Upper cross syndrome is a term used to describe a distorted posture. For example, imagine an individual whose shoulders are slumped and whose head and neck jut forward. It is the most common posture in today’s society. This forward head posture is linked to our lifestyles. After all, our lives revolve around our smart phones and desk jobs.

Upper cross Syndrome is a chronic shortening of the sub-occipital muscles. This leads to headaches, as well as head and neck pain.

However, there is a technique that can be very effective for those developing upper cross syndrome.

This technique is known as Sub-Occipital Release technique. This release is used to stretch and soften these muscles to improve pain and posture. Also, it releases the fascia and muscles surrounding and supporting the head and neck.

The Sub-Occipital Release is an Osteopathic technique. 

The best part – it’s simple, safe and very effective.

The Sub-Occipital Release helps to soften the fascia and muscle tissue in the sub-occipital area. This helps to open up the area between the C1 (Atlas) and C2 (Axis) vertebrae. These vertebrae are at the top of the neck and the base of the head. This is also known as the occiput.

The Sub-Occipital Release is also used in the treatment of tension headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain and upper back pain.

To experience the benefits of sub-occipital release with Deepak, our Osteopath,

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The sun is a vital natural healing resource. However, most of us spend the majority of our time indoors. This is exactly why I speak so highly of red light therapy. Red light therapy is inspired by the healing power of the Sun. The Sun modulates our biological systems and this is known as photo bio modulation. The benefits of red light therapy have numerous health effects on the body.

Red light therapy mimics the sun rays through low power red light wavelengths. These wavelengths are absorbed directly into the skin to a depth of eight to 10 millimeters.

This has been shown to promote stronger immunity and longevity.

Red light therapy does this by increasing cell proliferation and growth factors. It also decreases inflammatory mediators and cytokines.

This therapy is now being used for weight loss, pain management and mood disorders. The benefits of red light therapy are seemingly endless. It is one of the most exciting tools that you can have in your health arsenal.

Red light therapy stimulates or decreases inflammation.

This helps to control our natural healing abilities. It reduces both inflammation and edema. This is why it’s commonly used to treat joint disorders. Red light activates the lymphatic system. This is the system that helps us to carry waste out of our body. It also increases blood flow and circulation which brings more oxygen and nutrients to our tissues.

This cellular rejuvenation and increased blood flow are the two key aspects of improving joint and tissue health. It repairs and restores connective tissue, like tendons and ligaments, as well as restores cartilage. Recent rheumatoid arthritis studies have shown that red light therapy can be used to decrease morning stiffness and joint pain.

Regular treatment also promotes recovery and healing.

This applies to everyone! Regardless if you’re a high performance athlete or recovering from a chronic health condition. This is why it’s such a great biohacking tool.

As little as two weeks of red light therapy has been shown to improve sleep quality and endurance in female athletes. Studies have shown significant improvement in physical performance, decreased soreness and reduced indicators of muscle damage. In fact, red light therapy promotes the release of ATP from the cells. ATP is also known as your body’s main energy resource.

This photochemical reaction in our cells provides new, renewable energy that our bodies can use for a variety of tasks. That’s not all! It also helps promote healing of wounds, deeper tissues and nerves.

From sweat lodges to Roman baths, heat has been used for purification, detoxification, and healing rituals for centuries. Most people are vaguely familiar with the healing benefits of infrared sauna use. You may know that sauna use can give you an increase in your metabolism. You may also know that sweating aids with detoxification.

What you may not know is staggering. Studies have shown that as little as 20 minutes of sauna use, three times weekly, can decrease your chances of cardiovascular disease by a whopping 70%!

I recommend using an infrared sauna. It’s what I personally have in my home and it’s what we use in the clinic. The benefits of infrared light mimic that of the sun without the harmful UV. There’s also additional benefits to infrared heat. It penetrates deeper than traditional saunas. This leads to more healing benefits.

Firstly, Infrared Saunas should be used as a post workout recovery tool.

Infrared helps deliver more oxygen to muscle cells for faster repair and pain relief. 

Secondly, regular Infrared Sauna use increase the health of your body’s largest organ your skin.

infrared waves increased circulation, helping regenerate cells. They also help increase collagen and elastin production, the two ingredients for healthy glowing skin.

The top mysterious symptoms that should alert you to thyroid dysfunction are not well known.

A goiter is the top symptom often associated with thyroid issues. This is basically a swelling at the base of the neck where the thyroid gland is located. Usually, this is created by nodules being formed on the thyroid because it is trying to work harder. Noticing tightness in the throat or difficulties swallowing pills are signs to take a closer look.

A goiter may be the most well known symptom of thyroid dysfunction, however, it’s not the most common symptom I see in my practice.

