Livermore patients and clients are appreciated Saturday April 10, 2010

Yesterday, we hosted a day of appreciation for our patients at Haque Chiropractic and clients of Lifestyle Fitness. With all the negativity in the media and with the economy, we believe that hosting a party and taking the time to for gratitude can bring cheer and better health to our Livermore community.

At Haque Chiropractic, we offered all exams, X-rays, scoliosis screenings complimentary to family members and friends of our patients.  Our current patients received a complimentary adjustment all day from 8am-1pm.  In addition, we had snacks and beverages served in the reception. 

Lifestyle Fitness also promoted good health by providing workouts to couples and other people who are interested in getting in to shape without any cost. Don Parker, the owner of the personal training gym spent the time to take body measurements and discuss individual goals of those who did a sample work-out. 

The ability to influence the health and lives of our patients and clients is an honor that we take to heart. Thank you!

Some important information about Casien proteins found in milk

A big portion of health is what we put into our bodies.  The purpose of food is to provide our body with the fuel it needs to do what we require in a day, however, so much of what we consume is pre-packaged and overly processed, leading to a lack of actual nutrition. One of the key factors in living a wellness lifestyle is making wiser dietary decisions; and eliminating casein from your diet may be something for you to consider.

What is Casein? Casein is a protein found in milk and dairy products, but is also used as a binding agent in many other foods. Technically it is a phosphoprotein that accounts for nearly 80% of the proteins in cow’s milk and cheese.

Why Eat Casein-Free? Eating casein-free, when combined with a gluten-free diet, has reportedly had very positive results for those who have an autistic spectrum disorder, such as: autism, Asperger’s syndrome, atypical autism and pervasive developmental disorder.

Additionally, many people that have assumed they are allergic to milk may actually be suffering from a casein allergy. The problem with a lack of awareness as to the true allergy is that casein is found in more than just dairy products. This “binding agent” has technical uses as well as edible and has been used in paints (including fingernail polish), other cosmetics and even glue (or industrial adhesives).

The Problem with Casein Whether or not you or someone in your household battles with allergies, a digestive disorder or has an allergy to milk or dairy products, everyone in your home can benefit from eating casein free, or at least reducing their daily intake of dairy.

A clinical study by FitzGerald and Bundesanstalt, in 2000, determined that there is a “natural opiate” embedded in casein protein, which may lead to the comfort feeling after digestion and any cravings for chocolate and cheese that are unrelated to hunger.

Studies by Dr. Reichelt in Norway and Dr. Cade at the University of Florida, among others, found that urine samples from people with autism, PDD, celiac disease and schizophrenia contained high amounts of the casomorphin peptide. It has been suggested that the amounts of this peptide may also be elevated in other

similar disorders such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and depression based on the reported benefits of a gluten-free and casein-free diet.

The Problems With Milk While casein is most certainly a concern, it’s not the sole problem with milk. A large study led by Catherine S. Berkey of Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston revealed that the con-sumption of milk may be contributing to the growing problem of childhood obesity.

Breast Surgery Chief of California’s Seton Medical Center, Dr. Robert Kradjian, reviewed archives of medical and scientific journals and found that milk is

not the “perfect food” it is reported to be. He found that many childhood disorders were, if not induced, certainly aggravated by an increased intake of dairy products, including but not limited to: allergies, ear and tonsil infections, bedwetting, asthma, intestinal bleeding (lesions), colic and childhood diabetes.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents not to give their children dairy milk before their first birthday. Dr. Frank Oski, former Chief of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University Hospital and the author of Don’t Drink Your Milk, believes that milk should not be given to children to drink, ever. Since milk has been associated with iron deficiency anemia, occult gastrointestinal bleeding and various manifestations of food allergies, he believes it would be prudent to recommend that milk not be consumed at all.

Other Dairy Products These problems with milk most certainly carry over into all dairy products, including butter, cheese, ice cream,

yogurt, etc., and, in reality, are compounded by the process of creating these food items.

The process of making cheese removes the water, lactose and whey proteins resulting in the casein being concentrated, increasing the effect of the peptides being released during digestion.

What to Avoid There are many foods that as matter of course contain casein and should be avoided, these include but are not limited to milk, cream and Half & Half, yogurt, butter and sour cream, cheese (even some soy brands), white or milk chocolate, ice cream, ice milk or sherbet, creamed soups or vegetables, soup bases, puddings, custard and whey. 

