Category: Workout

Boosting Testosterone Levels

Written on . Posted in Fitness, Nutrition, Workout.

Importance of Testosterone

Not only is testosterone important for sex drive, but also for sleep, energy, and even pain response. When testosterone is imbalanced, stress responses increase and your immune system’s response decreases. Products are synthetically made and sold to boost testosterone, but typically cause many other health issues. Health effects can range any where from skin issues to heart disease.

Why it Matters to You

Our every day environment has caused majority of people to have imbalanced hormones. Many factors play a role such as having a sedentary lifestyle, eating grains, glyphosates (herbicides), and other chemicals that act as estrogen effecting men’s health. Along with eliminating these type of factors, you should also be educated on the right eating plan and workout plan to have normal testosterone levels.

5 Natural Ways to Shift Testosterone Levels

1. Food

Reduce, if not completely remove, all sugars and grains as much as possible. Sugar causes inflammation and chemicals within these products can act as estrogen, such as soy. Also, eliminate bad fats such as canola oil and vegetable oil. Check all ingredients.

2. Staples

Three staple foods include almonds, brazil nuts, and free-range organic eggs. When adding almonds, there are many creative recipes to implement more in your diet (smoothies, butters, etc.)

3. Exercise

The key to working out is doing high intensity workouts for a shorter duration. Longer workouts create high cortisol levels which restrict the production of testosterone. The best time to workout when your levels are high is in the morning.

4. Sleep

Many men have a go-go-go mentality and do not prioritize their sleep. While being driven is a great quality, sleep is necessary for your body to recover and preform better. This includes boosting testosterone levels.

5. Chiropractic Care & Adaptogens

Chiropractic adjustments allows the nervous system get back to normal which allows your body to properly produce the hormones it needs. Adaptogens like Ashwagandha or CBD oil lower stress levels and improve hormone balance.

Bonus Tip: Hormone Test Analysis

After changing your lifestyle and habits around, if you still notice issues then consult with one of the doctors to receive a hormone test evaluation. These tests will accurately show what your hormones are doing. If you aren’t a patient, call our office to schedule a consultation to set up a time to take a hormone test.

If you live in the Matthews/Charlotte area here in North Carolina, or would like a recommendation to other chiropractors in your area, contact us here. We would love to be in contact with you!

Anxiety and Depression

Written on . Posted in Fitness, Health & Beauty, Mindset, Workout.

All Time High

Anxiety in the U.S. is so common that over 40 million adults have been diagnosed. Although anxiety and depression differentiate, they are commonly diagnosed together. The obvious causes of these disorders are linked to traumatic events, but there are many other factors that also play a role. Other causes can be hormone imbalances, diet, and stress . Your body can stay in a stress mode due to anything from a car accident to using a chemical household cleaner.

The Positive Side

The greatest part about recognizing or becoming diagnosed with either disorder is that you have the power to change it. After 30 years of practice, neurologist Dr. Caroline Leaf found our mind controls our brain. Up until this new research, majority of doctors believed our brains controlled our minds. This led to the belief in prescribing drugs if there is an imbalance, since the chemical make up was thought to be unchangeable. This belief has been proven false time and time again by many great doctors such as Dr. Caroline Leaf. Our body has the ability to heal itself, which positively includes healing anxiety and depression.

3 Ways to Improve Anxiety and Depression

1. Note Cards

As simple as it sounds, having a note card that says something uplifting to read anytime you’re anxious can really eliminate many symptoms. In order to renew your mind, you must speak life over yourself. Write a scripture down that holds onto truth. Clinging to these scriptures will allow yourself to think outside of the situation, ultimately leading to reduction of stress.

2. Exercise

Exercising has been proven to decrease both anxiety and depression. The common misconception is needing to workout 45-60 minutes a day. However, 10-15 minutes is just as effective. This will also allot time to be active throughout the day opposed to blocking off a time for exercise. Doing small things, such as air squats, will keep your blood flowing and mood increasing. Exercise is not based on a feeling; it is based off a choice.

3. Sleep

Sleep is vital to your health and recovery. If you are not getting enough sleep, make this a priority. Taking steps such as removing screen time an hour before bed will allow your body to naturally fall asleep quicker. The optimal window of sleep is 7-9 hours. One study showed athletes who increased their sleep by 2 hours, fitting into that optimal window, had an increase in performance. All they changed was their sleeping habits.

