How Acupuncture Helps With Weight Loss

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Acupuncture is an ancient Asian technique that involves stimulating pressure points on the body using extremely thin needles. Acupuncture has been gaining in popularity throughout the world and is now even recommended by many mainstream medical professionals. While acupuncture is most commonly used for pain relief, it can also help people who want to lose weight.

How Acupuncture Assists With Weight Loss

Weight loss involves many factors, including your genetics, your eating habits and your level of activity. Your metabolism and hormonal activity also plays a part when it comes to your weight. Stimulating the right acupuncture points can have a beneficial effect on your metabolism. Acupuncture also releases endorphins, which helps you relax produces feelings of well being. This can make it easier to resist the temptation to eat fattening foods.

Typical Acupuncture Treatment for Weight Loss

An acupuncturist might insert needles that stimulate meridians affecting the stomach and digestive system. The ear is also frequently used in acupuncture. There are points on the ear that are related to both appetite and metabolism. Stimulating these points may help reduce your appetite while speeding up your metabolism. An acupuncturist who practices Chinese or other types of Asian medicine may also suggest certain herbs to aid with weight loss to complement the acupuncture treatments.

Acupuncture Must be Combined With Diet and Exercise

While acupuncture can assist with weight loss, it’s not a solution that will work all by itself. It’s also necessary to reduce your caloric intake and get regular exercise. Acupuncture, however, can make these tasks easier by reducing stress, stimulating your metabolism and helping to control your appetite. A good acupuncturist will suggest lifestyle changes to help you reach your weight loss goals.

Mainstream medicine is just beginning to understand the benefits of acupuncture for many health conditions. When used in conjunction with other methods, acupuncture can be an effective tool in your weight loss program. Acupuncture is a safe modality that has no dangerous side effects.

To learn more about how acupuncture can help with weight loss or to book a session, call Oliver Chiropractic Wellness Clinic at [sc name=”tel-ocwc”]

3 Ways To Stay Active – Choose One

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friends on bicycles

My goal as a family wellness chiropractor is to help my patients live a life full of energy and not be limited by pain. I’ve been in practice now for over 12 years and I can tell one thing. If my patient’s don’t actively stimulate their bodies with movement and exercise, they will have a harder time feeling better. There can be a large gap between wanting to be more active and actually being more active. Here are 3 solutions to consider. (Click here to watch video on 3 Ways To Stay Active)

1) HIRE A PERSONAL TRAINER

There’s a difference between how you believe you are standing and moving vs what you are actually doing. It’s difficult to understand the difference of what we are doing and what we think we’re doing without someone watching us. This is where a personal trainer becomes invaluable. Having someone who is trained to understand how your body should move with exercise can mean the difference between success and injury. Injuries increase the chances of you becoming less motivated because you don’t want to hurt yourself; which is valid because who wants to hurt themselves?

When it comes to personal training, you have options. If you are new to the gym, you may be able to find deals and packages for both personal training and gym membership. There’s typically some sort of promotion going on so shop around. You can hire a personal trainer and train at city or community gyms. This option may be a little cheaper than brand name gyms depending upon your use of the community or city gym. Also, community and city gyms may offer other amenities such as pools, tracks and child care that may be valuable to you.

Watch Video: OCWC presents Marked Improvement Personal Training:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j33bKR0jMXE

2) FITNESS CLASSES 

Fitness classes can be a great way to keep yourself on track. Maybe you join a class with your friends or co-workers. Maybe over the course of time you get to know some of people in your group fitness class. In either case there is a greater potential to be motivated and held accountable by the group. Whether that accountability is real or perceived doesn’t really matter as long as it keeps you on task towards your goal.

Fitness classes can be relatively inexpensive to purchase and there are many to choose from. You can try group spin, yoga, Pilates, Zumba, kettle bell, yoga/Pilate fusion, dance, barre, aqua aerobics classes and much more. Sometimes your existing gym membership allows you drop in on some of these classes which can be a great way to mix up your workouts.

Be sure to discuss any difficulties you have performing movements with your class instructor. In some cases you may need to consult a health care professional; to address any problems that may limit your enjoyment and positive progression with your choice of exercise class.

3) JUST DO IT

Just choose to be active and make decisions that will allow you to be more active. Yup it’s that easy. Well it isn’t but the self talk you have with yourself will make all the difference in the world.

Maybe you have a history of physical activity. Life and “responsibility” can sometimes dominate and push other healthy activities out of the way. If this is the case, finding the time can be the biggest challenge. So, decide to start small. Maybe you start by deciding to take a walk every morning, afternoon or evening. Maybe you would prefer to cycle or jog. Just start with one thing and decide to be consistent.

Sometimes you need to have serious conversations with yourself. Find out what you want from yourself or what you want to give yourself and use that as motivation. Don’t be afraid to talk out loud to yourself. You know “get out of bed and workout because……” or “go straight to the gym, fitness class or park because……”. For me, I tell myself that I can not be there for the people I love, enjoy the things I love if I don’t have my health. Now only you can fill in the blanks with something that means something to you. Good Luck.

Dr. Kent Ferguson
Oliver Chiropractic Wellness Clinic
www.ocwc.ca
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