​If you’re feeling the effects of daylight saving time, there are several simple steps you can take to help your body adjust more quickly and get back to feeling your best.

​1. Get Morning Sunlight
One of the fastest ways to reset your body’s internal clock is exposure to natural light. Try to get outside within the first hour after waking up. Even a short walk can signal to your brain that it’s time to be alert and awake.

​3. Move Your Body During the Day
Physical activity helps regulate sleep and energy levels. Light exercise like walking, stretching, or yoga can help boost circulation and improve sleep quality later that night.
​

​5. Support Your Nervous System
Many people don’t realize that your nervous system plays a major role in how well your body adapts to changes like disrupted sleep schedules. Your spine protects the nervous system, which helps regulate sleep, recovery, energy levels, and stress responses.

That’s where chiropractic care can help.

At McCann Family Chiropractic, Dr. Matt McCann works with patients to help their bodies function at their best. Chiropractic adjustments help improve spinal alignment and support proper nervous system function, which may help your body adapt more easily to everyday stresses—including the time change.

Many patients also report better sleep, improved energy, and less tension after regular chiropractic care.

​After a winter of being less active, jumping straight into raking, lifting, digging, and twisting can irritate the low back quickly. The good news? A few simple strategies can help you protect your spine and enjoy the season without paying for it later.

Why Yard Work Triggers Back Pain

Yard work does not always feel like exercise, but it absolutely is.
You are:

• Bending repeatedly
• Lifting awkward, heavy loads
• Twisting through your spine
• Working muscles that may not have been used much all winter

​Without preparation, that combination can strain joints, irritate discs, and tighten muscles quickly. Let’s talk about how to prevent that.

​Your hips are designed to generate power. Your lower back is not. When you round your back and lift, you place unnecessary stress on spinal joints and discs. When you hinge properly, you distribute that load safely through your legs and glutes.
​
If something feels too heavy, break it into smaller loads. Your back will thank you.

3. Switch Sides Often

​Yard work is full of repetitive motion, especially twisting.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help

Even with good mechanics, yard work still puts stress on your spine and joints.
Chiropractic care helps:

• Keep joints moving properly
• Improve spinal mobility
• Reduce muscle tension
• Support better movement patterns

When your joints move well, you are less likely to compensate and less likely to strain something while you are out enjoying the fresh air.

​1. Water Supports Spinal Disc Health
Your spinal discs act as shock absorbers between your vertebrae. These discs are made up of a large percentage of water. Proper hydrationhelps them maintain their height, flexibility, and ability to cushion the spine.

​2. Hydration Helps Lubricate Joints
Healthy joints rely on synovial fluid for smooth, pain-free movement. Water is a major component of this fluid. Staying hydrated helps your joints stay well-lubricated, which can:

• Improve range of motion
• Reduce joint stiffness
• Support cartilage health
• Decrease friction during movement

This is especially important for patients with arthritis, physically demanding jobs, or active lifestyles.
​

Well-hydrated muscles tend to respond better to chiropractic care and soft tissue therapies.
​

This can be especially helpful for patients recovering from injuries, repetitive strain, or chronic pain conditions.

​5. Water Boosts Energy and Focus
Dehydration doesn’t just affect your muscles and joints. It can also impact your energy levels and mental clarity. Even slight dehydration has been linked to:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Reduced concentration
• Irritability

Drinking enough water throughout the day can help you feel more alert, focused, and energized.
​

6. Try Infused Water to Make Hydration More Enjoyable
If plain water feels boring, infused water is a simple and healthy way to make drinking more fun while still avoiding added sugars and artificial ingredients.
​
Infused water is made by adding fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs to your water to naturally enhance the flavor. It can help encourage you to drink more throughout the day.

Popular infused water combinations include:

• Lemon and cucumber
• Strawberry and basil
• Orange and mint
• Blueberry and lemon
• Watermelon and mint
• Raspberry and lime

To make infused water, simply add your favorite ingredients to a pitcher or water bottle, fill with water, and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least one to two hours. The longer it sits, the stronger the flavor will be.

