Focus Physical Therapy - February/March 2022

Focus Physical Therapy - February/March 2022

Focus Physical Therapy Bi-Monthly

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

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Diet Disaster! I epically failed at dieting — twice. But before I tell you those stories, I should probably clarify that I’ve never gone on a diet to lose weight. Both of these diets were more about eating better, feeling good, and getting all of the nutrients I needed. I can do this vegan thing.” Needless to say, we quickly fell off the wagon and went back to our normal way of eating. Why I Failed, and How You Can Do Better

If my two failed diets taught me anything, it’s that everyone’s body is different, and everyone’s goals are different. What works for one person nutritionally might not work for another. Laura, for example, didn’t have nearly as much trouble handling the elimination diet as I did — but she’s a lifelong vegetarian, and she wasn’t training for a triathlon. Maybe you tried a diet this January and already gave up, or maybe you’re still going but feel terrible. If so (or if you want to start eating healthier but haven’t tried yet), I highly recommend consulting with a dietician. Dietitians are food experts, and they can help you figure out the calories and nutrients you need for your body and activity level. You can also get a blood or hair test to find out your food sensitivities without an elimination diet. Some dieticians will even give you recipe ideas! That information can save you from making the same mistakes I did. I’m definitely not a dietician or nutritionist, so I can’t personally give you advice on what to eat. But I do work with an amazing nutritionist named Ashley Koff to help treat patients with peripheral neuropathy, a nerve damage condition that causes hand and foot pain. Peripheral neuropathy is common in people with diabetes and a lot of my patients struggle with it, so Ashley and I have created workshops to help them. To learn more about that, open up this newsletter and check out the insert and my article on Page 3!

The first disaster was an elimination diet. My wife, Laura, thought it was a good idea for our family to see if we had any food sensitivities. I had such a hard time with this diet. It was hardcore. For the first week we could only have broth — seriously! Then, we slowly added back things like fruit, vegetables, and grains. I was training for a triathlon at the time, so I was doing a lot of swimming, biking, and running. My weight dropped like a rock! I couldn’t keep the pounds on because I wasn’t eating enough calories. Before long, I had to quit the diet completely or risk becoming unhealthy. The other diet I couldn’t hack was a vegan diet. One of my patients told me about the movie “The Game Changers,” and when my son Kaden and I watched it, we got inspired by all of the plant-based athletes. They had amazing strength and endurance, and the movie showed that a vegan diet was better for your blood. So, we decided to try it. We already eat mostly vegetarian at home because that’s what Laura likes to cook, so we figured going vegan would be pretty easy. Oh boy, were we wrong. Going vegan is hard . You usually only have one option at restaurants, and it seems like everything tasty has butter or chicken stock in it. Our breaking point came one lunchtime when Kaden and I went out to a Mediterranean place. We ordered one of the few vegan items on the menu (falafel), and it was bone dry. I needed water to swallow it! Kaden looked at me over our sad plate and said, “Dad, I don’t think

To your diet success,

–Julian Manrique

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IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH WITH FITNESS TRACKERS

your resting heart rate. With a fitness tracker — whether you’re sleeping, sitting, running, or exercising — you will know exactly what your heart rate is and what’s normal for you. This is important because it will help you notice irregularities so you can better understand your heart health. Sleep Monitoring Many fitness trackers give you insight into your sleep routine and will even track your movements so you can find out if you were tossing and turning all night. Others go further by detecting your body temperature, heart rate, and energy expenditure. You can use this information to create a sleep schedule that works for you or make any adjustments to your

Over the past decade, wearable technology has seen an incredible boom. Wearables like Fitbits and the Apple Watch used to be nothing more than glorified step counters. Since their debut, though, fitness trackers and wearables have gone through various updates that have made them essential to the fitness community as a whole. This is because wearing a fitness tracker can add great benefits to your lifestyle and can even improve your daily life. Heart Rate A built-in heart rate sensor is possibly the most vital feature available in almost every wearable device and fitness tracker. There are many exercise machines that track your heart rate, but those are only useful if you know

sleeping conditions if they are preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep. Future Updates Fitness trackers and wearable devices are still a relatively new technology. Tech companies are continually updating them and introducing additional features. For example, new wearables that are hitting the market can track blood sugar, which could be incredibly beneficial to those with diabetes. Wearable tech will continue to evolve — only time will tell what features and functions companies will unveil next.

The biggest compliment you can give us is referring friends and family. Thank you for all of your referrals, and keep them coming! We love our clients!

SUCCESS STORY

“Very happy to have found Focus Physical Therapy! The staff are very knowledgeable and explain everything they are doing so I feel a part of my recovery.” –Joann H.

“Great staff at this facility. Everyone is super helpful, efficient, and knowledgeable.”

–Janet M.

