Iowa State University Study Finds Lifting Weights Improves Cardiovascular Health

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, and stroke is the number five cause of death.²One of the biggest contributors to these scary statistics is a lack of a heart-healthy lifestyle. Your lifestyle is not only your best defense against heart disease and stroke, it is also your number one defense against countless other preventable diseases. This is why, now more than ever, living a healthy lifestyle should be a priority.

A recent study³that was published a few weeks ago and was completed by an Iowa State University professor found that simply lifting weights for less than an hour each week reduces your risk for heart attack or stroke by 40 to 70 percent. 

Professor Lee from ISU along with a group of colleagues analyzed data of nearly 13,000 adults in their study. They measured three health outcomes: cardiovascular events like heart attack or stroke that did not result in death, cardiovascular events that included death, and all cardiovascular events that included any type of death. The study found that resistance exercises reduced the risk for all three by 40 to 70 percent. 

Resistance training is not as assessable for most people as cardiovascular activities like running or walking. A person can simply go outside for a walk or run to get in cardiovascular activity. Dr. Lee suggests that getting a gym membership may be beneficial, as it offers more options for resistance exercises, and research has found that people who purchase memberships exercise more¹. 

Many people do not know that muscle is the “power source” of burning calories. Even if you are not as active as you would like to be, you burn more calories because you have more muscle. This is why even lifting weights for less than an hour each week significantly lowers your risk for heart disease while improving many other areas of your health and wellness.

Incorporating regular exercise into your daily routine along with eating a healthy diet, seeking out preventative, holistic health care, and taking care of your mental health are all measures you can take to significantly lower your risk for many diseases and improve your overall quality of life. It is your responsibility to take control of your health. Just imagine what a simple gym membership could do for you.

Citations:
¹ Elizabeth C. Schroeder, Gregory J. Welk, Warren D. Franke, Duck-chul Lee. Associations of Health Club Membership with Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health. PLOS ONE, 2017; 12 (1): e0170471

² “National Center for Health Statistics: Leading Causes of Death.”  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. March 17, 2017.

³ Yankghui, L., Duck-Chul, L., Yehua, L., Weicheng, Z., Riquan, Z., Xuemei, S., Carl, L., Steven, B. “Associations of Resistance Exercise with Cardiovascular Disease Morbidity and Mortality.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 51 (3):499-508. March 2019. 

Five Small-but-Powerful Summer Resolutions to Help You Live a More Natural, Healthy Life

More and more people today are seeking out ways to live a more natural, healthy lifestyle, and this is a great thing! According to the National Cancer Institute, “In 2018, an estimated 1,735,350 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and 609,640 people will die from the disease.”¹With illnesses like cancer on the rise and the cost of health care and health insurance going up, it is critical that we take preventative measures and do what we can to be proactive about our health. For some, thinking of changing to a more natural, organic, or holistic lifestyle seems overwhelming, but making just a few small changes to your lifestyle can have a huge impact on your overall health and wellness. Here are six small and easy things you can do at any age to take the necessary steps to living a more natural and healthy life.  

1.    Drink more water.

This really is an easy one. At minimum, Mayo Clinic suggests that we should be getting 64 ounces of water a day.²That is just eight glasses. Our bodies are made up of 60% water, and water helps dissolve the minerals in nutrients, making them more accessible to the body. Drinking water helps remove waste products and is essential for the kidneys to function. It regulates the body temperature and boosts healthy skin by delivering oxygen throughout the body. Those are just a few of the many things water does for your body. Imagine what it would do if you swapped water for soda. Imagine how good you might feel if you increased your water intake each day. 

2.    Choose a workout that works for your schedule.

Exercise fills your body with natural endorphins in addition to benefiting your physical and mental health in many ways. You do not need to put in an hour a day—going out for a short walk is good for your health. Even just opting to take the stairs is better than consistently taking an elevator. Find a time that will work for you so that you do not have an excuse to ditch the workout. 

3.    Ditch the “Diet” foods

As a culture, we are drawn to “diet” foods—diet soda, diet yogurt, etc. However, “diet” foods can also be known as “chemical” foods. When a company removes the fat from a food to make it “fat free,” something has to be added to give it the flavor they took away. That usually means adding a lot of sugar or a tossing in of chemicals to give it the flavor the fat once did. Instead of searching out low-calorie, chemically altered foods, make a goal to start eating more whole foods. Eat more vegetables, fruits, and proteins. Not all fat and sugar is bad fat and sugar, so make a goal to educate yourself on the difference. When you eliminate these inflammatory, artificial foods, you will begin to feel better right away.

4.    Stop eating after 6, 7, or 8 pm.

Unless you work nights or are awake all night, there is no need for you to eat right before bed. Depending on what time you usually go to bed, you should stop eating 2-3 hours before going to bed. Food is fuel, and you simply do not need that fuel while you are laying down sleeping at night. The term “breakfast” should literally mean a break from a fast. Your body undergoes very important functions at night while you “fast” and take a break from eating. If you’re interested in learning more about this, look up what “intermittent fasting” is. You will be surprised at the pounds you shed and how much better you feel by making the small change of not eating 2-3 hours before bed. 

