Why should avoid Sugar from your diet, dangers of Sugar

Ever packed your kid’s snack boxes with chocolate donuts &cookies? Can’t stop munching over packets of m & m? Let us tell you about something that hides in all kinds of snacks that you munch on – SUGAR.

1.       Sugar suppresses the immune system: Eating lots of sugar can temporarily tamp down your immune system’s ability to respond to infections & challenges. When you consume sugar, you place your immune system in a weakened state. Eating sugar causes the white blood cells to dysfunction. 

A study reveals that sugar molecules impair the neutrophils that engulf bacteria. Neutrophil is the major type of WBC that you have & one of their main jobs is to gobble up the microbes that enter your body. Sugar weakens these neutrophils so that they can’t get their critical job done.

2.       Sugar promotes inflammation: Eating too much sugary foods may fuel excessive and inappropriate inflammation that serve no useful purpose and actually promotes aging and disease.

3.       Sugar suppresses the release of human growth hormone:  Avoiding food that is high in sugar content is an excellent way to gradually slow down your aging process. Exercising, going longer between meals, and avoiding undue stress can also help in the process.

4.       Insulin Resistance: When sugar is consumed, insulin allows these sugar molecules into the cells. But if we consume excessive sugar then the insulin becomes less effective. Sugar doesn’t get into the body cells and hence become stuck in the body thus producing toxic effects that usually leads to threat of diabetes & obesity.

5.       Sugar promotes glycation: Once the sugar molecules get into the bloodstream, they start finding things to combine with, like protein and fat molecules. This combination molecule is known as AGE or advanced glycation end products. This process of combination or hooking up is termed “glycation”. These molecules produce toxic compounds that fast-forward the aging process. Much of the damage done by AGEs is irreversible. 

Apart from all these, excessive consumption of sugar also leads to:

1.  High Blood Pressure
2.  High Cholesterol
3.  Liver Disease

The World Health Organization suggests that you keep your sugar intake to no more than 10% of total calories if you’re healthy and 5% if you have an inclination to heart diseases or diabetes.

What to expect when decide to cut the sugar off your diet?

You don’t have to be surprised if you experience withdrawal symptoms like irritability and moodiness. This effect accentuates if you are trying to avoid caffeine at the same time. The good news is that it will pass in seven to ten days.

6 Ways to relieve Stress easily, Reduce Stress

Is stress giving you away? Discover stress free living with short and quick tips from Optimum Rehab.

1.  Practice controlled & deep breathing exercise
2.  Meditate regularly and practice yoga
3.   Live in your present with awareness of your current situation
4.   Socialize with your friends & family
5.  Tune In to Your body’s needs and reactions
6.  Decompress the stress out with massages & hot baths 

Bone health, Osteoporosis & Physical therapy

Human bones keep changing over time. Your bone is always in a combination of two different kinds of competing processes.
• Bone formation
• Bone resorption
These both happen at different periods of our life. From childhood to middle age, the rate of bone formation gets gradually outpaced by bone resorption.  This reduces the bone density which makes the bones susceptible to easy fractures.

The rate at which our bones face osteoporosis is determined by how well we have taken care of our diet and exercise during our initial years of growing up and adolescence. In our biological timetable of first 3 decades, bone formation has an upper hand, which after 30 years of age goes to bone resorption.
Osteoporosis only shows itself between the ages of 40 to 65, but has its start very early. Peak bone mass density (BMD) is usually the most important factor in the development of osteoporosis and the time to build peak BMD is before age 25.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy can very well be effective in reducing the disabilities and discomforts associated with osteoporosis symptoms.
A therapist will guide on specific exercises that builds bone strength or decreases the amount of bone resorption. Proper posture would be advised. Also methods to improve your balance so as to reduce your risk of falling would be taught. Proper nutrition and diet would be advised for better bone strength and to delay osteoporosis.

Sports related injury treatments in New York City

Sports medicine specialists at Optimum Rehab provide a coordinated team approach to the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of injuries sustained by professional, amateur and recreational athletes. Preventive care is promoted through wellness, fitness and performance enhancement consultations. 

Depending on the requirements of the patient, the sports medicine team at Optimum Rehab may include:

• Athletic trainers

• Orthopedic Rehabilitation specialists

• Physical Medicine 

• Sports physical therapists

• Dietitians

Sports medicine team at Optimum Rehab develops a combined and comprehensive team approach to treatment. It includes

• Comprehensive evaluation of sports and activity related injuries.

• Treatments to best suit the athlete physical condition.

• Optimization of health and fitness through assessment programs to improve sports performance.

• Diet habit & nutrition analysis with counseling on nutritional requirement.

• Psychological assistance in handling emotional aspects of injury and performance enhancement

• Access to our rehabilitation training, exercise equipment and personnel trainers.

Benfits of Acupuncture, treatments in New York City

Acupuncture originates from China and dates back to more than 2,500 years in existence. It is based on the principles of traditional teachings of Taoism. It has been an essential part of medicine for thousands of years in the East, and is now commonly found in West as well.