Concerned About Calcium When making a decision to eliminate dairy many parents are concerned about calcium. According to researchers from Washington University in St. Louis, food is the best source of calcium, with a cup of spinach containing more than an 8 ounce glass of milk. Other great sources include broccoli, kale, romaine lettuce, cabbage and oranges.

Consuming diary products is a matter of choice, but with the potential for allergic reactions, the high fat content and the problems with casein, it’s good to know that there are other choices.

While a casein-free diet can be necessary for those struggling with specific disorders, everyone can benefit from making this life-changing decision.

 For more information contact us!

20 benefits of regular exercise

As a personal training and chiropractic facility in the heart of Livermore, we try to promote to our patients and clients healthy living and wellness through regular spinal adjustments, healthy eating and regular exercise. This week’s blog lists the top twenty benefits to regular exercise: 

1. Elevates your metabolism so that you burn more calories everyday.
2. Increases your aerobic capacity (fitness level).  This gives you the ability to go through your day with less relative energy expenditure.  This enables a “fit” person to have more energy at the end of the day and to get more accomplished during the day with less fatigue.
3. Maintains, tones, and strengthens your muscle.  Exercise also increases your muscular endurance.
4. Decrease your blood pressure.
5. Increases the oxidation (breakdown and use) of fat.
6. Increases HDL (good) cholesterol.
7. Makes the heart a more efficient pump by increasing stroke volume.
8. Increases hemoglobin concentration in your blood.  Hemoglobin is part of the red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
9. Decreases the tendency of the blood to clot in the blood vessels.  This is important because small clots traveling in the blood are often the cause of heart attacks and strokes.
10. Increases the strength of the bones.
11. Causes the development of new blood vessels in the heart and other muscles.
12. Enlarges the arteries that supply blood to the heart.
13. Decreases blood levels of triglycerides (fat).
14. Improves control of blood sugar.
15. Improves sleep patterns.
16. Increases the efficiency of the digestive system which may reduce the incidence of colon cancer.
17. Increases the thickness of cartilage in joints which has a protective effect on the joints.
18. Decreases a woman’s risk of developing endometriosis by 50%.
19. Increases the amount of blood that flows to the skin making it look and feel healthier.
20. Exercise, in addition to all the physiological and anatomical benefits, just makes you feel GREAT!

For more information on exercise, chiropractic or seek professional help with personal training contact us.

A Recap of events at our office…

Our day began early today….actually we begin seeing patients at 5:30a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings.  It was lively on this rainy morning!  First we had a patient who works with the Cirque Du Soleil come in from San Jose for chronic pain in his right rib cage from setting up the materials for the show and directing the actors.  Because of his results, he insists on make the drive to Livermore from San Jose 3 times per week.

As the morning progresses we are taking care of patients who have complaints of lower back pain, shoulder pain after rotator cuff surgery, a patient who is suffering from a whiplash after a car accident and a patient who complains of numbness and weakness in her hands.  Each adjustment goes well and provides the patient with improvement in their functioning and pain relief. 

We all get together for our weekly pow-wow to discuss patient needs, office management and other subjects that include improving our efficiency and services to our patients.  During our meeting, we get a walk-in patient who is complaining of a stiff neck upon waking up.  After taking care of her, we see a patient who comes in from the Lifestyle Fitness who worked out with their trainer and was feeling some stiffness in her back afterwards. We get her adjusted and provide some therapy on her muscles so she can face the world.

The phone rings and a new patient comes into the office who found us on the web. She limps in after being in pain for the last few days in her lower back with pain radiating into her buttocks. She tells us that she is having difficulty moving, lifting her baby and sleeping. We examine her thoroughly and take X-rays of her lower back. 

One of my favorite parts of the day is our patients who come in feeling great. They come in on a maintenance basis to “tune-up” their joints and prevent and future injuries. It’s fun to take care of people who are making a conscious effort to take care of themselves before problems arise!

Next…getting ready for my presentation on Back Injury Prevention at Eden Villa in Pleasanton.  This one hour presentation is provided to businesses and groups around the area complimentary so that I can spread the word and preventing injuries and help to improve the health care system.

