All posts tagged: nutrition

5 Ways to live like an athlete even when it’s not game day

As a chiropractor and athlete myself, I regularly treat and interact with people that compete in a multitude of sports. Today I’m sharing 5 common traits among athletes I think we should all embrace to improve our health and quality of life.

1. “Be bulletproof.” This is my term for preventing injuries. Many factors play into the avoidance of injuries but the ones I feel are most important are: varying your workouts, getting different types of exercise (cardiovascular, weights, yoga, etc), stretching and getting enough recovery sleep (7 hours minimum). I also recommend receiving holistic checkups such as chiropractic adjustments (every pro team has a chiropractor for a reason!), acupuncture and/or massage. Remember, the human body, much like a sports car is designed for high performance. Don’t allow a lack of preventative maintenance to turn your Porsche into a garage-bound piece of junk.

2. “Don’t put sugar in your gas tank.” You would never think of putting anything other than the proper fuel into your gas tank for fear that your vehicle would break down. The same analogy applies to what you eat and drink. If you want to be healthy, pain-free, performing well and feeling great than you should seek to put only the best things possible into your body. I’d recommend decreasing/eliminating alcohol, sugary drinks, sugar, white flour, artificial ingredients and any medications you don’t ABSOLUTELY need. Next I would increase water intake, fruits, vegetables, protein source, and healthy fats and make sure to take a good multivitamin/mineral.

3. “Challenge yourself.” I read once that the difference between a jogger and a runner is the signature on a race application. Whether it’s physical activities, your job or personal life it is imperative that you constantly challenge yourself. That means different things to each of us. Personally I sign up for increasingly difficult races, publicly speak regularly (this was unthinkable for me years ago) and spend many hours analyzing my business and implementing strategies that lead to growth.

4. “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” One thing I’ve found that athletes understand better than most is that regardless of how great you are, how much you’ve prepped or how amazing your intentions may be; sometimes stuff is just not going to go your way. These instances are NOT failures but rather opportunities to make you more resilient. For example, I ran a race last weekend and felt great going in but within a couple miles my tank was on empty and it was a struggle. No matter what I tried I just couldn’t get things going like I normally do. Midway through the race I just accepted that it was a “grind it out” type of day. I wasn’t thrilled with my finishing time but refusing to quit when I was exhausted and hurting was satisfying. Feelings like that help me deal with adversities that confront me in my personal and business life. The difficulties in your life are ultimately what will help you grow as a person.

5. “There is no secret sauce.” Our country has an obsession with quick fixes. Unfortunately when it comes to your health, there really aren’t any. Learn from trial and error, take baby steps, set goals both short and long term, learn from people with more experience and embrace consistency. You won’t win the war overnight but you’ll start winning the battles that lead you there.

Dr. Kenney has won multiple awards for “Best Chiropractor” and specializes in motivating and helping patients achieve their goals of better health and pain relief. For more information please visit www.NewBodyChiro.com, find us on Facebook (New Body Chiropractic & Wellness Center) or call (303) 347-9906.

Matt Kenney5 Ways to live like an athlete even when it’s not game day
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Still experiencing soreness? Here’s why…

I’m regularly asked by my patients and friends “why am I sore all the time?”. Below are some of the most common reasons and how to improve them.

1. Lack of sleep. Healing and rebuilding muscle tissue occurs in large part while you sleep. As adults, we need on average about 7-9 hours of sleep per night to allow for the proper secretion of hormones to repair our bodies.

2. Deficiency of nutrients. Nutrient deficiencies are akin to trying to drive a car without gas. Common nutrients that lead to soreness when deficient include calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and B vitamins. To help prevent this I recommend eating more foods rich in minerals (green vegetables for example)and supplementing with whole food supplements when necessary.

3. Inflammatory foods. Inflammation causes pain and sadly much of what Americans consume most regularly is very inflammatory to their bodies. Foods that are processed, packaged, high in sugar or contain trans fats are examples of this. Eating more whole foods, fruits, vegetables and foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids is a great way to fight inflammation. Supplementing with fish oil or flax seed oils is also helpful.

4. Adrenal fatigue. Your adrenal glands (stress glands) produce over 50 hormones that help your body handle stress, both physical and mental. Continued adrenal fatigue depletes B vitamins that fuel your nerves leading to prolonged muscle soreness. Reducing caffeine and processed sugar intake as well as managing your mental stress better are great ways to reduce adrenal fatigue and help your muscles recover easier.

