Focus Physical Therapy - October/November 2021

Focus Physical Therapy - October/November 2021

Focus Physical Therapy Bi-Monthly

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021

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949.709.8770

The Best Football Day of the Year I ’ve been looking forward to Thanksgiving for a solid three months now, and that anticipation comes down to three things: Lake Tahoe, football, and my mother-in- law’s pecan pie. We’re Doing Family Thanksgiving in Lake Tahoe!

Laura will actually sit down and watch NFL and college games with me (read more about our family’s fun connection to local NFL players on Page 3). Macy is the only holdout, but I have high hopes of converting her into a superfan one day! Kaden does a great job on the field, and I’m proud to see him out there playing free safety and running back. But watching his games gives me a new appreciation for the athleticism of the pro players we see on Thanksgiving. They do all of the same things as the high schoolers, but with bigger bodies and at higher speeds! It’s amazing that even more of them don’t end up in PT clinics like mine.

My in-laws aren’t really into sports, but they know how much I love football, so every time we spend Thanksgiving with them, they always make a point to put the games on. It’s a nice gesture that makes me feel like part of the family. I’ve been a huge Steelers fan ever since I was a kid. My cousin, Nelson, introduced me to the team sometime in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s, and they were prominent enough at the time that the affiliation stuck! The Steelers are still my team today. Fortunately, they’ve had a pretty good record over the years, so I don’t have to be as embarrassed about rooting for my childhood favorites as some of my friends are. For a long time, no one was very interested in watching football with me other than Kaden. I converted Laura from a 49ers fan to a Steelers fan when we got married, and even Macy will wear a Steelers jersey on game day, but they weren’t really into football until a couple years ago. That’s when Kaden started playing on his high school team, the Eagles. Now that he’s involved in the game,

Of course, I’ll enjoy seeing my family, too, but I get to spend time with them every year! What makes this Thanksgiving special is that we’re traveling up to Lake Tahoe for the week instead of visiting my parents or my in-laws at their houses. Laura booked us a timeshare with a kitchen in it so that we can make Thanksgiving dinner right there on vacation. Hopefully her parents will drive up over the mountain from Sacramento to join us for Turkey Day. I can’t wait to spend the week hiking and biking with Laura, Kaden, and Macy. We have our fingers crossed that there will be at least a few open trails after this summer’s awful wildfires. If there aren’t, we’ll still find plenty to keep us busy in the timeshare — like watching football on what I hope will be a big screen TV.

As much as I love football, my favorite way to enjoy it isn’t from the field. It’s from the comfort of my couch surrounded by family with a slice of my mother-in-law’s pecan pie in hand. (Pecan beats pumpkin every time.) There’s no better way to spend Thanksgiving, and I can’t wait! Focus Physical Therapy • Call 949.709.8770 • 1 –Julian Manrique

THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR ALL How to Cook for Diabetics and Vegans on Turkey Day

raw vegetables and hummus, roasted nuts, shrimp cocktail, or a cheeseboard.

Alongside family and football, food is often the highlight of Thanksgiving. But if you’re cooking dinner for a large group, crafting the perfect menu can be difficult. Veganism and vegetarianism are more popular than ever, and it can be frustrating finding dishes that everyone can enjoy — or even eat at all, in the case of a diabetic friend or family member. Luckily, there are plenty of options to create an amazing meal for any group of diverse diners. Diabetics Thanksgiving is a stressful time for anyone who monitors their blood sugar. Sweet potato casserole and sugar-packed pies can tempt even the most diet-conscious diabetic. But undereating can be as unhealthy for diabetics as overeating, so it’s important to include appetizers in your Thanksgiving menu. Healthy options include

For the main meal, turkey is fine if you hold off on any brown sugar or honey glaze. Green bean casserole is safe as well, and stuffing can be included as long as you use whole-grain bread. For dessert, parfaits made with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, and sliced almonds are healthy and tasty and can round out the perfect meal. Vegans The best thing about cooking Thanksgiving for a vegan is that there are plenty of substitutes for classic dishes. Vegan turkeys are available at most grocery stores. It may not look like your traditional turkey since there are no bones, but it still cooks and tastes like a turkey. If a vegan turkey is

out of the question, you can try making a mushroom Wellington or roasted cauliflower as a replacement. For side dishes, vegan macaroni and cheese and roasted Brussels sprouts are easy and safe. As for dessert, most grocery stores carry a variety of gluten-free and vegan desserts at their bakery, such as nondairy ice cream and flourless cookies, that taste similar or identical to their gluten-filled, non-vegan counterparts. The holidays are a great time to come together, and with these options, you can make everyone feel included in the celebration.

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

“This is by far the best physical therapy office you could ever go to! Julian is amazing! He has so much skill and knowledge to help you improve and make your quality of life better, not to mention he is funny! I first came to him 5 years ago in a wheelchair, and now I am walking completely on my own and have gained so much strength with his help. The whole rest of the staff is also great and very friendly!” –Lauren Thum

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Julian’s NFL Connection Meet the Players of Orange County!

