A New Home for my Old Blog :)

Welcome to the new blog for dr | stephanie!

I have been blogging since I have been back in practice in Toronto. As you know this blog is a resource for all things natural and healthy. I find super practical, easy solutions that make your life healthier. Simple.

You will notice I have a particular passion for fitness, nutrition, foot health, and spine flexibility. Literally the 'backbone" (heh heh - I couldn't help the pun) of your life.

I am also always right in there with you, working on my health, and upping my game, too. I am usually the guinea pig for any new supplements, workout routines, or recipes I create for you. :)

My website design team has painstakingly uploaded all of my old posts so everything is all contained here. Yes we love them very much.  Thank you guys!

Until the end of the year - you can still see my old blog but in the meantime - bookmark this site, and please visit often!

I will be starting to post new blogs this week! I have a bunch lined up, edited, and raring to go.  This week we are going to talk a little bit about pregnancy, veganism, and a wonderful new supplement that will literally - change everything.  It is *that* good.

I look forward to helping you.

Be Healthy.

Dr. S
xo

Blueberry Pancakes

For my blueberry-pancake-loving patients who want to do them healthy! :)

Ingredients

• 2 servings (4 scoops) Vega Whole Food Smoothie Infusion
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup buckwheat grouts
• 2 bananas
• 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tbsp ground flax (or chia) soaked in 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• sea salt to taste

Procedure

In a food processor blend all these ingredients except for the blueberries and the buckwheat grouts.  Stir those in after you have blended everything.

Lightly oil (my preference is coconut oil) a pan over medium heat.

Pour in batter to desired pancake size and cook 3-5 minutes or until wee bubbles appear. Flip and cook until done.

Makes 2 large servings. Drizzle with agave if desired.

The Lingo

If you're new to dr.stephanie.ca or this blog, or you a new patient in my office, you might want to take a quick browse through lingo I often use.  Its simple, fun, and easy to understand.

"Crunchy Crunch"

Usually the sound that injured muscle tissue makes.  When muscles get tight, achy, and miserable, they form knots and scar tissue that pile on top of each other like a football tackle. 

With the Dr. Stephanie Method, crunchy crunchies go away with treatment, and you are left with healthy, lean, long muscles. 

"Uncooked Spaghetti"

Another way of referring to healthy muscle fibers.  Healthy muscles are like uncooked spaghetti.  They all line up neatly, in rows, and all face the same direction.

"Cooked Spaghetti"

Unhealthy muscle fibers.  When muscle tissue gets annoyed, it folds in on itself, and causes other muscle fibers (spaghetti) to get annoyed too.  The result is tissue that is not neat, does not line up sequentially, and is rather messy, and going every which way.

"Snap, Crackle, Pop"

This is sound that a happy spine can make after getting adjusted.  Similar to the noise when you open up a pop can, the "snap", "crackle" or "popping" noise is gas being released from the joint so that it can move easier.

"Spinal Boo Boo"

When a part of the spine is not moving properly, feels tender to the touch, or it is not as bouncy as it should be.  Doctors will refer to this often as a 'subluxation', 'facet joint irritations/syndrome', or 'zygapophyseal irritation/syndrome', 'misalignment', etc.  Spinal boo boo covers all of these terms well enough, and kids can understand too. ;)

"Bouncy Back" or "Bouncy Spine"

A healthy spine should feel a bit like a trampoline.  Springy, and able to resist natural forces (ok maybe not a group of toddlers, but *normal* natural forces) of everyday life.

Un-springy, un-bouncy spines are tough, rigid, and inflexible.  This is a no-no.  Your spine should feel bouncy when I evaluate it, and able to resist some gentle pressure without any pain or discomfort.

---

Be Healthy.

Dr. S

xo

Nine West: Fall/Winter 2009/2010

Another favorite store of mine (both for the diversity of the shoes and the usually delicious prices).

