How to keep cheerful when the weather looks grey?

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) effects about 4% of the population in a severe way, 10% to 20% in a mild to moderate way and many more people may just feel a little lower when looking up at a grey sky. It is also 4x more common in women than in men. If you have a family history of depression, anxiety or mood disorders and you add the seasonal weather on top of that it can cause big problems in a person’s life.

Some of the things that occur naturally in the winter are: feeling more fatigued and gaining weight. This is because in cold whether we are naturally programmed to move slower; a sort of human hibernation period to protect us from injuries.

Some of my favorite tips to combat this are as follows:

Don’t fight it: hibernate and choose activities that make you feel warm, nourished and cared for. Some examples may be choose a nice book or to read for winter, fluffy wool socks or going to a cabin with a large fire-place.
Reduce training schedule: Athletes will often have less events or races in the winter so they can reduce the intensity of the work out to help the body recover and restore for another season.
Recover and Restoring foods: Soups with a nourishing broth and the root vegetables can be a healthy way to replenish the nutrients that got depleted over a years time.

Light Therapy: Philips the company makes a wide range of light therapy alarm clocks and energy lights to help with your mood and wake time. Our favorite is GoLITE BLU Energy Light. It’s $122 (This has been independently studied to improve energy levels in about 70% of participants making it a very effective therapy for Seasonal blues). A cheaper option is a full spectrum light bulb in your vanity while getting ready in the morning and this will run $9-$15 but not as effective for more severe cases.
Exercise in the morning: Brisk exercise in the morning by either walking the dog or push-ups for 15-20 minutes improves blood flow, improves metabolism and mood.

Water: Drink 32 oz before exercise and breakfast and continue to drink lots throughout the day. Average male 150lbs should drink 75 to 150 oz per day. If you struggle with enough water then download an app or get a water bottle that tells you how much you have been drinking.

How can Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy help you?

What is ESWT?

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy, also known as ESWT, is a non-surgical treatment option for chronic plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, tennis elbow, shoulder tendonitis, and other chronic tendinopathies. “Extracorporeal” means “outside the body.” Shock waves, also known as pressure or sound waves, are generated by a special ESWT device and focused onto the targeted tissue. The shock waves are delivered to stimulate and reactivate the body’s repair mechanisms to advance normal tissue healing.

What is involved in the procedure?

On the day of the procedure, you will arrive at our office at the designated time prior to the scheduled appointment where you will meet your physician and technician. You will lie back comfortably with the area to be treated resting on the machine on a soft, water-filled membrane. The practitioner will make sure you are comfortable throughout the procedure. During the treatment, you will hear repetitive clicking sounds.

ESWT benefits patients because their condition can be treated extracorporeally, meaning outside of the body. Since ESWT is non-invasive, there is no lengthy recovery period, virtually no time off from work or risk of causing further damage. The same cannot be said with surgery.

What conditions can be treated by ESWT?

ESWT can effectively treat a range of musculoskeletal conditions. Complaints involving attachment points for tendons and ligaments in major joints such as the plantar fascia, Achilles tendon, shoulder, elbow and knee are common areas for ESWT treatment. Please contact In Health Clinic to discuss your individual condition with one of our practitioners.

How can I prepare for ESWT?

You will need to be available for the full course of treatment.

You should not take any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, for two weeks before your first procedure, and throughout your treatment. If you are unsure if any of your medicines contain NSAIDs then please check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

What kind of recovery can I expect?

ESWT forces your body to create new tissue cells in the damaged area. Expect gradual healing to take place over days, weeks or months. Though not typical, some have mild soreness or bruising after treatment. Some people experience no more pain from day one. Most will have noticeable to significant improvement by the thirteenth week. A second treatment after sixteen weeks may be necessary in approximately 20% of patients. As it took time to create the injury, healing also takes time. Total healing of the area can take up to one year.

The best thing about ESWT is that unlike surgery, you avoid getting worse before getting better. You do not need to plan lengthy time off from work or your life for painful post-procedure recovery.

Are there any side effects to ESWT?

Compared to invasive or endoscopic surgery, ESWT has fewer side effects and a much shorter recovery time. The most common side effects include temporary pain (bruising and soreness,) swelling and petechiae (broken blood vessels that are generally of no concern.) These possible occurrences, however, usually clear within a few days. Moreover, the risks associated with surgical incisions and general anesthesia are eliminated.

How many treatments will I need?

The number of treatments varies depending on the indication and tissue response. The effect of the treatment is cumulative, so you will typically need more than one (3–5) treatment. Very often though, you will experience relief right after the first treatment.

