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Getting you back to the life you want to live.
360
S eptember 2017
In Touch
Now that PT 360° has been serving patients for 10 years, I have been reflecting back on what started me down the path to private practice ownership. I always knew I wanted to be a specialized manual therapist, as has everyone on our amazing team. That kind of specialized training and skill is hard-earned. It is a path that tends to focus all of your resources — physical, mental, spiritual, even financial. It is also easy to pour so much into that path that you begin to feel burned out. In 2006, I had a lot of things happen. My mom was diagnosed with stage III B sarcoma, I was in the finishing stretch of my manual therapy postdoctorate (year three), AND I got married. Following my mom’s surgeries and radiation, my husband and I went on a honeymoon. We had plans to travel Australia and New Zealand for four months. Before the trip, I had quite a few patients ask what they were going to do without me. How would they feel better without my hands and knowledge? My level of stress at that time was approaching burnout. My answer: “You’ll do just fine with ….” And I believed it. I trusted my colleagues. Until that time, however, I felt necessary . Allowing myself to be totally away from someone’s care, returning refreshed and rejuvenated, and seeing no one worse for wear allowed me to open the space to consider a bigger vision. I knew that my hands, knowledge, and skill would continue to evolve with my beloved patient population. I also started to see that the rest of the way in which I thought they should be cared for — providing great customer service, one-on-one care, educating to the nth degree, and getting patients to the place where they can soar, and not be constricted by other’s systems — would be a better place for my hands and heart to live. It was at that point that I took the first small, cautious step towards PT 360°, with the goal that I would bring in other great folks who share my vision for hands-on and personalized care. I am very proud of what PT 360° has become, and astounded by the great people who have come to join me. It all started because I needed to nurture myself. I am grateful that that nurturing created a path to more amazing patients and valued relationships. Thank you. F rom T he D esk O f Shelly Coffman
T he D ark S ide of S uperfoods Your Favorite Healthy Foods Will Destroy the Planet
We hear the hype all the time. A new “superfood” has hit the market, and this berry, grain, or nut oil cures everything from acne to cancer!
Superfoods are never a magic cure-all, but they usually contain enough protein or vitamins to make them seem truly super. Quinoa, kale, beetroot, and acai berries line the shelves of Whole Foods and claim to be the best thing since sliced bread. But are these superfoods more trouble than they’re worth? This isn’t a question of whether superfoods are actually super — some are genuinely exceptional; others are no healthier than your average apple — but of the impact their popularity has on the rest of the world. Here’s what you should know before you add another superfood to your grocery list. Children Are Starving Thanks to Quinoa Salads and Acai Smoothies. Many trendy superfoods hail from distant and “exotic” lands. Two popular examples are quinoa, from Peru and Bolivia, and acai berries, which grow in the Amazon rainforest. Both are genuinely good for you. Quinoa is high in protein, with more nutrients per 100 calories than any other grain, and acai berries are full of antioxidants, fiber, and heart-healthy fats. This is why these foods have been staples in the diet of local populations for countless generations, until
- Shelly Coffman
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international demand increased and prices spiked.
superfoods. Unfortunately, this system rarely lasts long.
Quinoa costs 10 times more than it did a decade ago, which is great for quinoa farmers, but terrible for the people of South America who have fed quinoa to their families since the time of the Incas. Similar problems have arisen with acai berries in the Amazon, goji berries in China, and other locations where exotic superfoods grow. Healthy dietary staples have turned into expensive luxuries. This may account for the rise in malnutrition among children in some of these areas. Avocado Toast Destroys Forests and Causes Droughts. Demand for avocados has created a serious deforestation problem in Mexico as farmers clear away tropical rainforests to make room for their crops. Additionally, avocado trees require tremendous amounts of water. It takes over 70 gallons of water to grow just two or three avocados. In places that suffer periods of drought, like California, avocado plantations have put a big strain on the local water supply. Wildcrafted Maca Root is Almost Extinct in its Native Environment. The conditions in which superfoods are harvested are often appalling. Lands are cleared to make room for plantations and many workers are subjected to near-inhumane working conditions. Wildcrafting is a practice in which these popular crops are instead harvested in their native habitats and locals are paid a fair wage. This is viewed as an ideal compromise in order to meet our demand for exotic
Superfoods became a $177 billion market in 2013, and have continued to flourish. Careful harvesting methods do not sustain such a ravenous industry. Before long, wildcrafting is often replaced with standard farming, which can damage local economies. What’s more, in North America, we’ve wildcrafted local superfoods like echinacea and ginseng to near extinction, and are on track to do the same with maca root in the Andes of Peru. So, what am I supposed to eat? The answer isn’t to abandon all healthy foods and eat cheeseburgers until you die. Most of us could stand to make healthier diet choices. If you really love your exotic treats, see if you can grow it yourself. You can grow kale or beetroot in your own backyard. Trendy superfoods aren’t the only option. More often than not, domestic foods are just as healthy as an exotic superfood. A serving of rice and beans offers more protein than quinoa, while blueberries and strawberries both contain the phytochemicals that make goji berries so healthy. You just may need to eat a little extra oatmeal to supply the protein you would get from maca root. Next time a new superfood sweeps across the internet, don’t get caught up in the hype. We can eat healthy and enjoy tasty foods without harming other people around the world.
