With the fast paced lifestyle many families are living today, most don’t have the time to put a healthy, delicious meal on the table for dinner. It may be easier and more convenient to go through a drive-thru, order a pizza or some other unhealthy, non-nutritious food from a restaurant. But for many of us who are looking to be healthier, lose a few pounds/inches, and/or teach our children better eating habits, what good does that do for us? I have found that using my crockpot has helped me and my family in more ways than one. It is super easy just throwing a bunch of ingredients in to the crockpot, turning it on low and then letting the crockpot work its magic. When you come home from work later that night, you have dinner ready to go and the family can sit down to a hot, cooked meal and you don’t have to feel the added stress about what to feed your hungry family.  

One of my favorite “go to” crockpot recipes is super delicious, figure friendly, and...

Did you know massage therapists in Illinois need 750 hours of learning and training to qualify for licensing?  A typical curriculum would consist of Anatomy 1 and 2, Pathology, Physiology,  Kinesiology, Palpation, Clinical integration, Ethics, Hydrotherapy, and Alternative complementary therapies.

A skilled massage therapist should know how to assess a range of motion for all joints, assess your gate and posture upon viewing, utilize Orthopedic testing if necessary, assess your information from your intake form, and talk to you about your concerns.

After doing these things, massage therapists should be able to use their knowledge of anatomy and massage therapy to devise a plan for treating you that day. Usually, our goal is to find the source of your pain and eradicate it through various massage techniques and modalities.

Sometimes the therapist may check for pain or abnormalities in areas other than where you are experiencing localized pain because often times the source...

Deciding to take the plunge into parenthood in itself is a big challenge. But before you do that, pause for a second – or even a month or two. In order to give yourself the best opportunity for a healthy pregnancy and ultimately a healthy baby, here are the top 5 things you need to know and do before trying to hop on the conception train. At North Shore Pro-Active Health we see patients, pre -conception, pre-natal, during pregnancy, post partum and even adjust our smallest patients within 5 minutes of birth!  Pre-conception is a very important time as you can change the DNA of your follicles, which leads to the DNA of your fetus!

1. Schedule a Prenatal Checkup

Schedule an appointment with your chiropractor, midwife, ob/gyn, or family practice physician for a preconception health check. At North Shore Pro-Active Health we will thoroughly analyze your personal medical history, family history, any supplements or medications that you are on, etc. We may...

My sister has been a flight attendant for over five years and she already has some good stories from flying. She started working for a major commercial airline and now she works with charter airlines and private companies. She is in the sky all the time and doesn’t have the luxury to call in sick. I asked her what she does to keep healthy and these are some of her tips.

1. She is consistent with her vitamins. Her flights are mostly domestic but there have been some to Asia, Australia, Mexico, Canada and a few others. On a regular basis she takes vitamins from the Salutogenic Life Line. Her go-to products include: Multi For Women, Omega Pearls, Vitamin C, Zinc, Vitamin D3 with K2, Seasonal Life, Probiotics (blister pack) and she just started taking Turmeric. Because of all of her traveling she can not bring all the bottles with her in her carry on bag so she preps them in a container for how many she needs for how many days she will be gone for.

Her Vitamin Choices:

• ...

What is all the “hype” about essential oils?

I think everyone now has either heard of, or used some kind of essential oil. Some think it’s just a gimmick, while others know the simple fact that a good essential oil is all natural, and can help with staying above the wellness line.

What is an essential oil?

An essential oil is the “essence” of a plant, obtained by water or steam distillation, or by cold pressing (for citrus peel oils). Through this process, the oils inside a plant can be extracted into a highly concentrated form.

Most companies are jumping on the essential oil band wagon. Sadly some of those companies still have toxic ingredients in their products so beware…. Just because it contains essential oil, doesn’t mean it’s a healthy product.

When looking for an essential oil you want to be sure it is a pure essential oil with no foreign or synthetic ingredients.  The way the oil is processed is also VERY...

With kids heading back to school we wanted to tackle a very important issue.  This week we are featuring a guest blogger, Kevin Stromberg, LCPC.  Kevin Stromberg, LCPC, is a clinical therapist at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health. Stromberg collaborates with those he works with to create a safe and therapeutic environment.

The world we live in today is much different than it used to be. Our social lives have moved online in a lot of ways. So has bullying.

