Fix Your Form: How To Do The Perfect Squat

If you don't know your way around a weight room, heading to the gym can be intimidating -- and even dangerous. But paying attention to a few simple rules of proper technique can make you slimmer, stronger and healthier all over.

That's why we asked John Romaniello, trainer, author and founder of Roman Fitness Systems to show us what's what when it comes to strength training.

He'll be helping us tackle some of the most common mistakes we all make while building muscle, plus giving us tips and tricks for better form. This week, we're focusing on squats.

The Faux Pas: "Most of what I see is people doing quarter-reps," says Romaniello, meaning you're likely not squatting as deeply as you can and should be. Part of the problem is starting with your feet too close together, he says, which causes the heels to slightly lift off the ground as you bend. 

The Fix: Keep your balance by more solidly grounding your feet in a wider stance, he says. You'll stay steady and strong as you squat deeper, which in turn allows you to lower your body all the way until you could be sitting in an invisible chair.

You may also find your knees "drift inward, compromising stability," says Romaniello. If you find your knees caving in, "position the legs so the knees and toes point slightlyoutward," he says. "This will engage the glutes and keep the knees from drifting in."

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/12/fix-your-form-squat_n_1586844.html

Why is it Important to Know if You have a Magnesium Deficiency?

A lack of magnesium in normal diets can cause low thyroid functions, but can be solved with proper diet and supplements.

Magnesium deficiencies are common, especially in well-developed countries where processed foods are so common. Seven out of every ten Americans is likely to have a magnesium deficiency, causing many problems including underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).

Certain medical conditions can aggravate magnesium deficiencies, such as diabetes and liver disease. These can lead to further problems with an underactive thyroid that makes it hard to lose weight and contributes to further aggravation of these diseases.

A lack of magnesium causes a variety of symptoms, but one of the most common ones is improper thyroid function.

Magnesium deficiencies lead to hypothyroidism that can make it hard for your body to lose weight or keep off excess weight, and regulate body temperature.

Magnesium and thyroid function are a delicate dance of proper interaction.

Magnesium deficiencies do not directly cause hypothyroid disease. Rather, a lack of magnesium impacts the thyroid in a rather round-about way. It synergizes the function of the parathyroid which regulates vitamin c and magnesium absorption.

Magnesium is also very important to bone structure, and can lead to weak bones and osteoporosis. Magnesium deficiencies also impact the normal absorption of sugars and fats.

Symptoms of a Magnesium Deficiency

Magnesium deficiencies can cause muscle cramps, and slowed heart rhythm. Other symptoms mimic thyroid disorder symptoms or happen because of a decreased thyroid function including:

• Disorientation
• Confusion
• Depression
• Excessive perspiration
• Appetite loss
• Headaches and Migraines
• Muscle spasms
• Increased asthma or wheezing
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Tremors
• Stomach disorders
• Anxiety

Longer term symptoms of magnesium deficiencies include swollen gums, alopecia, hallucinations, calcium deficiency, eye and facial twitches, lesions of the gums.

What can Cause Magnesium Deficiencies?

One of the leading factors of an otherwise healthy person’s magnesium deficiency is an overabundance of vitamin C in the diet. Since vitamin C is so well-known for its health benefits, people tend to take it in fairly large doses, and since it won’t harm you if you take too much they aren’t normally concerned with high doses.

The problem is that vitamin C competes with magnesium, and can deplete the amount of magnesium in the system.

Another cause of magnesium deficiencies is a general poor diet. A diet comprised of a lot of processed food and sodas is a leading cause of magnesium deficiency.

Even those who are careful with their diets and drink a lot of water may still have a magnesium deficiency if the water is too soft. Drinking a lot of bottled water that lacks the common minerals from the earth can eliminate one of the best sources of natural magnesium in the diet.

Proper thyroid function demands a balance of calcium and magnesium in the system.

Even the way you cook can deplete the natural magnesium sources in foods. Boiling and steaming, normally considered a healthy way to prepare foods, can leech important vitamins and minerals including magnesium from foods.

Anyone on prescription medications for other medical problems should keep an eye on their magnesium levels as well.

Diabetes is a huge cause of magnesium deficiencies. Many people with weight problems, caused by hypothyroidism or diet are not even aware they have diabetes, or are pre-diabetic, and may have a magnesium deficiency caused by the underlying problem.

Diabetes causes the body to flush out important minerals, including magnesium. Studies have shown that people with known diabetic issues taking magnesium supplements have improved their blood sugar levels, and had better thyroid function.

Magnesium deficiency also increases the chances of developing “syndrome x” (the common name for a variety of metabolic diseases including, diabetes, artery diseases and insulin resistance) which is a common cause of obesity.

Syndrome X is typically associated with excess weight that accumulates around the waist. Taking a magnesium supplement reduces the body’s resistance to its own insulin and allows for faster weight loss.

