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Happy Holidays from Ajax-Pickering Village Chiropractic

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As Christmas draws near, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank you, our patients, for trusting us with your care over the past year. It has been our pleasure and privilege to be part of your wellness journey.
Special thanks go to those of you who purchased items for our sponsored Christmas family. The response from our patients was overwhelming and we are humbled by your generosity. Thank you for helping us to make a family’s Christmas a little brighter!

Dr. Fera will be in the office on Wednesday, December 28th (7 to 10 am & 3 to 6 pm), Friday, December 30th (3 to 6 pm) and Saturday, December 31st (by appointment only). Leanne will on hand during those times if you’d like to book a massage or chiropractic appointment. Dr. Noble will return to the office on Monday, January 2nd.

We wish you all the best of the season and a happy, healthy year ahead.
Dr. Noble, Dr. Fera, Jessica, Rolph, Carolyn and Leanne

Lift Light, Shovel Right: Six Ways to Protect Your Back This Winter

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Courtesy of the Ontario Chiropractic Association
Although southern Ontario has been spared large snowfalls so far this month, we know it’s just a matter of time before we have to head out to shovel the driveway before dashing off to work.

The Ontario Chiropractic Association’s “Lift Light, Shovel Right” campaign encourages shovellers to stay safe this season by following the following six tips:


Warm up before you shovel.
It’s probably the last thing you want to do before you shovel the driveway, but warming up your muscles with a 10-minute walk (even on the spot) followed by some simple stretching will reduce your chance of injury.

Don’t let the snow pile up.

If the weather report is calling for several days of snow, shovel more frequently to avoid having to move large amounts of snow.

Pick the right shovel.
It’s time to retire your metal shovel and invest in a lightweight pusher-type version. If you must use a metal shovel, spray it with Teflon first so the snow will slide off.

Push, don’t throw the snow.
Avoid heavy lifting and sudden twisting and turning movements by pushing the snow to the side rather than throwing it.

Keep your back straight and bend your knees.

If you do have to lift a shovelful of snow, keep your back straight and remember to use your knees and your leg and arm muscles to do the pushing and lifting.

Take a break.
Don’t be hero. If you start feeling tired or short of breath, stop for a few minutes and rest. If you feel chest or back pain, stop shovelling immediately. If you have severe back pain or pain that persists more than a day after shovelling, visit a chiropractor.

Chiropractors Dr. John Noble and Dr. Mark Fera are regulated primary health care providers serving Durham Region and beyond. Their training enables them to assess, diagnose and treat disorders of the spine, nervous system and joints and they can be seen without a referral from another health care provider. To book an appointment, call Ajax-Pickering Village Chiropractic today at 905-427-3202.

Your Posture Tip for December — Half Spinal Twist

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Strength Training Exercises to Include in Your Fit-in-15 Fitness Program

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Last week, we discussed the importance of including cardio in your Fit-in-15 fitness program. And while walking is often the most convenient and cost effective way to kick-start your program, there are a lot of other fun and interesting ways to stay active over the winter months.
Grab your skates and a head over to the local arena during their public skate times or take your kids for a swim in your community’s indoor pool. Want to try something new? Sign up for a weekly yoga or fitness class, or polish your tennis skills with indoor lessons at your local recreation centre. There are lots of ways to stay active and have fun!
photo courtesy
of www.fitin15.ca

One way to make your cardio workouts easier is by keeping your muscles strong. Stronger muscles provide better support to the joints of your body and when your muscles and joints are fit, you’ll find it easier to perform physical tasks such as walking, lifting and bending.

The Fit-in-15 website is full of great strength training exercises to incorporate into your weekly fitness program. Click on the region you wish to strengthen from the list below and it will take you to Fit-in-15’s easy-to-follow instructions. Choose the exercises that will work best for you, start slow and work to the best of your ability.
At Ajax-Pickering Village Chiropractic, Dr. Noble and Dr. Fera believe staying active is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. If you have any questions about the exercises in the Fit-in-15 program, contact them today at 905-427-3202.

