Physical Therapy Isn't Just a Broke-Fix Model

PT Stands for Personal Training, Not Just Physical Therapy
Meet Steve. He's a professional ballroom dancer who needed to work on his core and improve his agility. Not only has he physically improved through personal training sessions with PTA Tim Russell, but he has also seen positive results on the dance floor. Steve is entering Nationals this coming week with the hopes of placing in the top 3. Please enjoy the testimonial from Steve in this link. If you'd like to improve in your physical profession, or just improve your overall wellness, contact Gold Medal Physical Therapy today!!!

Home Allergy Remedies

Now that spring is upon us, we hear people start to complain about their allergies. Sore throats, itchy eyes and runny noses become the norm and seem impossible to get rid of.  Many times, a simple prescription for an allergy medication doesn't quite rid you of all symptoms. So, here are some home, natural remedies that may help relieve you of annoying allergies.

• Change your Diet: avoid eating raw foods, eat yogurt and other probiotics, stick to a low-salt diet and increase your consumption of Omega-3s.
• Herbs: there are several herbs and supplements that have been shown
• Neti Pots: using this, you use a saline solution to rinse your naval cavity which flushes out allergens and loosens mucous.
• Local Honey: eating honey produced by bees in your region can help to relieve your allergies. Bees transfer honey everyday, so eating a little bit of honey everyday will help to rid you of the irritating effects of pollen.
• Steam: instead of standing in a steaming shower, pour boiling water into a bowl, drape a towel over your head and inhale the steam deeply for 5-10 minutes.
• Eucalyptus Oil: can help to open nasal passages and sinuses due to its strong aroma. Simply add a few drops to a bowl of steaming water or the floor of the shower before you step in.
• Tea: the menthol in peppermint tea is a natural decongestant and expectorant helping to break up mucous and clear it out of your nose and throat.

Don't let your spring allergies take over! Give some of these a try to give yourself some relief. If one doesn't work, try another!

Weekly Meal Prep

As March and National Nutrition Month are coming to a close, here is a post to help you plan out weekly meals and make it easy for you have healthy meal prepared and ready to eat throughout the week.

The key to healthy eating is planning and preparation. Without doing so, you are forced to eat on a whim. When life gets busy and hectic, we tend to resort to eating for convenience which could mean fast food, microwavable meals and pre-packaged, processed foods. However, we can avoid this by taking one day a week (Sunday is a great day for this) and preparing meals for the entire week. Or, prepare for the first half of the week and then take another day mid-week to prepare some more meals. 

Some simple meal planning tips and ideas: 

• Cut up fresh vegetables and fruit: Keep pre-cut veggies and fruit in your refrigerator for quick snacks to have while preparing your dinner or to grab to put in your lunch for the day.
• Cook meat in bulk for the week: chicken breasts, ground turkey, pork chops: Pre-cook whatever your favorite meat is for the week. Pair it with some vegetables and brown rice or quinoa for a week of healthy lunches.
• Pre-make salads to grab-and-go: Salads can be time consuming to put together every morning for lunch. Pre-make them and store them in glass mason jars to quickly grab every morning for your work lunch. 
• Overnight oatmeal or chia pudding: Are you always in a hurry in the morning and grab unhealthy items for breakfast? Prepare oatmeal or a chia pudding the night before, so all you have to do in the morning is eat! Try this overnight oats recipe and this chia pudding recipe.
• Egg casserole: Another quick week morning breakfast is an egg casserole. Simply bake on the weekend, then cut a slice and heat up each morning. Doesn't get easier than that!
• Pre-bagged smoothies: These can be used for snacks, breakfast or lunch depending on your preference. Simply place your favorite smoothie ingredients in a bag and place in the freezer. When ready to eat, throw in your blender with some almond milk and you are ready to eat!
• Portion out nuts and nut butters for snacks: Nuts and nut butters are a great snack, but can easily be eaten in portion sizes that are too large, resulting in unneeded fat and calories. To avoid this, porition out these snacks according to the portion size on the package.
• Homemade granola bars: Although this may seem time consuming, it really can be quicker than you think and will be worth it when you save money buying unhealthy snacks for a cheaper, healthier snack. Here are some great recipes to try!

