NFL Legend Jerry Rice Gives Credit to Chiropractic

Jerry Rice played in the National Football League for 20 years , which is an accomplishment in and of itself, considering the average NFL career spans only 3.5 years. Widely touted as the best receiver to ever play the game, his spectacular career included 16 seasons and three Super Bowl wins as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, followed by three seasons with the Oakland Raiders. (He was on the roster of the Seattle Seahawks when he retired in 2005). Rice was named to the Pro Bowl 13 times, winning the Pro Bowl MVP award in 1995, and received the Super Bowl MVP award in 1988. He held an amazing 38 NFL records at the time of his retirement.

Not one to rest on his laurels after retirement, Rice signed on with the hit TV show "Dancing With the Stars" for the 2005-2006 season. Paired with dancer Anna Trebunskaya, Rice finished second in the grueling competition, losing to Drew Lachey (who, along with brother Nick, sang in the pop group 98 Degrees) and dance partner Cheryl Burke. If you think the show was all smoke and mirrors, consider that participants, many of whom had little or no dance experience, formal or otherwise, had approximately six days to learn a new dance routine before each week's competition. According to reports, that sometimes meant practicing for up to five hours a day.

As much attention as Jerry Rice has received for his dazzling catches and amazing abilities, on and off the field, he has an important message to share about how to maximize health and wellness, regardless of whether you're an elite athlete, a weekend warrior or anywhere in between. Rice believes chiropractic has helped him tremendously over the years and wants others to experience the same results. Obviously, going to the chiropractor may not make you the world's best receiver (or dancer), but it can certainly help you live a happier, healthier life free from pain.

"Chiropractic care has been instrumental in my life, both on and off the field, and I am excited to share this with the American public," says Rice. "I have been blessed with a long and healthy career as a professional athlete, and as I move forward into the next stage of my life, chiropractic care will continue to be an important part of my game plan."

Rice credits chiropractic care in terms of his achievements on the gridiron, the dance floor and life in general. "Optimal health has been a key to the success of my athletic career, my dancing experience and my ability to enjoy my life to the fullest. Chiropractic care is an important part of my game plan for healthy living."

Jerry Rice is such a big supporter of chiropractic care that he recently became the official spokesperson for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (FCP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the value of chiropractic care to the public. The foundation is using Rice's image and message about the value of chiropractic care in various ways, including a full-page advertisement you may have seen recently in print. The ad already has appeared in the Dec. 15, 2008 issue of ESPN The Magazine, the January 2009 issue of Sports Illustrated, the Jan. 16/17 issue of USA Today, the February 2009 issue of Men's Fitness and the January/February 2009 issue of Women's Health.

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How to Help Your Child Avoid Growing Up Fat

Growing up "fat" is easy to do when 20 percent of all children eat more than three times a week at a fast-food establishment, 13 percent of their average daily calories come from soft drinks, and the average person consumes approximately 140 pounds of sugar every year. According to the latest estimates, 9 million children in the United States are obese, and this disturbing trend is repeating itself in other countries that embrace a Western diet and sedentary lifestyle.

While childhood obesity cannot be attributed to any one particular influence, studies have shown there are several modifiable factors including inadequate physical activity, sedentary behavior and poor eating habits. These factors are all easily modified when parents recognize how influential they are in these areas, both directly and indirectly. These factors are all easily modified when parents recognize how influential they are in these areas, both directly and indirectly. For example, a parent has direct influence by providing an environment that nurtures physical activity and good eating habits in their child(ren), and has indirect influence through modeling - leading by example.

Encourage Physical Activity: Pick an aerobic physical activity like bicycling, tennis, soccer, etc.; something your entire family will enjoy. Make it a weekly outing at first and then increase it to at least two times a week. If you pick up your children from school, take a few minutes each day and walk a few laps around the school track with them before coming home. (By the way, that's also a good time to talk about their school day and anything else they may have on their mind.) And if you are a working parent who works out at a gym, check to see if they will allow your 12-year-old (or older) child to at least use the treadmill. Whatever physical activity you choose, pick one the entire family can enjoy. Sometimes, if a child is very active and participates in school sports or Little League, the family may consider game time as family/activity time. This actually can be detrimental to other children in the family, since they may end up sitting in the stands the entire time, usually consuming unhealthy food items.

Encourage Good Eating Habits: When making choices to help your child(ren) avoid obesity, consider this: Kids who are physically active and have a diet of fresh vegetables, fruit and healthy protein sources are almost never obese. Here are some ways to create a healthy eating environment:

	Plan times when you prepare foods together as a family. Children enjoy participating and can learn about healthy cooking and food preparation.
	Avoid rushing to finish meals. Eating too quickly does not allow enough time to digest the food and achieve a sense of fullness.
	Avoid other activities during mealtimes such as watching TV or reading.
	Have snack foods available that are low-calorie and nutritious. Fruits, vegetables and raw nuts (almonds, cashews, etc.) are good examples.
	Avoid serving portions that are too large and thus encourage overconsumption.
	Avoid forcing your child to eat if they are not hungry, but do not give in later by allowing them to eat snack foods instead of their regular meal.
	Limit fast-food consumption to no more than once every two weeks.
	Avoid using food as a reward or the lack of food as punishment.

With all the negative influences out there these days, it's certainly not easy to establish healthy lifestyle behaviors in your children, but it's important enough to their health (and yours) to make the effort. As your doctor for more suggestions to keep your entire family healthy.

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Easing Arthritis Pain: Think Natural

Arthritis actually refers to more than 100 different diseases affecting areas in and around the joints, but regardless of which type you have, two things are fairly certain: Pain is an ongoing problem and drugs are an all-too-common treatment option. Why settle for drugs that come with potential side effects and adverse reactions when there are natural, nontoxic approaches to ease your arthritis pain? Here are a few simple suggestions to consider.

Moderate Activity: Regular exercise helps strengthen the muscles around your joints, increases flexibility and combats fatigue. Any movement can help, but range-of-motion exercises in particular seem to reduce joint stiffness and pain. The type of arthritis and the involved joints will determine which exercises are ideal and which may actually increase your pain.

Good Food: What you eat may play a role in reducing arthritis pain or doing just the opposite making the pain even worse. Some arthritis patients seem to experience relief when eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet (oily fish, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and a flare-up when eating simple carbohydrates and fatty foods. Bananas, sweet peppers and soy products also may help.

Proper Body Mechanics: Body positioning during everyday movements can have a profound effect on joint stress and resulting pain. To minimize the stress on your joints throughout the day, maintain good posture, bend at the knees when picking things up, and ensure your work space provides adequate support for your neck, back, forearms and upper legs.

For more information about how to prevent and treat arthritis naturally, talk to your doctor and visit www.arthritis.org.

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