The Bedford Chiropractic Clinic and Wellness Centre

Summer is unfortunately nearly over, at the end of the month the children are back to school. For most people this means pencils, notebook paper and mountains of textbooks. But sending your child to start, or return to school requires some homework from the parents. Here at Bedford Chiropractic Clinic, I endeavour to be both your chiropractor and educator. So here are some tips for a healthy start Back-To-School: Backpacks: An over-stuffed, incorrectly packed or worn backpack can result in a serious injury and affect young developing spines. How heavy is heavy? Even a backpack weighing 15 percent of a student’s body weight is too heavy to maintain a standing posture. This will cause undue stress on their young spines and can cause vertebral subluxations leading to postural changes and even scoliosis. Many of the current bags children are using may be fashionable, but unless they allow for even distribution across the back, they can cause pain. School can be a challen...

Keep an eye on your spinal health News from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has revealed that over half the UK population is crooked. Don’t fret, we’re not accusing you of fiddling expenses or cooking any books, by crooked we mean out of alignment with poor posture and bad backs. The BCA say that in a survey of 5000 Brits the incidence of bad posture has risen to 56% of the UK population, up from 38%. Alarmed at the news we at  Men’s Health  sat up straight and phoned Tim Hutchful from The British Chiropractic Association, to find out how we can avoid joining the crooked crowd. Here’s his advice. Give your posture a sporting chance “Any unaccustomed exercise can put you at risk of back pain,” says Hutchful. You might only play a relaxed low-risk sport once a week but you still need to prepare yourself sufficiently – mentally and physically. “Warming up and warming down is essential to ensure that your joints and muscles don’t get a shock. Strong ab...

Botanist James Wong knows his onions, and he says eat the red ones If microwaved in a little water, for a short time, broccoli’s vitamin A and carotene levels increase by five It’s been a while, I tell the botanist and broadcaster James Wong, the author of How to Eat Better, since I’ve looked inside a cookbook (I mean, an aspirational cookbook, its cover luscious with fruit, with an aesthetically pleasing author) and found a recipe for macaroni cheese, containing loads of cheddar and Parmesan and a litre of milk. Yes, the pasta is wholemeal, but it feels verboten. I mean, are we even allowed to refer to “creamy, cheesy goodness”? “How scandalous! Dairy! And a litre of it!” exclaims Wong, feigning shock. However, having not included options for the “lactose intolerant”, the Kew Gardens-trained botanist — familiar as the face of programmes such as the award-winning BBC Two show Grow Your Own Drugs, and a regular on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time — admits to being “a bit wo...

Get fit without getting injured The gym; an intimidating testosterone-filled place full of bodybuilders and fitness freaks in lycra. For some, this can already be the ‘nope’ point. I mean, who wants to rock up to a building full of sweaty gym rats?! Once you have gotten over this hurdle, and accepted that your health and fitness comes first, then you can focus on your own mission and get down to work. First, depending on your goals, it’s always a good idea to record your progress in a notebook or phone app. Shedding that extra pound or maybe even lifting an extra rep all adds up in the long run. Evidence of where you started, and proof of your progress, can keep you going through the tough times. So, you’ve got your mind on a goal, your target destination. You’re underway and loving the new body you’re getting. But how do you keep progressing whilst limiting injury? Did you know that the most common gym injury is caused by bad form (wrong or poor technique). Fo...

Your Wellness Profile All of us have had health-related issues at some time or other. Whether it's low back pain, headaches, asthma, gastritis, an ankle sprain, or a rotator cuff injury, we've all had a health problem that ultimately needed treatment. Chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and various types of cancer are especially difficult and usually require interacting with multiple specialists over many years. However, regardless of our health history, it's worthwhile for all of us to stop for a bit, sit down quietly, and take stock of our current health status. As we carefully assess our current situation and where we'd like to be, telling the truth to ourselves is very important. Remarkably, engaging in the process of such an honest overview may create an opening for a new appreciation of the personal importance of health. It's likely that we will notice some dissatisfaction with our current health circumstances and may experience ...

Superfoods have extra-large doses of  vitamins  and minerals that can help us ward off diseases and live a longer, healthier life. Consuming foods that are packed with  nutrients  is certainly a good idea, but the key to a healthy diet is to consume a variety of nutritious foods in the right quantities. Some of the nutrients that certain superfoods contain include antioxidants, thought to ward off cancer; healthy fats, thought to prevent heart disease; fibre, thought to prevent diabetes and digestive problems. Superfoods can have numerous health benefits! We recommend using Nutri Superfood Plus helps to ensure you get those nutrients and can supplement your everyday diet. Nutri Superfood Plus is an exciting new green food blend featuring Chocamine®, a patented cocoa extract that delivers the goodness of chocolate without all the sugar, fat or dairy! Nutri Superfood Plus also features a blend of fruits, green foods and vegetables, including kelp, a natural sou...

Apple cider vinegar Numerous peer-reviewed studies have looked at the blood sugar, carbohydrate, and insulin management effects of consuming apple cider vinegar before and/or after a meal. For example, one study showed a 19% decrease in blood sugar levels when consuming 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar after a high carbohydrate meal. Another study in which participants consumed 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed resulted in their morning fasting blood sugar levels decreasing by 4%. But what are the actual results of apple cider (ACV) vinegar on fatloss?  Well, there has only been one study conducted looking at ACV and weightloss directly, that being a 175-participant study conducted in Japan.  In the study, 175 obese but otherwise healthy individuals consumed either ACV or water daily for 12 weeks.  At the end of the study period, the ACV group lost 1 - 2 pounds each while the water group lost no wei...

Seven Superfoods that Silence Pain There’s a whole bunch of foods that keep you stuck in pain. Eat them and you’re practically asking for trouble. But life isn’t all about what you can’t do. That’s probably why so many people fail to stick to diets… even when we know it’s for our own good. We just don’t like feeling like we’re missing out on something by following some big list of “don’ts.” So how about we turn the tables on that and take a look at foods that aren’t only tasty, but can actually help end a lot of our pain. That’s right. Eat any of these super foods and you’re not only enjoying your meal or snack, you’re actually fighting the inflammation that’s keeping you in pain. Here are my seven favorite super foods that fight inflammation: Jalapeno peppers — chop these up raw into your salsa for a great kick and pain relieving power Dry roasted almonds — grab a handful of these tasty pain fighters for a snack Carrots — they aren’t just for Bugs Bunny… enjoy them raw...