F resher , C heaper , T astier The Benefits of Seasonal Eating
The nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables hardly need explaining. These health staples, though, can put a dent in your wallet if you’re not making the right choices at the
protected and temperature-controlled. Eating seasonally means you’ll save a ton on fruits and veggies.
Even better is to cut out the middleman entirely and buy directly from a supplier. In his exceptional cookbook “Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables,” Joshua McFadden writes, “The best way to eat with the seasons is to frequent and support local farms, markets, and grocery stores that are doing good things.” The USDA website (ams.usda.gov) has a directory of markets that you can search for by ZIP code. Learning what’s in season at a given time might seem like a daunting task, but there are plenty of tools to help you. You can ask what’s in peak season at the market and what to look forward to in the coming weeks. Apps like Farmstand will also let you know the freshest crops in your area and alert you to deals on produce. Getting the nutritional benefits and great taste of fresh produce doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. Eat seasonally and locally, and the savings will pile up.
market. One way to feed your family healthy and delicious produce on the cheap is to eat seasonally. Not only will this save you
money, but you will also vary your diet, support local farms, and put the
freshest foods on your table.
Ever wonder why tomatoes cost so much more in December than in July? The answer is simple: shipping distance. Transporting produce long distances is expensive because it needs to be
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S tomp O ut P lantar F asciitis A Treatable Foot Condition That Affects Millions
Plantar fasciitis is among the most common causes of foot pain, with approximately 2 million cases per year in America, according to OrthoInfo. The plantar fascia is the strong band of tissue that forms a connection between your toes and heel bone. When it becomes strained or damaged, it can become irritated and inflamed, resulting in severe heel pain when standing or walking. Typically, those afflicted with plantar fasciitis experience sharp, stabbing pain in the heel, especially after taking their first steps in the morning. As the patient continues to move around throughout the day, the pain may subside, only to return after a long period of standing or sitting. There are several potential causes of plantar fasciitis, including feet rolling inward while walking, high arches, flat feet, overuse through running, obesity, poor shoes, and tight calves or Achilles tendons.
Your best bet for escaping plantar fasciitis is through a comprehensive physical therapy program. During treatment, therapists will provide a battery of non-
weight-bearing stretches that specifically target the plantar fascia, working on other related areas of the body as needed. Often, patients will begin to see results within just a few therapy sessions.
Don’t let plantar fasciitis keep you off your feet. Neglect can lead to a chain reaction of further issues, not to mention a consistent increase in pain. Let us work with you to fix the problem at its source.
Luckily, the condition is usually treatable, and there are many remedies for discomfort. Consistently performing toe and calf stretches should help, but be careful not to overstretch and make the problem worse. Rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medicines
CHICKEN A pple C ider
like ibuprofen will also go a long way, but they are unlikely to completely eliminate the problem.
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons butter • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds) • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • ½ Vidalia onion, chopped 1. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. 2. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, add to pan and sear until golden, about 4 minutes each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. 3. Add remaining butter, onion, apple, garlic, thyme, and Instructions
• 1 Granny Smith apple,
cored and sliced into ¼-inch wedges
T ake A B reak !
• 3 cloves garlic, minced • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves • 2 tablespoons
all-purpose flour • 1½ cups apple cider
bay leaves. Sauté until apple begins to get color and onions soften, about 6 minutes. Add flour and stir for 2–3 minutes. 4. Nestle chicken back into pan, add cider, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes.
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I nside T his I ssue
The Dark Side of Superfoods Page 1 Fresher, Cheaper, Tastier Page 2 Stomp Out Plantar Fasciitis Apple Cider Chicken Page 3 Put Positive Thinking to Bed Page 4
P ut 'P ositive T hinking ' to B ed
Can the power of positive thinking change your life? Bookstores brim with self-help books written to guide readers toward positive thinking and countless websites claim to do the same. But what is positive thinking? Essentially, it’s shutting out negative thoughts. One website, tinybuddha.com, says, “Negative thoughts drain you of energy and keep you from being in the present moment. The more you give in to your negative thoughts, the stronger they become.” This sentiment is ironic considering the Buddhist philosophy of detachment (or non-attachment) suggests that one should let negative thoughts and emotions enter the mind, but not dwell on them, so they pass with the moment. Research into the subject agrees. In the 1960s, researchers studied grief — or the lack of it. When people attempted to suppress grief, it took them longer to recover from what caused the grief in the first place. Why This Way of Thought Isn't What It's Cracked Up to Be
In reality, the biggest factor at play when it comes to positive or negative thinking may be stress. Stress comes with its fair share of negative consequences. Stress can influence overall health, both mentally and physically. If you are stressed, chances are you are not in a good mood and, by extension, are thinking negative thoughts. And this presents another problem with positive thinking. Anne Harrington, Franklin L. Ford Professor of the History of Science and director of undergraduate studies at Harvard, and author of “The Cure Within: A History of Mind-Body Medicine,” says, “It’s just as stressful to keep up a performance of positivity as it is to [keep up] a bad mood. It’s very stressful to be inauthentically upbeat all the time.” So, what can you do? Let yourself think negative and positive thoughts. Don’t dwell on the negative, and let it run its course. Then, turn your attention to your sources of stress and do what you can to minimize them.
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