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What is a Functional Nutrition Program?

Are you looking to address imbalances with your nutrition? End the dieting cycle that uses unscientific facts that make your health worse! If you’re health-conscious, we have the perfect functional nutrition program for you!

Many people eat for their health and well-being, but what happens when you get all the food you need? Thirty-two million people in the US alone suffer from food sensitivity. If you want a diet based on functional medicine that caters to your needs, keep on reading.

The prevention-oriented approach is the best way to care for your health. A functional nutrition program can address imbalances and prevent them in the future! So, read on to discover more.

What is a Functional Nutrition Program?

The alleged perfect diet that’ll make you lose weight in a magazine might be another diet fad. There is no “best diet” that fits all. We have to take into account things such as genetics, lifestyle, and environment.

A functional nutrition program takes a holistic approach when creating a plan of attack. Bio-individuality is something to take into consideration when making a functional nutrition program. These unique characteristics actually determine your nutritional needs.

Functional nutritional programs account for your individual physiological makeup. There’s no one size fits all good food groups or bad groups. This program gives you a wide variety of food groups that gives you the nutrition your body needs.

Pros of a Customized Nutritional Program

Functional nutritional programs become determined by your unique physiological needs. This also takes into account your lifestyle and environment. Addressing these factors makes it easier to practice compared to traditional restrictive diets.

A customized nutritional program also caters to your specific food sensitivities. Certain food sensitivities such as gluten or seafood allergies can be factored into your diet. Removing a food group or any food containing one ingredient can deprive you of nutrients.

This helps you create a workaround against obstacles you have from sticking to your diet. Catering to your lifestyle means you get the nourishment you need for your day-to-day life.

How to Practice Functional Nutrition Program

The first step is to get a qualified health practitioner. People such as nutritionists, dieticians, and health coaches can give you a program. From then, they will have an intake interview and give you a program that suits your unique needs.

There are several important areas of functional nutrition programs. Each practitioner might give you a different set of instructions. One of the main things you’ll be doing is getting healthier food.

Healthier foods are real, whole foods, and having a healthy balanced diet. A mix of nutrient-dense foods and vitamins will be the recommendation for you. An essential part is knowing that nutrition is also improved on and off your plate.

Improving nutrition off the plate means decreasing your stress level. Reducing your stress levels will lessen your intake of unhealthy food. Being healthy with decisions on and off the plate is a sure way to reap the benefits of your program.

Get Your Functional Nutrition Program Today!

End the dieting cycle and stick to a diet that’s suited for your nutritional needs. Learn more about why a functional nutrition program is the best way to reach your health goals. Share this article with your friends and start your functional nutrition program today.

Are you wondering how to get a nutritionist to help with your functional nutrition program? Contact us today and get a consultation from our licensed nutritionists and dieticians. We’ll help you live a healthier life and reach your nutritional goals!

May 10, 2022
How to Develop a Chiropractic Wellness Lifestyle

There is an opioid crisis in America. Between 21% and 29% of people prescribed opioids develop an unhealthy habit. That’s one reason why more Americans choose complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) over conventional care.

Chiropractic wellness is one option within this CAM category. Chiropractic medicine is inherently holistic. Rather than focusing on a specific symptom or body part, chiropractors consider the entire system and its interrelated parts.

To learn more about how chiropractic wellness can impact your health for the better and how to cultivate this for yourself, keep reading below.

The Chiropractic Discipline

The chiropractic discipline is a holistic one. It specializes in the human musculoskeletal system, however, it considers how the body functions as a whole.

Chiropractors use their hands to manually adjust joints, soft tissue, and the spine. The foundation of this method has roots in the practice of bonesetting, something that is ancient in the East and is still very popular there today.

Chiropractic Wellness Care

Chiropractic wellness care differs from conventional medicine because it is proactive and preventative. Most people only go to the doctor when something is wrong and they want treatment to fix it. Wellness, however, has to do with caring for our bodies as a daily practice.

Chiropractic wellness involves a licensed chiropractor routinely examining their patients for the misalignment of the spine and other body parts. The chiropractor then treats the misalignment, or subluxation, so that the body part returns to its natural anatomical position.