5.    Throw out the “junk.”

Make time to go through your house and get rid of “junk.” This could mean a variety of things for you. Maybe you want to go through and get rid of the harsh and toxic cleaning supplies you have in your house and instead swap them for essential-oil based, natural cleaners. Actually read the label on your cleaning supplies, and you will be surprised to see some of them contain formaldehyde, toxic chemicals, and some even directly say, “May cause cancer.” Go through your personal cleaning products like shampoos, soaps, and deodorant and get rid of the ones that contain toxic materials. You might be surprised to find out that many deodorants contain aluminum, parabens, and artificial colors. Go through your medicine cabinet and get rid of expired our outdated pills or remedies. If you want a greater challenge, make a resolution to stop “popping pills” as a first resort for pain. Many headaches, for example, are simply because you are dehydrated. Drinking water is an easy fix for that. You can get relief from a stomachache by using peppermint essential oil. Taking Elderberry is an excellent way to boost your immunity or kick a cold faster. There are many natural and easy ways to get relief that don’t come with the side effects of many medications we keep on hand. If nothing else, go through and de-clutter. Think of how much lighter and open your house would feel if you got rid of things you don’t use or need. A great rule of thumb is if you have not used it in the past year or two, ditch it. If you want to live a more natural and healthy lifestyle, get rid of the junk that is preventing you to do so. 

References:

1.    “Cancer Statistics.” National Cancer Institute. April 27, 2018. 

2.    Mayo Clinic Staff, “Water: How Much Should you Drink Every Day?” Mayo Clinic Healthy Lifestyle. September 6, 2017. 

A Growth Mindset

As a teacher, I believe that creating relationships and having a good rapport with students is essential to effectively teaching them. One of the things I always do to get to know my students is to ask them to give me a few adjectives to describe themselves. They use words like, kind, hardworking, athletic, etc. What is really interesting is when I get to see the same students year after year. Most of the time, their chosen adjectives stay the same. If they consider themselves an artist in first grade, chances are they will still hold that personal belief when I see them in 7^th grade, 10^th grade, etc.

The same is true for adjectives they probably are not as proud of. For example, many students will describe themselves as a procrastinator. They may say they are slow, messy, etc. These beliefs tend to stay with them.

This is also probably true for all of us. If you were told when you were little that you were not very creative, or not a very good speller, or not very clean, or not athletic, there is a good chance you still hold that belief.

You have what is called a fixed mindset. If you are always told you are not athletic, you begin to believe it, and that tends to become a fixed attribute you give yourself.

My goal as a teacher, and as an owner of a fitness center, is to get people to abandon these fixed mindsets and instead embrace a growth mindset. As a teacher, I ask students to add the word “yet” to the end of phrases. For example, if an elementary student says they are not a good artist, I ask them to add the word “yet” to the end of that phrase. While they may not see themselves as a stellar artist right now, with enough practice, they can improve and get better.

I see this fixed mindset most often times when it comes to health and healthcare. I hear phrases like, I’m not a runner, or I’m not a health nut, or This is just the way I am. Even people many consider to be “healthy” can have fixed mindsets. I’ll hear someone who really likes weightlifting say I’m not a runner or I’m not flexible enough to do yoga! I hear these things every day.

It is hard to embrace a growth mindset because it means that we need to be open to working at something. If you are not a runner yet, you may need to put in the time to try. If you are overweight because that’s just the way you are, you may need to put work into changing your eating habits. Adding the word yet to these commonly used phrases challenges people to work on areas that may need improvement. It isn’t always easy, and that is why these negative mindsets tend to stay fixed.

As summer approaches, we’d like to challenge you to take one or two areas of your life that need some improvement, and add the word yet to it this summer. If you don’t consider yourself an athlete, TRY. If you don’t eat healthy, TRY!

For some of you, you will need to “rip the band aid off”. If you want to become a healthy eater, that may mean you need to go buy all new groceries and literally throw away all the crap in your fridge.  If you are not a runner, you may need to find a friend to hold yourself accountable, put down some money on some good running shoes, sign up for a race, and start training. You may run 16 minute miles, but at least you are out there running! For others, it may work better to jump in gradually. Whatever the case, we encourage you to add the word yet, adopt a growth mindset, and start trying.

Below, I’ll list some awesome resources if you are looking for some resources to help you become a healthier, better version of yourself. Also, stay tuned for more information on a brand new weight loss program we are bringing to Redenius Chiropractic! We will bring you more information on that later!

Have a great week!

Dr. Jeff and Jenny Redenius

Resources for you:

Juice Plus provides 30 fruits and vegetables daily in the capsule or gummy format. This is a great way to get the fruits and veggies your body craves. They also make shakes and protein bars: http://jr95695.juiceplus.com

Thrive Market is a great place to get organic food, household supplies, etc. at a discounted price: http://thrv.me/JuuQtY

Here is a list of local running races in Iowa you can sign up for: http://www.runningintheusa.com/race/list/ia

If you are looking for a personal trainer to hold yourself accountable this summer, contact Redenius Chiropractic at 712-464-3301 to get set up with our trainer, Melissa Schleisman.

