Eating Light, Eating Right

Summertime is here, which means longer days, warmer temperatures and best of all, plenty of fresh produce. The beauty of summer's produce is not only in the breathtaking color that sweeps through grocery stores or farmer's markets.

The true beauty is actually within the produce. Summer brings health-promoting antioxidants in berries, fiber in corn, vitamin A in peaches, and lycopene, also an antioxidant, in tomatoes and watermelon.

Even cooks with the most basic skills can take advantage of the wonders of summer foods and prepare delicious, good-for-you meals in just minutes. When you combine a little bit of education with simple preparation, it can be fun to mix and match flavor combinations and natural ingredients to create well-balanced meals with optimal benefits. Here are a few quick examples.

Berries Start the Perfect Summer Day

Breakfast is the perfect opportunity to learn how to work seasonal produce into your meals because there are so many quick options that take advantage of summer's offerings. A well-designed breakfast with protein and fiber means fewer cravings later in the day and more active hours to digest nutrients effectively. A simple way to add a taste of summer to this breakfast is with berries.

Berries, together with almonds, make a great topping on all-natural granolas and high-fiber cereals to provide your body the tools it needs for proper digestion. While the granola/cereal supplies the whole grains needed to fuel your body, the fruit is full of antioxidants and fiber. Best of all, this meal can take on entirely new flavors by making the slightest changes, such as strawberries one week and raspberries the next. Berries that are more exotic, such as goji berries and "yumberries," are becoming a healthy trend and easier to find in natural food stores. These are also great mixed when added to your favorite breakfast foods, like whole-grain waffles.

If you're looking for even more of a change from the ordinary, try making a homemade smoothie with 1 cup of plain yogurt, 1 tbsp nut butter, a banana and ½ cup frozen berries. A smoothie made from these types of ingredients is especially refreshing and energy-boosting on hot summer days because it is full of nutrients, fiber and protein to keep you satisfied all morning long.

Between the variety of good-for-you cereals, yogurts and summer berries, breakfast can take on many personalities and flavors. And most importantly, a well-balanced breakfast starts your day right because it gives you the foundation to continue making smart food choices throughout the day.

How Massage Therapy Can Benefit Your Patients

An increasing number of chiropractic offices are benefiting by offering massage therapy to patients. Not only is massage relaxing; it has numerous therapeutic effects, including, but not limited to:

• reducing blood pressure and heart rate;
• increasing local blood flow;
• increasing thoracic gas volume, peak flow and forced vital capacity;
• increasing cytotoxic capacity (activity level of the body's natural "killer cells");
• strongly influencing lymph flow;
• improving gait, range of motion and foot-to-floor force;
• reducing muscle tension and pain after repeated treatments;
• reducing pain, stiffness and fatigue;
• reducing anxiety, tension, pain and depression in cancer patients;
• reducing posttraumatic headache;
• increasing muscle tone and flexibility;
• reducing morning sickness in pregnant women;
• decreasing duration of labor, hospital stay and postpartum depression; and
• applications to sports medicine.

I have worked for chiropractors for over 12 years in various capacities.
As a massage therapist, I market myself to the public, often bringing in new patients to the office. Patients unfamiliar with chiropractic are often more likely to consider massage than having their backs "cracked." Once they meet the doctor, it is easier to refer them for chiropractic care. Without fail, I can palpate an area in need of a chiropractor's touch. I ask, "Is that tender? Have you ever seen a chiropractor?" It's a gentle lead-in to refer them to seek chiropractic care. Also, the doctor refers motor-vehicle-accident patients to me for soft tissue work. It's a symbiotic relationship.

By working together toward the common goal of helping the patient get well (and stay well), the chiropractor and the massage therapist can both reap the benefits. Since more and more insurance companies now recognize the value of massage therapy and are pay accordingly, it's an all-around great tool to increase the growth of your practice.