When a body part is out of alignment, it affects bodily functions. It often interferes with natural processes and causes pain or other conditions, like headaches. Practicing chiropractic wellness and receiving regular chiropractic adjustments prevents this from happening.

Chiropractors also have other tools at their disposal. Some provide physical therapy in their office as well. Additionally, they may have electrical stimulation devices or use heat and ice therapy.

Cultivating Chiropractic Wellness

A professional chiropractor can also recommend lifestyle options to improve their patients’ wellness lifestyle at home. These may include diet options, stretching or exercise options, and even the use of portable medical devices like a TENS unit.

In terms of stretching or exercise, there are many yoga poses that a chiropractor may recommend. For example, poses like cat/camel, bird dog, or mountain pose may reduce back pain. They are also very simple and can be done without any equipment.

A TENS unit can also be used at home. This unit provides electrical stimulation to the nerves, reducing pain signals sent to the brain. A chiropractor can also provide instructions for heat or ice therapy at home.

Of course, it’s also important to eat for wellness. A healthy diet generally consists of lots of leafy greens and limited alcohol, red meat, and refined sugar.

Professional Guidance

Chiropractic wellness involves a routine of healthy choices at home combined with regular chiropractic care. Many forms of American health insurance recognize chiropractic care and cover a percentage of the cost.

If you’re interested in following a chiropractic wellness lifestyle, contact us to book an appointment with one of our professional chiropractors.

May 3, 2022
3 Key Qualities to Look for When Finding a Chiropractor

There are around 70,000 chiropractors in the United States. Many people will experience back pain or another chiropractic ailment sometime in their life, and they have many practitioners to choose from. But how do you make the best decision on which professional to choose?

While reviews are an excellent place to start, you should consider a few key characteristics. Read on to find out the three most important qualities to look for when finding a chiropractor.

1. Educated

One of the most important tips for finding a chiropractor relates to their education. Not only do they need to have a great base education, but they also need to keep up with their studies. There are many areas for them to stay in tune with, including the nervous system, muscular systems, exercise, nutrition, and the spine.

Chiropractic techniques and practices are ever-evolving as we learn more and more about the human body. To get the most up-to-date and efficient care, they need to keep up with changes so they may implement them. Staying on top of current topics means that they need to regularly attend workshops, go to classes, and review research on the latest treatments.

2. Passionate

As obvious as this may seem, many people can become stagnant in their jobs. Losing the zest for practicing chiropractic often leads to less effort put into their work. Even when someone once loved the career they entered, they can lose interest.

When it comes to hiring a chiropractor, you’ll want someone who is clearly passionate about what they do. They will be more driven to give you the best care and treatment. You won’t be just another number on their list of things to do!

A good way to gauge if they are passionate about their work is to ask how they got into the career or ask why they love it now. It’s usually quite easy to tell if someone is devoted to their job based on their answer.

3. Strong Communication Skills

When visiting a chiropractor or any medical professional, you’ll want to see how their communication skills are. Do they make you feel comfortable? Do they listen to what you are saying to them? Do they communicate well back to you and speak in a way that you understand?

These are incredibly important aspects for maximizing your treatment. When you understand each other, then you can both take the appropriate steps to ensure you are on the right path to recovery. Also, take into consideration how flexible they are with their treatments if you’ve brought up any concerns.

Key Qualities When Finding a Chiropractor

These are just a few of the most important qualities when finding a chiropractor. Be sure that you are noting these qualities as you visit with a chiropractor for the initial visit or read their online reviews.

Don’t worry about being too picky. This is your health, and you should have control over it!

Are you looking for the right chiropractor in Colorado? Contact us today to get help from our amazing team!

April 19, 2022
Top 3 Incredible Ways Functional Nutrition Can Help Your Mental Health

More than 80% of Americans have diets that are low in fruits and vegetables, which means that most people are not meeting basic dietary requirements. This means your brain may not be getting the nutrients it needs. That is where functional nutrition can help.

Functional nutrition focuses on eating in a way that optimally benefits both your physical and mental health.

Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of functional nutrition, as well as some nutrition tips to get you started.

What Is Functional Nutrition?

Functional nutrition, an aspect of Functional Medicine, focuses on using food as medicine and eating beneficial foods to support and maintain a healthy body. Holistic in its approach, it’s a unique way of locating the underlying cause of the symptoms – the thing that is causing the illness, intestinal discomfort, or other physical issues. Once identified, it targets the root cause through personalized meal plans aimed to enhance your personal health and prevent future symptoms from appearing.

Top 3 Benefits of Functional Nutrition

The benefits of functional nutrition range from overcoming ailments to improved mental function. Below are three ways that functional nutrition can improve mental health.

1. Better Food, Better Mood

In many cases, higher consumption of junk food can lead to higher risks of depression and mood disorders. Avoiding processed and refined foods can reduce inflammation in the body and improve mental cognition.

High levels of fat and trans fats can cause oxidative damage. This imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body can cause long-term cell and tissue damage.

Artificial sweeteners, in particular, have been shown to negatively affect your mood. Packing your diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats can begin to reduce those pesky sugar cravings and clear the mental brain fog. Over time, those foods will be a source of energy and keep you satiated throughout the day.

2. A Healthy Gut Means a Healthy Mind

There is growing evidence that draws a direct connection between the health of the microbiome in your gut and the health of your brain. An imbalance of good bacteria in your gut has been linked to brain fog, memory, and even depression. The cause of the imbalance is associated with a lack of crucial nutrients, ones that are naturally available in fruits and vegetables.

In addition to whole, unprocessed foods, choosing foods that help supply the body with probiotics, such as sauerkraut, kombucha, miso, or anything else that has been fermented, is important.

3. Brains Foods Are Real

Just like every other part of your body, your brain depends on what you eat for fuel. If you’re eating for optimal brain health, it’s important to include complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and fatty acids.

Fatty acids, like omega-3s, are exceptionally vital for the brain and can be found in foods like salmon, flax seeds, and walnuts (nature even made these look like a brain!)

Put These Nutrition Tips to Use

These are the first steps on how to eat in a way that promotes mental health and brain function. But everyone’s body behaves and reacts differently. At our Littleton clinic, we perform an extensive blood panel to see just how your body is functioning. From the results, we are able to provide customized holistic recommendations to address your individual health and nutrition needs. We can only reach overall health when we’re looking out for our physical health as well as our mental health.

If you want to learn more, don’t hesitate to contact us today.

April 12, 2022
3 Sure Signs You Should Absolutely Visit a Chiropractor

Do you wake up with aches, pains, or stiffness in the morning? Are you less inclined to engage in certain activities because of the way your body feels or the limitations it possesses? Do you find yourself saying, “I guess this is just something that I have to live with”?

If so, the question to ask yourself is: “Could visiting a chiropractor help me”?

Going to a chiropractor can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never been, so how do you know if it’s the right healing modality for you and your body?

Below are three signs that you could benefit from visiting a chiropractor.

1. You’re Pushing Past the Pain

Pain is how the body alerts you to an injury, whether superficial or severe. It’s a warning that something isn’t quite right in the body. All too often, we are accustomed to ignoring these signals, dismissing the nagging discomfort. However, untreated pain can trigger the body’s fight or flight response, putting unnecessary stress on the nervous system.

Pain can occur in different locations and can generally be described as either acute or chronic. Acute pain comes on and goes away suddenly with no apparent cause, while chronic pain can last longer than six months.

Take a moment and think about the location of your pain. Pain in the lower back or neck can indicate spinal subluxations – misaligned vertebrae that cause disturbances in your nervous system – which can be improved with the help of a chiropractor.

If you’re experiencing physical pain or discomfort, consider the possibility of relief, and don’t delay in contacting our Littleton clinic to schedule an appointment.

2. You Have Regular Headaches

Another sign that you could benefit from visiting a chiropractor is if you suffer from frequent or chronic head pain. Headaches and migraines can be caused by many things, including stress, dehydration, or sleep deprivation. However, if you find yourself reaching for over-the-counter pain medications for frequent headache relief, it’s time to seek more effective treatment.

