New Jersey Institute of Balance July 2017

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July 2017

BULLETIN

A Russo Family Tradition The Evolution of Our Annual Fourth of July Barbecue

The inviting aroma of hot dogs, bratwurst, and grilled-to-perfection burgers mingles in the humid summer air. The sun beats down, but not oppressively — it’s less that run-for-the-shade heat and more the kind that encourages lazing around. I’m sitting on a folding chair, watching the horde of kids scamper around the yard. A whiffle ball whizzes through the air. The time surrounding the Fourth of July is always one of my favorite parts of the year. We hold barbecue after barbecue, bringing an intricate web of friends and family together in one place. It’s a long-standing Russo tradition. It all started back when I was in high school, when my dad decided to invite all those dear to our family to one hub for the holiday. With the entire Russo clan assembled, I can tell you, we throw a mean party, with some of the best barbecue you’ll find in the state. Ever

“A firm tradition like ours lets us pull everybody together and slow down a little ...”

It’s a hectic world we live in. Whether it’s the complications of world events as they unfold or just the hustle and bustle of the everyday, there’s always something going on. A firm tradition like ours lets us pull everybody together and slow down a little — oh, and light off some extravagant fireworks. I’d be lying if I said the Fourth doesn’t turn me into a little bit of a pyromaniac. These summer holidays provide some much-needed time for us to decompress, surrounded by family, and take stock of our lives. You can shut everything else out for those precious couple of days and really enjoy each other’s company. — Dr. Michael Russo

since then, whether we were in Hoboken or the family vacation home on the Jersey Shore, we break out the grill and start cooking as Independence Day rolls around. Traditions this powerful only evolve over time, gaining the complexity of the passing years. I love to see how everything’s changed, as the family has expanded and shifted. It used to be that our personal friends would come over during the Fourth. Nowadays, many of my buddies from high school or college have their own spouses and children, not to mention my brothers’ and my newly budding families. Gatherings like this really put how much has changed into perspective and how much all of us have gained from our younger years.

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Put Down the Scissors and Step Away From the Newspaper We Do the Math on Coupon Clipping

You don’t get paid enough to afford all the groceries you’d like. In fact, if it wasn’t for coupons, you wouldn’t be able to get everything you need, right? Coupon clipping is a time-honored way of saving money and a source of pride amongst many of us who need those paychecks to go as far as possible. But there are two ways to look at it: as a way to put food on the table that you otherwise couldn’t afford, or as a way to trick money-conscious consumers into buying stuff they normally wouldn’t. Which takeaway describes your situation? To find out, you have to answer two questions. The first question is,“Do I need—and will I use—everything that I buy with coupons?”Here’s the thing: Coupons are designed to affect you psychologically. It turns out that the same part of your brain that governs basic instincts (like hunger and pleasure) also loves a screaming good deal. It can be hard to resist the allure, and that means you often spend money on things that you normally wouldn’t, because you have a coupon. It’s tough, but stick to the staples — like rice, beans, oats, and salt — that you’ll use eventually and that won’t go bad. Of course, if you’ve wanted something for a long time and it goes on sale, it makes sense to buy. But don’t let the coupon section dictate your desires! The second question is,“Howmuch is my time worth, and howmuch of that time do I spend hunting down the best deals and clipping coupons?” We’re not trained to think of our time as valuable when we aren’t working, but time is the one thing you can’t get back. If you’re saving $25 a week

on stuff you actually need, but it takes 4 hours a week to get that savings, you’re losing money even if you make minimumwage. That’s time you could be spending with family, picking up a half-shift at work, or finding innovative ways to make money. We won’t deny that there are great deals out there—deals that are now more available than ever thanks to apps like Groupon. But don’t mistake coupons for anything but what they really are: businesses trying to trick your brain into buying more stuff. Use themwisely, but don’t let them rule you. Eat High-Quality Foods Calorie-dense foods, such as whole grains, nuts, dehydrated fruits, and nut butters, will aid in your quest to build muscle. Incorporating these foods into your diet is a lot easier than simply adding more food to your diet. Protein and complex carbohydrates are also key. Try to incorporate more lean beef, chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, fish, oatmeal, and healthy fats into your diet, as well. Focus On Heavy Compound Lifts A lower number of reps with heavier weights is most effective to spur muscle growth. Compound movements, like barbell squats, force you to challenge multiple muscle groups simultaneously, adding mass. Lift every other day, to give your muscles time to recover and add on muscle tissue. Engage in Cardiovascular Exercise Exercises, like jogging or swimming, strengthens your cardiovascular system, a vital part of the body, even if you’re focusing on adding muscle. While it shouldn’t be a main focus, it’s important not to cut it out completely, as cardiovascular exercise delivers vital nutrients to your muscles as they grow and develop.