Magnesium, the Thyroid and Heart Disease

There is a direct connection between magnesium and thyroid and an increased risk of heart disease.

Hypothyroidism is a known factor for increased risk of congestive heart failure. Hypothyroidism also makes it less likely patients with congestive heart failure will recover. Magnesium deficiencies contribute to this by causing a general weakness in heart condition, and lack of blood circulation, as well as reducing thyroid function.

Along with magnesium and thyroid, secondary hypothyroid disease caused by damage to the pituitary gland (and therefore creating a thyroid problem) can also lead to many medical conditions like those above.

Testing for Magnesium Deficiencies

Unfortunately, magnesium deficiencies are one of the hardest things to test for. The current testing is unpredictable, and even a reading that is in the normal ranges may be inaccurate.

Most doctors normally only test serum levels in the blood, which will not show magnesium deficiencies. If you would like a better indication of the levels of minerals including magnesium in your system, request an RBC (red blood cell) test.

Having this test can help you determine which minerals you have deficiencies in, as zinc and copper also cause problems with hypothyroid.

READ MORE: http://www.progressivehealth.com/thyroid-magnesium.htm

Chiropractic is Health Care, Not Disease Care

(NaturalNews) Chiropractors have, for the past 112 years, treated sickness and infirmity without the use of drugs and with the goal of avoiding surgical removal or repair of any of the body's organs or structures. Chiropractic's message is that the proactive care of one's body and wise lifestyle choices are necessary to achieve health. Chiropractors have held and maintained this view, even before it became fashionable and long before evidence made it clear that the drug and surgery model of "health care" is really nothing more than "disease care", waiting for disease to occur and then treating the effects. Chiropractic takes a preventive approach to health care: eliminate the cause of disease.

Chiropractors have always maintained that interfering with the transmission of the electro-chemical signals that connect your brain, the master control system for the human organism, to every organ and cell in your body has a detrimental effect on health.

This system is so delicate and of such vital importance that the body has designed the most elaborate set of protection, armor if you will, to protect it. The skull is a protective vault that houses and protects the most sensitive of systems: the eyes, the mouth, the ears and most importantly, the brain. The next critical organ in your body, the spinal cord, is guarded by your spine. This masterpiece of engineering is 24 vertebrae, each one a unique bone, that serves not only as the axis of your musculoskeletal system, giving you the unique ability to walk upright, but also has a unique set of nerves that run through it to every other system of the body through individual holes called foramen.

What travels through the spine and the foramen that protect them is the very essence of your being. From your brain, your spinal cord and the millions of nerves that branch out from it are the core from which your body functions. Before you came into the world, you formed a brain and a spinal cord and developed a body around it. And so it is today that the brain regulates the rest of your body through this delicate system of nerves protected by your spine.

Chiropractors maintain the proper position of these delicate joints and the precious cargo which they protect, your nerve system.

Pressure on the root nerves that leave the spine through the foramen to control and regulate all of the other organ systems of the body can affect millions of nerve fibers. Pressure on the brain stem, where it leaves the skull and enters the spine can also affect millions of nerve fibers. Interfering with these nerve fibers can have disastrous affects on your health.

Chiropractors detect and correct the cause of this interference, allowing your body to self regulate, adapt and heal. The care and maintenance of the spine and nervous system is a necessary component of any natural approach to health and wellness.

Chiropractors have been outspoken opponents of water fluoridation, mass vaccination, over-use of prescription drugs, food additives and have always maintained that it is better to find and correct the cause of disease, rather than merely treat or cover up symptoms.

Today, chiropractors embrace and support the growing body of evidence that health is a result of - a fully functioning nerve system, consuming natural, nutrient rich food, clean pure water, proper exercise, natural sleep and emotional/spiritual well being. A healthy spine allows your body to adapt, regulate and fully realize the benefits of all of these other natural methods of avoiding disease and achieving health. See your chiropractor today to have your spine checked and begin to extricate yourself from the disease care system of treating symptoms


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022535_health_body_chiropractic.html#ixzz2f5smYp1I

Chiropractic Care Naturally Treats Colic

(NaturalNews) Colic is defined as inconsolable crying in an infant for as least three hours a day, at least three days a week, for at least three weeks. A colicky baby typically presents with a loud piercing cry, flexed legs, tensed abdominal muscles, and clenched fingers. It typically starts around three weeks of age and lasts until around three months but sometimes lasts for as long as six months. Approximately 10-20% of babies are affected by colic. Doctors diagnose colic based on the previously mentioned "Rule of 3" and after ruling out diseases that may make a baby cry uncontrollably. Parents of infants with colic report significantly higher stress levels than parents whose babies don't have colic. The stress and frustration of trying to soothe a colicky baby may interfere with mother-baby bonding and can increase the risk of postpartum depression. In addition, colicky babies are more likely to be victims of child abuse and shaken baby syndrome. Despite the research done on colic there is no known cause, which can make treatment difficult. Chiropractic care has shown some of the best results, with 94% of colicky babies demonstrating improvement with chiropractic adjustments.