Build Your Own Fit-in-15 Fitness Program with Cardio

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You’ve done it.
You’ve taken the Fit-in-15 quick quiz we posted here last week and you’re ready to get started.
What’s next, you ask?
Now it’s time to build your 15 minutes of daily activity and include at least one of the three main fitness components: cardio, strength and flexibility. 
Cardio-vascular fitness contributes to your heart and lung health. It helps you maintain a steady heartbeat and breathe easily when doing moderate physical activity. For many, walking is the simplest way to incorporate cardio into their daily routine. Find a time of day that fits your schedule; put on comfortable, supportive walking shoes; dress appropriately for the weather conditions; and walk at a brisk pace for 15 minutes.

For tips on “The Best Way to Walk,” watch this 60-second video from Prevention’s online magazine.

Next post: Incorporating strength training in your Fit-in-15 minutes of daily activity.

Need a Good Night’s Rest? Try SleepSense®

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SleepSense® by
Preferred Nutrition

This month, Ajax-Pickering Village Chiropractic’s WomenSense™ product of the month is SleepSense®.

Available for purchase at our clinic, SleepSense® is an all-natural supplement from Preferred Nutrition that helps promote a restful, peaceful night’s sleep.  SleepSense® not only improves sleep quality, but may also increase the number of hours you sleep, as well.

From the Preferred Nutrition website:

Melatonin is a naturally occurring compound found in plants and animals. It has been extensively researched and used for centuries as a natural and safe aid for promoting restful sleep. In humans, melatonin is produced by the pineal gland, a gland about the size of a pea, located in the center of the brain. The melatonin signal forms part of the system that regulates the body’s sleep-wake cycle by causing drowsiness and lowering the body’s temperature.

Melatonin helps to maintain the body’s circadian rhythm, an internal 24-hour “clock” that plays a critical role in when we fall asleep and when we wake up. When it is dark, the body produces more melatonin; when it is light, the production of melatonin drops. Being exposed to bright lights in the evening or too little light during the day can disrupt the body’s normal melatonin cycles. For example, jet lag and shift work can disrupt melatonin cycles.

As the body ages, Melatonin levels often decrease and low Melatonin levels have been associated with insomnia in the elderly. Supplementing with SleepSense® can help combat insomnia in people whose natural production of Melatonin is below normal.

Melatonin also has strong antioxidant effects. Medical evidence suggests that it may help strengthen the immune system.

SleepSense® also contains Vitamin B12 to enhance the effects of Melatonin. Studies show that Vitamin B12 causes an earlier release of Melatonin at night, which can reset the sleep-wake cycle.

Are You Ready to Get in the Fit-in-15 Daily Fitness Habit?

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Developed by Canadian chiropractors, the Fit-in-15 program is designed for people who would like to find more time to be active but have difficulty getting started or maintaining their commitment. 

Fifteen minutes of physical activity each day is often the beginning of a habit that can continue to grow and help you achieve your fitness goals. If you’re struggling to find time to be active, take this quiz and find out if the Fit-in-15 program is for you.

Fit-in-15 quiz courtesy of the Ontario Chiropractic Association

If you answered yes to any one of the above questions, the Fit-in-15 program is a great place to start.

The Fit-in-15 program will put you on a path to a variety of health benefits:

  • Better heart health
  • Improved circulation
  • Greater flexibility and strength
  • More stamina
  • A brighter outlook

To learn more about building your own Fit-in-15 fitness program, click here, or watch for more information in the coming weeks on this blog.

S – T – R – E – T – C – H — Your Posture Tip of the Month — Forward Bend

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Is Buying Organic Better For Your Immune System?

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In this video, nutritionist Julie Daniluk explains the benefits of buying organic meat, poultry, produce and dairy.

Preparing Your Immune System for Cold and Flu Season

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The colder it gets outside, the greater the chance you’ll be spending more time inside — and in contact with over 200 viruses and bacteria that cause the common cold. Colds are the number one reason we take time away from work and school, and chances are we’ll have more colds each year than any other type of illness. Sneezing, coughing and nasal congestion, while not life threatening, can make for a week or more of misery. And while over-the-counter medications offer temporary relief from our symptoms, they do nothing to cure or shorten the duration of our cold.

