Take a look at our February newsletter!
FEBRUARY 2023
KaizenSeattle.com | 206-524-6702
LUCKY IN LOVE M y Marrying Theresa, I Hit the Jackpot Umi Sake House isn’t our only Valentine’s Day tradition. The weekend following the holiday, I also book a couples’ massage and an overnight stay at a hotel to unwind. Getting a break from being in “mom mode” seems very restorative for Theresa. We actually try to get away for a night a few times a year, but there’s something about Valentine’s Day that’s a little bit more special than our other mini-getaways. If I am, in fact, lucky, then meeting Theresa is one of the greatest strokes of good luck I’ve ever had. I love her for many reasons, but one is how fiercely she expresses her love for others. I always receive a big hug and kiss whenever I leave or return to the house. When I’m only going to the store for eggs, she’ll act like I’m being deployed to active duty! And when I return 20 minutes later, she hugs me as if I’ve just been overseas for months. I can’t quite keep up that same energy; I think it’s normal for the intensity of a relationship to wax and wane over the years. But Theresa never lets me forget how important it is to appreciate the ones we love. While Valentine’s Day reminds us to value our significant others by rekindling romance, Theresa helps me see how the world would be better if we all embraced just a little more of that energy year-round. I wish a Happy Valentine’s Day to all of my patients and hope that you can spend it with the people you love most. –Dr. Colin Sisco
I’ll never forget my first date with my wife, Theresa. She was making conversation by talking about sports and asked me if I’d ever tried boxing. “No,” I replied, “I never got into boxing because I have T-Rex arms.” She laughed loudly in response. I wasn’t making a joke; I was just stating the truth! But I immediately realized that we could have a promising future together if she thought I was that funny without even trying. On that same date, Theresa decided to read my palm, and she told me that it reflected someone very lucky. I don’t put a lot of stock in palm reading, but she was right about that. I have always been a fairly fortunate person in many ways. It has even become a running joke during our annual Valentine’s Day celebration. We always go to Umi Sake House in Seattle, a tradition that began because it was both of our favorite restaurants. Every year, Theresa wants me to try oyster shooters. But while I’m otherwise a reasonably adventurous eater, raw oysters are where I draw the line. It makes me feel a bit like a little kid whose parents are begging him to try something even though it looks “gross,” but I can’t get past it. So, it’s fortunate that every year we go, the restaurant happens to be out of oysters. I’m not sure how, but I seem to dodge the bullet every time! We always have a good laugh about how I am, indeed, very lucky. Here’s to hoping that good fortune doesn’t run out!
• 1
206-524-6702
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
YOUR INTELLECTUAL WELLNESS MATTERS! Challenge Yourself to Expand Your Mind
How to Foster and Develop Intellectual Wellness Intellectual wellness differs from other types of well-being. You need to work hard and challenge yourself to stay intellectually healthy. If you’re looking to improve or nurture your intellectual wellness, here are three ways to do it. 1. Learn a new skill. One of the main components of intellectual wellness is working to acquire more knowledge. This doesn’t need to be physics or engineering but can be something as simple as cooking a new healthy recipe, learning to draw, or attempting a DIY home repair project. The important part is that mastering something new provides an information- based approach to the world around you. 2. Remove subjectivity. We view every situation with a pre-formed opinion or bias. The truth is our brains are wired this way to streamline thinking, but to be intellectually healthy, we must work hard to push past it. Remove subjectivity by learning a different way to perform a task or challenge yourself to understand (or simply read) the ideas of others. Be objective, even when you disagree with them. 3. Improve your critical thinking. Next time you’re engaged in conversation, try being thoroughly engaged and think about what is being said. Ask questions to yourself and others, and hash out what you agree with and things you don’t. Work to keep your brain active in everything you do by finding a connection to everything around you.
These days, as taking care of our health becomes more important than ever, we hear a lot about our physical wellness and how to improve it using nutritious foods and exercise.
But what about our intellectual wellness?
What is intellectual wellness? The University of New Hampshire defines intellectual wellness as “being open to new ideas, thinking critically, and finding ways to be creative.” Essentially, this means thinking about the world around you with an open mind and putting energy into what you’re thinking, not just allowing your brain to run idly.
Signs of healthy intellectual wellness include:
• Ability to see an issue from all sides • Purposeful exposure to ideas, beliefs, and people who differ from yourself
• Awareness of your core values • Capacity to learn new things
Balance: It’s More Than Just an Act
More studies reveal that balance is a great indicator of life span or disease. In fact, a recent study released by the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that people who could not balance on one foot for at least 10 seconds were nearly twice as likely to die within the next 10 years. But as we age, balance can become more challenging, and losing your balance can lead to falls or other serious accidents. Luckily, these mishaps are preventable with some help from balance training. Balance training just means taking a few minutes each day to perform simple exercises that help improve your balance, and according to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, doing so can reduce the risk of falling by up to 40%!