Research on chiropractic care and colic has shown significant benefits over other treatments such as dietary changes, medication, and infant positioning. A randomized clinical trial published in 1999 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that "Spinal manipulation is effective in relieving infantile colic". For this study the researchers randomly assigned infants diagnosed with colic into two groups. One group received chiropractic care for two weeks and the other group was given the anti-gas medication dimethicone for two weeks. The babies in the chiropractic group showed a 67% decrease in crying while the babies on medication showed a 38% decrease in crying.

Another study with 316 children also showed significant improvement in colic in response to chiropractic care. This prospective study used diaries from mothers of colicky babies to track the amount of crying. The three month long study showed a "satisfactory result of spinal manipulative therapy in 94% of the cases". The improvements occurred after an average of only three adjustments within two weeks.

Chiropractic care is a conservative, gentle, and very successful option for treating infants with colic. Chiropractic adjustments for infants are specific, gentle, and safe. The International Chiropractic Pediatrics Association has a database of chiropractors who work with babies and children. To locate a chiropractor visit www.icpa4kids.org/locator.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/026069_colic_chiropractic_care.html#ixzz2f5sM48VG

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Studies confirm chiropractic treatment prevents heart attacks and lowers blood pressure

Studies confirm chiropractic treatment prevents heart attacks and lowers blood pressure - The popularity of chiropractic care has grown dramatically since the middle of the 20th century. Although most people seek chiropractic treatment to relieve musculoskeletal pain, certain types of pain may be indicative of the patient experiencing a heart attack just before or during treatment.

Chiropractors should expect to have at least one presentation of a myocardial infarction, or heart attack, during their careers, according to chiropractor Dr. Dwain M. Daniel. Research indicates that regular chiropractic adjustments may prevent heart attacks, lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate, relieve chest pain and support the cardiovascular system, according to the Palmer Chiropractic College.

Studies at the College investigated the effects of chiropractic treatment on the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in reference to an analysis of heart rate variability. Findings indicated that chiropractic adjustments do reduce pain and lower participant's mean heart rate.

Additionally, anecdotal evidence indicates that adjustments of the atlas, or first cervical vertebra, may stop some heart attacks while they are occurring, according to chiropractor, Dr. Christopher Clarke of the Vibrance Family Chiropractic Center in Nashville. If a patient experiences a heart attack during an adjustment, gentle manipulation of the atlas may be appropriate and may alter the outcome; however, other emergency measures must be performed in an attempt to save a patient's life, including transport to the nearest medical facility. There are few studies on this fascinating aspect of chiropractic and additional research is necessary.

Reducing blood pressure

Chiropractic treatment also has a significant effect on blood pressure and anxiety levels, according to a study reported in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. The study examined systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels and patients' anxiety levels before and after an adjustment. In all cases, those subjects who received active treatment experienced a distinct drop in blood pressure and a decrease of their anxiety levels. Results of this study provide evidence that chiropractic treatment offers support to the cardiovascular system.

Recognizing signs and symptoms

Women are just as likely to have heart attacks as are men; however, women are less likely to seek medical treatment or attend rehabilitation during or after a heart attack, according to the Journal of Canadian Chiropractic Association. Because women are more than twice as likely to seek chiropractic care, according to Clarke, it's important to recognize the specific symptoms they may exhibit. Men tend to experience extreme pain and heaviness in the chest and left arm during a heart attack. Although women may also experience these effects, they may exhibit very different symptoms, making a heart attack more difficult to diagnose. Women often complain of neck and upper back pain, which is mild and annoying and often mistaken as a structural problem. They are more likely to be misdiagnosed because of the vagaries of their symptoms.

Other symptoms reported by women during a heart attack can range from chest pain brought on during exercise or other strenuous activity that then feels better during rest. There may be crushing chest pain accompanied by other wandering pains to the rest of the body, vague wandering pains extending down one or both arms, and difficulty breathing with shortness of breath, fatigue or weakness. They may also be fearful, anxious and in denial.

Chiropractic treatment can increase vitality, boost immunity, relieve a variety of musculoskeletal ailments and strengthen the heart and cardiovascular system for both men and women. Patients should always check credentials for any chiropractic doctor before undergoing treatment, especially if they have a history of heart disease or other related disorders. Look for an experienced doctor who performs a thorough exam before attempting any adjustments.

Saturday, January 07, 2012 by: JB Bardot
Read more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034760_chiropractic_heart_attacks_blood_pressure.html