effective in reducing neck pain intensity and improving function. Moreover, a randomized controlled trial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine ("Annals of Internal Medicine, 156(1_Part_1), 1-10.") found that spinal manipulation combined with exercise was more effective in reducing neck pain than medication alone.

For those considering chiropractic care for back or neck pain relief, the evidence supporting its effectiveness is substantial and continues to grow. From reducing pain intensity to improving function and overall quality of life, chiropractic treatment offers a non-invasive and drug-free approach to managing back and neck pain and dysfunction as well as many other musculoskeletal conditions. By staying informed and seeking care from reputable chiropractic practitioners, prospective patients can take proactive steps towards finding lasting relief.


If you are in chronic pain from back problems, you may be tempted to try anything to keep the hurt at bay. This might include taking addictive opioid pain killers or analgesics that have negative side effects.  These prescription drugs can cause "adverse drug events," which refer to any sort of injury or side effect caused by a medication.  Even scarier, the mortality rate from adverse drug events has been rising dramatically.  No one wants to die from a pain pill or end up addicted to it.   The Good News: Adverse Drug Events Can Be Avoided The next time you are tempted to just medicate your back pain away, contact your chiropractor.  By getting comprehensive chiropractic care, you may be able to reduce or completely eliminate your dependence on prescription pain medication.  In fact, it's been proven to work.  One recent study showed that chiropractic patients had a 51% reduced likelihood of adverse drug events within 12 months compared to nonrecipients.  Comprehensive chiropractic care for back pain can include spinal manipulation and adjustments, pain relieving exercises, and other wellness protocols that are safe, non-invasive, and don’t have those pesky and often dangerous side effects of drugs.  Reduce Pain with Chiropractic Care Today There is no need to risk adverse drug events when there is a safer option with chiropractic care. Contact us today for a consultation!

The government wants to start encouraging more people to take their bike to work. No, this isn’t in response to efforts to halt the progression of global climate change and to save the environment. The reason the government is promoting this is because of the awesome health benefits. According to recent studies, riding to work can reduce a person’s chances of:

• Developing cancer
• Dying prematurely
• Being diagnosed with heart disease
  

The numbers are quite astonishing. According to the UK’s Telegraph, the risk of premature death fell by 41% among those who regularly rode to work. Forbes reports that the study was done at the University of Glasgow, where they evaluated the health of over 260,000 people during a five year period. Those who cycled to work had a:

• 46% lower risk of developing heart disease
• 52% lower risk of dying from heart disease
• 45% lower risk of developing cancer
• 40% lower risk of dying from cancer
  

Since cancer and heart disease are the leading causes of death in many countries – including the U.S. – it stands to reason that people would do anything they can to reduce their risks. Now they have proof that something as simple as cycling to work can lower the risk significantly. Why not give it a try for yourself? Start out slow – replacing your car with your bike as your mode of transport one day a week, then two, then three, and so on. With results like these, you’ll be happy you did!