I said on Page 1 that my son, Kaden, and I love football, but what I didn’t mention is that he’s been lucky enough to work with several retired and soon-to-be NFL players right here in Orange County. Kaden goes to a local Christian high school, and a former Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers player helps out his football team with their strength and conditioning. He also has a daughter around Macy’s age, so our family knows him that way. Last year, his kindness made Kaden’s whole 2020. Because of the pandemic, Kaden couldn’t play football last year, but he still wanted to stay in shape and ended up reaching out to him to check in. The gyms were closed, so he invited Kaden over to work out in his home gym! I’ll never forget how excited Kaden was when he got back that night.

“The whole time we worked out in his garage, I could see his Steelers and Bears helmets on the wall!” he told me. “It was like getting a one-on-one personal training session.”

That wasn’t Kaden’s only celebrity football encounter. The famous NFL quarterback brothers Jordan Palmer (formerly of the Washington Football Team) and Carson Palmer (formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals) grew up in Mission Viejo. Jordan still runs quarterback camps here. He brings in kids to catch balls for the quarterbacks in training, and Kaden was one of them! Through those camps, he has been able to work with current, future, and former NFL quarterbacks like Josh Allen , who is playing for the Buffalo Bills right now. The Palmer brothers, Josh Allen, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas , and Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith are some of the best players to ever come out of our area. I love watching these local legends on screen, and I feel lucky to walk the same streets they once did! Hopefully they come home in retirement and bring their NFL wisdom to another generation of football players.

–Julian Manrique

EASY CRANBERRY- APPLE SALAD

HAVE A LAUGH

Inspired by CookieAndKate.com

Want the taste of fall without the calories? Try this quick and easy salad, topped with homemade apple cider vinaigrette.

For the salad: • Ingredients

For the dressing: •

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup dried pumpkin seeds

• • • •

1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• •

5 cups salad mix

1 1/2 tsp honey

2 Granny Smith apples, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

• • •

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. In a skillet over medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds until fragrant, then set aside. 2. In a small jar or bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients, then set aside. 3. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing until lightly coated, then toss and serve!

Focus Physical Therapy • Call 949.709.8770 • 3

30212 Tomas, Ste. 120 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, USA

949.709.8770

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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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Julian’s Family Heads to Lake Tahoe

Thanksgiving Dinner That Everyone Can Enjoy Success Story

Julian’s NFL Connection Easy Cranberry-Apple Salad

Traveling With Kids Made Easy

Bon Voyage! Traveling With Kids Made Easy

Have a Quality Strolle r You won’t understand how helpful it is to have a good, quality stroller along with you on vacation until you have one. If you are visiting a theme park or other outdoor area or sightseeing on foot, you’ll thank yourself later for bringing along a lightweight, foldable, and reliable stroller. Bring the Snacks Nothing is worse than hungry, cranky kids! Before your trip, it’s a good idea to take the kids along with you to the store to pick out an abundance of their favorite snacks — this adds a level of excitement for them too! Going out of town with kids is never an easy feat, but these tips can help create a trip to remember this holiday season! Bon voyage!

Time Is Your Friend When putting together a vacation itinerary, allow for lots of extra time in between events. The one thing about kids is that you never know when someone will need to use the bathroom, be sick, throw a tantrum, or need your assistance. Everything takes longer with kiddos! You can even set a false deadline for when you want to leave the house to ensure you get out on time. Charge Up Make sure all of your electronic devices are charged up well before you leave. You should also have some games and movies downloaded to entertain your children in the car or airplane. Even though most airlines have TVs, it’s better to always be prepared — and don’t forget the headphones!

The holidays are here, and that calls for some cheer! However, traveling with your kids can be a hassle, especially while trying to remain healthy and safe! Getting out of town should be fun and exciting, so here are some tips to make traveling a little easier and less anxiety-inducing. Unruly kids don’t stand a chance with these tricks! Departure Matters Aim for late morning or early afternoon when booking flights or deciding what time to hit the road. The last thing you want is the added stress of being late or hitting rush- hour traffic when you’re already worrying about making sure everyone packed the essentials. Also, waking the kids up super early for travel can be difficult, and nobody wants grumpy children.

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We are offering 25% off our laser therapy services! October Is Physical Therapy Month! A PHYSICAL THERAPY MONTH SPECIAL OFFER

In celebration of physical therapy’s many benefits, we are extending this limited offer to the first 12 callers! Valid Through Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021 — Call Now!

When you get injured or are experiencing chronic pain, the healing process may seem to take forever. Laser therapy is a safe, noninvasive, and effective technique that utilizes therapeutic doses of light to target deep tissues. This jump-starts a biological cascade of events that will promote healing and also relieve pain. Jump on the fast track to healing and pain relief. Claim your 25% off offer today! Call us at 949.709.8770.

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