Need some more ideas or motivation?? Talk to one of our health coaches!

"Savor the Flavor of Eating Right"

The Academy and Nutrition and Dietetics made this year's National Nutrition Month motto "Savor the Flavor of Eating Right" to encourage Americans to eat right while truly enjoying the experience of food. Whether that be in social situations or family dinners on a daily basis, you should enjoy the food you're eating while still making it healthy. Below are some tips and suggestions for "savoring the flavor" that the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics suggests. 

•  Appreciate food pleasures and flavors: rather than eating mindlessly, take the time to really enjoy and savor your food. Not only can this help to enjoy your food, but you will eat less because you are taking your time and noticing how your body is filling up.
• Develop a Mindful Eating Pattern: how, why, when and where is just as important as what you are eating. Developing a mindful eating pattern can help your reset both your body and your mind to help you live a healthier life. 
• Consult a Registered Dietitian: a registered dietitian can help educate and guide you in your food and diet choices while keeping your tastes and preferences in mind. Dietitians are able to separate diet facts from fads and guide
• Enjoy Food Traditions and Social Experiences: Prioritize family dinners and learn to appreciate the food traditions that come along with social gatherings that are important to you. 

Taking the time to truly incorporate these into your life will help you develop eating habits that are good for you, but also allowing you to enjoy your food and not feel deprived from social events and foods that you enjoy.

Healthier Easter Basket

Are the holidays a time when you and your family struggle to stay on track with healthy eating? Between big meals and copious amounts of treats, holidays are a hard time to maintain healthy eating habits and control portion sizes. However, keep your family happy and healthy this year with a healthier Easter Basket! Here are some ideas to fill your basket with healthy items that are still considered a "treat". 

• Fruit and Nut Butter: place an apple and banana in the Easter basket with some nut butter packets for a sweet and salty treat that also gets in a serving of fruit.
• Dark Chocolate Covered Fruit: make homemade chocolate covered strawberries and pineapple using dark chocolate chips.
• Fruit Snacks: look for fruit snacks made from real fruit.
• Individual Dark Chocolate Pieces: rather than throwing a candy bar into the mix, add small, individually wrapped dark chocolates to control portions and add in some antioxidants that come from dark chocolate.
• Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs: use this recipe for a healthy, but delicious version of peanut butter eggs that everyone  loves. 
• Filled Plastic Eggs: rather than filling with candy, put in small amounts of money or homemade granola.
• Hard Boiled Eggs: to make this item more fun, used dyed Easter eggs.
• Granola Bars: these are great, healthy alternatives as long as it has a good, low-sugar ingredient list.

Other than healthy edible treats, you can also include items that promote being active and healthy that are still fun for your children and family. 

• Sidewalk Chalk: this is a fun activity for kids to get outside and enjoy nice weather and move around.
• Jump Rope: not only is jumping rope a great form of exercise, but children can play multiple fun games with jump rope without feeling like they are "working out".
• Small Fitness Gear: things like resistance bands, light dumbbells or TRX straps are great for Easter baskets.
• Gift Cards: Gift cards are great, and older kids will appreciate them more than candy. Gift cards to their favorite store, restaurant or movie theater are perfect for an Easter basket.

Processed Food's Role in the Diet

Normally when we think of processed foods, we think of them being bad for us and something that we should avoid in our diet. While this is true a lot of the time, there are some processed foods that have a place in a balanced diet. However, there are still things to look for when eating any sort of processed food.

Different types of processed foods include:

• Minimally processed foods: cut up fruits and vegetables
• Canned foods or packaged produce: processed and packaged at the peak of nutritional value to maintain the nutrients before it is consumed. 
• Added Ingredients: items such as jarred sauce, salad dressing, yogurt and cake mix have added ingredients for flavor and texture that make them processed and more unhealthy. 
• Heavily processed foods: ready-to-eat foods that include things like chips, crackers and other packaged snacks and treats.
• Most heavily processed: frozen and pre-made meals such as pizza and TV dinners are the most heavily processed foods and are filled with additional sodium, sugar and fat for flavor and texture. These are the foods

The most important things to remember when trying to monitor the addition of salt, sugar and fats in our diets is to read nutrition labels and be able to recognize ingredients that have been added for flavor and texture. Also being able to notice the amount of sugar, sodium and fat on a nutrition label is very important in making your diet healthier and staying within the recommended amounts of these components. 

