Let’s Talk Track – Plyo of the Month

Besides being a full-time medical student… in my free time I enjoy coaching a HS track and field team. I love the kids, but one of the benefits for me is that I continue to incorporate new exercises into my workouts!

With my then freshman athlete after she got the school record in the high jump! (2015)

Plyometrics (plyos) are exercises that coaches use to increase an athlete’s strength, speed, and power. Some people associate plyos with “jumping drills”, because a lot of them incorporate some type of jumping movement. Once a month I will do a spotlight on a specific exercise so that you can incorporate plyos into your regular workout routine. Besides improving an athlete’s performance in sports, plyos are a great way to increase cardiovascular fitness and strength in a shorter period of time.

With any exercise regimen, it is important that you attempt new exercises at your own risk. Do not try an exercise that is beyond your own personal ability. I will include exercises that are more basic and more advanced for some variety. If you have questions regarding if you should incorporate plyometric training into your physical activity routine, ask your doctor or other qualified health professional.

Standing Jump Over Barrier

4 sets of 5-10 reps

This is a great video of this plyometric exercise! You can use a cone, box, pillow, or anything that is about 1-2 feet tall. 

CHALLENGE LEVEL	EQUIPMENT	SPORTS
Beginner Plus	1 cone, hurdle, pillow (approx. 1-2 ft high)	Baseball, Basketball, Football

Description

• Stand with feet shoulder width apart
• Jump & bring knees up to jump over the barrier
• Keep body in a straight line with knees pointing straight ahead

My name is Emma Petshow and I am a 3^rd year naturopathic medical student at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR. For more about myself, check out my bio. This blog is intended for information about preventive health and lifestyle improvement. The information contained on this blog is not to be used as medical advice. For specific medical advice you should consult your physician.

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Yoga Pose of the Month – Tree Pose

More and more people are jumping on the yoga bandwagon and why not! Yoga has been shown to reduce stress, decrease blood pressure, increases concentration, and improve academic performance. You do not have to be a yogi to participate in yoga, matter of fact you do not even need to be that flexible or coordinated. These yoga poses vary in intensity and focus with the goal to bring out the inner yoga master in all of us.

After a few months of poses, we will start to combine the poses together into routines focused on different themes including energizing, relaxation, core strength, balance, and more!

DISCLAIMER: I am not a yoga master by any means, but I do enjoy doing yoga poses and yoga workouts as a part of my workout routine. If I can yoga, you can yoga.

Tree Pose

Anywhere from 15 seconds to 1 minute per side

Why?

Improves balance, concentration, and spatial awareness (otherwise known as proprioception).

Muscles Used:

Abdominals, Glutes, Adductors, Quadriceps, Abductors, Hamstrings, Gastrocnemius

Visualization:

If your into that sort of thing… I find it helps me to feel more grounded and relaxed.

• Imagine you are standing tall like a tree. Root your feet into the earth.

How?

• Start in Mountain Pose
  
• Transfer weight to right foot
• Bend left knee & lift your foot to place it as high as you comfortably can on your inner right thigh (toes point down)
• Bring your hands into prayer position
  
• Draw abdominals in, lengthen your torso, bring your right knee back & hip forward
• Raise your arms up towards the ceiling, keep your pelvis equal
• Focus on a spot in front of you for balance
• Switch legs and repeat

Tree Pose! Try to keep your hips as level as possible. Not the best example here, but I’m working on it!

Too hard? Try these variations…

• Place your back against a wall for balance
• Try the pose keeping your hands in prayer position
• Try the pose, but keep your raised leg lower (i.e. on the calf of your standing leg)

My name is Emma Petshow and I am a 3^rd year naturopathic medical student at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR. For more about myself, check out my bio. This blog is intended for information about preventive health and lifestyle improvement. The information contained on this blog is not to be used as medical advice. For specific medical advice you should consult your physician.

Menu Decoder – Starbucks

Most of us strive to eat healthy, cook fresh foods, and eat out as little as possible! That being said, we all have those days where there is no time and grabbing something quick from a restaurant is the only option or maybe you want to go out to eat with friends and they pick a restaurant that does not have healthy food options! What do you do? What can you eat? This month I am decoding the popular coffee stop Starbucks! I am not going to focus on their drink menu, but I am going to stick to their foods!

Below you will find food guides to eating Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Low Glycemic Index, Low Sodium & Caloric based! I did the work and math so you don’t have to!

Disclaimer, most food at coffee shops like Starbucks are not really healthy or ideal, but this is a guide to purchase the best options if you are going to eat there and be smart with what you put into your body.

Gluten Free Options:

They are somewhat limited, but here is what you can eat if you are gluten free. Please note that there may be cross contamination, so if you have a severe gluten allergy, eat here with caution or do not eat here at all.

Breakfast:

• Classic Whole-Grain Oatmeal
• Oatmeal with Fresh Blueberries
  • You can add the brown sugar, dried fruit, or mixed nut topping if you are GF to either of those oatmeal options!
• Evolution Fresh Greek Yogurt: cherry, fresh fruit & honey, & strawberry compote flavors
  • You can add the nut/oat mix if you are GF to any of the yogurt flavors!
• Seasonal Harvest Fruit Blend

Meals:

• Omega-3 Bistro Box
• Hearty Veggie & Brown Rice Salad Bowl
• Cheese & Fruit Bistro Box (GF if you DO NOT eat the crackers)
• Protein Bistro Box (GF if you DO NOT eat the pita bread)

Dessert Options:

Flourless cookie at Starbucks! Who knew!

• Flourless Chewy Chocolate Cookie
• GF Marshmellow Dream Bar

Dairy Free Options:

There are a few dairy free options here. Again, eat here dairy free with a grain of salt as there may be and probably is cross contamination!

Breakfast:

• Plain Bagel
• Classic Whole-Grain Oatmeal
• Oatmeal with Fresh Blueberries
  • You can add the brown sugar, dried fruit, or mixed nut topping if you are GF to either of those oatmeal options!

Meals:

• Chicken BLT Salad Sandwich
• Egg Salad Sandwich
• Hearty Veggie & Brown Rice Salad Bowl

Hearty Veggie Salad Bowl. I have had this and it is really good and very filling!

Dessert Options:

• Flourless Chewy Chocolate Cookie

Low Glycemic Food Options:

Let’s say you are trying to eat only foods that are low on the glycemic food index scale. There are two easy ways of calculating a food’s glycemic index.

• Sugar to fiber ratio… ideally 1:1
• Carbohydrate to fiber ratio… ideally less than 10:1

Breakfast:

• Bacon & Gouda Breakfast Sandwich
• Classic Whole-Grain Oatmeal (can include mixed nut topping)
• Egg & Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich
• Oatmeal with Fresh Blueberries
• Seasonal Harvest Fruit Blend
• Spinach & Feta Breakfast Wrap

Starbuck’s oatmeal is gluten free, pretty tasty, and a healthy breakfast option!

Meals:

• 8-Grain Roll
• Cheese & Fruit Box
• Chicken Artichoke on Ancient Grain Flatbread
• Chicken BLT Salad Sandwich
• Chicken Santa Fe on Ancient Grain Flatbread
• Edamame Hummus Wrap
• Egg Salad Sandwich
• Ham & Swiss Panini
• Hearty Veggie & Brown Rice Salad Bowl
• Omega-3 Bistro Box
• Protein Bistro Box
• Roasted Tomato & Mozzarella Panini
• Turkey & Havarti Sandwich
• Turkey Pesto Panini
• Wheat Spinach Savory Foldover
• Zesty Chicken & Black Bean Salad Bowl

Need to keep down Sodium & Calories… This section is for you!

I am not a big fan of counting calories! I think there are more important nutrition factors to consider. Also, if you learn mindful eating and how to enjoy your food, calorie counting is almost not important. That being said, if you are trying to keep track below are meal options that are less than 500 calories (the most you should eat for one meal, when you are on a 2000 calorie diet).

Americans on average consume over 3300 mg of sodium per day. Ideally, you should consume less than 2300 mg of sodium per day! If you are 51+ y/o or have high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease, you should strive to consume less than 1500 mg of sodium per day.

This can be hard to do if you don’t know how much sodium certain foods contain. Unlike calories this information is not listed anywhere easily accessible. I have created put together a list of Starbuck’s food options below that contain less than 500 mg of sodium, which is the MOST you should consume per meal.

 

**These meals also have less than 500 mg of sodium & are on the low glycemic index scale!

Breakfast:

• Seasonal Harvest Fruit Blend (90 cals)
• Oatmeal with Fresh Blueberries (220 cals)
• Classic Whole-Grain Oatmeal with mixed nut topping (260 cals)
• Egg & Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich (280 cals)
• Spinach & Feta Breakfast Wrap (290 cals)

Spinach feta breakfast wrap is a pretty good option for a meal!