A fresh start to wellness this new year for Livermore

It’s that time of year, when resolutions are made to become healthier but often times, as the days and months pass, we forget about those resolutions and are back to our same unhealthy patters.   A big down fall to resolutions are that they are symptom based instead of wellness based and are often times things we want to accomplish over night such as losing weight or running a marathon. A better approach to resolutions this year might be setting lifestyle goals that allow for wellness such as:

1. Weight loss-it is now estimated that 1 in 3 adults in the US are overweight (from WHO) and research has shown that 95% of those who lose weight will eventually gain it back (within three years). That is why it is a better approach to look at lifestyle changes such as nutritional changes and physical activity.
2. Nutritional Changes-start small by increasing your low-glycemic vegetable intake, the greener the better and avoid high-glycemic vegetables such as corn, potatoes, carrots and peas.   Start by eating one extra low-glycemic vegetable a day; in a month, add another vegetable to your diet.  Within 5 months you will be adding the recommended daily allowance of vegetables and you’ll be feeling healthier and losing weight.
3. Move more-Start small by picking two days a week and walk out for ten minutes, then walk home.  If you miss one day then go the next day but don’t give up.  After two weeks, add a day and then after 6 weeks walk out for fifteen minutes.  The ultimate goal is to walk 45 minutes at a time four or five days a week.
4. Decrease Caffeine, Sugar and other chemicals-Slowly cut back the amount of caffeine daily by drinking one less soda or one less cup of coffee. If you only have one cup or one soda a day, drink ¾ of it instead of the full glass or cup.  Slowly, you will cut out unnecessary and unhealthy caffeine. This goes for sugar too. Cut back on sweets by limiting the number of desserts per week to 1 or 2.  Start small by skipping dessert once per week for a four weeks and then cut back on two desserts until you are only treating yourself to one serving a dessert per week.
5. Less Over-the-Counter Medications-self-medicating can be dangerous for those who aren’t aware of drug interaction risks as well as the side-effects of the chemicals in these drugs.  Talk to your family wellness chiropractor about any over the counter drugs you take and why; it may be that there are healthier, holistic options you haven’t considered.
6. More restful sleep-Research has shown that eight hours of sleep is vital to your mental and emotional wellness.  Try going to bed a bit earlier to make a change. If you sleep at 11pm try going to bed at 10:45pmm and then after a few weeks 10:30pm and so on.  Insomnia can have several possible causes such as drinking caffeine or eating too close to bedtime, as well as stress.  If you sleep fitfully consider your mattress, diet or physical activity.
7. Decrease Stress and Increase Peace-one of the biggest demands on our time is television and computer time, with the average person wasting four hours a day.  Imagine reducing this to one hour; that adds three hours to a day or 21 hours to a week.  Think about what you could do with almost an extra three day every week. 

The concept of baby steps is not new but where we can apply it could be.  The areas of our lives that fall under the category of wellness are limitless, only we know where we really want to make a change.  Make small changes over a longer period of time and you will succeed to becoming healthier in 2010.

Livermore Chiropractor Encourages Clients to Support Their Health with Personal Training

There are several different types of conditions and cases that I see in my practice ranging from herniated discs to scoliosis but one common thread is that muscles and ligaments are involved in the repair of the spine.  It is for this reason that I work closely with Don Parker, owner of the personal training gym, Lifestyle Fitness which is attached to my office.  What I have found with those patients who have incorporated personal training with their chiropractic care is that they have gotten results faster, gained more strength and flexibility and have attained more stability in their spine and body from further injuries. 

A very successful hairdresser came to my office early last year with chronic pain in her shoulder and neck from the repetitive nature of her career. The constant hair drying, cutting with her right arm had caused years of scar tissue to build up that resulted in her not being able to sleep at night, headaches and decreased vitality.  After examining her and studying her X-rays, I found pinched nerves due to misaligned vertebrae in her neck and upper back.  Her treatment consisted of specific spinal adjustments, muscle therapy, stretches and postural changes.  She found relief in her pain and began to sleep at night but after working a full day at her business, she would often regress backwards and feel the symptoms appear again.  We decided to set her up for some personal training so that we could strengthen her postural muscles and get her body in better physical shape.  Only two months later did we find that she had felt and functioned better than she had in years.  The chiropractic adjustments were holding much longer and stabilizing as her body was getting stronger and more fit.

Similarly, many personal training clients at Lifestyle Fitness have found themselves into my care so that they could achieve the weight-loss results they are seeking.  Many times, people who are ready to make a lifestyle change and commit to personal training to lose weight have found that due to old aches and pains, they are unable to perform all the exercises that their personal trainer advises which hinders their results.  By addressing their chronic injuries of their back or knees, or shoulder for instance with chiropractic treatment, they have been more successful faster at getting healthier.