In many cases, headaches come from prolonged tension in the neck and upper back muscles. This pain can also stem from misalignment in the spine, which puts additional pressure on the neck and head.

Chiropractic adjustments can significantly assist in reducing the frequency and severity of your headaches and have even been proven to eradicate them over time.

3. Your Flexibility and Mobility Are Limited

Another key indicator that you should visit a chiropractor is if you have limited mobility and flexibility. Do you find it hard to bend over, sit on the floor with your children or grandchildren, or exercise without discomfort? If so, then chiropractic care can help.

Your body’s movement is centralized around the fluidity of your spine. When the spine is in poor alignment, your muscles and joints are not able to properly do their job.

Practices like daily stretching or yoga can help to improve flexibility and mobility, but they may not be enough to address the deeper spinal issues. Your muscles will work overtime to keep the body out of pain, even if that means keeping your body out of proper alignment. A visit to the chiropractor can help realign the vertebrae, allowing the muscles to relax their grip and you to move with more ease.

Stretching and chiropractic care complement each other beautifully. When you combine these two practices, you will begin to see wonderful improvements in your body’s range of motion.

Don’t Wait to Visit a Chiropractor

Going to a chiropractor can be a life-changing experience. Not only can regular visits help reduce physical pain (chronic and acute), but you will experience more mobility, flexibility, and better overall health.

Why wait? Contact our Littleton clinic today to schedule your first appointment.

April 5, 2022
3 Ways You Can Truly Benefit from Neurofeedback Therapy

Anxiety, depression, ADHD, and other mental conditions plague many people in the United States. But did you know that there is another way to find relief without medication?

Neurofeedback is an effective therapy for those who struggle with these disorders.

Keep reading to discover more about neurofeedback therapy and three incredible ways you can benefit from this alternative treatment.

What Is Neurofeedback Therapy?

Neurofeedback therapy is a drug-free approach that teaches the brain to create new, healthy neural pathways. By measuring and analyzing the brainwaves across your entire brain using computer technology, the problem brainwaves causing the issue are targeted.

Then, through operant conditioning (a learning process that strengthens the desired behavior), you can begin to control and change how the brainwaves function. There are many ways to train and influence these neural networks, including through games, music, or videos.

The goal of neurofeedback therapy is to get to the root of the issue, tackling the condition at the source instead of focusing only on the symptoms. And it can help you change your brain for the better with lasting effects.

What Are Three Benefits of Neurofeedback Therapy?

There are many benefits to receiving neurofeedback training. Below you’ll discover three of those benefits.

1. Reduce Dependency on Medication

The standard of care for anxiety, ADHD, and depression is to prescribe medication to alleviate symptoms. However, neurofeedback therapy can also help reduce the symptoms by correcting any asymmetrical brain waves. Training will bring more balance to the brain and support mood regulation. Continued therapy can result in a reduced or eliminated need for medications.

At our Littleton clinic, you can begin your journey to living a sustainable and medication-free life. We can help regulate your brain patterns and positively change your mood levels through this safe, effective therapy.

2. Experience Little to No Side Effects

Neurofeedback is like physical exercise for the brain. It is a safe alternative to medication with minimal adverse effects. Fatigue, slight headaches, and tiredness are the most common side effects of a training session.

3. Improve Brain Function

Studies have shown that neurofeedback therapy helps improve overall brain function. The structured and repeated practices positively alter the brain networks and improve cognitive functions.

As you continue the therapy, you will receive feedback on your brain’s activity. When changes occur in the brain, it is rewarded to reinforce healthy brain functions. Over time, your brain will automatically choose healthy neuropathways.

Visit Dr. Dody’s Clinic to Receive Neurofeedback Therapy in Littleton, Colorado

Dr. Dody is an experienced practitioner and thrives on providing holistic care. His treatments have improved the quality of life for many people suffering from anxiety, depression, ADHD, memory loss, and autism.

Start receiving the benefits from Neurofeedback Therapy today! To schedule an appointment, click here or contact us at (303) 794-1737.