Meals:

• Wheat Spinach Savory Foldover (250 cals)
• 8-Grain Roll (380 cals)
• Roasted Tomato & Mozzarella Panini (390 cals)
  • Has 630 mg of sodium
• Omega-3 Bistro Box (420 cals)
• Hearty Veggies & Rice Salad Bowl (430 cals)
  • Has 640 mg of sodium
• Cheese & Fruit Bistro Box (470 cals)

Dessert Options:

**These desserts have less than 250 mg of sodium & less than 250 calories. They are not low on the glycemic index scale, but we are all allowed some sweets in moderation!

• Birthday Cake Pop (170 cals)
• Chocolate Cake Pop (140 cals)
• Flourless Chewy Chocolate Cookie (170 cals)
• Michigan Cherry Oat Bar (240 cals)
• Petite Vanilla Bean Scone (120 cals)
• Salted Caramel Cake Pop (180 cals)

Summary:

If you are going to grab something to eat at Starbucks with your coffee, use the above information as a guide. For a list of all the dietary info, Starbucks has a nutrition guide, which is somewhat user friendly, but you have to look at each item individually to find out what allergens and ingredients it contains! Here is my 5 step guide to eating “healthy” here!

1. For breakfast, stick to oatmeal with or without the toppings. Starbucks oatmeal is gluten free and fairly health and fresh. Get the blueberry kind or add your own fresh fruit for a great serving of fresh fruit!
2. Not an oatmeal fan, stick to their greek yogurt! All three are fairly healthy, actually tasty, and contain a serving of fruit!
3. For lunch, pick between one of their salads or a low glycemic index meal!
4. Stay away from most of their pastries! They almost all have gluten, dairy, a ton of sugar & sodium, and are high on the glycemic index!
5. If you need something sweet! Stick to the dessert options listed above that are under 250 calories and 250 mg of sodium!

My name is Emma Petshow and I am a 3^rd year naturopathic medical student at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR. For more about myself, check out my bio. This blog is intended for information about preventive health and lifestyle improvement. The information contained on this blog is not to be used as medical advice. For specific medical advice you should consult your physician.

My lunch today! Carrots, butternut squash, and sweet potato with olive oil, rosemary, and salt/pepper! Put in oven or crockpot with a little bit of water. Enjoy!

A coffee lover discussing a place that sells coffee.. how ironic 🙂

Core Challenge – October

Strong abs meet cute clothes!

This is your monthly core challenge… For the next 4 weeks, do these exercises 3 days a week alternating with days off in between. Core strength is vital excellence in any sport and it increases the amount of fat you burn overall!

Fun Fact! Did you know that you abdominal muscles could support up to 40% of the weight of the spine! Strong abs can improve posture and decrease the strain put on the lower back. This means fewer back aches for you.

The different exercises below target different abdominal muscles to give you the best overall strength and best overall workout.

Upper Abdominals

Thigh Slide Crunch ———— 3 sets of 15 reps

START…

• LIE ON BACK WITH FEET FLAT ON FLOOR & KNEES BENT (APPROXIMATELY 60 DEGREES)

• PLACE palms on thighs

MOVEMENT…

• CURL TORSO UP, MOVING HANDS TOWARDS knees, SHOULDERS LIFT OFF FLOOR

• FEEL ABS CONTRACT, HOLD FOR A COUNTY OF 1

• RETURN SLOWLY TO STARTING POSITION & repeat

Lower Abdominals (do 1 of the 2 variations)

Lying Knee Up ————— 3 sets of 12 reps

START:

• Lie on back, feet straight out in front of you

• PLACE ARMS OUT TO THE SIDES or by your hips to stabilize

MOVEMENT:

• Contract your abdominal muscles & bring your knees to your chest

• Hold 1 count

• SLowly RETURN TO STARTING POSITION AND REPEAT

OR for a challenge try…

Lemon Sqeezers ————— 3 sets of 12 reps

START:

• LIE ON BACK, FEET STRAIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF YOU

• PLACE ARMS BY YOUR HIPS TO STABILIZE

MOVEMENT:

• CONTRACT YOUR ABDOMINAL MUSCLES

• BRING YOUR KNEES TO YOUR CHEST & your chest to your knees at the same time

• Your shoulders will leave the floor & you will be balancing on your buttocks/tailbone at the top of the motion

• Hands are by your sides, but palms off the floor

• SLOWLY RETURN TO hollow body position (feet off the ground and shoulders off the ground) & repeat

Obliques

Oblique Crunch ————— 3 sets of 12 reps R & L

START:

• LIE ON BACK WITH FEET FLAT ON FLOOR & KNEES BENT (60 DEGREES)

• Roll your knees to the side that you are going to do crunches first (i.e. roll them to the right side for right sided crunches)

• Hands behind your head, arms bent

MOVEMENT:

• CURL TORSO UP, MOVING chest toward side, SHOULDERS LIFT OFF FLOOR

• FEEL ABS CONTRACT, HOLD FOR A COUNT OF 1

• RETURN SLOWLY TO STARTING POSITION & REPEAT on both sides

Here is my challenge to you all… do the core challenge 3 x a week for 1 month (until the next core challenge is posted). Take a picture before you start of your abs, whatever state they are, and take a picture after so you can track your progress. Measure your waist around the point of your belly button and measure again in 1 month.

I lost 0.5 inch from my waist from September’s core challenge and I can tell me abdominals are stronger! One more 0.5 inch to go!

My name is Emma Petshow and I am a 3^rd year naturopathic medical student at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR. For more about myself, check out my bio. This blog is intended for information about preventive health and lifestyle improvement. The information contained on this blog is not to be used as medical advice. For specific medical advice you should consult your physician.

Naturopathic Medicine Week

Hey everyone and Happy October! I took a day off yesterday to recover from my birthday weekend celebration, but I am back today like a bad habit. Thank you all for the sweet birthday messages! ❤

In honor of my future profession and medicine in general I wanted to post about Naturopathic Medicine today since it is Naturopathic Medicine week! I mean I celebrated National Coffee Day so it only seems fair!

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

The AANMC (Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges) defines Naturopathic Medicine as a “primary care profession that combines the wisdom of nature with the rigors of modern science.” It is holistic medicine, meaning it encompasses the whole being and is centered around the patient and helping them to obtain optimum health! Sounds pretty good to me!

What is the Naturopathic Physician’s role in health care?

Naturopathic physicians (NDs or NMDs) are trained as primary care providers and can diagnose, treat, and manage patients with acute and chronic conditions. They care for all ages and genders of patients. Specific regulations and licensure laws vary from state to state. While there are NDs and NMDs practicing in all 50 US states, the licensure laws vary.

The states in blue are where Naturopathic Doctors are licensed to practice medicine currently, while the states in brown are where laws are pending.

How is this different from the primary care provider (PCP) I have now?

Primary care or family practice doctors come in all shapes and sizes. You might not even realize that your family practice physician has different letters behind his/her name. Here are some common acronyms for PCPs:

• MD – doctor of medicine (allopathic physician)
• DO – doctor of osteopathic medicine (osteopathic physician)
• ND or NMD – doctor of naturopathic medicine (naturopathic physician)
• NP – nurse practitioner (RN nurse with masters or doctorate degree)
• PA – physician’s assistant (masters degree)

While this is “The Doctor”, this is not included in our list of primary care providers. I still wish I had my own tardis though. #nerdjokes

The ND practices as any other PCP (at least in the state of Oregon), but they attempt to address disease and dysfunction at the level of the body, mind, and spirit therefore treating the WHOLE person and attempting to find the underlying cause of a patient’s condition. An ND focuses on whole patient wellness through health promotion and disease prevention (i.e. preventive health)!

Essentially, an ND can diagnose and treat a patient using the standards of care applied by all PCPs. The goal of treatment for a Naturopathic Physician and most PCPs is to provide individualized evidence-informed therapies that balance the least harmful and most effective approaches to help restore the patient to health. The main difference in care is the additional treatment modalities that can be applied by an ND and the ultimate goal of treatment, which is not just to restore the patient to baseline health, but rather help facilitate the body’s inherent ability to restore health and achieve optimal health.

Naturopathic Medicine Principles!

NDs have 6 principles that they base their overall approach to patient care. I am not going to spend a lot of time on these today, because I have been and will continue to feature one principle per month. Here they are below to remind you!

1. First Do No Harm (utilize the most natural, least invasive, and least toxic therapies)
2. The Health Power of Nature (trust in the body’s inherent wisdom to heal itself)
3. Identify & Treat the Cause(s) (look beyond the symptoms to the underlying cause)
4. Doctor as Teacher (educate patients in the steps to achieving & maintaining health)
5. Treat the Whole Person (view the body as an integrated whole in all its physical and spiritual dimensions)
6. Prevention (focus on overall health, wellness, and disease prevention)

I have heard that Naturopathic Physicians practice homeopathy and I do not know if I believe/understand that. Is it true?

