Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to your overall health and well-being. Without proper rest, you run the risk of waking up sore, tired, cranky, and just feeling “blah”.

The mattress and pillow that you choose for sleeping is crucial to getting the rest your body needs. If you find yourself tossing and turning through the night and waking up stiff, sore and generally unrested, chances are that you need a different pillow or mattress – or both. The following tips can help you ensure that you are sleeping on the right pillow and mattress.

• Your mattress needs to be supportive of your entire body. One way to check the supportiveness of your bed is to look for gaps. When you lay down, if there are gaps between your body and the mattress, you need better support. Lack of support can lead to back pain.

• Rotating your mattress is important to minimize the indentations left by your body. Rotate your mattress clockwise or flip it over every few months. This will help to ensure even wear and tear of your mattress, extending the life of the mattress, as well as the comfort of your body.

• Too much firmness can also lead to back and body pain, so invest in a cushion top for your mattress if you find it is too firm.

• Remember that mattresses do not last forever – if your body is always sore after waking, it is probably time for a new mattress.

• Your pillow should allow for your head and neck to remain aligned with spine. Rather than have a thick pillow that keeps your head angled up, opt for a thinner pillow that keeps your head and neck level with your back and spine.

• You need a supportive pillow, just as you need a supportive mattress. If you get the most comfort from sleeping with an arm under your pillow, you need a more supportive pillow. The best way to choose a pillow is to try various thicknesses until you find the one that works for you.

Have questions about the right mattress or pillow for you? Don’t head to the mattress store; ask your chiropractor instead. He’ll help you choose the right products for a restful nights sleep.

Tis the season for overindulging. As you move from party to party, chances are you’re having a few too many cookies and extras along the way. Maybe those jeans are now hard to button. And maybe your back hurts as you get out of bed in the morning.

So invariably you make your New Years resolutions list to include things like “diet” and “get healthy”.

With just a few simple and practical lifestyle changes, you can be on your way to not only a healthy New Year, but a healthy lifestyle for the rest of your life. It doesn’t take a lot of work. Instead it takes thought and commitment.

Limit caffeinated drinks. If you are a regular at the local coffee house, change your routine. Caffeinated drinks also cause dehydration. Instead, focus on increasing your intake of water, decaffeinated teas and other natural beverages during the day.

Increase fruits and vegetables. Instead of bringing cookies and candies to snack on, fill up a container with berries, carrots, snap peas, oranges and other healthy snacks.

Avoid medications. As a society, we consume too much medication. Avoid over the counter products as much as possible, and talk with your doctor and chiropractor for natural alternatives.

Avoid heavy bags. Heavy purses and briefcases can cause tension in your shoulders and back, especially if you carry them over the same shoulder every day. Your child’s backpack and messenger bags can cause similar problems. Instead, distribute the weight evenly across your body, placing the strap on the opposite shoulder from wear the contents lie. Keep backpacks at no more than 10 percent of your child’s body weight.

Lift the right way. Every day we lean, stretch and move to do different things. And while its easy to grab something, think first. Always use your legs instead of your back when picking up heavy objects. And don’t turn your torso while carrying something heavy. Be conscious about how you are affecting your spine.

Move around while at work. If you find yourself behind a desk eight hours of the day, give yourself breaks along the way. Take stretch breaks and get up and go for short walks. Make sure your desk is ergonomically correct. Avoid repeating patterns, such as crossing one knee over the other the same way every day.

“You are what you eat.”

You’ve probably heard that saying many times over the years. And while it may make sense as you read it, it probably doesn’t stick with you when it comes time to choosing something for dinner, or making selections at the grocery store.

When you head to the store, its hard to know where to begin. You might do what a lot of people do, and look at the nutrition facts listed on almost every food in the store. Nutrition facts are based off of a 2000 calorie diet, a standard used for energy requirements for the average person. So one of the easiest ways of looking for quality foods is to count calories. Yet with this type of eating, you’ll more than likely have a diet of empty calories, meaning you’ll still lack nourishment in the foods you need the most.

To properly read food labels:

Start with the serving size. If the serving size is extremely small, the manufacturer is simply trying to keep calories, total fats and proteins at a reasonable level. In order to accomplish this, they have to reduce the portion size to something unreasonable that the majority of people will never abide by.