These examples are only a couple of the thousands of cases of success we have seen in clients/patients by with incorporating personal training and chiropractic care in Livermore.

For more information on personal training and chiropractic care email me at drhaque [at] haquechiropractic [dot] com.

Enjoy Livermore Holiday Parties Without Destroying Your Diet!

As a personal trainer in Livermore, many of my clients repeatedly hear me telling them how important their diet is to their weight loss goals. In fact, I always make it a point to mention that diet is 80% of the work and exercise is only 20% of the work in achieving weight loss.

It is for this reason that many clients are getting a bit worried as the holidays are in full swing in Livermore.  The party invitations are being passed out – many to festivities at our local Livermore wineries.  What many people may not realize is that the holidays do not have to be a break on your diet or take away from your progress.  There are many simple solutions to keeping you on tract such as the following:

• Drink water before a big holiday meal or party. Many times our bodies are confused about being hungry when we are really thirsty. Drinking water will help solve this problem and keep your appetite from expanding as you view the delicious foods.
• Plan in advance certain foods that you are going to choose to eat and foods that you are going to skip to avoid piling unwanted and unnecessary calories onto your plate.
• Stop eating when you are full. So many people keep stuffing themselves because they feel that they should be eating everything on their plate.  Sometimes using a smaller plate can help this problem and we should only eat until we are full.
• Avoid the leftovers after the parties are over. If you have splurged a little for the thanksgiving holiday, eating the leftovers all week will add calories too. Avoid this situation by not taking any home or distribute them to your guests.

Having fun at the holidays is still possible if you are trying to keep in good shape and health.  Also remember that in order to prevent weight gain is to expend as many calories out as you take in. Maybe doing an extra 10-15 minutes of cardio on the day of a holiday party can prevent the pounds from sticking to the waste line.

For more information on healthy eating, exercising and losing weight in Livermore, contact me at don [at] donslifestyle [dot] com

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle

Being in the health business I have strong concerns about health issues within families. Owning a personal training facility I get a lot of parents and couples concerned about the health of their children. First of all, a healthy lifestyle should start the moment your child is conceived, good health habits really start with the parent, so I would advise if you are about to have children, to be sure you are ready to have children and make changes which include healthy eating habits. Also you need to consider, how is the health of your cardiovascular system? Do you exercise on a regular basis? These are all things you should be doing before you even decide to have children. The healthier you are, the easier it will be to conceive, the smoother the pregnancy and the better delivery too.

Developing a healthy lifestyle within your family not only takes commitment from the mother, but the whole family; remember it’s a team effort. How are you going to feed your child? I have had mothers tell me that they tried to breast feed but it was to much trouble, or it hurt too much (breast feeding is the best thing for your child nutritionally). There are 400 nutrients known to be in breast milk that are unable to be replicated. Moms don’t fall into the baby food craziness. Baby food alone has become a 1.25 billion-a-year industry, not to mention that it has been determined through recent studies that powdered infant formula is the source of several cases of seizures, and brain abscesses.

Child obesity is also on the rise. Children who are obese at age four have a 20% chance of developing adult obesity. Although genetics plays a small part, child obesity can totally be controlled by the parents. Making healthy decisions for your children is not always easy. The healthier you are, the healthier your children will be, as your children are an extension of you. Many parents are not even aware of what their children are putting in their mouths since our busy lifestyles make eating dinner together a thing of the past.

So what is the answer? It is your job as a parent to guide your children and be the example. A few tips are:

• Have a set time at the end of the day for dinner, where you all eat together, no exceptions!
• The menu for dinner should be not only be good for you, but for your children too.
• Stop the fast food addiction! Make sure your children aren’t hungry before and on their way home from daycare or school. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine recently filed suit against seven major restaurants and fast food chains in the state of California, they include: McDonalds, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Chili’s, Applebee’s, Outback steakhouse, and TGI Fridays.  The reason for the suit? These companies are knowingly serving food containing carcinogens without a health warning to the consumer which is not only unhealthy but is a well known Cancer Risk.

Obesity is a major problem in our country and we should treat it as such, in the United States alone childhood obesity has doubled in the past 20 years, it has tripled in Canada. Remember Mom and Dad you chose to have children and therefore you and you alone are responsible for their health and well being.

A few tips on how to get motivated and stay motivated when working out!

