Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome to Thanksgiving! The holiday in which we can all take time to realize what we are thankful for. This, of course, may be interrupted by turkey, stuffing, and of course cranberries. You may be tempted to go for the extra helping of turkey and stuffing; however, take time to realize the many positive benefits of cranberries.

· Lab studies suggests that the chemicals in cranberries work together to help suppress the growth of some various human cancer cells
· These chemicals may also reduce the risk of hardening of your artieries. (Athrosclerosis).
· Cranberries are loaded with helpful antioxidants.
· Cranberries also contain two compounds that seem to keep certain bacteria from attacking the urinary tract wall. Some studies suggest that women who drink cranberry juice regularly may have fewer symptoms of UTI’s over a period of time.

We at Empire Health and Wellness would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We are very thankful that we are able to be a part of a wonderful and caring community. For more information on healthy living, or to schedule a consultation for physical therapy, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or visit our website at www.empirehwc.com or email us at ehwc7@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, DPT, PT

Caffeine Consumption

As you are drinking your daily cup of coffee in the morning you may be thinking “am I doing a bad thing?” The truth is that there are many good and bad aspects of drinking caffeine. Today I would like to help you sort through some of the many myths and misconceptions.





• Caffeine is addictive.
o Caffeine is a stimulant and if introduced to the body in a regular manner it may produce a minor dependence. This, however, should not be confused with other drug addictions. Caffeine does not and should not affect your social, physical, or economic health! Stopping that normal intake of caffeine may even give minor withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and minor irritability. These again are not on par with symptoms from “drug addictions”.

• Caffeine may dehydrate you.
o Caffeine may make you urinate, but the amount of fluid normally taken with the caffeine seems to offset the fluid that you lose.

• There are no health benefits from caffeine
o Although high concentrations may be harmful to your health. There are some positive aspects of caffeine such as an increase in alertness, concentration, and energy. This may not be the case if you drink in excess, but in moderation it is possible to enjoy the benefits. Also some limited evidence has been shown that it may reduce the risk of some diseases such as diabetes type 2 and Parkinson’s disease.

Although a lot of the research being done is limited there may be some benefit of Caffeine. It is important to keep in mind that anything in excess can be a hazard to your health and to contact your doctor if you are having adverse effects or if you are on any medication where you should restrict caffeine intake. For more myths and misconception please refer to http://www.webmd.com/balance/caffeine-myths-and-facts?page=3 for more information on caffeine intake.

For more information on healthy living, or to schedule a consultation for physical therapy, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or visit our website at www.empirehwc.com or email us at ehwc7@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, DPT, PT

Staying Healthy This Winter Season

We would like to thank everyone who attended this years open house and 10th anniversary party. It was a great success! This week in our blog I would like to discuss lifestyle strategies for the upcoming change of season. After you dig out your winter clothes and prepare to turn up the heat in your house your lifestyle and habits may have to change. Here are a few strategies to consider.

• Health
Everything from eating well to washing your hands can allow you to dodge the flu bug. If you do happen to get the virus do all you can not to spread it to others.
• Exercise
If you are one who normally exercises outdoors you may need to change your routine. I may recommend joining a gym or purchasing thera-bands or a stability ball for home use. These tools may seem simple but there is a vast array of exercise you can perform with them.
• Food
With the holidays getting closer and closer it is important to continue to think about portion size and not eating too many unhealthy snacks. Take everything in moderation while continuing to exercise.
• Emotional health
Don’t let the gray skies, snow, and the darkness of winter get you down. It is said that the more depressing months of the year are to come. Take the time to relax and have fun this winter. It could be anything from catching a show to taking up a new winter hobby.

For more information on healthy living, or to schedule a consultation for physical therapy, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or visit our website at www.empirehwc.com or email us at ehwc7@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, DPT, PT

10th Anniversary Open House!

Empire Health and Wellness Center is celebrating its 10 Year Anniversary and we would like to extend you an invitation. Come join us Thursday, November 4, 2010 between 5:00 pm & 7:30 pm at our office for food, tours, prizes, and live demonstrations. We are excited to demonstrate the new X-box Hardware “Kinect”. Kinect is a totally new and fun way to promote movement and fitness within video games. A full motion camera will track your every move as you perform in game tasks and obstacles. During the next few weeks we plan on integrating this exciting new hardware into our unique and integrated treatment plans. Please visit our Blog for up to date news and reviews on this topic as we get our hands on the finalized product!