How to Build Muscle Race Your Rapid Metabolism

Building muscle is an instrumental component of nearly all physical therapy patients’ recovery processes and a vital part of getting fit. But those with naturally fast metabolisms often struggle to gain muscle. Here are some tips to overcome that challenge. Consume More Calories You can have the best workout regimen in the world, but if you don’t eat enough, you won’t build even the smallest bit of muscle. Start off consuming the num- ber of calories your body naturally expends — your current weight, multiplied by 18. Gradually increase this number every two weeks by multiplying your current weight by 20, then 22, and so on.

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DISC JOCKEYS Suffering From Back Pain? You May Have a Herniated Disc

Lower back pain afflicts a massive number of people. An estimated 80 percent of Americans will face some type of back pain in their lifetime, according to ShareCare. Many back pain sufferers are afflicted with a herniated disc, a serious condition that often goes undiagnosed. Between the bones in your spine, there is a small space containing a disc. Each disc acts as a shock absorber to help manage the forces daily activities put on your spinal cord. A gel-like substance surrounds each disc, held together by a wall of delicate fibers. In certain circumstances, the fibers will break down, allowing some of the disc and its accompanying gel to shove outward, putting pressure on the nerves in the lower back. A slipped disc will begin by bulging out of the spine, followed by herniation, and finally rupture. Each stage puts an increasing amount of pressure on the highly sensitive spinal nerves, leading to severe pain. If the problem becomes bad enough, if will eventually cause numbness, tingling, and discomfort all the way down into the legs, a condition known as sciatica.

a herniated disk: a whopping 80 people. All of us at the New Jersey Institute of Balance have treated dozens of people suffering from herniated discs. One specific instance involved a man in his 30s who was unable to pull his foot upright. After an MRI, it was revealed he had a severely herniated disc. After four weeks of physical therapy, he regained the strength in his leg, and was able to run 3 miles without any problems. Don’t let back pain control your life. Fix your spine before it becomes a lifelong issue. Contact the team at New Jersey Institute of Balance and we’ll help you heal your backbone from the ground up!

If you took an MRI of 100 of individuals who complained about back pain, you’d be surprised by how many on average would have

Looking for a summer dessert you don’t have to feel guilty about indulging in? Try this easy, low-fat frozen treat! Frozen Yog rt Pie Summertime

Have a Laugh!

Ingredients

blueberries, and blackberries)

1 premade graham cracker pie crust

3 (6-ounce) containers regular yogurt (berry flavors work best)

1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip

1 cup frozen or fresh mixed berries (strawberries,

Directions

1. Combine Cool Whip, mixed berries, and yogurt in a bowl. Mix with a spatula until well-blended. 2. Pour yogurt mixture into pie crust. 3. Cover pie with foil or plastic lid. 4. Store in freezer for at least 3 hours, or until frozen through. 5. Serve frozen or slightly thawed.

Recipe inspired by eatingwell.com.

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INSIDE This Issue

A Russo Family Tradition

We Do the Math on Coupon Clipping How to Build Muscle With a Fast Metabolism

Disc Jockeys Summertime Frozen Yogurt Pie

The Neuroscience Behind Meditation

The Neuroscience Behind Meditation Sit Dow and Shut Up New Age mystics have been busy promising everything to the self-help hungry masses, popularizing pseudoscientific approaches that fall in and out of vogue faster than fashion trends. But one practice has moved back into the public spotlight in recent years that bears scientific examination, a method that’s been practiced across the world for over 2,000 years: meditation. Though it’s often lumped in with the other New-Agey self-help ideas, neurological evidence indicates that meditation deserves a closer look. Take one trial reported on by Newsweek and conducted by a computer scientist and neuroscientist at the University of Arizona, for instance. In the trial, 45 participants were split into three groups. One group took eight weeks of body relaxation training, one group had no training whatsoever, and one group took “mindfulness-based meditation training.”Then they were tested with stressful multitasking before and after the eight-week period. The individuals in the meditation group were able to sustain their focus longer and reported feeling less stressed than both of the other groups. So what’s actually happening here? Well, to put it simply, the meditators were actively changing the way their minds form connections. Our brains are constantly being molded and reshaped by our surroundings, often by things we are completely unaware of. Each time we impulsively follow a habit pattern, that reaction is etched into our brains more deeply. But when a person sits down to meditate, they begin to consciously reject

these knee-jerk impulses. As Newsweek writer Zoe Schlanger puts it, “Learning how to interrupt one’s reaction pattern — and then doing that over and over — can reshape behavior.” It’s just like any other thing we practice over and over. As we repeat the process, we get better at it. It’s just that with meditation, practitioners are specifically working on their ability to deliberately cause their thoughts to cease their aimless darting, developing focus and impulse resistance. Research indicates that this “stillness of mind” can result in better attention, reduced susceptibility to addiction, and even “reduce the cognitive decline associated with normal aging,” according to one study published in the Neurobiology of Aging journal. “What you attend to drives your behavior and it determines your happiness,”writes London School of Economics scholar Paul Dolan. It just makes sense that learning to actively direct your attention should improve your quality of life — and the science backs it up. If you’re intrigued, check out apps like calm.com or buddhify or read “A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation” by Rod Meade Sperry — an excellent primer covering many approaches and philosophies.

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