Reducing Sugar, Sodium and Saturated Fat

With it being National Nutrition Month, we are trying to provide you with nutrition topics of all sorts to help you make small, lasting changes to your diet and lifestyle.  Part of the new dietary guidelines, is too limit the intake of added sugars, sodium and saturated fat due to the fact that a majority of Americans follow a diet that is too high in these components. The Dietary Guidelines want people to stay away from food and beverage with these components and take the time to find creative and nutritional ways to add flavor to foods. Which is a great thing to do, but how do we go about actually doing it? 

Sugar: it is recommended that we consume less than 10 percent of calories everyday from added sugars and that foods and beverages without added sugar should be chosen over other, sugary choices.

• Read food labels. Choose foods without added sugars on the label such as high fructose corn syrup, dried cane syrup, evaporated cane juice, molasses, brown rice syrup honey and maple syrup.
• Drink water instead of sugary beverages like juice and soda. 
• Choose snacks with no added sugar. Choose things like plain yogurt and fresh, natural fruit. 
• Eat smaller dessert portions. Taking just one or two bites is usually enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

Sodium: the dietary guidelines recommend no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. Most sources of sodium consumed by Americans comes from salt added during commercial processing and preparation. Sodium is added to a lot of food, so it is important to check labels and buy low-sodium products. 

• Buy canned and foods with reduced or no salt added.
• Buy fresh meats and seafood rather than processed.
• Cook meals from scratch to control the amount of added salt.
• Flavor foods with citrus, herbs and spices rather than salt. 

Saturated Fat : it is important to know about the different kinds of fat and replace high intake of saturated fat with unsaturated fat. 

• Saturated fats are found in foods such as meat, butter, cheese and whole milk. Unsaturated fats are found in foods such as oils, fish, nuts and seeds.

Are your sugar, salt and fat intakes under control??

Springtime Exercise

Now that the weather is warmer, it is the perfect time to get outside and get active. And, this does not mean that you have to go outside for a run, or even a walk! It simply means getting outside to get some movement in a way that you enjoy. It is easy to burn calories and get in steps by doing things such as gardening, mowing the lawn or picking weeds. The movements of bending over, twisting, stretching and reaching keep you moving and burning calories without having to do a form of exercise that you do not like. 

However, as the weather does get warmer and we are outside more, there are precautions to take so that we do not overdo it or injure ourselves.

• Warm up and stretch before engaging in outdoor activities/chores
• Build endurance gradually: don't increase your usual activity by more than 10% at a time
• Don't limit physical activity to just the weekends: try to get at least 30 minutes a day
• Be kind to your back when doing yard work: bend forward carefully and at the knees
• Use your leg and stomach muscles when lifting
• Take frequent breaks: especially if you have not exercises recently or on a regular basis
• Stay well hydrated: drink water regularly and even more if you are sweating a lot
• Protect your skin from sun damage: apply at least 30 SPF yo your skin at least 30 minutes prior to going outside and reapply every couple of hours. Wear a wide-brimmed hat that covers the ears, face and neck.
• Pay attention to your body and how you are feeling: if you start feeling dizzy or feel any type of pain, stop and take a break.

5 Lunge Variations to Try During Your Next Workout

Remember the lunge as the exercise of the week in January?? Well, there are many variations to that exercise that can work your muscles in a new and challenging way. While doing basic, stationary lunges is still a beneficial exercise, you can take it up a notch by changing it up to one of these five options. 

• Basic Lunge: while stationary, perform lunges on each leg. 

• Stationary Barbell Lunge:  taking the basic lunge up a notch by adding a barbell. You can either place the barbell on your back, or hold it in the front rack position. This is a great movement for building glutes, hamstrings as well as the quads and core.

