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MARCH 2023
DOES YOUR BODY FEEL STUCK IN NYC TRAFFIC? The Symptoms of Chronic Stress
Sometimes, the patients we see report suffering from more than a physical injury. There are feelings of brain fog, the inability to fall asleep, loss of body hair, unexplained weight loss, lack of motivation, nervousness, and ongoing fatigue that just won’t go away. These symptoms fall under the umbrella of what we call “chronic stress.” While they may seem benign, they signal your body is under extreme strain. When someone’s body suffers from chronic stress, they’re in a constant “fight or flight” mode, and their body cannot keep pace with the demands of this heightened state. An analogy I like to use is comparing chronic stress to traffic in New York City. If you’ve driven in NYC, you know it’s chaotic, stressful, and dangerous. When you drive in it daily, however, your body becomes accustomed to fast-paced, unpredictable driving. Then, even when you leave the city, you still drive like you’re in the Big Apple, even when it’s unnecessary; you’ve become so accustomed to the stress that you can’t tell the difference. This is what being chronically stressed is like. When your body is living like it’s perpetually stuck in New York City traffic, constantly feeling the effects of high stress, it produces more cortisol hormones. When we have too much cortisol, we are at higher risk for things like depression, anxiety, and overeating. These things, in turn, damage relationships with ourselves and others. Chronic stress also slows your body’s recovery, as it focuses more on running or fighting instead of repairing damages.
So, what can you do to help bring your body into a less-stressed state?
sound and feel the air of your inhales and exhales while breathing slowly. If it helps, place your hand on your belly and count each inhale to 10 before starting over. Doing this will calm your sympathetic nervous system and tell your body everything is okay. SET ACHIEVABLE GOALS Last month’s newsletter discussed how setting yourself up for small wins leads to major successes. And, as we said earlier, the dopamine you earn does far more for your body than the free stuff. Achieving the small goals you set for yourself leads to higher satisfaction and increased motivation. If you need help setting the right goals for yourself,
UNPLUG FROM TECHNOLOGY Getting sucked into social media apps, emails, and text message drama is easy. But the truth is that these things add to our stress and create a dopamine deficit that acts like a bottomless pit. When you scroll on social media, your brain immediately receives a hit of dopamine. However, you didn’t earn this dopamine, and your brain knows it. So, it requires more time in these virtual spaces to give you that free feeling of happiness. And when your brain is scrambling to find dopamine, it becomes stressed, producing more cortisol.
call us and we’ll send you a copy of February’s newsletter to guide you. TRY ACUPUNCTURE Acupuncture is a great tool to fight against chronic stress as it desensitizes
“CHRONIC STRESS ALSO SLOWS YOUR BODY’S RECOVERY, AS IT FOCUSES MORE ON RUNNING
So, to help bring your body into a more relaxed state, go for a walk in nature and leave your phone behind,
OR FIGHTING INSTEAD OF REPAIRING DAMAGES.”
even if it’s just for 30 minutes, or take a scenic drive with your phone at home. Any time you can dedicate to an activity without looking at your phone will benefit your body.
your nervous system. It does this by using specific acupoints in your body to target your parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems and naturally release endorphins. If you can’t shake the feeling of fatigue or your brain feels stuck in a fog, call us at 973-585-4990. We can help relieve stress through acupuncture or lifestyle changes in our helpful nutrition course!
MEDITATE Meditating gives your body a sense of
calm, peace, and safety from the everyday stressors that may be haunting you. It can also help your body learn how to deal with stress moving forward by naturally gravitating towards a more relaxed state. Find some time in your day — even just 10 minutes — to stop what you’re doing and meditate. While seated or lying flat, shift your attention to your breathing. Listen to the
-Dr. Natty Bandasak
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EXPLORE THESE POWERFUL FEMALE- DRIVEN MOVIES During Women’s History Month
Join
Do you often feel burnt out or fatigued
after a long week? Are the stressors from your job or family piling up?
If this sounds like you, we invite you to participate in our Recovery Saturdays! At Myokinetix, your overall wellness is our priority, so much so that we designated two Saturdays a month to focus solely on your recovery from your busy life. In our newsletter last month, we talked extensively about the benefits of acupuncture. Our in-house acupuncturist, Danny Burbano, uses tiny needs to target specific acupoints in the body that stimulate both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Your sympathetic nervous system controls your “fight or CODY’S FUN FACT
Throughout history, there have been countless women who have performed awe-inspiring feats. From Joan of Arc to Amelia Earhart, there are many women you can research that helped change the world for the better. And there’s no better way to teach your children about these amazing women than watching a movie about their accomplishments. Here’s a list of movies worth watching to recognize Women’s History Month. ‘HIDDEN FIGURES’ Movies about astronauts and space travel usually do well at the box office, but they often don’t focus on the efforts made behind the scenes. “Hidden Figures” flips the script and tells the story of Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan, three Black women who helped turn the tide of the space race in America’s favor. These women crossed numerous barriers to play fundamental roles in the effort to send John Glenn into space. It’s an inspirational watch that will help your children realize they can accomplish anything. ‘SUFFRAGETTE’ In today’s society, many of us take our rights for granted, but there was a time when many didn’t even have the right to vote. “Suffragette” tells the story of the British women who sacrificed everything to help all women gain the ability to vote over 100 years ago. They used art, debate, propaganda, and even vandalism in their protests. Their efforts led to the passing of the Representation of the People Act, which granted some women the right to vote. American women gained their right to vote shortly after. This movie is rated PG-13 due to some intense violence, so viewer discretion is advised. ‘HARRIET’ Harriet Tubman is one of the most well-known individuals from the Underground Railroad and the Civil War era. Most of us know she was instrumental in helping hundreds escape slavery, but how much more do you know about the woman behind the actions? “Harriet” takes a deep dive into Tubman’s life by exploring her early life and showing how she became a leader in the Underground Railroad.