Motivation is a huge part of my job as a personal trainer in Livermore.  Without motivation, most of my clients wouldn’t show up to their training, make smarter choices when eating out and wouldn’t work as hard as they do to get the results.  So how does someone actually get motivated? Part of the motivation process is as simple as deciding.  Making a decision to live a healthier life where you feel better about yourself is the most important step.  Feeling good about the way you look aids in all aspects of our lives, from relationships to having more confidence in our careers.  So the first step is to decide to live a better life and know you deserve the best.

The second step to motivation is small achievable goals.  When a client comes to me with a goal of losing a large amount of weight in a very short period of time, I usually explain how weight-loss and health is a lifestyle and unfortunately there is no real quick and easy fix.  Instead of focusing on being 50 pounds lighter, I try to help them focus on losing the first five pounds and incorporating some cardio with their workouts as an achievement. 

The third step in staying motivated, is to start seeing the small results.  Small victories help to push us forward and stay the course so that we can make a permanent change of our habits instead of being on a “diet”.  This lifestyle change is what really keeps us healthy and happy.  Keeping an old picture where they had more weight or didn’t like the way they used to look as a reminder can help to keep the motivation going.

The biggest thing to remember when trying to lose weight and keep on tract is that losing weight and getting healthy is not a destination rather it is a journey that needs to be pursued on a daily basis.  So stop getting on the scale every day and beating yourself up, instead make healthier decisions and reward yourself by feeling great!

Avoid these top 6 mistakes made in the gym to see your results soar!

As a personal trainer and gym advocate most of my life, I have come across the most bizarre things and the greatest things in the gym.  One thing I know for sure is that there are common subconscious habits that many people make that hinder their success.  The following are the most common mistakes that I have noted over the last 25 years that can be easily avoided.

1. Improper form- this is the number one mistake I see people make with weight lifting. Often times people think it’s simple to lift weights or common sense, but what the don’t realize is that they are risking their body to injury and wasting their time and effort. If people really knew the proper range of motion of the muscle, then weight lifting should be simple. However most people do not study muscles and ligaments unless they are in that field. A simple bench press move can be deadly to the rotator cuff muscles if not held at the right position over the chest.  Similarly, if the weights are brought down too low to the chest with a bench press, it can cause injury to the muscle and create a set back to results.
2. Lifting too much or too little weight- many times a person may think they should be able to lift a certain amount because of their size and strength with lifting at their job, but lifting weights is much different than moving furniture or lifting a heavy box.  Lifting too heavy without assistance is a quick way to get injuries to the muscle and ligaments.  It is best to start lighter and add more weight if there isn’t enough of a challenge.  A weight should be heavy enough to create a challenge and build up a sweat, but light enough to lift by yourself.  Lifting too light can also be a setback to growth and advancement.  If you have been stuck on the 10 pound dumbbells for the last six months, time to move up to the next weight category!
3. Doing the same routine/exercises- once a routine becomes comfortable to preform, it is time to change it. Doing the same thing over again time after time, and expecting different results is Einstein’s definition of insanity and the quickest way to hit a plateau. It is important to change up exercises and routines so that muscles have a chance to grow and change.
4. Only doing cardio or only doing weights- there is no way around this for both males and females! It is critical to the heart and fat burning success to burn calories by preforming some type of cardio at least 3 times per week.  Doing cardio alone will also hinder fat burning and weight loss.  Building muscle along with cardiovascular exercises boosts the metabolism and promotes healthier bones and joints.
5. Over-training- Many times, when you are on a mission, you might take it too far.  Working out every day or training muscle groups on consecutive days, can hinder the success of your work out.  Our bodies need some recovery time to rebuild muscle fibers and to allow for change.  It is important to have at least one rest day in the week where only light exercise if any is preformed.  It is also important that the same muscle not be trained two days in a row. 
6. Making it a chore-Working out and exercise should not be a drag.  If it is, it is more than likely that you will quit before you get a chance to see the results.  Exercise should be fun and be a part of your lifestyle.  If you hate the gym, find a sport, or something outdoors that incorporates muscle strengthening and cardiovascular improvement.

Most people make exercise and working out harder than it has to be-one of the reasons I became a personal trainer in Livermore.  If you don’t think you can do it on your own, learn.  Many books, fitness magazines offer helpful work out information and exercise routines to keep things fresh.  Checking out a personal trainer can also be a great investment to your health and preventing injuries.

For more information call me at (925)960-1960.