• Medicine Ball Side Lunge: this type of lunge will help target your inner and outer thigh, not just the quadriceps muscles. Pair this with the basic lunge and you have a great lower body workout!

• Overhead Lunge: the overhead lunge is one that works the entire body, especially the core and shoulders! By holding a weight over your head, you are able to increase the strength in your upper and lower body as well as increase the power and speed in your legs and improves balance. 

• Backwards Lunge: a backwards lunge is similar to the basic, forward lunge, but provides a little bit more balance and stability. So, those who have balance issues or are just starting an exercise program, a backwards lunge may be the place to start!

National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month! 

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics celebrates national nutrition month every March to teach both kids and adults about food, nutrition and healthy living. 

The point of dedicating a month to nutrition is to stress the importance of making informed food choices and sound eating and physical activity habits. Through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, they are able to promote to the public the most valuable and credible source of information. 

Seeing that being overweight is a risk factor for pre-diabetes that affects 86 million Americans, nutrition is a very important topic for all people to be aware and knowledgeable of.

For 2016, the theme for Nutrition Month is "Savor the Flavor of Eating Right". This theme stresses to take time to enjoy food traditions and appreciate the pleasures, great flavors and social experiences food can add to our lives. It promotes having a mindful eating patter that includes nutritious and flavorful foods. 

Some more simple tips that the Academy give to get better nutrition include the following:

• Eat breakfast
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
• Watch portion sizes
• Fix healthy sizes
• Get to know food labels
• Follow food safety guidelines

Look out for more nutrition tips the rest of the month!

Food-Related Behavior Change

When trying to lose weight and become healthier, many people think that it is all about willpower. Being able to stay away from foods we love and not eat as much as we are used to. But, in some instances, it may be easier to change your eating environment rather than change your mind. We tend to be too focused on the food and not on our surroundings. Willpower is hard and has to last a life time. So why not makes changes to our homes, workplaces, schools and grocery shopping rather than trying to change our minds and they way we think?

There are a lot of simple changes we can make that will help us eat less and eat healthier. So, why torture ourselves with tempting foods when we can just change the environment of which the food is in. Here are some simple (some may seem too simple) changes to make when trying to lose weight and be healthier. 

• "In sight, in stomach": we eat what we see, not what we don't. If foods are not visible, we are less likely to indulge in them.
• Rearrange your cupboard, pantry and refrigerator so the first foods you see are the best for you: if you have a sugary cereal and a low-sugar granola, and the sugary cereal is in front, that is the one you are more likely to grab and eat. 
• Set-up a designated kids cupboard that is off limits to you: many people have growing children that have certain snacks and treats that parents are trying to avoid. So, have a designated area for the kids and label it. By doing so, you do not see their snacks every time you reach for something to eat. 
• When buying bulk, repackage any supersized boxes into single-serve Baggie sizes: When shopping at stores like Costco and Sam's club, everything comes in bulk. When buying in bulk, you are more likely to eat the food faster and in greater quantities, because that is what you have.
• When pouring a beverage, use a tall glass rather than a wide glass
• Serve meals from the counter top or stove rather than on the table you are eating from: having to get up and walk and extra couple of feet to get more food is enough to not help yourself to another serving.
• Serve out of bowls with lids: when food is out of sight, it's out of mind. By simply putting a lid on the candy dish can help cut down how much you dig into it.

Benefits of Just 10 More Minutes of Physical Activity a Day

It is a known fact that getting physical activity is one of the most important things we can do for our health and well-being. But, how much physical activity do we need and what does that entail?

Seeing that a majority of individuals sit all day at work, means that we need to incorporate physical activity throughout our day. This does not mean that we have to get a vigorous workout in (although this helps), but rather moving more throughout the day. Simply going to the gym after work does not counteract all of the sitting we do all day long while at work .

A study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that as little as 10 more minutes of activity per day can help people live a longer life. Those that do not, are three times more likely to die at a young age. Additionally, lack of physical activity can have negative effects on mental health by increasing anxiety, increase your risk of diabetes and liver disease. 