Eat organically. Even though organic foods are more expensive, you will know you are eating quality foods. Organic means no pesticides or fungicides, no artificial hormones, and no chemical fertilizers.

Look at the list of ingredients. Can you read the ingredients? Or do you need a PhD to figure out how to say the words and figure out what they mean? Long, difficult words signify chemicals, preservatives and enhancements. Only choose foods that use pure, quality ingredients.

Look for whole grains. Whole grains come straight from the soil with as little processing as possible. If you take whole grains and plant them, they will produce more grain. However, if you eat flour or processed grains, they are lacking the vital components your body needs.

Avoid trans fats. While there is a push to avoid and eliminate trans fats from your diets, which makes more aware of the problem, there are still foods with high levels of trans fats. Trans fats are used to improve shelf life, and are strictly a convenience for the manufacturer. To avoid trans fats, do not buy or consume and food that has “partially hydrogenated” oil listed within the ingredients.

Look at sodium content. Sodium comes from salt, and is a natural preservative. And while sodium is needed to maintain blood volume and blood pressure, too much can have the reverse affects. Overall our diets are high in sodium due to the foods we eat every day. Look for ways to decrease it every chance you get.

Avoid all artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners are manufactured, chemical in nature, and provide zero nutrition for the human body. Manufacturers play on our desire for sweets, and our yearning for weight loss to sell us on the benefits of artificial sweeteners. Don’t listen. Aspartame, the ingredient in artificial sweeteners, accounts for around 70 percent of all complaints filed to the FDA. Stay natural, and avoid artificial at all costs.

“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” Hippocrates

When you suffer from pain, whether it is in your back, neck, joints or other parts of your body, one of the places you may not consider for treatment is the chiropractor. Chiropractors help alleviate pain by making simple adjustments to the bones in your body. They also use heat and cold therapy, as well as deep tissue massage, to provide pain relief. If you are considering seeking treatment from a chiropractor, the only thing stopping you may be the cost. Many people wonder if chiropractic care is covered by insurance.

While some chiropractic care offices may indeed accept certain types of insurance, there are many ways to pay for treatment. Chiropractors deal with this question all the time, and most are willing to talk to you about the many options available to you.

Start with a FSA, or flexible savings account. Many insurance programs today offer you the option of having a low cost insurance option, combined with a flexible savings account that you fund and use at your discretion. Once you have money in your account, you simply write checks to pay for medical expenses you deem necessary. If you talk with your chiropractor about a year long plan, you’ll quickly learn how much you’ll need over the coming year, and how much to budget into your account.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, many auto insurance policies will cover the cost of chiropractic services. They may provide you with a one time check for your medical expenses, or require updates along the way. Either way, you can have access to the medical treatment that is right for you.

Workers compensation may also budget in the need for a variety of services, including chiropractic. In order to verify treatment through your employer or supervisor, you may need documentation from your chiropractor. Then use your reimbursement to further your health benefits by seeing your chiropractor regularly.

And if you have no health insurance options, paying with cash or credit card still gives you the benefit of taking charge of your health instead of waiting for a crisis to occur. Talk with your chiropractor about savings options – you may be able to purchase monthly plans, or multiple visit discounts. It may be one of the most important investments you’ll ever make.

As the weather brings cooler temperatures, you may find yourself falling into some unhealthy living habits. You may start eating more foods as a way to “stay warm”, like yummy soups and stews. And because the nights are longer, and the temperatures are colder, you’ll probably wind up spending more time on the couch, under a blanket enjoying a good book or movie. After all, colder weather is likely to have you avoid the outdoor temperatures. These tips for healthy living will help you maintain your healthy lifestyle, no matter what the season.

Avoid heartburn from all of the delicious, holiday foods by eating smaller portions, by staying active after eating a full meal, and by knowing what foods to avoid. Certain foods trigger heartburn, so knowing what your “triggers” are will help you avoid the burn and enjoy your holiday meals.

Use meditation for reducing stress. As the autumn approaches, so does the stress of the holidays. You can help unwind after a busy day of shopping or after a long day of family gatherings with some meditation. Meditation can also lower your blood pressure and give your immunity a little boost, helping protect you from cold-weather illnesses.

Make time for regular workouts. Even if you can no longer take a walk around the neighborhood because of the cold, you can still workout at home. Use workout videos or exercise equipment to get plenty of exercise. The exercise will help you avoid packing on the pounds over the holiday season and you can even invite your family to join you – making it a new holiday tradition.