This is a great option for patients who are trying to cut back on soda, juice, or sugary sports drinks while still enjoying flavorful beverages.
​

​Simple Tips to Stay Hydrated

• Keep a reusable water bottle with you
• Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning
• Set phone reminders if needed
• Add lemon, cucumber, or berries for flavor
• Drink water before, during, and after exercise

​

​Supporting Your Chiropractic Care with Hydration
Proper hydration is a simple but powerful way to support your chiropractic care. It helps your spine, joints, muscles, and nervous system function at their best, allowing your body to respond more effectively to adjustments and healing therapies.

If you have questions about hydration, spinal health, or how lifestyle habits affect your pain and mobility, the team at McCann Family Chiropractic is always happy to help. Small daily choices, like drinking more water, can make a big difference in how you feel.

If you’re ever craving a peaceful walk, an easy bike ride, or a relaxed outdoor adventure with the family, Padilla Bay Trailhead is a wonderful place to explore. Located along the wide open estuary of Padilla Bay in Skagit County, this trail offers big views, abundant wildlife, and a calm, welcoming vibe that makes you want to slow down and stay awhile 🚶‍♀️🚴‍♂️

Trail Basics: Easy and Family Friendly 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
The main trail at Padilla Bay Trailhead is an easy, mostly flat 2.2 to 2.25 mile out and back route that runs along the top of a dike. The wide gravel surface makes it accessible for strollers, bikes, and walkers of all ages. With virtually no elevation gain, it’s a stress free outing where you can focus on the scenery instead of the terrain. My step counter shows I completed the round-trip in 1 hour and 19 minutes, 9,692 steps, 4.5 miles.  It is flat and easy, so this felt like a nice, enjoyable pace.
​
Benches and picnic tables are placed along the route, making it easy to stop for a snack or simply enjoy the views. Leashed dogs are welcome too 🐕, which makes it a great choice for the whole family.

Wildlife Watching: A Bird Lover’s Dream 🐦🦅
Padilla Bay is famous for its birds, and for good reason. The bay’s mudflats and eelgrass beds create one of the richest ecosystems in Puget Sound. As you walk, keep an eye out for great blue herons, ducks and geese, shorebirds like sandpipers, and bald eagles soaring overhead.
​
During migration seasons, the bird activity really shines, and you may spot large flocks of snow geese or other seasonal visitors. Even if birding isn’t your hobby, it’s hard not to be impressed by how alive this place feels 🌾✨

A Bit of History Along the Bay 📜
Padilla Bay has a long and meaningful history. Indigenous peoples relied on the bay for food and resources long before European explorers arrived. The bay was later named by Spanish explorers in the late 1700s.

Recognizing its ecological importance, Padilla Bay was designated as a National Estuarine Research Reserve in 1980. The trail opened in 1990, giving visitors a low impact way to experience and learn about this special coastal environment.

Nearby Points of Interest 📍
Visit the Breazeale Interpretive Center to learn more about the estuary, walk out to the observation deck for bird watching, explore Bay View State Park nearby, or stop in the town of Edison for coffee and baked treats ☕🥐

Perfect for All Ages 💛
Padilla Bay Trailhead is one of those rare places that truly works for everyone. Kids love spotting birds, adults enjoy the peaceful scenery, and grandparents appreciate the smooth, easy path. I saw people of all ages along the trail today, from toddlers to seniors.  It was picture perfect!

Support for Teens and Adults
​As kids become teens and adults, busy schedules and daily activities can put extra stress on the body. Whether it is sports, work, or just the demands of everyday life, chiropractic care can help ease tension, improve mobility, and support overall comfort. Many people also enjoy regular care as part of staying active and feeling their best.