When asking how much physical activity people normally get, many of us over estimate how active we really are. We don't take into account how many hours of sitting we actually do every single day. Simple things such as having a standing desk, taking a walk break or sitting on an exercise ball at your desk can add more movement into your daily life without having to think about it or spend hours in the gym.

By making a conscious effort to add in just 10 more minutes of physical activity each day, we can make ourselves more productive and happier and healthier people.

Ways for Kids to Become More Aware of Physical Activity and Nutrition

At a young age, children should start learning the importance of healthy eating and staying active. By teaching them this at a young age, they can grow up in a healthy environment and prevent the consequences of being sedentary and overweight. 

Although this sounds like a good idea, it is often a hard job to try to get young ones to be active or eat health foods if they don't like them or don't seem interested in a particular activity. However, there are some things that we can do to engage children in the process of being active, eating healthy and learning how important  these things are in our lives. 

• Go for walks/bike rides
• If children are not into sports, or not playing one at the time, going for family walks or bike rides is a good way to get outside and get active.
• Play a new sport
• Whether this means joining a team or just playing catch or kicking a ball outside, introduce kids to new sports. This gives them an opportunity to learn as well as try new things while being active. 
• Listen to music and dance
• Let the kids get creative! Let them choose the music and just have fun. Encourage them to make up a dance of their own to their favorite song.
• Keep a physical activity record
• Make a schedule of activities and stick to them. Also, make sure there is at least 30-60 minutes of activity scheduled each day. Try to keep screen time in the same log and limit the amount of time watching TV or playing games each day.
• Find out more about food
• Learn about what foods are good for us; what foods help grow strong bones, which ones give us energy and which foods have vitamins and minerals.
• Look out for calories
• Teach kids what calories are and how many they should be eating each day. Teach them that calories are energy, and that if we consume more than we burn, it could cause weight gain.
• Make a healthy dish
• Take kids to the grocery store with you and let them help pick out the food. Also include them in plan planning and prepping and cooking healthy meals.
• Instill awareness through books
• Rent or buy books that include sports and physical activity to keep children engaged and aware of exercise and activity.

It is up to the adult in a child's life to teach them the healthy ways of living. By doing so, we are helping their future and longevity. So, start now with teaching your children healthy eating and physical activity habits.

Functional Foam Rolling

Have sore or tight muscles? Hop on the foam roller! Lets us teach you how to do it, and do it safely!

First things first, foam rolling is for muscle recovery, NOT for treating an injury. Attempting to foam roll an injured body part rather that just a sore or stiff body part, could make it worse. The foam roller is meant to stimulate blood flow, break up scar tissue and help to increase your muscle's range of motion.

Self Myofascial Release: self what?? Foam rolling is providing self-myofascial release, which is basically giving yourself a type of massage. Foam rolling should be done to loosen up areas of tightness and return your muscles to normal; making them elastic, healthy and ready to perform.

• Works great on tight areas of the body like IT band, quads (muscle of the month!) and upper back.
• Slowly roll back and forth on the tight area
• Sometimes, holding constant pressure provides a better release if there is a "knot" in your muscle
• Allow your body weight to relax on the foam roller as you are rolling
• Foam rolling will be uncomfortable and sometimes painful, but should not be unbearable
• Your muscles should feel loosened, relaxed and better when you are finished
• If you have trigger points, or "knots", it may be painful, so avoid it if the pain becomes unbearable
• In addition to foam rolling, you can also use a lacrosse ball for myofascial release. This helps to reach smaller, harder to reach trigger points.
• Roll for about 20-30 seconds, but longer at points of major discomfort

Foam Rolling Exercises

• Upper Back Roll

• Calf Roll

• IT Band Roll

• Hamstrings Roll

• Quad Roll

• Lats Roll

• Glute Roll

Join the Gold Medal Team at the Run With the Gators 5K on March 19 at Perry Hall High School. We will be hosting the race warm-up, as well as a post-run foam rolling class! This is your perfect opportunity to see what they are all about!