Consider investing in a health savings account (HSA). An HSA is an easy way to save money for health expenses. You can save just over $3,000 each year for yourself and the money is tax-free. If you do not use it, the balance rolls over to the next year and you can continue adding money. Having a savings account to help offset the cost of future medical expenses is one more way to reduce your stress, ease your mind and help you enjoy healthy living.

Concentrate on living healthy. Chiropractic care can help take away tension and pain, and bring you back to a healthy state you may not have experienced in years. The better you feel, the more you’ll want to stay at the top of your game.

Whether your favorite weekend activity is playing softball or taking in a Rockies game, here are 7 ways chiropractic can help you live summer to the fullest.

1. Aches and pains – from gardening to weekend sports, lower back, neck and shoulder pain can creep up on you and make it difficult to move.

2. Headaches – headaches can be caused by injury, tension or stress. Chiropractic can help alleviate the pain through regular adjustments.

3. Auto or motorcycle accident – accidents can cause immediate stress on your spine. Simple adjustments may bring you back to health quickly and effectively.

4. Sleeping problems – while it may be more difficult to sleep with early sunshine and longer days, it may be due to neck or back pain. Simple adjustments can help improve your regular sleeping patterns.

5. Work injuries – trying to get more done at the office or job site? Even simple jobs can put stress on your body.

6. Sprains and strains – instead of living with minor pain for a few days, chiropractic can help you overcome even the smallest of bumps and bruises.

7. Exercise – summertime is the time to get out and play. If you feel better, you’re more likely to stay active. Regular adjustments are designed to keep you healthy and strong instead of fixing problems after they occur.

Earlier this year, the White House came out with a new report, Epidemic: Responding To America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis.

Prescription drug abuse is the nation’s fastest growing drug problem. Studies now show that prescription pain relievers are now the second most abused category of drugs after marijuana, and one of the growing, most deadly categories is opioid pain relievers.

From 1997 to 2007, the milligram per person use of prescription opioids in the US increased from 74 milligrams to 369 milligrams. And between 2000 and 2009, prescriptions dispensed increased from 174 million to 257 million, an increase of more than 48 percent.

With numbers like that, its easy to see that while there may be some need for this type of medicine in general society, on a whole it’s a wide open area for abuse.

When a person is addicted to prescription drugs, they will often go to great lengths to obtain their “fix”, including visiting multiple doctors for multiple prescriptions. So for many people looking for pain relief, they will look to alternatives rather than be faced with the opportunity for potential addiction.

One way to help battle the crisis of prescription drug abuse is through chiropractic care. Chiropractic care is best known for its effectiveness in treating pain throughout the body, such as back pain, neck pain and migraine headaches.

Chiropractic care offers a natural alternative for pain management. Instead of popping pills to relieve their pain, patients can seek chiropractic treatment. From simple adjustments of the spine and neck, to heat and cold therapy, chiropractic care may lessen or eliminate the need for prescription painkillers altogether.

Spring is here! Now is the time for everyone to prepare their gardens. From flowers to food, gardens bring much joy to millions of people. The only downside to gardening is the trauma it can inflict on your body, particularly, your back.

Working in the garden consists of tilling, hoeing, pulling weeds, harvesting fruits and veggies, and other back-breaking work. For many, an hour or two in the garden leads to severe back pain. Chiropractic care can help ease the pain and let you enjoy your garden to its fullest.

Any chiropractor will tell you how important it is to prepare your body before gardening. You can do a variety of simple stretches to warm up, just as you would before an exercise routine. Once you are warmed up, you can start gardening. If you still feel aches and pains even with stretching, take care of the problem right away. Use a variation of heat and ice on the sore spots. If the pain persists, visit your chiropractor for treatment.

Your chiropractor can adjust your spine and neck to alleviate your pain. Most people feel relief after just one visit. Depending on the severity of your pain, you may have to return for follow-up treatments. Your chiropractor can also give you tips on ways to garden that will be less painful on your bones and joints. By following his or her advice, your time in the garden will be less painful and more enjoyable.

You should also consider making a chiropractic visit a part of your gardening routine. By scheduling weekly visits to your chiropractor, you can keep the pain at bay all season long. Your body will feel refreshed and rejuvenated and you can garden with the least amount of discomfort. Instead of suffering through the spring, visit your chiropractor and avoid the pain that comes with gardening. Instead, you will be able to put your focus on your plants and your harvest.