Here are the current offerings:

1. Ottavio
Black Leather or Grey Leather (shown)
$ 165.00 CAD 
Heel: 2.5-2.75 '', Platform 0''

Lovely low heel, rounded toe bootie.  This is wonderful with tights.  In fact, this is perfect with tights!  This bootie has a few positives that make it a winner:  the lower (but still stylish) heel that makes it wearable day to evening; and the rounded toe that allows for maximum toe movement during walking.

Simple and Fabulous.

2. Elektra
Black Leather or Dark Natural Leather (shown)
$ 260.00 CAD 
Wedge: ~3.0 '', Platform 0''

As I've said here, here, and here, a wedge heel is a chiropractor's dream. Well, *my* dream, anyway.  I know I am never going to get myself or my patients into dumpy orthopaedic shoes, so finding comfortable fabulous shoes are the law of the land.  

Wedges gives you the height of a heel, but it more supportive than a heel because it allows the entire foot to maintain contact with the ground, through the wedge.  In contrast, a heel only allows the heel and the forefoot/toes to come in contact with the floor through the shoe. 

This wedge is a manageable height, and is superb for everyday.  Nice rounded toe. I dont know if I am on a leggings kick...but *perfect* with leggings. 

3. Bonfire
Medium Blue, Bronze, Black & Grey (shown)
$ 135 CAD 
Heel: 4.0+ '', Platform 0.5''

Despite the high heel, these shoes are marvelously comfortable, provided you go up a half size.  In fact, these remind me of one of my prized Barbara Bui shoes.  Even with the riduclously high heel - the shoe is beyond comfortable, and perfect for an even where you will be standing for long periods of time.  I can't explain it.  I can only love it.

The hidden platform help reduce the relative foot elevation, and the square-ish design for the peep toe is toe-friendly and does not irritate the skin around the nail bed. Standard heel.  I strongly recommend up'ing it a half size.

4. Debutante
Dark Grey Leather, Black Leather (shown)
$ 135 CAD 
Heel: 4.0+ '', Platform 0.75''

Very similar in shape and mechanics as the Bonfire above.  The main difference in terms of shoe ergonomics here is the heel is much chunkier, and thus provides a larger base of support, and feeling of stability.  This helps with pronating (as we pronate more in less stabile heels to create a larger portion of the foot making contact with the shoe), and protects our knees.

Ankle straps can be either a blessing or a curse with shoes.  I recommend not pulling the strap too tight, and in fact, keeping it slightly less taut.  If the strap is too tight, it will inhibit dorsiflexion ("flexing the toe", or the ability of the toes to come up towards the body).  This has the unfortunate effect of changing the way you place your foot on the ground, and you will likely pronate.

5. Lucasta
Black Leather, Soft Powder Blue (shown)
$ 120 CAD 
Heel: 0.25 '', Platform 0''

Really, any flat is perfectly fine for me to recommend.  As long as it fits properly, and has adequate flexibility through the sole.  Flats are ideal to snuggle in a custom shoe insert to give you proper correction all day long.

This one stood out to me becasue it lookes like pretty origami on the heel of the shoe, but realy any flat is ok in my books.  Gorgeous with flats and skinny jeans. :)

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I have been going on a bit about pronation, and I wanted to take a minute to explain why this is important.

When your foot pronates (meaning that your ankles roll in, and the arches in your feet collape) there are severe, long term consequences to the way your body adapts to this.

First of all - when you ankle rolls in, everything else in your skeletal frame must adjust to this.  This means the knees will also roll in ("knock-knees"), and you will also experience more pressure where the femur and hip bones meet. 

Who cares, right?  Well over time, not only do these forces warp the way you walk, but this will start to creep into the spine as well.  Muscles will get tight, joints will start to become stressed out, and bones will start getting stuck.

That's why it is important.  While I am overjoyed to try and help people who are in pain, I want you to have the tools and the know-how to PREVENT this from happening.  In an ideal world, you want to be seeing your chiropractor to increase the vitality of your health and your life, not desperately trying to correct something that has gone awry.  

Be Healthy,

Dr. S

xo