Nutrition Changes for Lasting Weight Loss

Weight loss can be and will be hard. It is about making changes in your life that help you get extra weight off, and keep it off. But, maintaining that weight loss in the long run is a difficult thing to do if you do not change your lifestyle. A lot of the time, individuals will lose a significant amount of weight, feel great and then gain all the weight back, plus some. This happens when fad diets are used to lose the weight. Or, we deprive ourselves of food so much, that we end up giving up and eating worse than we did before. 

However, there are ways to make nutrition changes that will help you lose weight AND maintain that weight loss and a healthy lifestyle for the long run. 

• Eat Fewer Calories
• Based on age, gender, height, weight, current physical activity level and your weight loss goal, determine a daily caloric range.
• Get on Board for the Long Haul
• Set a weight loss goal that ranges from 9-26 pounds in a 6 month period of time. Doing so, will make for a gradual weight loss that can be maintained over the long run. 
• Eating Plan that Will Stick
• Develop an eating plan that works for you. One where you can still eat the foods that you enjoy on occasion while incorporating more foods and eating styles that promote weight loss.
• Build in Physical Activity and Behavior Change Strategies
• These things are both essential for weight loss and maintenance of your new healthy lifestyle.
• Consider Legitimate Adjuncts
• There are some surgical and/or medicinal options that can help weight loss and are healthy for the body. But, before engaging in these options, be sure to speak with health care professionals about the safety of them and whether or not they will work with your goals.

Come into our MOG and let our staff and health coaches guide you in your healthy weight loss journey!

Seniorcize

Are you a senior or know a senior that needs some exercise and work on your stability and balance? 
The Gold Medal MOG is the place to go!

We are now beginning a Seniorcize class for those 55 and older that will focus on strength, flexibility and balance. As we age, these three things are critical for us to continue to work on in order to  reduce the risk of falling, maintain bone strength, mobility and overall well-being. By exercising as we age, we can improve our quality of life, prolong our lives and reduce the risk of chronic disease. 

The class will be every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 AM at the Perry Hall MOG beginning Tuesday, April 5. We welcome all fitness levels and you do not need to be a member of the MOG to join in on our classes! You can simply pay by the class, or buy a package of classes. We encourage you to bring family and/or friends to join in on the fun!

We ask that you sign up at leas 24 hours in advance so we know how many people to expect in class. Class in also limited in spaces, so don't miss out on your spot! Please feel free to invite a guest to join for class!

If you would like to sign up, or have any other questions, please call the front desk at either of our offices. You can also email goldmedalmog@themoggroup.com to sign up or ask questions.

Bel Air Office: (410) 638-5525

Perry Hall Office: (410) 529-0989

We look forward to seeing you!

Reversing Diabetes Through Healthy Lifestyle

Type 2 Diabetes- one of the fastest growing chronic diseases in the world. But, it is also the most simple condition to reverse through a health lifestyle- eating healthy, getting physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight.

When someone is diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, cells become insulin resistant and increase blood sugar. The increase in obesity, consumption of processed food and sedentary lifestyles contribute to this Type 2 Diabetes epidemic. This is an issue that should be treated with nutrition and healthy lifestyle, before it gets to the point where it can no longer be reversed. If left untreated, you increase your risk for heart attack, stroke and kidney problems. 

Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes:

• Thirst
• Increased hunger 
• Increased urination 
• Fatigue 
• Changes in weight 
• Heart problems

If you start feeling these symptoms, see a doctor and get started on healthy lifestyle changes to reverse those symptoms and avoid getting Type 2 Diabetes. 

Lifestyle Changes to Make to Reverse Diabetes

• Decrease Carbs and Simple Sugars
• Avoid foods such as white bread, white rice, white potato and sugar
• Increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, nuts and seeds
• Regular Physical Activity
• This help strengthen the functions of your major organs and achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
• Supplementation: with herbs prescribed by a naturopath
• Chromium is safe and effective for diabetes without harmful side effects
• Cinnamon helps to stabilize blood sugar
• Green tea instead of coffee
• Coffee has been shown to cause inflammation in the body