FEBRUARY 2016

N E W S L E T T E R

Hey everyone,

It seems like the beginning of January was just yesterday, and now here we are about to start February. It’s amazing how time flies! This is always a reminder as to why we should step off of the proverbial treadmill and savour all the moments in our lives. Time is something we can never get back so we should consider it one of our most valuable assets.

As usual, this month’s edition of the newsletter is packed with great information on how to achieve and maintain optimal health, peak performance and pursue your version of personal greatness! Last month we had a great article by our own, Dr. Jo-Anne Mina, Naturopathic Doctor, who gave us insight into an insidious enemy that is often linked to chronic pain - inflammation. This month, she gives us some great recipes to help fight inflammation while enjoying the foods we love. Check out February’s ‘Supplement of the Month’ following the recipes. This month features vitamin D which is super important, especially at this time of year in Canada. To follow this we have two articles that address issues that have likely plagued many of us on our quest for better health and fitness: an article on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) written by our physiotherapist, Shannon Wightman, and an article on muscle cramps written by our chiropractor, Dr. Felicity Morrell. Finally, we would be doing you a disservice if we didn't tell you about all of the extra workshops and events that are going on around the clinic to help you achieve life balance. Check out our highlights section on the last page of our newsletter to see what’s going on!

Until next month, take the time to smell the roses while being relentless in the pursuit of your personal greatness and what brings you joy!

Alvin Brown CEO and Founder - TCHPP Integrated Peak Performance Consultant & Personal Greatness CoachSpeaker and author: Journey to Personal Greatness: mind, body and soul

Supplement of the Month - Vitamin D A majority of our vitamin D is produced from exposure to sunlight, so the Canadian winters can leave many of us deficient in this essential nutrient. Vitamin D is necessary for absorbing calcium to keep bones and teeth functioning optimally. It also plays a role in muscle, nerve and immune system function.

Always remember to consult with your healthcare practitioner before beginning any new supplement regimen.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY RECIPES Dr. Jo-Anne Mina | naturopathic doctor

Call to book your FREE 20 minute consultation to find out if supplementation is right for you! 905 420 4325

Maca Energy Elixir

~So it’s a new year and your resolution is to cut down on your caffeine addiction. Instead of a coffee, why not indulge in this MACA ENERGY ELIXIR. It’s caffeine, gluten, soy, dairy and sugar free and also helps to balance hormones while boosting your libido. What more could you ask for?

INGREDIENTS

- 1 cup almond milk - 1 tbsp cacao powder - ½ tsp cinnamon (optional) - 1 tsp maca powder - cayenne pepper (dash or two) - 1 tbsp coconut oil - 2 tsp raw honey (can adjust to liking)

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients together in a pot. 2. Lightly boil and blend with hand blender. 3. Enjoy!

Chicken Broth

~Winter has definitely arrived and soup couldn’t be more desired than during this cold season. This CHICKEN BROTH recipe can be used a base for any other homemade soups, when liquid is needed to cook gluten-free grains or can just be consumed in a mug with some turmeric and coconut milk. The best part of this recipe – it’s excellent for healing the gut!

INGREDIENTS

- Giblets and carcasses from 2-3 chickens (also bones saved from a night of wings)

- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar - 2 medium yellow onions, roots cut off and halved - 4-5 carrots, washed and cut in half (or about 2 cups of baby

carrots) - 6-8 celery stalks, washed and cut into thirds - 6-8 cloves of garlic - 3 bay leaves - 1 tsp salt - 1 gallon cold water (enough to cover the ingredients)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place chicken giblets and carcasses into a big stock pot. Add enough water to cover the bones (approximately 1 gallon) and the apple cider vinegar. 2. Cover and bring to a boil on top of the stove, then turn down the heat to keep a low simmer for 24-48 hours. Stir once or twice in the first few hours, and then stir at least a couple of times over the next couple of days. 3. Add the vegetables, garlic, salt and bay leaves to the pot. Increase heat to bring back up to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. 4. Cook for 4-8 hours more, stirring every hour or so. Let simmer with lid off for the last 2-3 hours. 5. Strain all the ingredients by pouring bone broth from one pot to another through a colander or strainer 6. OR…you can just throw everything into a crock-pot and cook on low for 24 hrs, which can make things much easier.