Additional Help

Chiropractic care helps immensely with issues involving stress to the body, specifically the spine. There are also tests you can take to specify which hormones are imbalanced. You can take natural adaptogens like Kava and Ashwagandha to lower your body from being in a stress state. To stay in a stable state, it is important to eliminate grains, bad fats, and sugar .

If you live in the Matthews/Charlotte area here in North Carolina, or would like a recommendation to other chiropractors in your area, contact us here. We would love to be in contact with you!

Sciatic Nerve Damage

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What is Sciatica?

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It stems from the lower end of your spine down to your feet. The damaged nerve is in the lower vertebrae in your spine where the most disk herniations take place. When the spine is misaligned, the lower spine holds more weight than an adjusted spine would. A proper spine would hold weight proportional, eliminating improper weight on your lower disks. You can misalign your spine doing small actions over time such as prolonged sitting and also for traumatic events such as a car accident. The second cause of nerve damage to the lower spine also includes pelvic issues. Athletes like soccer players and baseball players typically end up with pelvic issues due to their body adjusting to the range of motion they perform repetitively. When your pelvis rotates, you also effect the curve in your spine. Too much curve or not enough curve causes inflammation. Over time, this inflammation will cause irritation, eventually feeling that pain throughout your leg. Luckily, there are several ways to decrease nerve damage.

7 Natural Tips for Sciatica

1. Piriformis Stretch

There are many different stretches you can view online through videos and pictures. This muscle is located where the sciatic nerve begins in the lower spine, making it extremely important to stretch.

2. Hip Flexor Stretch

These stretches will also be found online. Your hip flexors help stabilize your spine and run through your pelvis. Doing these stretches will train your body to correct the muscles.

3. Strengthening the Abdomen

Your abdomen is important with stabilizing the spine as well. One of the best ways to do this is working your way up to doing a 2-3 minute plank each day. You can start off small by going however long you’re capable of, but reach for going 5 seconds longer each time.

4. Strengthening Hip Extensors

It is vital to not only stretch your hip muscles, but also strengthen them. There are many workouts you can do with no equipment at home and also many machines at a local gym to strengthen them.

5. Posture

Fixing your posture is key to a healthy spine. You can do simply adjustments in your every day life to assure your posture to be correct. You can simply adjust your screen at work so you aren’t slouching over and looking down. Just by being aware, you can slowly adjust your posture.

6. Stand Up, Get Moving

Even if you sit in an office every day, it is important to move your spine every 15-30 minutes. It can be as simple as stretching, wobble cushion, or walking around the office. Also, be aware of the way you sit in the car. Taking breaks on long road trips allow your spine to move freely.

7. Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care comes in contact to the spine to adjust what is misplaced. In more severe cases, chiropractic care is able to help with specific adjustments, personalized stretches and workouts, and also performing decompression.

If you live in the Matthews/Charlotte area here in North Carolina, or would like a recommendation to other chiropractors in your area, contact us here. We would love to be in contact with you!

Learn to Burst Train and Lose Fat Quickly with Dr. Holly Clemens

Written on . Posted in Workout.

Learn how to lose weight quickly with only minutes of exercise a day! It’s called burst training or surge training. Utilize this quick and easy concept to literally burn fat and normalize your hormones in just weeks. All you need to do is pick an exercise for example: running in place, sit-ups or jumping jacks and for 20seconds-1minute do as many reps as fast as possible. This will increase your Heart Rate to 80-100% of your max which forces your body to produce hormones like testosterone and growth hormone to burn fat for energy. Apply this method 3-6 days a week for 6-12minutes for results!

For more info, visit http://queencityhealthcenter.com/ or call (980) 422-2000.

Queen City Health Center is a Charlotte Chiropractic and total wellness center for individuals and families. With locations across Charlotte, NC and Matthews, NC, we specialize in helping individuals and families find true health and ways to maximize their lives through nutrition, lifestyle classes, detoxification and spinal correction.

SouthPark Office 4421 Sharon Rd #100 Charlotte, NC 28211 980-422-2000
Matthews Office 1730 Matthews Township Pkwy Matthews, NC 28105 704-844-6368