Whatever the mechanism behind acupuncture, it does appear to work. Scientific studies offering real time evidence that acupuncture treatment eases pain and treats ailment ranging from osteoarthritis to migraine headaches.

The principle behind acupuncture involves stimulating acupoints (energy points) throughout the body. This is done by placing hair-thin needles at various pressure points. Stimulating these acupoints is believed to promote the body's natural healing capabilities and enhance its function.

Energy or “qi” is believed to flow in our body through streams called meridians. The body is healthy and free of any ailments when there is a regular and constant flow of this energy. But in the event of any disease this energy flow gets blocked or ruptured. A disruption in the flow of energy can lead to severe illness. The idea behind acupuncture is to stimulate these acupoints with acupuncture needles to relieve the obstructions in the flow of energy thus enabling the body to heal naturally.

The 12 regular meridians out of 14 meridians are:
• Lung (LU)
• Pericardium (PC)
• Heart (HT)
• Large Intestine (LI)
• Triple Energizer (TE) or Triple Heater (TH)
• Small Intestine (SI)
• Spleen (SP)
• Liver (LR)
• Kidney (KI)
• Stomach (ST)
• Gallbladder (GB)
• Bladder (BL)

Extra two meridians are Conception Vessel and the Governor Vessel. Various procedures of acupuncture treatments are
• Electroacupuncture
• Sonopuncture
• Acupressure
• Moxibustion
• Cupping

Acupuncture can either be used on its own, or combined with traditional medical treatments like surgery or medication. Acupuncture treatments are very effective and useful in different medical and psychological conditions like
• Chemotherapy-induced nausea
• Osteoarthritis/ Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• In-vitro fertilization
• Bladder control problems
• Slimming and Fitness
• Migraine and related types of head aches
• Depression and anxiety.

Know better about positive healing through acupuncture at Optimum Rehab NYC. Visit us for personal consultations to solve all of your problems. 

Diabetes, Causes, effects, Physical Therapy treatments NYC

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder where either the cells in the body do not recognize the insulin or the body does not produce enough insulin. Insulin allows the body to use blood sugar or glucose for energy by transporting the sugar from the blood into the cells. When this doesn't happen, the glucose gets built up in the blood. This can lead to diabetic complications like high blood pressure and heart disease.

3 main types of diabetes are
• Type 1 diabetes
It is found in children and young adults. The immune system destroys insulin-producing cells or (beta cells) of the pancreas.
• Type 2 diabetes
It can develop at any age but is preventable. The cells of the body become resistant to insulin, and the pancreas can't produce enough insulin to override the resistance.
• Gestational diabetes
It develops in women during pregnancy. It occurs in women with a family history of diabetes. It’s also associated with obesity and inactivity.

Although the exact cause of diabetes is unknown, factors like obesity and lack of exercise play important roles in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can result in
• Stroke
• Heart disease
• Kidney disease
• High blood pressure
• Nervous system disease or neuropathy
• Blindness
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Skin problem like ulcers and infections
• Amputations
• Reduced physical function and muscle strength

Physical Therapy for diabetes
Physical activity in addition to proper diet and medication is important for the treatment of diabetes. If you already suffer from diabetes, you need to control the blood glucose (sugar), lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, maintain a healthy weight, and exercise to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Regular physical activity also can reduce your need for medications. 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days per week are recommended for diabetic patients. Both strength workouts and aerobic can be helpful.
Improve Blood Sugar Level, Manage Weight and Reduce Risk of Heart Disease.

Always consult a physical therapist to help you with physical activity if you have:
• Joint pain or muscle pain
• Numbness in your feet
• Sores on your feet
• Pain while walking
• Had a stroke

Your physical therapist will perform an evaluation, including a review of your medical history and medications, and develop an individualized exercise program. Based on your health status, your physical therapist will prescribe exercise tailored to your needs.

Tips to maintain correct posture in front of Computer

S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for Stretch, Move, Add it up, Reduce strain, Talk to a physiotherapist.

Stretch – Include regular stretching into your work routine. Every 20 to 60 minutes, do three or four stretches – for hands, shoulders, neck and trunk. The key is to move your joints through their normal range of motion.

Move – Get up from your work station for a short stretch or walk around to promote blood flow to fatigued muscles every hour. No one has ever become more fit by sitting at a desk. Get regular daily exercise, away from the computer. It could be as simple as a walk around the office or getting off the elevator one floor early and taking the stairs.

Add it up – Add variety to your tasks. Take every break as an opportunity to go for a short walk and stretch. Keep track of activity and build up to 30 minutes of stretching and exercise every day. Vary your tasks (keyboarding, filing, telephone, reading documents, etc.)

Reduce strain - Make sure you are sitting correctly with your back supported. Avoid slouching while you sit.

Talk to us – RSI can be prevented, but if symptoms do occur, early intervention is the best form of treatment. If you are experiencing regular or increasing discomfort while sitting at your computer, take early corrective action. Our physiotherapists will listen to your symptoms and assess you to help provide appropriate treatment, including information about correct posture and positioning at your workstation. They will also work towards an earlier return to your daily lifestyle as well as provide guidance on how to prevent recurrence of injury. Visit Optimum Rehab NYC for better lifestyle.