Unfortunately, most people don’t know that these symptoms are linked to thyroid dysfunction. Today I’m going to share with you the top mysterious symptoms that should alert you to thyroid dysfunction.

The classic symptoms of thyroid dysfunction are cold intolerance, forgetfulness and fatigue.

The thyroid gland is like the body’s thermostat. You will be colder more often when it’s not sending appropriate amounts of hormone your body to release and produce heat. Difficulty concentrating, brain fog and memory impairment are also signs the thyroid function is off. Both hyperthyroid and hypothyroid symptoms mimic mild dementia. This occurs when thyroid hormone levels fluctuate causing insufficient stimulation of different systems in the body. Finally, thyroid dysfunction causes fatigue through a number of mechanisms. Most notably, a decrease in metabolism. This decreases the amount of energy your body can produce through a molecule called ATP. ATP is our molecule for energy. When we have less ATP, we have less energy. The result is fatigue that is pervasive and long lasting.

Did you know that thyroid dysfunction could be at the root cause of your irregular bowel movements?

The thyroid hormone is known for regulating metabolism. When you have too much thyroid hormone your metabolism is revved up. In this case, you may experience diarrhea. On the other hand with too little thyroid hormone, you may experience a slower bowel. This results in constipation. In my practice, irregular bowel movements are often an early sign of thyroid dysfunction. 

All disease starts and ends in the gut. In my practice, I see patients suffering with cognitive decline and brain fog, autoimmune diseases like eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, and irritable bowel as well as hormonal imbalances. Would it surprise you to know that my specialty is gut health? Today I’m going to share the top 5 steps to reset your gut. Let’s start with how are those things related.

Firstly, The majority of our brain chemicals are made in our gut. Secondly, poor gut health is a major trigger for autoimmune disease. Lastly, hormonal imbalance is a key indicator of disruption in the gut.

If you’re struggling to heal your gut for years, you may be missing a step. Here are the 5 steps to reset your gut health.

Adopting a whole foods diet

What does that mean? It means no processed or box food and what we like to call one ingredient foods. This means healthy consciously raised meats, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats.

The three C’s: choose, chew, cherish

Choosing the right food is so important. An anti inflammatory diet including lots of fruits and vegetables, consciously raised meats and healthy fats like we’ve said before, is important. It’s important to choose organic as much as possible or foods that aren’t sprayed and genetically modified.

Chewing is one of the most important and overlooked things in gut health. You don’t have teeth anywhere else in your digestive tract. If you don’t sit and chew your food thoroughly, your body isn’t able to absorb all the nutrients and vitamins in it. 

Lastly, chilling and relaxing when you’re eating is so important. Our nervous system was set up to either rest and digest or run away from danger. If you’re trying to eat your meal while you’re stressed out when reading emails, talking to someone angrily, or driving somewhere, your nervous system won’t be in the state for you to have optimal digestion.

Before you start to eat, sit down. Relax. Take a couple breaths and sit in a peaceful environment. Relax while you’re eating. This will help you optimize your nervous system function, which will help optimize your digestion.

Stress is the #1 reason you can’t lose weight. Most people understand stress as deadlines responsibilities, busy schedules and stressful emotions like anger, frustration and loneliness. But what you may not know is that stress triggers a physiological response in the body. This response is regulated by something called the HPA axis.

A stressful thought comes into your mind, that stimulates the H, the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus stimulates the P, the pituitary gland, to stimulate the adrenal gland, which is the A to release certain hormones.

This mechanism is known for acute stress. But in today’s modern society, chronic stress is abundant. As we have this chronic stress, this HPA Axis gets dysregulated.

Chronic stress and cortisol

When you have a chronic stressor, the HPA Axis signals your adrenal glands to release a hormone called cortisol. This mechanism is to help you run away. The way we do this is cortisol stimulates your body to release sugar into the blood. This is so you can put it into your muscles and run away.

When you’re experiencing chronic stress all day long, your body is releasing sugar into your bloodstream. If you’re not actually running away and moving, that increase in blood sugar will eventually lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance prevents us from using this blood sugar. This blood sugar later gets deposited around your belly and midsection. If you’re someone that’s doing all the right things, and you can’t lose that last five pounds of stubborn belly fat, you may have insulin resistance.

Chronic stress and excessive exercise.

Most people are living in a state of chronic stress. When you add excessive exercise, you’re creating a massive amount of inflammation in the body. This is the number one mistake I see in my practice. Patients who are super stressed out in their day, and then they go to the gym and work out really hard. I see this often in my practice and it’s a lethal combination. This creates a state of emergency in the body. In this state, our body will hold on to caloric reserve, just in case it needs to run away and needs those calories. This combination is often the reason why most people can’t lose weight.