March 29, 2022
Yoga and Spinal Health
When many of us in the western world think of yoga, we think of contorting our bodies into odd, seemingly impossible shapes. In reality, yoga has nothing to do with fancy poses or impressive flexibility. Yoga means to yoke or unite. At its core, the goal of yoga is to unite the breath with movement, which consists of moving the spine in six directions.

The six directions are:
- Flexion and Extension – rounding and extending the spine
- Right and Left Rotation – twisting the spine
- Right and Left Lateral Flexion – side bending
These ranges of movement will help prevent stiffness, improve flexibility, and promote longevity of the spine.

What Exactly Is A Healthy Spine?

The spine is designed to provide both stability and mobility through the core of your body, your torso, and your limbs. As you age, a healthy spine is essential to maintaining a vibrant lifestyle. By keeping the spine strong and flexible, it will increase your range of motion, promote better posture, a stronger core, and improve balance.

A healthy spine allows the nervous system to function effectively, ensuring that all systems of the body are communicating properly. A strong and flexible spine also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which means that the body is in a state of rest. This state increases the body’s ability to endure and navigate stress more efficiently – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

What Yoga Poses Work Best for Spinal Health?

Yoga doesn’t have to be intimidating, it can be easy. Moving through a full set of spinal exercises can take less than 5 minutes. And they can all be done standing or even sitting at your desk.

It doesn’t matter what you look like or how flexible you are. Think Function over Form. Follow the guidance of your body and do what feels best.

Flexion and Extension

Cat and Cow pose

Rotation

Twist to the right, then left

Lateral Flexion

Side bend to the right then left

How Does Yoga Help Your Spine?

Moving your spine in six directions every day will not only increase spinal mobility and strength but improve the overall health of your spine. A healthy spine allows the nervous system to operate optimally and communicate effectively will all systems of the body.

How Does Chiropractic Care Help Your Spine and Your Yoga Practice?

At our Littleton, CO chiropractic clinic we specialize in a gentle, specific chiropractic technique call Koren Specific Technique (KST). Specific adjustments help with motion in the spine as well. Your spine has 2 major functions. First is to protect the spinal cord. Second is to keep you upright, also known as your posture. Stresses cause shifts in segments of your spine or even curvatures of your spine. These shifts are what we call subluxations.

Subluxations not only cause lack of motion, they can also affect the brain-body connection. Our goal is to find these interferences and correct them gently. Once your spine is moving properly it can help out your yoga practice.

The saying, “Motion is Life” could not be a truer statement. Keep your motion and enhance your life.

If you would like to find out if you have subluxations (interference) please schedule a consultation at our clinic today. We use state-of-the-art nerve system scans to find out exactly where your issues are at. Let us help you thrive!
March 8, 2022
Neurofeedback & Panic Attack Help: A Quick Guide for Therapy in CO
Did you know that 6 million adults in the United States, or 2.7 percent of the population, had a panic disorder in the past year?

As a human, it’s pretty acceptable to feel a little nervous at times. On the other hand, people with anxiety disorders tend to worry and fret excessively about routine events and daily situations. Anxiety disorders are frequently characterized by recurrent severe anxiety and dread attacks that can affect one within minutes.

These are called panic attacks. These anxiety and panic attacks disrupt daily activities, are difficult to regulate, are out of touch with the reality of the situation, and can linger for an extended period.

Are you suffering from panic attacks? Do you need panic attack help? Let’s learn more about neurofeedback therapy can help with panic attacks.

What Is Neurofeedback Therapy?

Neurofeedback therapy uses behavioral modification to train the EEG or brainwaves. It’s a non-invasive technique that ‘re-wires’ the brain to work in a better, more optimal way. Neurofeedback therapy can improve brain function and performance without the use of drugs and their nasty side effects.

Neurofeedback therapy is:
- Non-invasive
- Very easy
- Painless
- Unharmful
- Has no side effects
- Drug/Medication free
How Can Neurofeedback Help Panic Attacks?

