November 2004.  My oldest son, Max, who was 10 years old and in 4^th grade was showing signs of struggling in grade school.  Lack of focus, lack of interest and low self-esteem in the classroom were rearing their ugly heads.  Being that Max was the first of my five kids, being that my husband’s ADHD was still undiagnosed in his mid-thirties and being that Max was a boy, hockey goalie and all around athletic kid, how would we have ever known he had ADHD?  He was our guinea pig, the one whe’d make the most mistakes with, our first-born.  It was during his fall conference that year that his teacher at the time suggested that we have Max tested for ADHD.  She kept us calm, focused and talked us out of blaming ourselves for the rest of our lives.  At the end of our conference, knowing how talented and committed Max was at playing high level hockey at such a young age, she left us with these words of wisdom that I still think about daily with my other kids.  She told us to never take him out of a hockey rink.  I didn’t get it back then, I was far too young of a mother.  But, those words have helped me raise my kids to have self-worth, independence, routine and discipline.  Character traits they would have never gotten from school.

May is traditionally Detox month.  We clean out our houses in the Spring, we clean our closets out in the Spring, we plant our gardens, we prepare for a renewal of life in the Spring.  So, it's makes sense that our bodies need the same.  Cleansing our bodies helps our liver and kidney to clean out and be restored to a healthy balance.  We've been breathing in toxic air, especially if you work in a large city, drinking water and sports drinks from plastic water bottles that release toxins over time and eating food that is not 100% organic and clean.  Our bodies need that cleanse.  With big names such as Dr. Oz and Dr. Weil supporting an annual cleanse, many companies have created their own version. 

Health tip #3 - To stretch or not to stretch before you exercise. Meet Stuart Yoss, Doctor of Chiropractic and owner of Bannockburn Chiropractic who has worked with hundreds of professional athletes from all over the country, most notably the Chicago Bears and Chicago Blackhawks.

“Debunking the Stretching Myth”

One of the biggest misconceptions that I encounter in my practice is that people believe that they do not have to stretch before they exercise. They say that they read an article about not having to stretch before you exercise, only after working out. They are about 50% correct with that statement. True, you should not do static stretching (when you hold one position for more than 10 seconds) pre-workout. Research shows that static stretching on a “cold” muscle causes micro tears, which potentially lead to more pulled muscles. Static stretching should be done post-workout. That way the muscle is full of blood and will be able to handle the load of stretching. Where the problem lies is that you still need to warm the muscles up prior to activity. What that means is that you should take the joints that you are going to use through their full range of motion. Start with small movements and slowly increase the range until you reach full range of motion. You can also hold the end position for 3-5 seconds and then release the position. Another good idea is to hop on a treadmill or bike for 5 minutes before you workout. This will help warm the body up. Make sure to drink plenty of water during your workout, as well.

For more information on stretching, joint pain and sports related injury and recovery, please contact Dr. Yoss at 847.236.1194. Besides chiropractic adjustments for the spine, Dr. Yoss also uses Active Release Technique(ART) soft tissue mobilization and rehab exercises to help the spine become stronger and more stabilized. Bannockburn Chiropractic and Sports Injury Center, 2101 Waukegan Road, #100, Bannockburn, IL 60015. www.bannochiro.com

Health tip #2- Are you in back pain while driving in your car? Most likely it’s your poor posture while sitting in the driver’s seat that is causing so much discomfort. Meet Highland Park resident, Lily Horowitz, a leading and published certified Pilates instructor with over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry.

Everyone talks about “core strength” but do you know what that really means. Having a strong core isn’t about doing thousands of sit ups to achieve a six pack. It’s about creating strength and awareness through your entire mid section: shoulders, stomach, back, glutes and legs. Having a strong core will help with balance, posture, and spine stabilization. Navel to spine is one of the key concepts in achieving a strong core so here is a tip: when sitting in your car (before driving) pull navel to spine like you have a string pulling your belly button to your back. This will force you to change your posture and sit taller, then adjust your rearview mirror to that position. This way when you drive and aren’t aware of navel to spine, you won’t be able to see and it will remind you to engage.

For more information about Lily and To The Core Pilates, located in Northbrook, please visit www.kidlates.com.