Let me first explain fascia and how it binds your muscles.  If you ever look at a piece of steak and see the thin white stuff that is in the meat… That is fascia.  Fascia is a big web in your body that connects everything.  It surrounds all your muscle connecting it to bone, organs and other muscles.  So when it is tight around your muscles it can cause major restrictions in your body.

So what does that mean to you and fat loss?

1. If you have bound up fascia…  It leads to restricted range of motion during your exercise, leading to poor form.  This leads to injuries and days away from training.  Less training, means less fat burning!
2. If you are actually in pain from bound up or tight muscles, this creates stress in your body.  Stress in your body sends your hormones out of balance.  One of the most crucial parts of losing fat with ease is to have balanced hormones.  If you send your cortisol levels (stress hormones) higher you may find that not only will you not be losing fat, you could actually be gaining fat.
3. My number #1 rule of training is to do your best to improve your results every time you train.  This bound up fascia can prevent you from improving your results.  For example… If you are a runner and have bound up fascia in your hips, which is very likely, your stride might be restricted and you may struggle to improve your time each time you run.It is so important to improve your results every time, because if you are improving you are getting stronger.  If you are getting stronger, your metabolism will increase and you will burn more fat!
4. If you have bound up muscles… they won’t grow.  They will constantly be restricted by the fascia and working against you.  When you get a massage using myofascial release technique, you can release this tension.  Your muscles will grow and as they grow, your metabolism increases and you can become a fat burning machine.  And really when losing fat, isn’t that what you want?

Welcome to 2012 everyone! It is the time of year where after some time off and some sun, and the promise of a new start often draws our attention back to one of our most important priorities – our health. Weight loss and new exercise regimes are commonly the most popular January resolutions, and they certainly are noble goals to have! But did you know that if your body is toxic in anyway, your road to the new you may be quite an uphill battle?

Toxicity refers to any kind of substance that takes our body away from its natural state of health. It is most commonly a chemical or nutritional stressor of some kind that is damaging to our cells. In our modern society they can, unfortunately, be increasingly easy to come by and if we are exposed to them at a time when we are tired, run down, our immune system is low, or we have been existing on a poor diet, then our body can struggle to detoxify them naturally. If we are exposed to a lot of toxins that can slow down the process too. These toxins can include (but are not limited to);

• Chemicals
• Medications
• Toxic metals
• Preservatives and artificial food substances
• Sugar
• Parasites
• Fungus

If our body is lacking the ability at the time to remove these toxins from our system, it needs to store them. Now our body is very clever, and knows that these kinds of toxins – especially metals and chemicals- are harmful to our bodies, and so it provides a natural buffer- FAT CELLS!! If your body is under too much stress load to detoxify properly, it becomes very difficult to lose weight because our body is using that weight to store the toxins and prevent them from being leaked into our bloodstream. This makes seeing the results of your exercise just that bit harder again! Given that keeping our important resolutions is harder than we thought as life kicks back in when the years gets started, we certainly don’t need any more obstacles!

Having toxins stored in your system means your body is battling a constant invasion everyday. So not only can your waistline suffer, but you may find your energy, your thyroid function, your digestion, your motivation, your skin, your allergies, and your immune system (just to name a few!) may be suffering too. How often is one of our biggest excuses not to exercise that we are too tired or not motivated?

If you suspect that your body may be harbouring some toxins, it’s as easy as a quick muscle test at Neurohealth to find out. Detoxifying can be as simple as providing your body with a vitamin or mineral you may be deficient in, or using a supplement or homeopathic specifically chosen for your kind of toxicity. Either way, the results on your weight loss can be well worth the effort of finding out!

Hugh completed a Diploma in Integrated Body Therapies in 2003; he then went on to study personal training, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, nutrition and specific techniques like biosignature modulation to help with fat loss.

Hugh loves working with families to improve their health. Since having his own son, he recognises how important having a healthy environment is for kids. What they see their parents do, they will do too. So he is motivated to get people fit and healthy so that they create fit and healthy kids.

Hugh loves working on the “impossible” cases, helping countless people who say they “can’t be helped”. From losing fat to getting rid of pain, he loves taking on the challenge and will take a holistic approach to help you feel your best.

Hugh is available Monday afternoons and Wednesday mornings, for any of the below treatments.

