Summer is here!

No more teachers, no more books, and no more schedules. Summer is a great time here in the Okanagan, a time where we get to bask in the glory of the valley, take in the sights and entertain all the company that comes to visit.

It’s not a time where we are all that conscious of stress, getting sick, or having to worry about too much other than what we’re going to do this weekend or how we’re going to spend our holidays.

Unfortunately colds, flus, sunburn, food poisoning and heat stroke don’t take a vacation, and air quality in these parts can be pretty bad when the summer fire season is upon us. This month’s article is about getting, and staying healthy throughout the summer months and it’s going to be a short article – because staying healthy is easy.

All you need to do is eat well, take a high quality supplement to fill in any gaps in your diet, exercise regularly, get a good night’s sleep, maintain a positive mental attitude and have a properly functioning nervous system. If you’re having a hard time getting any one of those elements into your regular routine, there are many resources for you to take advantage of including Nutritionists, Personal Trainers, Chiropractors, Counselors and Naturopaths.

If you have those six elements as part of your daily routine, maintaining your great health is a cinch!

Now back to that summer sickness stuff. The warm weather, and poor air quality makes for challenges when you’re getting outside for your daily exercise. Of course you can always head indoors for your workouts, to your local gym or to your home exercise equipment, or you can consider getting up early or scheduling your workout later in the evening when the temperatures cool down. My personal favourite in the summer is to take my workout to the lake and swim! By making these easy changes, you can avoid breathing difficulties, dehydration and heat stroke or exhaustion.

Now that we’ve got your summer workout sick-proofed, we’re going to address your summer diet. Picnic season brings with it potato salad, shrimp cocktail and various other potential food poisoning hazards. The warm weather means that these foods are going to perish a little sooner so be careful about how long they’re not refrigerated, carry lots of ice packs and better yet, get a great cooler bag instead of that old wicker picnic basket.

Sunburn is a major concern of mine recently with the new recommendations of recent research that most sunscreen is more carcinogenic (cancer causing) than the effects of the sun itself. There are organic and non-chemical brands of sunscreen out there that are safe, so do your research when choosing the right one for your family. For those folks who have decided to forgo sunscreen entirely, cover up accordingly, seek the shade and limit your sun exposure to the morning and evening when possible.

Finally, the common cold and flu do not take time off. Even though it is not “flu season”, we still have to maintain good preventive practice to avoid getting and spreading illnesses. This means washing hands regularly with soap and water, cleaning often used surfaces with soap and water, coughing or sneezing into your sleeve not your hands and getting sufficient rest to allow your body to not be run down and susceptible to getting sick.

Maintaining a healthy immune system is crucial to avoiding getting sick and fighting off those illnesses if you do get them. If you find that you get sick a lot more than someone else you know, ask them if they’re sleeping, eating, exercising, thinking positive thoughts and getting adjusted by a chiropractor. You won’t be surprised to find out that they are.

Questions? Contact Dr. Sarah Tremblay and Dr. Travis Pillipow at 250-454-9474, or email at info@healthinhand.ca

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC VIZ 1G4 250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Your Body Is Smarter Than You

Our profession is known for its natural approach to health. We always promote a drug free non-invasive method to achieving wellness. Believe it or not, that’s a difficult line to tow these days. The natural human tendency when we’re in pain is to want to stop that pain, and with pharmaceutical advancements we are able to do that with just about every form of illness – quickly. Even with many years of natural health training and teaching when we both got a touch of food poisoning this past weekend, we wouldn’t have wished it on anyone and would have done anything to make it go away. Suddenly taking a Gravol or Pepto Bismol didn’t sound so bad.

We were both able to resist the temptation and the pharmaceutical norm and we’re both still here to tell the story. Really all it took was listening to our own advice, the advice that we give our patients all the time; that your body is smarter than you! The truth of it is that taking an anti-emetic (stop throwing up medicine), can actually put your body at greater risk for bigger trouble down the road. Your very smart body has recognized a poison in your system and is doing it’s best to get rid of it. If you stupidly (as in not as smart as your body) try to stop that from happening, the toxin can stay there for longer causing further damage to you and your poor digestive system. Not to mention the toxic effects of putting a foreign chemical substance in your very intelligent body that it is unable to recognize and has difficulty processing.

Your body is smarter than you, it knows what to do, so just let it!