For more information on the open house or RSVP, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or email us at ehwc4@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, DPT, PT

Dieting Habits to Break

Is your diet not working the way you would like it to? There are many bad habits that may hinder the success of your diet plan.



1. Crash diets
a. To loose weight fast you may decide to cut your caloric intake significantly. This will work in the short term; however, as soon as you return to your normal eating habits and stop your diet you may gain weight even easier than before. As you consume fewer calories you essentially “train” your body to have a slower metabolism. As you begin to eat more, your body burns the calories slowly and promotes weight gain.
2. Skipping breakfast
a. As we talked about in our blog skipping breakfast can be a big mistake. Skipping meals may be an easy way to consume fewer calories; however, skipping breakfast may lead to increased hunger and snacking throughout the day.
3. Losing track of snacks
a. Food at work, office parties, candy all of these can be easily overlooked as excess snacking. A snacking diary is a good way to take control of snacking throughout the day.

These are a few habits that may stop a successful diet plan. If you were thinking of “dieting” my main suggestion would be to create a log of what you are eating throughout the day. This will allow you to monitor your intake and make healthy adjustments to your eating plan. This will help you take an active role in your diet plan.

For more information on healthy living, or to schedule a consultation for physical therapy, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or visit our website at www.empirehwc.com or email us at ehwc7@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, DPT, PT

Resistance Training for Flexibility?

A stretching routine has been said to be the best way to improve flexibility. This idea has been challenged in recent years. A new study compared 25 college age individuals split up into two groups, stretching and resistance training. The idea being that as you perform resistance exercises through a full range of motion you also actively stretch your muscles at the same time. At the end of this preliminary study, resistance and stretching showed similar effects on flexibility.

What does this mean to the average person? There are many health benefits when you add a resistance program into your exercise routine. Although this area needs more research to add validity, resistance training will help you to keep your strength and range of motion as you age. Before starting any exercise program talk to a medical professional. After you are cleared to begin there are many resources out there to guide you in the right direction to a healthy exercise program.

For more information on healthy living, or to schedule a consultation for physical therapy, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or visit our website at www.empirehwc.com or email us at ehwc7@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, DPT, PT

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20100604/resistance-training-improves-flexibility-too

The Sodium in Your Diet

Sodium is an important part of a balanced diet and allows for proper muscle and nerve function and allows for the natural reaction to balance the body’s fluid levels. Unfortunately most of us consume too much salt in our daily diet (FDA guideline 2,400 mg). Watching your sodium intake may be very tricky since not all sodium comes from salt. This week we are going to attempt to make the battle a little easier by making you aware of some typical grocery foods that are high in sodium.

1. Frozen foods
a. That lean cuisine or hot pocket may look healthy; however, if you look at the label the amount of sodium may be surprising. If you enjoy bringing this type of food as a quick lunch for work, I recommend making a moderate to large meal that you can freeze and eat throughout the week. This may be a healthier and less costly alternative.
2. Ready to eat cereals
a. Yes even raisin bran can boast up to 300g of sodium per cup! Think about portion size and the big bowl we all reach for in the morning when we eat breakfast. Instead think of fruit or a low sodium variety of cereal. Refer to a previous post and really familiarize yourself with food labels to maximize your knowledge.
3. Canned vegetables
a. Sodium is used as a preservative as well as seasoning. A typical can of corn can have as much as 700g of sodium. If you must buy canned food rinse it thoroughly before consuming. Your best bet is to buy seasonal or better yet local vegetables or fruits to minimize the use of preservatives and pesticides.

These are just a few foods that you may think are “lower” in sodium. There are many other foods such as these. Refer to http://www.webmd.com/diet/slideshow-salt-shockers for many other helpful tips on food selection. If all else fails read the food label on the side of the package or can. It holds valuable information on the nutritional value of each product.

For more information on healthy living, or to schedule a consultation for physical therapy, feel free to contact us at 518-690-4406 or visit our website at www.empirehwc.com or email us at ehwc7@nycap.rr.com.

William Milhizer, DPT, PT