Here are a few simple exercises you can do at home to improve your balance. For safety, we recommend completing these exercises near a sturdy surface you can use for support if you need it. Standing March While standing, slowly march in place for 20–30 seconds. How fast or slow you complete this exercise is up to you, but once you feel it becoming easier, you can pick up your marching pace or move to a different floor texture, like carpet, grass, or hardwood, for a challenge. The idea here is that marching forces you to temporarily stand on one foot, even for a few seconds.
the chair without using your arms to help push you up. If this is too difficult, feel free to add a pillow or foam pad to the seat to reduce the distance between sitting and standing. Once you’re standing, slowly lower yourself back into the chair. Try not to fall back into it (which allows gravity to control the fall); instead, ease yourself into the seat. Repeat as many times as you can. Heel-to-Toe Walk Standing straight, place one foot directly in front of the other so the heel of your leading foot is touching the toes of the one behind it. Hold this position for 30 seconds before moving the back foot to the front of the previously leading foot, with its heel touching the other foot’s toes. Repeat as many times as you can.
Sit to Stand In a chair, sit with your feet
planted firmly on the floor in front of you. Then, rise from
2 • KaizenSeattle.com
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
BRING ON THE BUGS! FOODS THAT HELP — AND HARM — OUR MICROBIOME
Inside all of us is a bustling community of bacteria, parasites, fungi, and viruses. But don't worry! These microbiota work hard to keep our bodies balanced and healthy. They are so crucial to our health that they’ve been labeled a supporting organ because of what they do to keep our systems running smoothly. And what we eat can have a significant impact on the well- being of our microbiota. So, here are foods we can eat to help these tiny residents keep our health in check as well as foods to avoid so we don't sabotage the benefits they provide. Foods That Help Our Microbiome The key to helping our little microbiota is by creating a lower pH level in our colons. To do this, we need to consume foods high in healthy fiber. The microbiota in our bodies break down these fibers using enzymes and, as a result, ferment the fiber inside our gut. This fermentation releases short-chain fatty acids, or SCFAs, essential to lowering our pH. SCFAs make our colons more acidic and, by doing so, stop the growth of harmful bacteria that cannot survive in a low- pH environment. Foods that support increased SCFAs are indigestible carbohydrates and fibers. Our stomachs don’t break these down, so they arrive whole to our intestines, ready for our tiny microbiota to eat. These carbohydrates and fibers are called prebiotics, and while we can take many drugstore prebiotics as supplements, it’s always better to feed our little friends from natural food sources.
The following foods contain the highest amounts of natural prebiotics:
• Garlic • Onions • Leeks • Asparagus • Bananas
• Seaweed • Wheat • Oats • Barley
To get the most out of these prebiotic-packed foods, eat them as close to raw as possible!
Foods That Hurt Our Microbiome Just like foods can help give our microbiome a major power-up, many foods can harm it. Even worse, some foods encourage harmful gut bacteria to thrive and make us sick. Here are the top foods to stay away from:
• Artificial sweeteners (like stevia, aspartame, and sucralose)
• Fried foods • Red meat • Soft drinks
These foods help grow harmful bacteria and actively disrupt the environment of our microbiota, so it’s best not to include these so our little helpers stay healthy!
TAKE A BREAK!
Feta Chicken Burgers Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
INGREDIENTS
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber • 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise • 1/2 cup chopped roasted sweet red pepper • 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Greek seasoning • 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground chicken • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese • 6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat broiler. Mix chopped cucumber and mayonnaise and set aside. 2. For the burgers, mix the red pepper, garlic powder, Greek seasoning, and black pepper. Add chicken and cheese; mix lightly but thoroughly (the mixture will be sticky). Shape into 6 patties about 1/2-inch thick. 3. Broil burgers, remembering to cook both sides thoroughly. Serve on buns with cucumber sauce. If desired, top with lettuce and tomato. Enjoy!
• 3 206-524-6702
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
206-524-6702 KaizenSeattle.com
5025 25th Ave. NE, #201 Seattle, WA 98105
1. Dr. Sisco’s Valentine’s Day Tribute to His Wife 2. Intellectual Wellness: What It Is and How to Improve Yours 3 Exercises to Improve Your Balance INSIDE THIS ISSUE
3. Prebiotics to the Rescue! Feta Chicken Burgers
4. Improve Your Workouts With the Mind-Muscle Connection
USE THE MIND-MUSCLE CONNECTION Mind Over Matter Isn’t Enough!