We were watching an old episode of Two And A Half Men last night and for those of you who have seen the show know that one of the main characters is a chiropractor. In last night’s episode Alan the chiropractor had a headache and his son Jake suggested he take an aspirin. Upon being told that Alan didn’t believe in pills because they were artificial chemical compounds foreign to the body, Jake responded that pills must be safe because he sees them on TV all the time and TV wouldn’t lie.

It seems a little crazy when you see that mentality in print, but next time you’re sitting down to watch your favourite show, take a count of how many drug commercials you see. From Advil to Tylenol and anti-depressants and cholesterol lowering agents, you are guaranteed to see not one, not two, but many every half hour. It’s astonishing really and it has become so normal that we don’t even notice it. Is it any wonder that when we think of illness that our next thought is of the corresponding drug to treat it?

Challenge yourself for the next week to recognize drug advertising and acknowledge that is in fact what it is – selling a product, not the honest truth. The next part of the challenge is to listen to your smart body. When you get a headache it’s definitely not because of an Advil deficiency, figure out what is causing that headache and make some natural changes. Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep last night, or maybe you’re dehydrated, perhaps you’re stressed. Get to the root of your problem to make it go away for good instead of having a pill tell your smart body to be quiet when it’s screaming at you that something is wrong.

Questions or Comments? Contact Drs. Pillipow & Tremblay at Health In Hand Family Chiropractic. http://www.healthinhand.ca/  or info@healthinhand.ca

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd. Kelowna, BC VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

SUNSCREEN!!!!! This Month’s Health Tip

SUNSCREEN!!!!! The media has gone a little crazy in the last little while talking about the dangerous side of sunscreen. Research has shown that the artificial compounds and chemicals contained within most brands of sunscreen are actually more cancer causing than the effects of the sun itself.

We still have to worry about sunburn though, right?

Well you don’t have to give up sunscreen altogether.

Do your research and find an organic natural sunscreen to avoid toxic chemicals and stay out of the direct sun as much as possible. Avoiding the sun will also leave you with less wrinkles and sun spots as you age!


Questions or Comments? Contact Drs. Pillipow & Tremblay at Health In Hand Family Chiropractic. http://www.healthinhand.ca/  or info@healthinhand.ca

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd. Kelowna, BC VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Hit your reset button

We all know that living a balanced healthy life means eating right, taking time to relax, getting a good night’s rest and EXERCISING!!! We are so blessed here in the Okanagan with amazing spots for hiking, biking, walking rollerblading, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, rowing, wakeboarding, golfing, and pretty much every outdoor activity out there. Now that the weather is getting warmer and the sun is starting to come out more, it’s time to dust off your summer gear to get out there and do some amazing things for your health. We are no longer accepting excuses for inactivity – there is no excuse.
If you’re not already active, or you know that you’re not active enough the best thing you can do to get off your couch is to find something active that you love to do. You may have to try 100 things before you find that thing, but keep trying until you do. Give yoga, zumba, crossfit, nia, weight training, ballet, triathlons, walking, soccer, rugby, volleyball all a try.

There are lots of labourers in the valley and we often hear “my job is physical, so I don’t need to exercise” but moving your body is only half of the exercise equation. By taking the time to do a workout, even if it’s a 20 minute walk on your lunch break, you’re saying two really important things to your body: First that you are important enough to take 20 minutes for, and second that you are taking that 20 minutes to enjoy yourself and step away from your work and other responsibilities. Physical jobs also tend to be repetitive creating a physical stress in and of itself and regular exercise outside of work helps to balance the strain of repetitive motions on the job.

Moderate physical activity is a piece of how our bodies turn off the chronic stress that we are constantly putting it under. You know that amazing feeling you get after you exercise? That’s what a stress free body feels like. That is what it feels like when your stress cascade of hormones, muscle tension and racing thoughts all get reset. Gentle exercise hits your reset button to momentarily create a stress free body. A stress free body is at its highest potential to heal from infections, colds and flus. A stress free body (an exercised body) has a far less likelihood of developing chronic diseases of lifestyle, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Moderate physical exercise is just a piece of how our bodies turn off chronic stress. The proper diet with whole organic vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and meats; as well a proper supplementation of those vitamins, and micro nutrients that our foods are deficient in, is also very important. Decreasing the “chemical” stress that we put into our bodies through food preservatives, flavour enhancers, sugar alternatives pesticides, herbicides, and medications, helps decrease the chronic stress in our lives and optimize our overall health.

So today after reading this column we are urging you to try something different – learn a new game and get outside and play. Instead of taking the cart for your weekly golf round, walk 18 holes. Instead of fries with that clubhouse, get a side of seasonal and local organic vegetables. Try something new, or rediscover something old that you used to love it will enhance and optimize your entire health experience, so that you are hitting that reset button with the most efficiency possible.