When should I consider ESWT?

If you have had your condition for more than six months and have tried three conservative therapies with no results, don’t wait. It is natural to procrastinate, but it is not a good idea for tendonosis conditions, since continuously using degenerative tendon tissue can cause further damage.

For example, every time that you feel pain when you place weight on your heel or lift something with your arm, it’s because you are pulling against the tendon fibers. When the condition progresses to a rupture, ESWT is no longer an option and you will have no treatment alternative but invasive surgery.

Additionally, if left untreated, you can experience new problems. With heel pain in your foot you may naturally compensate by walking on your toes or limping to protect yourself from pain. These abnormal movements will, in time, cause strain to your knees, hips and lower back, or even worse, may result in the same condition in the other foot. Compensation issues occur whenever you have chronic pain left untreated.

If your pain has just begun, you may be able to avoid ESWT by early intervention. Please feel free to call us and we will recommend a specialist who can help you take care of the problem today. Take care of yourself. Fix the problem, don’t delay.

I’ve tried other things but they didn’t help. How do I know ESWT will?

Tendonitis sometimes resolves by itself or with the help of treatments such as strapping, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, or cortisone injections. When the condition is new (usually less than six months) it is called acute tendonitis.

Acute tendonitis is an inflammation. All of the treatments used at this stage are meant to rest the area or deal with the inflammation. Those who do not get better in the “acute” phase have what is called chronic tendonosis. The difference between tendonosis and tendonitis is simple: tendonosis is an inflammation. Tendonosis is degenerative or damaged tissue. You can use steroid injections repeatedly with no result if the problem has gone beyond inflammation. Surgery used to be the only option for tendonosis. ESWT treats tendonosis because ESWT forces the damaged tendon to heal.

How do I know ESWT is right for me?

Our In Health Clinic practitioner will perform a thorough examination and will decide if ESWT treatment is right for you after looking at all the options. For instance, you could be a candidate if you have been diagnosed with chronic plantar fasciitis for at least six months and if your symptoms have failed to respond to three conservative treatments which may include rest, physical therapy, heel cushions, non-steroidal medications (Motrin or other anti-inflammatories), cortisone injections, taping, orthotics, shoe modifications, night splinting and casting. In the past, surgical intervention for chronic plantar fasciitis was required when these other treatments had failed, but today, ESWT is available as an alternative, noninvasive treatment option.

Is ESWT covered by my insurance?

Our Clinic are happy to contact your insurance company to find out if there is coverage for ESWT. Please call us for an informational packet and to discuss your condition and insurance coverage.

Gluten Free Granola

Making healthy snacks for your kids can be a real challenge and while we are not a gluten-free family I try to use it gluten as a treat, which means I am always seeking out yummy alternative recipes when I can. And let’s face it, lots of kid’s snacks are gluten based such as: pretzels, chips, crackers, Chex mix and the list could go on and on.

Why we are gluten-light? Well we have no allergens or sensitivities in our family but gluten is a food that isn’t easy to digest so by reducing the consumption in our house we boost a healthier digestive tract. Gluten as we age an in individuals with inflammation or diminished brain function can actually exacerbate problems so we reduce our exposure.

Fun Fact? Our family Gluten Splurges are usually for an amazing baguette. So last year when we went to Paris you can guess what we enjoyed.

Gluten Free Granola

Our family loves to use granola in so many ways such as, with yogurt and fruit, on oatmeal, plain or with rice or almond milk. I love this recipe since it has less clusters and more muesli without being muesli which makes it even better for sprinkling on yogurt.

Ingredients:
4 cups Rolled oats (not quick cooking) gluten free
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup chopped nuts such as almonds or pecans (if you have younger children always use pecans they are not as hard)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup canola oil
¼ cup maple syrup
1/3 cup honey
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dried fruit (put in at the end after baking) Like acai berry for extra punch!

Steps:

Gather the ingredients.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean up and baking.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, salt and cinnamon.

In another bowl whisk together the canola oil, maple syrup, honey and vanilla.

With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until the oats appear wet.

Place the mixture on a large baking sheet and place in the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until very lightly golden brown (not brown at all if you wait this long the granola will taste burned)

Remove from oven, let cool. When mostly cool, mix in the dried fruit and store in an airtight container for best results.

This recipe is based off one I found on the internet a while ago and love but when I printed it out nothing about the original source stayed on the print out. So thank you to the un-sung hero out there. We love the granola, and would love to give due credit if you are reading this blog.

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