Neurofeedback therapy teaches your brain to stay calm and limits your stress response. By using audio and visual feedback, you can shift the neuropathways and learn to manage the panic responses. The training results in a decrease of anxiety-induced episodes, both in length and frequency.

Additionally, with enough practice, your brain will naturally maintain these healthier brainwaves. It has been shown to lower anxiety significantly, even allowing people to taper off prescribed medications under the supervision of their doctor.

How Does Neurofeedback Work?

The basics of Neurofeedback are pretty straightforward. The brain communicates between clusters of cells, generating:
- Thoughts and patterns
- Feelings and sensations
- Actions and emotions
This therapy measures the brain activity and ‘re-trains’ the brainwaves – electrical impulses of activity in the brain – to respond in more beneficial ways. You can also use it to learn how to improve the overall health of your brain activity.

During a neurofeedback session, electrodes monitor your brainwaves, allowing you to observe your brain in operation. A computer analyzes your brain activity against targets or objectives that you have set for yourself.

Through behavior modification, sounds and pictures immediately inform you when your brain has reached your objective and when it has not. It does this whether you are stimulating or repressing the specific area of the brain.

This easy method teaches you to reduce anxiety and improve brainwaves linked with good brain function. Much like physical workouts grow and develop specific muscles, mental activities strengthen and develop your brain.

How Long Does It Take for Neurofeedback to Work?

The duration of each neurofeedback training package is determined by the patient’s condition, age, and overall health. Every brain is different, and there are no cookie-cutter answers for how long it will take to work.

When it comes to anxiety there is no quick treatment, but it isn’t impossible to overcome. It typically takes anywhere from 40-50 sessions to see favorable, long-lasting results. However, you may experience fewer symptoms in the first 20 sessions, but it is rare to have resolved the issue entirely at this point.

Start with a free neurofeedback evaluation with Dr. Dody and we can discuss how this training can help your symptoms.

Contact us if you’d like more information about Neurofeedback Therapy or how we address panic attack help at our Littleton clinic.
March 2, 2022
ADD Therapy: How to Improve Symptoms Without Drugs in Colorado
Many adults and kids suffer in work and school from the acute restlessness, impulsiveness, and difficulty multitasking that comes with ADD or ADHD. Neurofeedback therapy can be the answer to ADD issues, to find out more read this article.

Attention Deficit Disorder is often associated with the inability to concentrate; however, it can come with additional mental, behavioral, and physical health risks. Mentally it can appear as anxiety, depression, and rejection dysphoria. Behavior risks have been known to include eating disorders and substance abuse. And in the physical body, ADD can increase stress, cause insomnia, and significantly reduce metabolism, resulting in obesity.

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD or ADD, you’re likely looking for ways to help them manage the symptoms. Medication is the most common treatment, but not only are those pills expensive, but they also have serious side effects and can be easily abused if they get into the wrong hands.

Luckily, there are other ADD therapies that don’t require doctor-prescribed medication. Neurofeedback therapy has been heavily researched and is one of the most successful alternatives.

Below we’ll explain what neurofeedback is and how it can benefit you or your child.

What is Neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback therapy is a drug-free, non-invasive, and fun approach that can help alleviate and even eliminate the symptoms of ADHD and ADD.

You most likely know that the brain acts like a computer, creating patterns based on repetitive actions – thoughts and experiences shaping the way our minds process information. For example, when we are consistently rewarded for good behavior, our brain equates the action with the reward.

Neurofeedback capitalizes on this idea. While medication changes brain chemistry, neurofeedback focuses on retraining the brain to utilize optimal brain pathways.

By using a computer and software to monitor brainwave activity, the program locates the preferred neuropathway and gives a reward in the form of light or sound. The brain will begin to recognize that particular brainwave/neuropathway as beneficial, repeating the action in an attempt to get a second reward.

Over time, neurofeedback therapy can rewire the brain to behave and react like someone without ADD/ADHD. The brain learns to use the rewarding pathways instead of the ones used by the disorder.

And these results are often permanent!

What Does ADD Neurofeedback Therapy Look Like?

At our Littleton CO clinic, we offer a free, no-obligation consultation. During this consultation, you will talk with Dr. Dody, and he will answer all your neurofeedback questions.