While it is true that some Naturopathic Physicians practice the treatment modality of Homeopathy, not all Naturopathic doctors are homeopaths! There is a DISTINCTION that I do not think people make often. An ND or NMD is a doctorate level degree program that produces licensed physicians. A homeopath or practitioner of homeopathy is NOT an ND or NMD. Do some Naturopathic doctors practice homeopathy in their practice… YES, absolutely, but not all do!

Some people’s views on Naturopathic Medicine… I wish I was as cool as Professor Dumbledore, unfortunately I am just a doctor in training. Sorry folks!

I myself have not decided if I am going to practice homeopathy in my practice based on a number of factors. On of the greatest things about naturopathic medicine is that Naturopathic Doctors have a whole arsenal of tools and treatment options to use for their patient’s including some of the following…

• Nutrition
• Vitamins & minerals
• Botanical & herbal medicine
• Physical medicine (i.e. chiropractic adjustments, massage, etc.)
• Homeopathy
• Hydrotherapy (i.e. physical therapy utilizing water)
• Hygiene therapy (i.e. stress reduction, sleep help, etc.)
• Physical and clinical diagnosis
• Laboratory diagnosis and diagnostic imaging
• Emergency medicine
• Psychology
• Pharmacology
• Minor surgery
• Acupuncture and Oriental medicine (depending on the physician and their training background)

 

Naturopathic doctors choose which therapies to apply to a patient’s condition based on the Therapeutic Order. A hierarchy of treatment that Naturopathic doctors use to make sure we are applying the least invasive treatments first, followed by increasingly more invasive treatments last!

As NDs or NMDs, we start at the bottom of the therapeutic order and work our way up to the top! We aim to provide comprehensive, healing care to our patient’s with the least disruption to their own body’s healing process! Pretty cool right!

Want to learn more?

Check out some of these websites to learn more about Naturopathic Medicine, Naturopathic Physicians, and preventive health in general!

• National University of Natural Medicine (formally NCNM)
• Association of Accredited Naturopathic Physicians
• Oregon Association of Naturopathic Physicians
• Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges
• Naturopathic Medical Student Association

Or you can ask me!!!! I would be more than happy to answer any questions that you have about Naturopathic medicine or preventive medicine as a profession however silly they may seem! If I do not know the answer, I will find someone who does. 🙂

Ask me your questions! I will answer with the knowledge I have, the wisdom from others, as well as maybe a bit of wit and sass…

Stay tuned later on this week for a NEW core challenge, menu decoder of the month, and D.I.Y. using our Calendula oil from September!

My name is Emma Petshow and I am a 3^rd year naturopathic medical student at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR. For more about myself, check out my bio. This blog is intended for information about preventive health and lifestyle improvement. The information contained on this blog is not to be used as medical advice. Please consult with your primary health provider before starting a new exercise regimen. For specific medical advice you should consult your physician.

What’s Fresh – October

“Buy and cook what is in season”, that’s what we are always told right? Besides just being trendy, the mantra is actually true! If you purchase and consume in season produce you will not only get the most fresh and tasty food and help the environment, but you will also save some serious $$$. Here is a guide to what is fresh in the fruit and vegetable world this month for local NW produce!

Be mindful that this list pertains mainly to NW residents. If you are from or living in a different location, click on the links below to create a list that pertains more to you!

• Sustainable Food Guide
• USDA Seasonal Produce Guide

October Food Challenge!

Make a Fall or Halloween themed meal, dessert, dish, or snack featuring some October What’s Fresh produce! Comment or message me your idea and I will feature them during the last week of October! You can also Tweet, Instagram, or Facebook me your meal idea using the #thisispreventivehealth

Fruits that are fresh in October!

Veggies that are fresh in October!

This varies and many herbs are fresh year round. You can also have an indoor herbal garden. These are some herbs that are fresh in October!

Later on this month, stay tuned for a recipe that uses What’s Fresh produce for its ingredients. If you want ideas for how to incorporate certain foods here into your diet let me know by leaving a comment!

Poll Winner from September!

You voted and peaches was the most popular fruit from September! Vote below for you favorite October fruit!

My name is Emma Petshow and I am a 3^rd year naturopathic medical student at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, OR. For more about myself, check out my bio. This blog is intended for information about preventive health and lifestyle improvement. The information contained on this blog is not to be used as medical advice. Please consult with your primary health provider before starting a new exercise regimen. For specific medical advice you should consult your physician.

Happy birthday to me! Off to have a weekend full of adventures and fun 🙂