Cyberbullying is a threat to our children’s mental and physical health. About 34 percent of teens admit to being victims of cyberbullying.

Cyberbullies use the internet, cell phones, video game systems, or other technology to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person. They do this by threatening, excluding, spreading rumors or tricking their victims.

You can help your teen take steps to prevent cyberbullying before it starts. Also, be on the lookout for ...

Do you ever feel tired, run-down, or experience low energy and you’re not sure why?? Have you considered what you eat and drink on a daily basis? Because we are so busy, we don’t take the time to think about what goes into our bodies. I am guilty of all of the above. Since I work in the medical profession, I know what I should be doing to take care of my body, but as Salt N Pepa would say, “Girl’s what’s my weakness!! FOOD!” If you ask Dr. Jordan or Dr. Jade they will tell you that there might be some things I can change in my diet. My biggest weakness is drinking pop. I try to not drink it every day, but you can’t have pizza and water!! (I like to tell myself that so I don’t feel guilty.) However, if I’m going to start feeling better, I need to make some changes. Dr. Jade hosted a seminar called: To Detox or Not to Detox, so I decided to stay and learn a few new things, and boy did I ever. After the seminar, I decided...

September is officially here, and we all know what that means: school is back in session. For parents, this means taking your children to football, dance, cheerleading, swimming, piano lessons, tennis, tutors and much more. Your kids become overwhelmed with homework, reading, working on book reports, and studying for daunting tests. As a result, we are more vulnerable to stress and anxiety. Sometimes we need an extra boost, and luckily, L-Theanine can provide just that.

What is L-Theanine?

L-Theanine is a relaxing and non-dietary amino acid found pretty much exclusively in teas Camellia sinensis (mostly green and black tea) and is known to promote relaxation without sedation. The crucial difference seems to be not in whether the tea is green or black, but how young the tea leaves are at harvest. Theanine is found in highest concentrations in the buds and young leaves of the tea plant (1). It is available as a supplement that helps relieve anxiety. Theanine should be...

Now that running season is upon us, it is that time again where our local runners are flocking in the door to get treatment on their legs. The infamous Iliotibial band (IT Band) is working overtime and it needs some help!!

What is iliotibial band (IT band) syndrome?

Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS or IT Band Syndrome) is an overuse injury of the connective tissues that are located on the lateral or outer part of thigh and knee. It causes pain and tenderness in those areas, especially just above the knee joint.  Iliotibial band syndrome is the most common cause of lateral knee pain in runners and bicyclists.

How Does This Muscle Work?

The iliotibial tract is classified as a deep fascia of the body, surrounding and connecting the muscles of the body to surrounding tissues. Like all other deep fascia, it is made almost exclusively of dense regular connective tissue. Dense regular connective tissue is a form of fibrous connective tissue that is extremely strong, tough, and...

A good wаrmuр dіlаtеѕ уоur blood vеѕѕеlѕ, еnѕurіng thаt уоur muscles are wеll ѕuррlіеd wіth оxуgеn bеfоrе уоu gіvе them a vіgоrоuѕ workout. It аlѕо rаіѕеѕ thе temperature оf уоur muѕсlеѕ fоr орtіmаl flеxіbіlіtу and efficiency. By ѕlоwlу rаіѕіng уоur hеаrt rate, thе wаrmuр also hеlрѕ minimize ѕtrеѕѕ on your hеаrt whеn уоu start уоur run. 

If you ѕtаrt too fast, you run the rіѕk of рullіng a muscle, twеаkіng a tеndоn, bоnе, оr jоіnt оr gеttіng іntо a расе thаt you can’t ѕuѕtаіn. Thе rеѕult? Yоu end uр ѕlоwіng dоwn аnd burning оut bеfоrе уоu’rе dоnе wіth your workout. Thе worst раrt іѕ that you’re lіkеlу to еnd уоur run fееlіng еxhаuѕtеd, dіѕсоurаgеd, and drеаdіng уоur next workout. 

Hоwеvеr, a smart runnіng warmup gіvеѕ уоur muscles, bones, аnd jоіntѕ a chance to lооѕеn uр; it grаduаllу аnd gеntlу brіngѕ up уоur hеаrt rate, аnd mаkеѕ іt еаѕіеr tо gеt into thе rhуthm you wаnt tо ѕuѕtаіn ѕо уоu саn run—аnd fіnіѕh—fееlіng exhilarated аnd еnеrgіzеd...