At Ajax-Pickering Village Chiropractic, we believe that a healthy immune system is the key to cold and flu prevention.

What is your terrain?
When we speak of your body’s terrain, we mean your soil…the combination of lifestyle choices and health issues that make up YOU. How healthy is your own soil? Determining the answer to this complex question begins with examining the most obvious factors, such as:

  • how much rest and relaxation you get
  • the amount of stress you are under
  • what you eat and drink
  • how much exercise you get every day
  • how healthy your immune system really is
We use the term “bugs” to describe all the pathogens that can make us sick, and this includes — but is not limited to — bacteria and viruses. But bugs don’t make us sick. While it’s commonplace to say “I caught a cold,” that’s not what really happens. We are in CONSTANT contact with bugs on a daily basis. When we get sick, however, it’s our faltering immune system that’s to blame and ultimately responsible for our ensuing symptoms…not a bug. If you happen to be exposed to a bug during a time when you’re run down, stressed out or not eating properly, chances are you will get sick.

The Best Kept Secret to a Healthy Immune System
Your nervous system is the master controller of all that you do. Your spine houses and controls your nervous system. When your spine is misaligned, it affects the health and viability of your spine and ultimately, your immune system. Spinal misalignments are so common that many people have them without even realizing it. Just like a having a cavity in your tooth, a misalignment remains unnoticed until it begins producing symptoms — and usually by that time, it’s too late. Just like your dentist recommends regular dental checkups, we recommend to all our patients that they visit a chiropractor for their “spinal” checkup and have an adjustment on a regular basis. Empirically, those patients under regular chiropractic care have less bouts of illness through cold and flu season.

  • As a base to your nutritional pyramid, we recommend a daily multi-antioxidant and multi-vitamin like Immuno-Pro Formula* from CanPrev. It helps prevent cellular damage and enhances the immune system while promoting all-round good health.
  • With daylight saving time coming to an end, a liquid vitamin D supplement like D-Mulsion 1000* from Seroyal will help your body adjust to its limited exposure to daylight. Also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones because it helps your body in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. One drop of Seroyal’s D-Mulsion 1000 provides 1,000 IU.
  • Acting as a natural antihistamine, vitamin C has been proven to reduce the severity of cold symptoms, as well as provide a boost to your immune system. Not only does vitamin C increase the production of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies, but it also increases the levels of interferon, the antibody that coats cell surfaces and keeps viruses out. Ask Dr. Noble or Dr. Fera for the dosage that’s right for you.
  • Acidophilus, also known as the good bacteria your body needs to thrive, is available in pill or powder form and can be found in a variety of commercially made yogurts. It is often recommended for patients finishing oral antibiotic treatment in order to recolonize the gastrointestinal tract and prevent further infection. Ask Dr. Noble or Dr. Fera for their individual recommendation.
  • Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are also an important part of your family’s daily supplement regimen. In addition to increasing your energy and stamina by building muscle and preventing muscle breakdown, EFAs strengthen the immune system by making hormone-like molecules (eicosanoids) that regulate immune and inflammatory responses. Ask a health professional for the dose that meets your specific needs.

You Are What You Eat
In addition to taking daily supplements and getting plenty of rest and exercise, you can boost your immune system by eating plenty of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Make sure to include fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, prunes, raisins, oranges in your diet, as well as such vegetables as kale, spinach, beets, red bell peppers, onions, broccoli flowers and eggplant.

If I do get a cold, should I have chiropractic treatment?
Absolutely! Not only will spinal adjustments help relieve such symptoms as head and back pain, they will also help kick-start your immune system and have you feeling better faster. In fact, for many of our patients, an adjustment is their first line of defense when they feel a cold coming on.

Should I get a flu shot?
While each case is different, flu shots are generally recommended for the elderly and those individuals whose immune systems are already compromised by a chronic disease or ailment. As an alternate to the flu shot, try a five-week homeopathic treatment (one dose per week) for you and your family, available at most health food stores. Ideally, treatment should begin in late October.

Please consult your health care professional before taking any new supplements.

*D-Immulsion 1000 and Immuno-Pro Formula are available at Ajax-Pickering Village Chiropractic.