WHAT IS DOMS? physiotherapist

Shannon Wightman| integrated peak performance consultant clinical director

So how can I ease my DOMS symptoms?

Clinical trials have yet to provide good evidence based treatments for DOMS, however, I have found many patients get symptom based relief from:

• Light activity - This may seem counterintuitive, but often times doing some light cardio gets the blood flowing which decreases soreness and stiffness, and improves flexibility.

• Epsom salt baths • Ice • Gentle massage • Anti-inflammatory medications as advised by your doctor or

pharmacist • Hydration - Make sure to stay hydrated before, during & after

workouts. Dehydration has been thought to make symptoms worse. • ***Tumeric - Studies published as recently as 2015 have shown that

the use of tumeric helps to decrease the pain and improve muscle recovery associated with DOMS[3]

For a large percentage of us, January is the month when we get back into the routine of eating well and being active after the break of the holiday season. If you are anything like me, you have probably experienced some muscle soreness at some point over the past few weeks as a result. The phenomenon of muscle soreness following activity is referred to as DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness. So what exactly is DOMS? Why do we struggle walking down the stairs or sitting down in a chair after a gruelling workout? Why does it hurt so much?

Internal Chemistry

The human body is an amazing organism. Every moment of everyday there are chemical reactions occurring in the body that are in charge of doing things like producing energy, digesting food and even moving your limbs in a coordinated manner to walk across the room. Everything we do hinges on our internal chemistry. After starting a new activity or increasing the frequency or intensity of an activity, there are small microtears that occur in the muscle tissue in response to the increased stress placed upon them. Though these tears are seemingly small in scale, the body launches a series of chemical reactions to respond to the injury. This series of chemical events is called inflammation.

Where does the pain come from?

Part of the inflammatory process includes vasodilation of the blood vessels to allow plasma and white blood cells to enter the area so they can clean up and repair the damaged tissue. This causes the event we know as swelling. When there is increased fluid in any area of the body, there is a resulting increase in pressure put on receptors in that area - including pain receptors. Thus, we feel pain. The injury to the muscle itself also stimulates the pain receptors residing in the tissues, and again we feel pain. And finally, the chemicals released in the body during the repair process can also contribute to the sensation of pain - these compounds include hisamine, prostaglandins, and potassium.[1] [2]

Concentric vs eccentric contractions

A concentric contraction is the shortening of a muscle during loading, while an eccentric contraction is the lengthening of a muscle during loading. Let’s look at one example… During a biceps curl, a concentric

contraction of the biceps muscle occurs as you bend your elbow and are bringing the weight towards you, while an eccentric contraction of the biceps occurs as you are straighten your elbow and you are lowering the weight. So what does this have to do with DOMS you ask? DOMS is has been found to be significantly worse with activities that involve eccentric contraction of the muscle. That means if you are focusing on slowly lowering weights, are walking/running downhill or jumping you will likely experience more soreness associated with DOMS.

Characteristics of DOMS

The symptoms of DOMS usually occur between 24-72 hours after activity, depending on the individual. Most people report that their muscles feel sore and tender to the touch, stiffness, decreased flexibility, decreased strength and/or swelling. The discomfort associated with DOMS is usually worse with activity when compared to rest.

1 Cheung, K; Hume, P; Maxwell, L (2003). "Delayed onset muscle soreness: treatment strategies and performance factors". Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) 33 (2): 145–64.

2 Armstrong, RB (August 1990). "Initial events in exercise-induced muscular injury". Medicine and science in sports and exercise 22 (4): 429–35.

3 Nicol LM, Rowlands DS, Fazakerly R, Kellett J. “Curcumin supplementation likely attenuates delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).” Eur J Appl Physiol. 2015 Aug;115(8):1769-77. doi: 10.1007/s00421-015-3152-6. Epub 2015 Mar 21.

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tchpp.com journeytopersonalgreatness.com

Skeletal muscle cramps are abrupt, painful, involuntary muscle contractions that can last seconds to minutes. They most commonly affect the quadriceps (front of the thigh), hamstrings (back of the thigh) and calf (back of the leg). Muscle cramps can occur in many other areas of the body such as the arches of the feet, back and hands. Following a muscle cramp you may feel general tightness in the tissue or even a hard bulge.

The most common causes of muscle cramps include dehydration, overused and injured muscles. The majority of experts agree that true muscle cramps are caused by overexcitement of the nerves that stimulate the muscles.

Dehydration causes muscle cramps when the mineral balance in our bodies becomes disrupted. The most common mineral imbalances leading to muscle cramps include potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium. One of potassium’s roles in our bodies is to transmit nerve impulses and help muscles contract, therefore, low potassium levels in our body can contribute to muscle cramps.

Low blood levels of either calcium or magnesium directly increase the excitability of both the nerve endings and the muscles they stimulate. This is believed to be a predisposing factor for muscle cramps. Cramps occur when there is a reduction in the availability of calcium or magnesium in body fluids, such as taking diuretics, hyperventilation, inadequate calcium and/or magnesium in the diet, insufficient calcium absorption due to a vitamin D deficiency, amongst other factors.

Cramps that result from prolonged exercise in the heat are usually a direct consequence of dehydration i.e. too much loss of sodium (sweat) and not enough fluid replacement which in turn leads to an electrolyte imbalance resulting in a muscle cramp.

If you experience a persistent muscle spasm, it may be due to a protective mechanism following an injury. When this happens, the spasm acts to reduce movement and stabilize the injured area. In addition, injury of the muscle alone may cause the muscle to spasm.

Vigorous use of muscles and muscle fatigue (in sports or with new activities) are commonly associated with muscle cramps. These cramps may occur during the activity or later on, sometimes many hours after activity. Similarly, muscle fatigue from sitting or lying down for an extended period of time in an awkward position or any form of repetitive use of the muscles can cause cramps.

Some of the easiest ways to help prevent muscle cramps include reducing or altering the offending exercises that trigger cramps, staying hydrated, warming up and stretching the muscles and discussing diet and supplementation with your Naturopathic Doctor.

MUSCLE CRAMPS Dr. Felicity Morrell|chiropractor

integrated peak performance consultant

HighlightsTCHPP has ongoing programs that have been

designed to keep you moving towards your full

potential...

JOURNEY TO PERSONAL GREATNESS: MIND, BODY & SOUL

Are you on the road to mediocrity, or are you on track to personal greatness? To guide your search for your personal power, Alvin Brown partners with you along the journey. He provides a blueprint for the path to life balance and self-mastery in Journey to Personal Greatness. By learning how to integrate mind, body, and soul, you will discover that you have the energy and power to make ''whatever you affect that much better when you leave.'' Health, family, career-you can have them all. Journey to Personal Greatness will teach you how to balance the six life essences: mental, emotional, physical, chemical, material, and spiritual. In practical and simple steps, Brown leads you through the process to achieve and maintain peace and balance. Leave behind the fast-paced treadmill of life, and step onto the track of life change. Lose the mediocrity mindset, and find personal greatness.

Journey to Personal Greatness is now available online on Amazon, Indigo/Chapters, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million. Copies are still available at the clinic for $20.00. Get yours today!

Journal to Personal Greatness is now available at the clinic as a supplement to Journey to Personal Greatness: mind, body & soul. Journals are $20.00 including HST.

Highlights TCHPP has ongoing programs that have been

designed to keep you moving towards your full

potential...