If you decide that neurofeedback therapy may work for you, then your next visit will look something like this:

First, we’ll hook you up to our computer, which measures brain waves using a full-head cap with sensors. This brain map will confirm if this training will help.

Second, Dr. Dody will go over your brain map report and let you know the following-
- What is going on?
- Can neurofeedback help?
- How many sessions will you need?
- How much will it cost?
Treatment involves wearing headphones and looking at a screen. Movies, images, or sounds play when your brain uses the neuropathways we’re targeting. You or your child won’t have to do anything other than watch a show—painless, non-invasive, easy, and fun.

We also offer an at-home training option which means you can do your or your child’s sessions on your schedule and not ours. When you call to schedule your consultation, let us know that you are interested in our home training equipment.

The body and mind are intricately connected; one affects the other. Consider combining your ADD therapy with our chiropractic care for added benefit and optimal health.

Click here to schedule your consultation today!
February 23, 2022
Breathing Techniques for Reducing Stress
Did you know that by simply breathing mindfully you can reduce stress and mental anxiety? There is a simple breathing technique that can help you with stress.

Conscious breathwork, known as Pranayama, is an ancient practice and can be found in the Yoga Sutras, a text that dates back 5,000 years. Defined as the practice of controlling the breath or life force energy, it is one of the most beneficial practices not only for the physical body but also for easing the mind and emotions.

Pranayama is considered to be a vehicle for the life force that animates our human form, an energy that is infinite and everywhere. During pranayama, you are able to harness and control this life force energy through controlled breath.

How Does Pranayama Work?

When the physical body is in a state of stress or mental agitation, the breath tends to be contained in the upper chest area. Physiologically, when the breath is limited to the top 25% of the lungs, it triggers the sympathetic nervous system. This is the “fight or flight” response, which increases stress levels.

However, when you focus on your breath, mindfully inhaling and exhaling, you are able to draw the breath into the lower portion of the rib cage. When your breath can flow into the lower 75% of the lungs, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated. You’re then pulled out of ‘fight or flight’ and into a state of ‘rest and digest.’ In this state, your body and mind believe that you’re safe and protected and can let go of their grip, let go of stress and begin to relax.

Pranayama Benefits
- Puts the body into a state of rest and digest
- Reduces stress
- Calms nerves
- Helps focus the mind
- Eases anger
- Helps with insomnia
- Reduces blood pressure
- Increases intellectual acuity
- Aids in the ability to better deal with confrontations and daily upsets
- Balances the left and right sides of the body and brain
Pranayama Techniques

There are a lot of different breathing techniques, but the Balanced Breath is one of the most accessible and effective methods. It tells the body that you are safe and activates the parasympathetic nervous system.

This breath technique brings balance to the body and mind by bridging the:
- Inhale and Exhale
- Right Brain and Left Brain
- Creative Side and Analytical Side
- Feminine and Masculine
- Receiving and Giving
- Moon Energy and Sun Energy
A How-To Guide to the Balanced Breath

First, keep the natural rhythm of the breath. Don’t force it, let it flow with ease. Embrace wherever you are.

Then draw your attention to your inhale – is it short, shallow, or the opposite? Slowly count the length of your inhale. It might be 3 or 4 or 5 seconds. This is your starting point.

This count will undoubtedly change from day to day. The breath can be affected by outside experiences, emotions, food, stress, and so many other factors. Some days will be better than others.

Once you have your inhale count, bring the exhale to the exact same count, so that both your inhale and exhale are even. Feel the rise and fall of each breath. Slow down your breathing, it’s not a race. This practice is meant to be calming and relaxing.

Breath in and out evenly through the nose for 5 rounds. Then try to bring the inhale a fraction deeper into the rib cage and add one count to both the inhale and exhale. Hold this for 5 rounds.

With practice, your lung capacity will increase, stress will decrease, and your body will find prolonged harmony in the state of rest and digest.

Along with breathing, if you want to find out how your body is dealing with stress check out our state-of-the-art scans.
February 14, 2022