• Remedial Massage
• Sports Massage
• Myofascial Release Technique
• Biosignature Modulation
• Nutritional Reflex Technique
• Holistic Lifestyle Coaching
• Nutrition
• Personal Training
• Integrated Body Therapies
• Sports Kinesiology
• Craniosacral Therapy
• Master Neurolinguistic Programming

A new year begins and so does a new school year. As our children start to get ready for the school year ahead, we need to assess their spinal health. And when I think of spinal health, the most important item that has the most impact on their spinal health is the school bag. According to an international study, daily backpack carrying has been shown to be the most frequent cause of discomfort for school children. School backpacks were felt to be heavy by 79.1% of children, caused them fatigue in 65.7% and caused back pain in 46.1%.

School can be a challenging time for children, so ensuing they are as comfortable as possible will help them develop physically and mentally to their full potential. Therefore special care should be taken when packing your child’s school bag to avoid any long-standing damage being done to their spine.

1. Buy the right size bag

In a recent study in Australian Spine, 80 percent of school children stated that their school bag feels too heavy. This means firstly buying a schoolbag that is appropriate to your child’s size and not over-sized so it will last longer and you save money.

A backpack is recommended, rather than a bag that is carried, or slung over one shoulder, as this will cause uneven weight distribution and torsion on the spine. The best backpacks have a molded frame, padded back, adjustable straps, a waist belt and should be relatively water resistant.

2. Pack a school bag correctly

When looking for a schoolbag, look for one that has a few separate compartments to help with packing. This way you will be able to position the heaviest items next to a child’s back, slotting books and lunch boxes firmly into place, so they don’t move around when in transit. A badly packed bag will shift your child’s center of gravity and potentially cause back strain and maybe even increase the lumbar lordosis (low back curve). A drink bottle holder outside the bag is a good idea to save spillage and damp school books.

3. Don’t overload the bag

A backpack should not weigh more than 10% of your child’s body weight. So for a 40kg child this would equate to 4kg. Unfortunately this only equals a few books and a large lunchbox; therefore a lot of children are carrying more weight than is healthy. Try to encourage your child to only carry the essentials in their bag and to leave as much as they can in their lockers or desk at school and make sure they pack their bags everyday.

4. Carrying and lifting strategies

When lifting the bag, try and make sure they lift with a straight back, bending at the knees, and the bottom of the bag sits above their waist rather than hanging too low. It should sit on their hips and high on their back, not slung low or over one shoulder. If the bag has a waist strap, it should be used to help distribute the weight from the shoulders onto the hips.

They should be aware that poor carrying techniques could affect their backs and cause permanent damage, which can last a lifetime. If your child has to lean forward whilst wearing the bag, it is most likely fitted incorrectly.

5. Get your Neurohealth practitioner to correctly assess

If you are still unsure, ask one of the practitioners at Neurohealth Chiropractic to correctly assess the bag your child is using and even to demonstrate exactly how it should be worn.

Sources:

Negrini, S., &Carabalona, R. (2002). Backpacks on! Schoolchildren’s Perceptions of Load, Associations with Back Pain and Factors Determining the Load.Spine , 27(2), 187-195.

JH. Goh, A. Thambyah, K. Bose (1998) Effects of Varying Backpack Loads on Peak Forces in the Lumbosacral Spine During Walking. Clinical Biomechanics. 13(1): 526-531.

Back to School- A Tough Time on the Spine. Chiropractors’ Association of Australia (29th January 2008)

How can you follow the Healthy Eating Plate? Here’s a rundown, section by section:

• Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruits. The more colour and the more variety on this part of the plate, the better. Potatoes and French fries don’t count as vegetables, because they are high in fast-digested starch (carbohydrate), which has the same roller-coaster effect on blood sugar and insulin as white bread and sweets.
• Save a quarter of your plate for whole grains, not just any grains: Whole grains: whole wheat, brown rice and foods made with them, such as whole wheat pasta have a gentler effect on blood sugar and insulin than white bread, white rice, and other so-called “refined grains.”
• Put a healthy source of protein on one quarter of your plate: Chose fish, chicken, beans or nuts, since these contain beneficial nutrients, such as the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids in fish, and the fibre in beans. An egg a day is okay for most people. Limit red meat; beef, pork, and lamb and avoid processed meats; bacon, cold cuts, hot dogs, and the like, since over time, regularly eating even small amounts of these foods raises the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer.
• Use healthy plant oils. A reminder to use healthy vegetable oils, like olive, canola, soy, corn, sunflower, peanut, and others, in cooking, on salad, and at the table. Limit butter, and avoid unhealthy trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils.
• Drink water, coffee or tea. Water, or if you like, a cup of tea or coffee (with little or no sugar). Limit milk and dairy products to one to two servings per day, since high intakes are associated with increased risk of prostate cancer and possibly ovarian cancer. Limit juice to a small glass per day, since it is as high in sugar as a sugary soda. Skip the sugary drinks, since they provide lots of calories and virtually no other nutrients. And over time, routinely drinking sugary drinks can lead to weight gain, increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, and possibly increase the risk of heart disease.
• Stay active. The small red figure running across the Healthy Eating Plate’s placemat is a reminder that staying active is half of the secret to weight control. The other half is eating a healthy diet with modest portions that meet your calorie needs.

To view a larger picture of the healthy eating plate, click here.

There’s a saying that goes ‘if you want to be happy, hang out with happy people.’ The same can be said for being healthy. Ever notice the people who hang out at the Chiropractor’s office? They’re generally health conscious and excited about life. Most of them didn’t start off that way. At some point they decided to maintain their spines like other happy, healthy Chiropractic clients and eventually became happier and healthier people themselves.

If you’re resolved to being more sick, more tired and more medicated, then hang out at your local pharmacy or hospital. On the other hand, if you’re committed to renewing your health and improving your life in 2012, then spend more time with people who can get you there.

In reality, you LIVE in your Nerve System.  EVERYTHING you experience in life is processed through it…what you see, what you hear, what you feel. That’s why Chiropractors care so much about keeping it healthy. If your Nerve System is stressed, there goes your ability to interpret your world, and there goes your ability to successfully navigate life.

Regular adjustments keep your Nerve System clear so you can respond to life’s challenges in a positive way. If you’re feeling a little foggy or just disconnected from the world, maybe it’s time for some Nerve System house cleaning. Give your Chiropractor a call today and get reconnected to Life.

The spine itself is an engineering marvel. Made up of articulating bones called vertebrae, each segment lines up perfectly with the next to provide both support to your body and protection to the spinal cord.  It’s this critical relationship between spinal alignment and the flow of Life through the spinal cord that Chiropractors are devoted to.  Distort the alignment of the spine and you distort the flow of Life through the cord.  Distort the flow of Life through the cord and you distort the expression of health in your body.

For a Chiropractor, smooth lateral curves and plumb postures are more than just simple diagnostic findings.  They’re the validation that Life itself is flowing freely through the patient like a river.  And as long as Life courses through the line, healing is sure to follow.

Do you ever notice yourself unsteady, dizzy, or nauseous while practising your dance routine? Do fast movements or spins disorientate you? This can be a sign of a stressed and imbalanced nervous system.

Our middle ear is a series of fluid filled canals that act like our body’s own internal levelling device. Anytime we do a fast movement or change the position of our body, this levelling device is designed to keep us orientated and aware of where our body is in space. An awareness of the position of our body at all times is an important skill as a dancer. This awareness allows us freedom of movement, as well as preventing injuries. When our level can’t keep up with our movements, this is often a sign that the nerve supply (power supply) to the middle ear may be compromised. This can come from a build up of stress or tension in the spine, or may also be the result of practising a movement over and over again.

Chiropractor’s are well known for their understanding and skill in creating spinal movement, but what chiropractic has at its core focus is the function of the nervous system. The central nervous system communicates between the brain and every cell, tissue and organ in the body. When pressure from spinal misalignment (subluxation) interferes with this communication, the body simply cannot function at its best. The messages that are communicating with the body become unclear, like radio static. This means a subluxation can sabotage all your hard work and training, not to mention your overall health and well-being.

Experience the feeling of having a free and clear nervous system with your local chiropractor today!

Chiropractors start the process with a small event called an adjustment. Spinal adjustments restore a state of ease in your nerve system which ignites healing. Over time your body’s internal functions light up and you experience benefits like stronger immunity, deeper sleep, greater physical performance and a confident sense of well being. The ultimate thing that lights up is your LIFE.

The goal of Chiropractic is to ignite life within you so you can regain your health, fulfil your purpose and bring more joy to those around you. Staying ‘lit up’ with regular Chiropractic care is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and those you love the most.