Yours in Great Health.

Questions or Comments? Contact Drs. Pillipow & Tremblay at Health In Hand Family Chiropractic. http://www.healthinhand.ca/  or info@healthinhand.ca

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd. Kelowna, BC VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Dr. Sarah Tremblay - Kelowna Chiropractor

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Kelowna Chiropractor

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Chiropractic care important for mom

Maybe it’s our age, or maybe it’s the onset of warmer weather and people venturing outside more, but it seems that everywhere we look we’re seeing pregnant bellies. That and many of our friends, families and practice members have recently given birth (Congratulations!!!). With this sudden boom of pregnancies and birth, what better time to talk about natural health from conception! Even if you’re not in the pregnancy/newborn/children stage, you surely know someone who is, so pass this helpful information on.

Women are the family gatekeepers for health, and they are definitely on top of maintaining their own personal wellness through regular check ups, screening tests and preventive measures. That is why on average women make up the major patient base in most complimentary health offices. Pregnancy adds a whole new dimension to this female dominance in our Chiropractic office because for the most part, during pregnancy pharmaceuticals are no longer an option. Add to this the many, many physical changes happening in the body with the loosening of ligaments, shifts in the pelvis, weight gain, changes in posture and compression of some of the internal organs, and you get discomfort and even pain. Well, we’ve got some great news for you – Chiropractic care can help you.

Not only do chiropractic adjustments help to alleviate some of the low back and hip pain commonly associated with the later stages of pregnancy, but it also helps in a lot of other ways that aren’t so commonly known.

Research tells us that chiropractic care during pregnancy has been shown to: Help maintain a healthy pregnancy, control nausea and vomiting, help or stop premature contractions, help you remain active throughout your pregnancy, reduce the need for pain medication during pregnancy by half, and release in-utero constraint, facilitating the turning of breech babies. The Webster Technique performed by chiropractors has been proven to turn breech babies 82% of the time – and it’s non-invasive!

The benefits of chiropractic care don’t stop during pregnancy, they also help on birth day by shortening labour time by 25 to 60 percent, reducing the incidence of back labour, reducing the amount of pain medication during labour and generally helping make delivery more comfortable. Last but certainly not least chiropractic research has shown that regular adjustments can reduce the incidence of postpartum depression, reduce postpartum recovery time and increase the amount of breast milk produced. It’s no wonder that so many women make chiropractic a regular part of their prenatal care!

Getting started during pregnancy can help put you and your baby on the path to lifelong health and wellness, by addressing your health in a pro-active, non-invasive and drug free way. After all who wants to take more medication?
Questions or comments? Contact Dr. Sarah and Dr. Travis at Health In Hand Family Chiropractic. http://www.healthinhand.ca/  or info@healthinhand.ca

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Health in Hand Family Chiropractic Natures fare Market in West Kelowna April 16th 2010

Health in Hand Family Chiropractic will be at Natures fare Market in West Kelowna, offering free spinal Health assessments for the public.

Nature’s Fare has evolved into the organic and natural foods grocer of preference throughout the North Thompson and Okanagan Valley region. Adhering to the highest standards of quality for fresh, local foods, many have grown to know, love and become loyal guests of our stores. True to the core values upon which Nature’s Fare Markets was founded, we have remained true to our mission: to ethically assist our customers on their journey to better health.

Date: April 16th 2010

Location: #104 – 3480 Carrington Road Westbank, B.C.. V4T 3C1

Time: 3:00PMto 6:00 PM

Health in Hand Family Chiropractic specializes in relieving neck pain, back pain, headaches, lower back pain and improving your general health; servicing patients from the Okanagan including Kelowna, Westbank, West Kelowna, Peachland and Summerland.

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Going to Mexico May Save Your Life!

Spring Break is upon us here in the Okanagan; how are we going to entertain the children for two weeks? Just thinking about it can be a stress in and of itself, but have you ever thought that Spring Break may just save your life? Probably not!

The average Canadian is over-worked, under-paid, and expected to be more productive in less time. Not only are you under stress at work, but as mentioned in previous Westside Health articles, you have to perform at home as a parent, chauffeur, spouse and a hockey coach. There are only 24 hours in each day!

Feeling stressed? Feeling that there is no time for YOU? You are not alone!

Most people that we talk to equate stress to financial, job, and relational stress – all in all emotional stress. However, there are two other types of stressors, physical stress (postural strains, sport and motor vehicle injuries), and chemical stress (pollutants, food preservatives, and medications). Studying the difference between humans and wild animals, it’s been found that humans are the only primates that have higher rates of diseases of lifestyle: cancer, diabetes, heart disease, depression and other mental disorders. Over the last 100 plus years, since the onset of the industrial revolution, these diseases of lifestyle are far more prevalent than diseases of the past, like leprosy and the plague.

What this evidence shows is that humans have a higher stress lifestyle; family and free time are becoming a thing of the past, more work, and more taxes are the future! When comparing humans to other animals, humans are the only species capable of creating a stress reaction in the body without a stressful situation even presenting itself.

What does this mean? Try this exercise with us. Think of tax season, bills, or a project coming due at work. Did you feel yourself flush, your heart rate go up, and butterflies in your stomach? When we think of a situation that is potentially stress creating – we actually create stress just as if a big rabid dog jumps at you in the dark! This wonderfully unique trait is only common to human beings! We create the same physical stress response in our bodies sitting in traffic worried that we’re going to be late as we do when that dog jumps out at you.

The fact is that stress is necessary – if a big rabid dog is attacking you! Stress is needed to survive! If you are chronically stressed at work and at home, your body creates a cascade of chemical reactions that make you more prone to develop heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, anxiety, IBS, and many more diseases. So if you decrease your stress, it is only natural that you decrease your chances of developing the diseases of lifestyle!

Here are some tips:
1. Create Proper Eating Habits – Eat fresh! Eat organic! Eat clean. Read food labels, if you cannot pronounce the ingredient – it probably shouldn’t go in your mouth. The ingredients should sound like: carrot, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, chicken, salmon. Avoid aspartame, MSG (Monosodium Glutamate – and other trick names), and artificial sweeteners.

2. Get Adequate Exercise – Research shows that 30 minutes of light exercise (walking, yoga, stretching, jogging, swimming) 3 times per week will decrease your risk of heart disease by 33%. It also helps move your bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles, telling your nervous system to decrease the stress response in your body.

3. Create Proper Nervous System Function – Your brain, spinal cord, spine and nerves control every function in your body (heart, lungs, digestion, reproduction, etc.). Any misaligned spinal bones or stress on your nervous system stops the transmission of signals coming from your brain to the rest of your body, and can create dysfunction to organs and systems in the body. Research shows that chiropractic adjustments create the proper alignment in spine and nervous system thus restoring the proper function to those organs and systems in the body.

4. Have a Positive Mental Attitude – There is a tremendous connection between your thoughts, your nervous system, body and immune system. “Psycho-neuro-immunology” – a fast growing field, suggests that the way you think, directly affects your nervous system and your overall health and wellbeing. Think of a very stressful time in your life; death of a loved one, exams, bills – were you sick after? Personal time, trips to the beach, or anything you enjoy be it meditation, prayer, deep-breathing, yoga, smiling, laughing, or even a 10 second time-out, will help you minimize the effects of all three types of stress.

So, a trip to Mexico may save your life, by decreasing your stress, and decreasing the likelihood of developing diseases of lifestyle.
You deserve it. Doctors’ orders!
Questions or Comments
Contact Dr. Travis Pillipow and Dr. Sarah Tremblay

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!

Kelowna Health Wellness and Chiropractic Care

In western society people don't go to the doctor unless they are sick. This is becoming a thing of the past.

People are quickly realizing our so-called "healthcare system" is better termed a "sick care system" and that health is based on how your body is functioning and not how you feel, or the lack of symptoms.

The majority of our practice members realize this key concept, that health is a combination of how you think, how you move, and what you put into your body. This is wellness care.

How well your body functions, is based primarily upon the function of the master control system - the nervous system. Practice members in our office understand and opt into this true model of healthcare. They realize that detection of little problems earlier is easier than fixing a major problem in the future.

Everyone wants to feel good; however, your health should not be based on how you feel. Subluxation may exist in your spine without any symptom or even pain. Similar to heart disease, high blood pressure, and dental cavities, subluxation creates problems without you even knowing.

If you are interested in how your Kelowna wellness chiropractic wellness care can help you create the healthy life that you desire for you and your family, call or email us today, to find out how we can help you.

Dr. Travis Pillipow DC, BSc.
Dr. Sarah Tremblay, DC BHPE
Health In Hand Family Chiropractic
104-1195 Industrial Rd.
Kelowna, BC
VIZ 1G4
250-454-9474
http://www.healthinhand.ca/
Adjusting you for a better life!