The term "body composition", is used to describe the different components that make up a person's total body weight. Total body weight is composed of lean mass (fat free mass), (muscle, bone, and organs), fat mass and water.

Weight scales determine only the total body mass. They do not tell you whether that mass is fat, lean mass or water. Body composition is more important than your weight in determining fitness and health.

 Throughout our lives, our body composition is affected both by our food intake and by our activity level. As you grow older, your ratio of fat to fat free mass usually changes. For example, if you become less active as you age, your fat mass increases and your fat-free mass decreases. That is why people lose strength, function, and mobility as they age. That is also why they become unstable and have a greater tendency to fall.

As we age our bodies typically need less energy and our metabolism slows down. Hormone changes also result in a shift to more body fat and less muscle mass. The best approach to managing these changes is to take in fewer calories, eat healthy with low amounts of fast foods, and establish regular strength training activities. This is a good way to keep up your metabolism to burn more calories.

Strength training exercises can rebuild muscle tissue even in the elderly. This also improves balance. Older people who have better balance have less fear of falling and are more willing to take part in both activities of daily living and regular physical exercise. As your metabolism goes up through life style changes, you may need to eat more, maybe up to 15% more just to maintain your weight.

So how do people determine their body composition?  Many facilities use a simple skin fold measurements to determine body fat percent. The American College of Sports Medicine says that when performed by a trained, skilled, tester, they are up to 98% accurate. Because the degree of error is potentially high, this method if not in the hands of an expert, would be unreliable. In addition, skin fold measurements only test for subcutaneous fat (fat just under the skin) which is less of a threat when it comes to diseases. Ideally, you should search out methods that measure your visceral fat (fat around your internal organs), and total body water.

Our office has a BIA (bio-impedence analyser) to measure body composition. The unit uses electrodes that run a small current through the body to a computer to give us the accurate values. Once we know the body composition, my staff works with our patients on lifestyle changes and eating choices to improve objective outcomes.

Dr. Rick

Every season has it's risks of injury, whether it's snow shoveling in the winter, raking leaves in the fall, sports activities in the summer or yard and garden work in the spring. So before you start up the lawn mower or reach for your rake consider the possible consequences of back strain, neck strain, and pain in the shoulders.

Just like with sports, twisting, turning, bending and reaching can cause injury if your body is not prepared. A warm up and cool down period is as important for yard and garden work as it is for any other activity. Just like professionals warm up before activities, so should we.

Before stretching for any activity, breathe in and out slowly, do not bounce or jerk your body. Stretch as far and comfortably as you can. Do not follow the no pain, no gain rule. Stretching should not be painful.

Take a short walk to stimulate circulation. When finished repeat the stretching exercises.

Some stretching exercises I recommend are: While sitting, prop your heel on a stool or step, keeping the knee straight, lean foreward until you feel a stretch in the back of the thigh or hamstring muscle. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Do this 2 times and repeat with the other leg. Then stand up, balance yourself and grab the front of your ankle from behind. Then pull your heel to your buttocks and hold for 15 seconds. Repeat 2 times and switch legs. If you have trouble reaching your ankle, use the cuff of your pants.

Next, while standing, weave your fingers together above your head with the palms up. Lean to one side for 10 seconds, then to the other side and repeat three times.

The last exercise is to wrap your arms around yourself and rotate to one side stretching as far as you can comfortably go. Hold for 10 seconds and reverse the proceedure. Repeat 2 to 3 times.

Finally, be aware of your body technique and posture while raking, mowing or gardening. Kneel, don't bend, and alter your stance and movements frequently.

When gardening, try to maintain a three point stance. That is three points on the ground, for example, both knees and a hand down or one knee down and one up. This makes a three point stance by one knee and toe down and the opposite foot down with the other knee up. When you stand up, cross bridge with your hands on the opposite knee and push down on your knee to lift you off the ground.

When raking leaves use a scissors stance and rock on your heels and toes. You may want to switch your right foot foreward and then the left periodically.

When mowing, use your weight to push the mower with long strides rather than using your arms.

If you have any questions, give our office a call. We have stretching exercises available.

Dr. Rick

Year after year people suffer from itchy watery eyes, sneezes, runny noses, swelling, nasal congestion and other allergy related symptoms. An estimated 50 million Americans suffer from these allergies and this number has been climbing over the last two decades among all races and ages. It's currently the 5th leading cause of chronic disease in the U.S. for adults and 3rd for children with 10,000 kids missing school due to allergies on any given day for an annual total of 2 million lost school days.

Although the biggest spring allergy trigger is pollen followed by dust and mold, these are harmless substances in our environment. Our immune system sees these substances as foreign invaders and releases antibodies which attack the allergens. This leads to the release of histamines into the blood that triggers the spring allergy symptoms.

So why is it that some people suffer so much with spring allergies when others who breath the same air don't?

While genetic factors can be linked to susceptibility, the increases in allergy diagnosis which are occurring in such a short time span suggest environmental and/or lifestyles to be the culprit.

Scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School found that antibiotics may be responsible for producing changes in microbes in the G.I. Tract which in turn impacts the way the immune system responds to airborne allergens. Although many of us resort to anti-histamines to chase the symptoms away, it doesn't get at the root of the problem.

In 1970, I was in Omaha at a karate tournament staying with friends who's father was a chiropractor. I had severe allergies where my nose would run and not stop. I had been the medical route with anti-histamines, but that didn't help other than make me feel groggy. I received my first chiropractic adjustment the night before I would compete and the next morning I was symptom free. That adjustment changed my life, and that's when I decided to become a chiropractor. Later on in life, I discoved food allergies can also amplify the seasonal allergy symptoms. Eliminating cow's milk helped get rid of the remander 20% of my symptoms.

Some natural solutions to treat spring allergies are to eat right by eliminating dairy. Dairy increases mucous production and is ranked #1 most common food allergy and according to the former director of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University.  Dr. Frank Oski states "up to half of U.S. children have some allergic reaction to cow's milk". Reducing sugars, ice cream and chocolate will help reduce mucus. Vitamin C and quercetin ( a flavonoid compound) common in grape seed extract and red wines well as many other foods have anti-histamine effects.

Chiropractic and acupuncture has helped many people with allergies by balancing the nervous system and improving immune function.

 Hot spicy foods can clear nasal passages such as cayenne pepper, hot ginger, fenugreek, onion and garlic.

 Neti pots and irrigation units with warm saline solution helps to flush irritants from the sinus.

Try to stay indoors when the pollen count is high ( usually in the mornings).Keep windows closed and use air purifiers. Clean or replace air filters ( hypo-allergenic), vents and book shelves where dust can collect. Vacuum twice a week to pick up pollen, dust and mold trapped in your carpet.

For more information on what our office can do to help with your spring allergies, give us a call 424-6531.

Dr. Rick