Jen is a huge Marvel and “Star Wars” fan, and her wedding with Matt is on “May the fourth be with you,” 2023!
-Cody
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ORITIZE YOU! Us for Recovery Saturdays
One of our patients, Katie Siverson, was injured in a winter league lacrosse game during her senior year of high school. She was hurt when another player slammed into her side, causing her to fall. The fall severely injured Katie’s knee and tore her ACL. This was Katie’s first encounter with a severe sports injury. Sure, she’d broken a bunch of bones and suffered some sprains, but this was her first injury that required a lot of time to heal. The recovery time caused Katie to feel confused and lost, worried about what life after her injury might look like. But, after talking with other athletes who had recovered from ACL injuries, Katie realized these injuries are common — and a full recovery is possible. So, Katie started attending a basic physical therapy facility to help her recover. However, she quickly felt she needed treatment geared toward high-performing athletes. That’s when Katie found Myokinetix. “Coming to Myokinetix was an eye-opening experience that I’m so thankful for,” Katie says. “I’m able to find myself as an athlete again, rather than just someone who was injured and needed physical therapy.” MORE THAN AN INJURY Katie Siverson’s ACL Recovery Journey
flight” response, which can be overstimulated after a busy week, leaving you feeling sluggish or worn down.
We understand you can’t always control how hectic your schedule gets between driving your kids to sporting events and your job. But you can offset these stressors by stopping by Myokinetix two Saturdays a month to meet with Danny. He can utilize dry needling or acupuncture techniques to help your body find relief from stress. That way, you’ll be able to take on the coming week with energy, confidence, and a healthy perspective.
Our Recovery Saturday date for this month is March 25, and participation is by appointment only.
So, if you end each week feeling more stressed than you started, it’s time to prioritize your healing. Call us at 973-585-4990 to make an appointment with Danny for one of our Recovery Saturdays. We hope to see you there!
SMOKY SPICY BROCCOLI FRITTERS
Katie also says that “being surrounded by people who
want to see you succeed and want to see you do well, looking past your status as an athlete and seeing you as a person is the best environment I could have ever asked for,” and that she can just come to physical therapy and have fun and feel herself getting better and stronger.
INGREDIENTS:
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2 1/2 cups chopped broccoli 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup packed cilantro 1 tsp oil, plus more for frying
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1/2 tsp smoked or regular paprika 1 tsp chipotle pepper powder 1 tbsp barbecue sauce 3/4 cup chickpea flour
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1/3 tsp salt
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1/2 tsp garlic powder
DIRECTIONS:
Katie’s goals with her recovery were about more than just feeling better; she wanted to prepare herself for the higher level of play she would see at the collegiate level. She also wanted to grow mentally after overcoming one of the hardest things she had ever gone through. During Katie’s time here, she was able to fulfill her goals and grow both as an athlete and a human being. We’re so happy to announce that Katie currently plays lacrosse for Wagner College — fully recovered.
1. In a food processor, add broccoli, onion, cilantro, and 1 tsp oil and process until uniform. Transfer to a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to distribute. 2. Let mixture sit for 2 minutes for the broccoli to leak enough moisture so you can form patties. If mixture is too wet, add more chickpea flour. If mixture is too dry and does not stick well, wait another few minutes or sprinkle some water and mix. 3. Shape into 5–6 patties. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil and spread it in the pan. 4. Pan-fry the patties for 4–5 minutes per side. 5. Serve with Sriracha, ketchup, barbecue sauce, marinara, or a cooling ranch as desired.
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Reduce Symptoms of Chronic Stress PAGE 1 Movies Featuring Prominent Women in History PAGE 2 Recovery Saturdays: Fight Back Against Stress! PAGE 2 Smoky Spicy Broccoli Fritters PAGE 3 Katie Siverson: From ACL Injury to Collegiate Athlete PAGE 3 Want a Vitamin Boost? PAGE 4
SOAK UP THE SUNSHINE VITAMIN Health Benefits of Vitamin D
With spring on the horizon, we all will be able to get outdoors a little more and soak up some sun — and extra vitamin D! Bring on the picnics, pool days, hiking, sports activities, and leisurely walks through the park!
support your mental health, step outside and get some happy, feel-good rays! IT’S POSSIBLY LINKED TO WEIGHT LOSS. While it’s not fully proven that vitamin D helps with weight loss,
Let’s take a look at the many benefits this vitamin provides for our bodies.
IT BOOSTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. Vitamin D helps your body fight off sickness. In fact, it’s been proven that deficiencies in vitamin D are connected to an increased possibility of developing infections and autoimmune diseases such as the flu, heart disease, and diabetes. IT COUNTERS OSTEOPOROSIS. Osteoporosis, a loss in bone mass, is common as we get older. However, vitamin D is one of the key players in helping to slow down bone loss and prevent or treat osteoporosis so we can maintain a healthy skeletal system. IT REDUCES THE RISKS OF DEPRESSION. Studies have shown that those who are deficient in vitamin D become more prone to mood disorders and depression. To ensure that you
many studies have found links between vitamin D supplements and shedding a few
pounds. In one study, one group of people taking vitamin D and calcium supplements lost more weight than another group taking placebos.
IT PREVENTS AND HELPS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. Not only is vitamin D proven to lower a person’s chances of getting this horrible disease, but for those who already have it, it can also reduce symptoms or slow down the disease’s progression. This spring, be sure to get outdoors and soak up some vitamin D; however, don’t forget to protect your skin, too! To avoid overexposure, only about 10–15 minutes a day of unprotected sun is recommended.
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