The Ultimate Health Podcast has great weekly guests that discuss holistic ways to improve your overall health and wellness. They discuss everything from eating to exercise to mental health: http://ultimatehealthpodcast.com/

You can also always call the clinic at 712-464-3301 and talk to Dr. Redenius about how he can help you achieve your goals!

These are just a few of the resources we recommend! Comment below if you have any more resources to share!

Thankful!

We hit another big milestone in the Redenius household this past week. We made one of our last trips to Des Moines for Sam’s doctor appointments, and we get to begin weening him off his medication! Throughout the first six months of Sam’s life, we never thought we would see the day where we would leave Dr. Young’s office in Des Moines with a good report. I probably looked like a complete fool as we left Dr. Young’s that day because I was crying happy tears as we danced our way out of that clinic.

As we were driving home from that doctor visit, I began to reflect on how thankful I am for modern medicine. Here at Redenius Chiropractic and Lake City 24 Hour Fitness, we believe in holistic health care. We believe that the body will naturally heal itself in many ways. We fully believe in the benefits of chiropractic care, therapeutic modalities, massage, nutrition, preventative healthcare, etc. However, we are also so thankful for modern medicine, and we believe that when healthcare providers from all backgrounds work together, patients can receive the best care possible.

Take, for example, when Sam was born. Yes, I delivered Sam naturally without any pain medicine or intervention, but I was SO thankful that I was at Stewart Memorial under the care of Dr. Duncan. I knew that if the delivery did not go as planned, I was under good hands that would do whatever they needed to do to keep Sam and I healthy. I wouldn't have made it through those 19 hours without the care and coaching from Dr. Duncan and Jenni Macke! I utilized chiropractic care in addition to the care Dr. Duncan gave throughout my pregnancy, and as a result, I had a very healthy pregnancy and natural delivery.

Then, when Sam was first born, I had it in my mind that “breast-fed is best.” It is the natural thing to do. Supply and demand, right? If I got nothing else right, I could surely feed Sam. Well, that didn’t happen. Despite constantly being attached to a pump, eating fatty foods, and feeding Sam all the time, I could not produce enough for him. That combined with his Laryngomalcia and GERD made feeding times a war zone. Both Sam and I would be in tears. Even though I beat myself up about it, telling myself I was a “failure,” I decided to supplement. While I continued to provide Sam with as much breastmilk as I could, once we found a formula he could tolerate with his conditions, he began to gain weight and thrive again. I thank God every day that science has given us formula that so closely mimics the benefits of breastmilk. Is breastmilk the natural, holistic way to feed your baby? Absolutely. However, for whatever reason, feeding your baby doesn’t always go as planned, and mama’s need to give themselves some grace and realize that a fed baby is a healthy baby.

Many people also do not know that the surgery Sam had was “optional.” We were told that Sam would eventually grow out of his conditions, but his case was so severe that Dr. Young highly recommended we consider it. We went home from that first visit thinking that we would do the natural thing and not put Sam through surgery if his body would eventually outgrow it. However, for the next two weeks, neither Sam nor I ate or slept. He just got worse. We decided to go through with the surgery, and again, I thank God for Dr. Young’s steady hands for modern science because once we had the surgery, Sam was able to breathe and eat easier.

After the surgery we had quite a few setbacks. It seemed like for the next four months, Sam would take one step back for every two steps forward. For every step back Sam took, though, we used both chiropractic care and modern medicine to fix it. If he had a relapse with his GERD, we would adjust his medicine and Jeff would go to work on adjusting him every day to make eating more comfortable. When he got an upper respiratory infection that landed us yet again in the ER, we ended up putting him on steroids to keep the swelling down while using essential oils, cool mist humidifiers, and “steaming” the bathroom to keep him healthy. All hands were on deck to take care of him.

Each time Sam would have a setback, I would sink into a deeper state of postpartum depression, feeling utterly sorry for myself, for Sam, and for Jeff. Dr. Young assured us, though, that we all just needed a “tincture of time.” We would have a rough couple of months, and then we would see him slowly improve. My fulltime job became feeding Sam and helping him to grow. We used a combination of holistic health care and modern medicine to keep Sam as healthy and as comfortable as we could. While I don’t think neither Jeff nor I slept or ate for those few months, Dr. Young was right. Over time, Sam got better.

In retrospect, I don’t think we could have done it without the combination of holistic health care and modern medicine. While Sam won’t have any memories of these difficult times, I think Jeff and I will always remember the long days we had, taking Sam’s health one day at a time. We are so thankful for doctors like Dr. Duncan and Dr. Hornback with Stewart Memorial and Dr. Young with Iowa ENT. When healthcare providers from all backgrounds work together, patients receive the best care possible! Our story is just one of probably many that attests to the positive outcomes associated with preventative, natural healthcare in combination with modern medicine. We are so thankful we have both!

Have a great week!

Dr. Jeff and Jenny Redenius