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3 Steps to Pain-Free Hands and Feet Our Solution to Peripheral Neuropathy

Do your hands and feet ache? If they hurt or tingle even though there’s nothing visibly wrong, you could have a common but overlooked condition called peripheral neuropathy. What is peripheral neuropathy? Peripheral neuropathy is a condition caused by damaged nerves in the peripheral nervous system (the part outside the brain and spine). It has all kinds of causes, including accidents, infections, and diabetes. How do I know if I have it? The biggest clues are your symptoms. Do you feel shooting pains, numbness, or tingling in your hands and feet? Do your feet ache when you put weight on them? Are they sensitive to the touch? Do you feel weak and uncoordinated? Are you diabetic? If so, you could have peripheral neuropathy. (You could also have radiculopathy, which has similar symptoms.)

If you’re not sure whether you have peripheral neuropathy, radiculopathy, or something else, come to our clinic and ask for an assessment. Our trained PTs will tell you which problem you have and ask about your goals and needs. They can also figure out your sensory loss, pain locations, balance deficits, and nerve mobilization issues, then recommend a treatment plan based on those things. How is it treated? Neuropathy needs to be addressed multiple ways, so we’ve developed a three-step system that combines exercise, anodyne infrared light therapy, and proper nutrition. Our physical therapists crafted the exercise component; we worked with Florida-based PT Dr. John McGee to source custom infrared light therapy braces; and nutritionist Ashley Koff helped us develop a diet to promote good blood flow and healthy nerves. You can choose to try just one of these solutions or bundle all three! We can even set you up with a three-month program that includes a custom app and one-on-one coaching through the Total Neuropathy Solution. Together, these treatments are incredibly effective. The brace alone can reduce neuropathy pain by 60% when used properly for 2–3 months. If you want to know for sure if you have peripheral neuropathy and/or start treatment, we’d love to see you at our Peripheral Neuropathy Workshop on Wednesday, March 16, at 12:30 p.m. Check out the insert in this newsletter for more information!

HAVE A LAUGH

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST

Inspired by DiabetesStrong.com

Ingredients

• • • •

2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 tsp curry powder

• • • • •

2 chicken breasts

2 oz mozzarella cheese, cubed 2 canned artichoke hearts, chopped 4 tsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 10 large basil leaves, chopped

1/2 tsp paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

toothpicks, seal the edges of the pockets. 5. Season the chicken with curry, paprika, salt, and pepper, then bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 F. 6. Remove the toothpicks and serve with rice, potatoes, salad, or roasted vegetables!

1. Preheat oven to 365 F. 2. Cut a slit lengthwise to create a pocket in the middle of each chicken breast. Place the breasts on a baking sheet. 3. In a medium bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, basil, and garlic. 4. Divide the mixture in half and stuff each chicken breast pocket. Using

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SPECIALIZING IN: LOWER BACK PAIN • SCIATICA • NECK PAIN AND HEADACHES HIP PROBLEMS • SHOULDER PAIN, BURSITIS, AND TENDINITIS SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY • GOLF PERFORMANCE KNEE PAIN • PLANTAR FASCIITIS • DIZZINESS AND VERTIGO AQUATIC PHYSICAL THERAPY • AND OTHER CONDITIONS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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The Smart Way to Diet (If You Want To)

Improve Your Health With Fitness Trackers Success Story The 3-Step Treatment for Peripheral Neuropathy Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Breast

Swap Fish for These Substitutes!

If you made New Year’s resolutions for your health, there’s a good chance “eat better” is on the list, including adding more omega-3s to your diet. These fatty acids have a whopping 17 health benefits, such as fighting heart disease and Alzheimer’s — that’s probably why doctors often recommend them. Omega-3s have a ton of functions. For example, they create a phospholipid layer of cell membranes to help give cells structure. There are a lot of these fatty acids in your brain and eyes, and they are critical for the cognitive development of babies, as well. Omega- 3s can also improve your heart health by reducing the amount of inflammation you experience. Just as omega-3s are important for the beginning of life, they’re equally important to help you maintain good health throughout your life as well. The most popular source of omega-3s is fish; so what if you don’t like the taste of seafood or have an allergy? Don’t Like Fish? Other Ways to Get Your Omega-3s

Here are some substitutions to consider.

1. You can add chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, and walnuts to your meals to get the needed nutrients. They are great additions to granola, oatmeal, salads, smoothies, or when mixed with milk or yogurt. You can even put them on toast with peanut butter. 2. Edamame and kidney beans are also good substitutions. Boil or steam edamame and put them in your salads or side dishes. Kidney beans are a popular side dish as well and can be used in curries, stews, or rice. 3. If you’re looking for new cooking oil, soybean oil can replace vegetable or olive oil. You can also use it as a salad dressing. 4. Eating mixed greens such as kale and spinach is beneficial as well. These greens can be sautéed with soybean oil for even more benefits. 5. If you need more of an omega-3 boost or are experiencing high levels of inflammation, there are supplements you can explore like krill oil, cod liver oil, fish oil, and algae oil.

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Do Your Hands and Feet Ache? We Can Help! Attend Our FREE Peripheral Neuropathy Workshop

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