Whether from icy conditions, personal clumsiness, or any cause in between, falls can be a painful and harmful interruption to your daily life.  While caution and attention to your surroundings can help you avoid potential fall situations, this isn’t always sufficient to protect yourself. As we age, our balance begins to decrease, and what once was an easy task, can now cause harm and fear.

More and more people are recognizing the need to work on balance. And a great way to start is to find your nearest Tai Chi class. With Tai Chi and routine Chiropractic adjustments, you’ll quickly be on your way to healthy living – and to reduced falls.

Skeptics might question the validity of such an approach, but recent studies have shown that there are definite benefits to this combination.  Recently published guidelines from the American Geriatrics Society state that the combination of Tai Chi and Chiropractic were beneficial for helping reduce falls in seniors.

Among its other total health benefits, Tai Chi’s constant, gentle motion helps improve balance, strength, and flexibility.  As it is practiced here today throughout the United States, Tai Chi can be thought of as a moving form of yoga and meditation. Many of the movements, or forms, are originally derived from the martial arts, although in Tai Chi, they are performed slowly, softly and gracefully with smooth transitions from form to form. It’s the perfect exercise for every age, and is shows to have huge benefits in the aging population.

Because chiropractic care also focuses on maintaining your body’s structural integrity and staying at optimum wellness, the two work well together.  Chiropractic practitioners through regular adjustments focus on realigning your spinal column.  Proper spinal alignment can improve posture and provide a solid foundation for all of your other systems to function properly.

Together Tai Chi and Chiropractic help you reduce falls by providing total wellness care for your muscular and skeletal structure.  When your bones and muscles are working properly, they provide the support necessary for your body to protect itself and react in potential fall situations.  Tai Chi and Chiropractic serve as preventative maintenance.  While they can be very helpful in recovering from a fall, they provide their greatest service in helping your body guard against a fall.

It is a New Year and that means resolutions. One of the most common resolutions is the vow to get healthy. There are many ways to live a healthy life and many of them go beyond just eating right. The following ten tips will have you living 2011 in the healthiest, happiest way possible.

1. Follow a healthy diet – Eating healthy does not mean deprivation. Simply controlling your portion sizes and cutting back on fats will make a huge difference. Indulge your cravings in moderation.

2. Get moving – Exercise is the key to health. You can be on the strictest diet, but if you are not moving, you will not get the desired results. Exercise releases endorphins that will have you feeling your best.

3. Treat yourself – Stress and tension lead to high blood pressure and heart attacks. Make time for yourself at least once a month. Spend the day at the spa and get a high-quality massage. You will be amazed at how this regular splurge relieves your stress.

4. Regular check-ups – It does not matter how young or old you are, your health is your priority. Schedule regular check-ups with your doctor and even your dentist to keep your body running in pristine condition.

5. Take time off – If you find yourself constantly being a “slave to the grind”, make the effort to give yourself at least one day off each week. On this day, be lazy. Avoid being productive and instead, indulge yourself in entertainment, sleep or any other activity that has nothing to do with work.

6. Maintain friendships – Stay in touch with the ones that matter the most. Even if it is a quick phone call or email, staying in touch shows people that you care. In return, they will show you that they care and you never know when you might need a shoulder to cry on. Be the kind of friend you want your friends to be.

7. Visit your chiropractor – Regular visits to the chiropractor are a great way to enhance your health all year long. Having your bones adjusted by a chiropractor can alleviate aches and pains quickly. You will leave the chiropractor feeling rejuvenated and pain-free.

8. Get a pet – That’s right, a pet. It is a proven fact that pets have stress-relieving qualities. Simply petting a dog can quickly soothe even the angriest person. Find a pet, small or large, and relish in the unconditional love.

9. Achieve a goal – Set a goal for yourself, no matter how small or large, and make it your mission to achieve the goal before the end of the year. You will be surprised at how motivated you will be to reach your goal just by vowing to reach it. Think outside of the box – do not be afraid to choose a goal that pushes you to the limit.

10. Live, laugh and love – These three simple things will bring you the most happiness out of 2011 and every other year to come. Embrace your loved ones, enjoy the simple things in life and remember – you can’t take it with you when you go. Make the most out of living life for joy, not for personal gain.