5. Over-training. Intense exercise naturally causes soreness. However, if you are training without proper rest you may find that you are sore even while you exercise. This often indicates that you’re training too much and that your muscles aren’t adequately recovering. I have been guilty of this with my training and I’ve found the best way to fight it is to regularly alter the intensity, frequency and amount of exercise that you do.

6. Under-training. The body gets sore in response to stress being applied to the body. If you don’t exercise regularly, the chances are high that you are out of shape and thus anytime you do physical activity you will get sore. Regularly exercising helps your body adapt to physical stress more effectively and as your muscles develop better strength and endurance you will get sore less frequently.

7. Spinal involvement. As a chiropractor I see this on a daily basis. Your spine consists of movable vertebrae that protect your spinal cord as well as the nerve roots that leave from the spinal cord to power the different parts of your body including muscles. If your spine loses its proper alignment (from poor posture, too much sitting, too long staring into a computer screen, falls, sports, etc) than the nerves will become irritated and lose some of their power going into the muscles. Re-aligning the spine removes this interference which leads to greater nerve supply to your muscles and therefore less muscle soreness.

Dr. Kenney has won multiple awards for “Best Chiropractor” and specializes in motivating and helping patients achieve their goals of better health and pain relief. For more information please browse our site, find us on Facebook or call (303) 347-9906.

Matt KenneyStill experiencing soreness? Here’s why…
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4 Quotes that continue to inspire me in my daily life

I am a huge fan of using quotes for inspiration to help me achieve greater happiness and success within my personal life, business and athletic endeavors. Today I’d like to share 4 quotes that continue to inspire me and why.

1. “Action expresses priority”. This is a quote from Ghandi I ran across years ago that I think of often. I don’t care what you are trying to achieve – whether it’s making more money, being more competitive in a sport or landing a date with a pretty girl; it will take action. Ultimately the effort you apply to your goal will determine whether or not you succeed. If you really want something, begin laying out the steps necessary to attain it and then start making it happen!

2. “Don’t let a win get to your head or a loss to your heart”. Like most people, I’ve had some enormous victories in my life as well as some extremely low points. This quote is my reminder to try and always keep myself on an even keel. When things are going very well for me I’ve learned to appreciate those blessings but never to be arrogant or selfish about those successes. Conversely, if I encounter difficulties I don’t feel sorry for myself or act as if they’ll continue forever; I just accept that it’s part of a cycle and move forward. Being able to enjoy good things and deal with the bad things without changing who you are as a person is extremely valuable.

3. “Run when you can, walk if you must, crawl if you have to; just never quit”. I think of this quote often while out on long runs or during grueling workouts. Aside from the motivation it provides to me physically however, I also feel that it applies to everyday life. There are times when life does “run” along in amazing fashion – new jobs, bigger raises, new relationships, etc. Sometimes our life proceeds more like a “walk” and brings a mix of good and bad. Finally, there are times when we feel like we’re “crawling” through difficulties such as losing a job, divorce or the loss of a loved one. This quote helps remind me to enjoy my life and maximize my opportunities while realizing that at times things may slow down or even become extremely difficult. Regardless of where I’m at in those phases I maintain a focus on the big picture and keep moving forward, refusing to ever be beaten or to give up.

4. “All the money in the world can’t buy back good health”. As a chiropractor I see a variety of people every day spread throughout the spectrum of health; from excellent to terrible. The constant among those in excellent health is that they are always proactive in their decisions and happy with their results. Conversely, those with poor health are often regretful at the poor choices they’ve made and where it has landed them. This quote reminds me to always strive for great health because when it’s gone it can be difficult or often impossible to recapture. In order to maximize my health and the enjoyment it brings to all aspects of life I will always strive to eat well, think well, exercise and continue the holistic care that has served me so well for so many years (chiropractic, acupuncture and massage mainly). Knowing how successful this formula can be I also recommend my patients do the same for themselves.

For more information or to schedule appointments please visit visit our homepage at www.NewBodyChiro.com, find us on Facebook (New Body Chiropractic & Wellness Center) or call (303) 347-9906.

Matt Kenney4 Quotes that continue to inspire me in my daily life
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