Turn off distractions. Remember the music or podcast we mentioned earlier? Turn it off! This also includes silencing your phone or turning off any nearby TVs. It may take some time to get used to working out in silence, but with nowhere else to wander, the brain has an easier time focusing on those muscle movements. Visualize the muscles you are using. Every time you move, whether using a stationary bike, taking a walk, or lifting weights in a gym, picture the muscles you’re using in your head. Imagine the muscle fibers stretching and contracting with each movement. Use cues to remind you of your working muscles. Sometimes, our minds drift off during a workout, and that’s normal. But if you
Many assume working out is the muscle's job, pushing weights around as we enjoy a song or listen to a podcast. While this may be a fun way to pass the time, you're not doing your fitness any favors with your mind elsewhere. When you work out, you should use a "mind-muscle connection," or purposely think about the movement and contractions of your muscles as you use them. This is better because when your brain consciously focuses on your muscles and their contractions, it employs more muscle fibers to complete the task. You build strength in a more complete, well-rounded way. If you're not using a mind-muscle connection yet, don't worry! Here’s how you can start next time you’re ready to sweat.
find your head in the clouds more often than you’re thinking about your exercise, it might be time to use a few cues. A cue simply reminds you of what you’re physically doing. One way to incorporate a cue is to talk to yourself with each repetition. For example, if you’re performing a bench press, you can say “up” when you push the bar away and “down” when you lower it toward you. Utilize time under tension. The slower you perform your exercise, the more opportunity your brain has to talk to those muscles you’re using. Try holding each repetition for three seconds before moving on to the next, and as you hold, visualize those muscles for the entire three seconds.
4 • KaizenSeattle.com
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
GIVE THE ONE YOU LOVE THE GIFT OF RELIEF THIS VALENTINE’S DAY!
Valentine’s Day Laser Discount: Valid during the month of February, get 10 laser sessions for only $325! (Regularly priced at $399)
5 Reasons You’ll Love Deep Tissue Laser Therapy: 1. It Works: The No. 1 reason you’ll love laser therapy? It works! Deep tissue laser therapy can provide powerful pain relief, promote tissue repair, and reduce swelling. 2. It’s Fast: Treatments typically last 4–7 minutes, and many patients report pain relief and
improved range of motion after the very first treatment. 3. It Lasts: Benefits extend far beyond the treatment itself and continue working for 36 hours after the machine is turned off. 4. It’s Safe: Laser therapy offers a safe alternative to opioids and surgical intervention in many cases. 5. It’s Proven: Researchers have concluded that laser therapy is effective at reducing pain, increasing range of motion, and improving overall quality of life. Treatable conditions:
Scientifically proven to reduce pain and inflammation! Scan the QR code to find out how:
Call us at (206) 524-6702 to take advantage of this deal while it lasts!
And many more, including nerve pain and neuropathies, TMJ, arthritis, sprains, and strains!
206-524-6702
www.KaizenSeattle.com
Don’t just take our word for it. Check out what these patients had to say about their experience with laser therapy!
“My husband has been dealing with neuropathy in his feet for several years. After just a few laser treatments, the incidents have decreased greatly to just once in a while. I was treated for a sore hip and leg by Colin. After about 8–10 treatments, it went away, and I could walk without pain.” –Margaret E.
“I came to Kaizen to see if laser therapy and PT could help my pain. I was diagnosed with three pinched nerves in my lumbar area and torn muscles in my hip about six months prior, and nothing relieved the pain, numbness, and tingling down my leg to my toes. Arthritis in my spine is the cause of the inflammation that pinches my nerves. I had difficulty walking, my balance was terrible and I was crabby too … I ruled out surgery as too risky. The laser therapy reduced my pain within the first 5–6 treatments. Then I continued the laser and started PT sessions with Barry. After two months, I am almost pain-free. I have learned so much from Barry about how to strengthen my core. I can now go up and down stairs, walk on uneven surfaces, and generally not let my spine keep me from the activities I enjoy. Kaizen gets my thanks for restoring my hope.” –Mary M.
“My injury came from a serious fall on my hip while skiing. At 70 years of age, I was concerned and wondered if I would ever ski again, but Natalie carefully and systematically helped me gain confidence and strength. After reading about the laser treatments, I was able to give it a try. It was amazing for my hip, and I then wanted it for my shoulders. Natalie monitored my progress and continued to listen to my concerns and adjust to my needs. I felt like we were partners in my recovery.” –Linda D.
Call us at (206) 524-6702 to schedule now!
206-524-6702
www.KaizenSeattle.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator