PT 360 September 2018

PT 360 September 2018

Getting you back to the life you want to live.

360

S eptember 2018

In Touch

H alfway up the M ountain ...

drop out, then speeding to the next, and gearing down again. We know they’re not all important, nor equally important. As I mentioned to my daughter the other day when she was crazy anxious on a camp drop-off day — kind of losing her mind, then worried about me being late to my first patient when I was trying to settle her down — it’s all about priorities these days. I don’t get so much done. I wish I did accomplish more (if anybody knows of a service that will “get me” and go through my stuff and get rid of 2/3 of it without me, hit me up!). But I told her I wasn’t worried, because I was following my priorities: kid/family first, work second. I shove exercise up to third, but it’s really being alone in a clean, quiet home (that one never happens and only exists in my mind), and then whatever else is a “must do.” The rest just has to wait, and I am okay with that. My wish for you is that, wherever you are in life, you have those priorities dialed in. You know how to spend your time on things that nourish you, whether that’s reading a good book, climbing a mountain, or doing your PT exercises (made the list, right?) just to keep you doing the things you love. Because when you’re doing it right, even in the midst of chaos, it’s pretty sweet. Shelly Coffman

So, it’s my birthday month! And in my family, it’s affectionately referred to as the “birthday gauntlet,” with seven birthdays between the very end of August and the end of October. For me this year, it’s a BIG birthday. I can’t believe I’m turning 50. As I enter my next half-century, I am now regularly seeing patients born in the year I graduated high school, and it blows my mind. Every. Time. I am well-ensconced in Team “More Than 20 Years In” at PT 360, and at times, we all agree longingly that it would be nice to eat more cookies without consequence. But other than that, we’re good where we are and wouldn’t want to go back. So how does Team “No Longer Young” possibly keep up? We don’t. We know we can have fun wherever we are. After all, life is about going with the flow — and if we resist change, we just work too hard to fight it and age faster. Getting old and stale would just deny us opportunities for more fun and growth. I am glad that I am not worried about keeping up. As a mom of an almost-eight-year-old, I work hard enough to keep up with her! Ain’t got no time to keep up with trends or even the latest movies, or any other things I now deem as NONSENSE. And I’m okay with that. Getting older is both about slowing the important moments into slo-mo to suck every last sweet

For many people, no matter how trendy yoga becomes, the idea of testing the limits of their flexibility still sounds less than appealing. A fair number of first-time yoga-goers report unpleasant and distressing experiences, inwardly cringing as they watch seasoned practitioners bend into pretzels while they sit on their brand-new mats, barely able to reach their tippy toes. Take this initial discomfort and add 105-degree temperatures, and the experience goes from bad to mortifying. No matter who you are, the first time you try hot yoga, it’s likely to feel unpleasant, and this feeling may stem from the unfamiliarity of the poses as much as the sweltering heat. If you are practicing traditional hot yoga, the temperature will be set between 90 and 105 degrees. Ask 10 people the reason behind the high temperature and you’ll get 10 different answers. Some seasoned yogis tout the health benefits of this sauna-like practice, claiming that the sheer amount of sweat pouring off one’s body helps remove unwanted or unhealthy toxins. According to Yoga International, this claim couldn’t be further from the truth. While exercising in the hot room definitely increases circulation, relaxes muscles, and promotes flexibility, the notion that it creates a physical purification system is false. H ot and B othered S ome T rends , T ruths , and T enets of the M odern Y oga E ra

–-Shelly Coffman

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... continued from cover What are some scientifically grounded benefits of hot yoga? Well, biomedical researchers are exploring whether or not a natural antibiotic in one’s sweat called dermcidin can be used as a treatment for superbugs like tuberculosis and MRSA. Additionally, these researchers are studying hyperthermic conditioning, or exercising in the heat, to see how it boosts the production of the human growth hormone and ameliorates heat shock proteins, both of which can cause elevated muscle growth and promote healing properties. Healthwise, there are a lot of benefits to hot yoga, but they just don’t provide the same functions as the kidney or liver, organs that exist to rid the body of bad toxins. In addition to these physical benefits, many yoga-goers boast mental perks from being in the hot room that are grounded in the practice of asceticism, a way to transcend suffering through intentional discomfort. Contemporary practitioners might think of this as an exercise in mind over matter, perseverance, or grit.

the last decade. In fact, there are a slew of yoga Instagram influencers whose financial livelihoods depend on creating sponsored advertisements for thousands of followers. The trend has also captured the attention of many famous actors, politicians,

need refrigeration, and can last a long time — though once you start using it, it’s unlikely to sit around for very long. While ghee hasn’t quite entered the mainstream yet, it’s on the verge of becoming a kitchen staple in the U.S. The reasons why are simple: It’s delicious and better for you than regular butter. In fact, for a food that’s almost entirely fat — ghee is 99.5 percent fat, and 60 percent of that is saturated fat — it boasts quite a few health benefits. Ghee is packed with healthy fat to help your body utilize fat-soluble vitamins and minerals more effectively. It’s also a great source of vitamins A, E, and K2. And ghee is a source of HDL cholesterol, often called the “good” cholesterol. In the kitchen, ghee is exceptionally versatile in all kinds of dishes. It has a high smoke point at 485 degrees (ordinary butter has a smoke point of 350 degrees), making it The tried-and-true benefits of hot yoga rely on the poses as much as the heat. The most popular posture sequence in a hot yoga class is made up of 26 poses, and instructors usually have their students complete each pose twice. This specific series has been circulating for nearly half a century, starting with a yogi named Bikram Choudhury, who was the household name in hot yoga in the U.S. until 2013, when two sexual assault lawsuits were waged against him. Since then, many practitioners of hot yoga are creating new ways to continue the practice while distancing themselves from the infamy of the man who created it. Some of these new sessions rely on traditional yoga sequences that are more than 5,000 years old, while others incorporate fun, original ideas like yoga with goats, cats, or beer. Yes, there are real classes where you can perfect your downward dog while hanging out with baby goats. Of course, in the classes that contain farm animals or alcohol, the temperatures are kept cool for safety reasons. The popularity of these nontraditional classes emphasizes the exponential growth in the yoga industry in

and musicians, including Ellen DeGeneres, Barack Obama, Jennifer Aniston, and Matthew McConaughey.

Yoga wasn’t intended to be an embarrassing or a painful experience, but as with any new activity, there is always a learning curve. Reaching your own nirvana takes time and repetition, and in some cases, beer and cute animals. If you tried a hot yoga class and were absolutely miserable, you are not alone. The unpleasantness usually dissipates over time, but if you find that hot yoga isn’t for you, look up yoga classes with goats or cats instead; they might even smell better than all the sweat anyway.

W hy Y ou N eed to I ncorporate G hee I nto Y our C ooking

perfect for sautéing and frying. It makes an ideal replacement for vegetable and canola oil in recipes. You can even use it in place of coconut oil. You can find ghee at most grocery stores, though it’s most readily available at specialty grocers. You can also make it right at home. All you need is a pound of high-quality butter (organic, grass-fed is best) and a saucepan. Bring the butter to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer. The butter should foam and bubble, and then the foam should disappear. Continue simmering the butter until it foams a second time. This means it’s done! The butter will be a golden color, and brown milk solids will sink to the bottom of the pan. Pour it through a fine wire-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a heatproof and airtight container.

Butter makes it better, but ghee makes it grand.

For hundreds of years, cooks throughout the Middle East and India have known about the magic of ghee. They cook with it, spread it over bread, and use it as a sauce. Ghee is a type of clarified butter. The butter is simmered for a longer period of time than standard clarified butter in order to render out as much water as possible. Then the remaining milk solids are strained away.

The resulting ghee has a rich, nutty flavor. Even better, ghee is shelf-stable, doesn’t

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The food you eat plays a major role in how your body functions on the cellular level. Some foods can wreak havoc on your body, while others can make you feel great. This is especially true when it comes to that all-too-common ailment, inflammation. F oods T hat C ause and R educe I nflammation F ind the R ight F ood B alance

Salmon: As a source of healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is one

They don’t work. In fact, the only way to detox is to let your liver do its job. When you consume alcohol, it’s harder for the liver to pump out the toxins in your body. When it can’t do its job properly, the result is inflammation.

Here are a few examples of foods that lead to inflammation:

of the best protein choices for people with inflammatory conditions, or for those who want to keep inflammation at bay. Broccoli: One of the most nutritious and easily accessible vegetables around, the little green buds that cover the tops of broccoli are loaded with anti-inflammatory compounds.

Sugar: One of the biggest culprits behind inflammation, sugar is far worse than eating fatty foods. It’s best to skip foods that have added sugar (and this includes sugar of any kind, including corn syrup, fructose, and sucrose). Many manufacturers now label food with more specific kinds of sugar to hide the fact that they added sugar to their product. Be sure to read labels carefully! Refined carbs: Basically anything made from white flour falls into this category, including bread, pasta, baked goods, and cereals. Research suggests that refined carbs may be a bigger contributing factor than fat in obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Alcohol: Too much alcohol puts a burden on your liver, an organ that helps flush toxins out of the body. You know all of those detox diets?

Now, for the good stuff. Eat these foods to reduce inflammation:

Blueberries: Many studies call blueberries one of the best fruits you can eat to ease symptoms of inflammation. These blue orbs of goodness are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C,

polyphenols, and so much

more. Eat a handful every day!

P anzanella LATE-SUMMER

Panzanella, a Tuscan favorite, is a salad that features hearty chunks of bread instead of leafy greens as its base. What could be better for a late-summer cookout?

Ingredients

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced • 1 cucumber, sliced into rounds • 20 basil leaves, chopped • Salt, to taste • Vinaigrette

• 1 small loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups) • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 2 large tomatoes, cubed • 2 red bell peppers, seeded and cubed

MOM'S MONTH! The kids are back in school, which means it's time to take care of the moms! For the month of September, we are offering

Instructions

FREE 30-minute discovery screens to help the moms get feeling great!

1. In a large sauté pan, set to medium-low heat and add olive oil. Add bread and 1 teaspoon salt, and toss often for 10 minutes or until toasted. 2. In a large bowl, mix vegetables and herbs. Toss in bread and your favorite vinaigrette and mix again. 3. Serve immediately or let sit 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.

If you or a mom you know needs our help, come see us!

Schedule today! (503) 248-0360 [email protected]

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Long commutes will always be a pain in the neck, but the discomfort doesn’t have to be literal. Developing stiffness or soreness in your upper back and neck is all too common in the driver’s seat. It’s annoying at the time, and repeated incidents can lead to more chronic problems down the road. Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take to prevent this pain from developing behind the wheel. M ake A djustments If you frequently experience neck pain while driving, the position of your seat and mirrors may be the issue. Ideally, you want the back of your driver’s seat to be almost straight, at about a 100-degree angle to the seat. If you find yourself leaning forward to reach the steering wheel from this position, shift the whole seat forward. In older cars without built-in lower back support, it’s a good idea to slide a small pillow between your back and the lower part of the seat. Halfway up the Mountain ... Have You Tried Hot Yoga? Page 1 Start Using Ghee in Your Cooking Page 2 The Best and Worst Foods for Inflammation Late-Summer Panzanella Page 3 3 Steps to Staying Pain-Free in the Car Page 4 I nside T his I ssue

E asy R ider A void N eck P ain W hile D riving

After you have your sitting position figured out, make the necessary adjustments to your mirrors. You should be able to glance at each with minimal head movement. Constantly bobbing or craning your neck to see what’s behind you is a surefire way to develop neck and shoulder pain. S tay in the C lear A dirty windshield can be just as bad as poorly adjusted mirrors. Having to lean forward to see when sun and dust cut your visibility causes stress as your neck muscles accommodate. In general, poor vision is a consistent source of these sorts of aches and pains, so it’s a good idea to ensure you have the right pair of glasses (including shades) every time you drive. L et O ff the G as Normally, good sitting posture entails having both feet firmly planted on the floor. Drivers don’t normally have that option unless they literally put the pedal to the metal. During

long drives on the highway, cruise control is a great option to give your feet a welcome rest. Otherwise, pull over to take a break and stretch your legs if you feel your neck beginning to tense up. There are also preventative measures you can take to avoid pain and discomfort before your next road trip or traffic jam. If you find yourself haunted by chronic neck, back, or shoulder pain no matter how long you drive, it may be time to contact a trusted physical therapist. These may be signs of more serious issues, but physical therapy can help you live and drive pain-free again.

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