1. Summer Activities
From weekend sports leagues and family bike rides to long road trips and even sleeping in unfamiliar beds while traveling, summer routines often push your body in new ways. These changes are oftentimes positive, fun, and give you precious time with friends and family!  However, they can also can lead to:

• Soreness
  
• Muscle tension or joint stiffness
  
• Lower back or neck pain
  
• Spinal misalignments
  

​Chiropractic adjustments help restore balance to your spine and nervous system, reducing discomfort and improving overall mobility so you can keep doing the activities you love.
​

​2. Hydration + Alignment = Summer Vitality
Dehydration is common in the summer heat, and it can have a surprising effect on your spinal health. Your spinal discs — the cushions between your vertebrae — rely heavily on water to stay pliable and absorb shock. Without enough hydration, discs can lose elasticity, increasing the risk of injury or misalignment.

Chiropractor’s Tip: Bring a travel-sized lumbar support pillow, take breaks to stretch on long trips, and book an adjustment before and after travel to help your body recover and adapt.
​

4. Stay Active — Smartly
Chiropractic care isn’t just for when you’re in pain. It’s a powerful tool for enhancing performance and preventing injury, especially during an active summer. Whether you’re training for a 5K or swimming with the kids, your chiropractor can tailor care to improve:

• Range of motion
• Muscle recovery
• Flexibility
• Balance and coordination

​5. Make Wellness a Summer Routine
Summer is the perfect time to reset your health goals. Use the longer days to build new wellness habits:

​Think of chiropractic as your wellness anchor — it helps your body adapt to stress, heal faster, and stay energized so you can make the most of your summer.

This connection isn’t just a metaphor—it’s a complex, two-way communication system involving neural, hormonal, and immune pathways. Understanding it could transform how we approach mental health, digestion, immunity, and even chronic diseases.

McCann Family Chiropractic offers cold laser therapy which will help you tap into this powerful gut-brain axis.  Using the Erchonia Zerona VZ8 Fat Loss laser for the abdominal region and the Erchonia FX405 for the brain at the same time may activate this pathway and help you in many ways on your path to wellness! 
​

What Is the Gut-Brain Axis?
The gut-brain axis refers to the constant biochemical signaling that occurs between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system. The vagus nerve, the body’s longest cranial nerve, acts as a major communication highway, transmitting messages back and forth.

But it's not just nerves. Hormones, immune cells, and even gut bacteria (the microbiome) play critical roles in this dialogue. This means your gut can influence how you think and feel—and vice versa.
​

Your Second Brain: The Enteric Nervous System
The gut is often called the “second brain” because of the enteric nervous system (ENS)—a vast network of over 100 million nerve cells embedded in the walls of the digestive tract. The ENS can operate independently of the brain and spinal cord, controlling digestion and reacting to stimuli.
​
It also produces more than 90% of the body’s serotonin, the neurotransmitter commonly associated with happiness and mood regulation. So, it’s no surprise that gut health is closely tied to mental well-being.
​

How Gut Health Affects Your Mind
Research has found links between gut health and several mental health conditions:

One landmark study (1) found that participants who consumed probiotic-rich foods or supplements reported improved mood and reduced anxiety, possibly due to positive changes in their microbiota.
​

​How the Brain Affects Your Gut
On the flip side, mental and emotional stress can trigger gut symptoms:

• IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is often exacerbated by stress and anxiety.
• Psychological stress can alter gut motility, increase intestinal permeability ("leaky gut"), and shift microbiome composition.

This means treating gut issues often requires addressing psychological health too.
​

​Tips for Supporting the Gut-Brain Connection
Want to take better care of your gut and, by extension, your brain? Here are a few science-backed strategies:
🌿 1. Eat the Rainbow
Load up on fiber-rich veggies, fruits, legumes, and whole grains to feed your healthy gut bacteria.
🧘‍♀️ 2. Prioritize Stress Reduction
Meditation, deep breathing, yoga, or time in nature can calm your nervous system—and your gut will thank you.
🥣 3. Embrace Fermented Foods
Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha are natural sources of probiotics that help balance your microbiome.
💧 4. Hydrate and Sleep Well
Dehydration and sleep deprivation can stress your gut and brain. Aim for 7–9 hours of quality rest and sip water throughout the day.
✨ 5. Limit Gut Disruptors
Minimize processed foods, excessive sugar, and unnecessary antibiotics, which can throw your microbiome off balance.
🦠 6. Explore Probiotics and Adaptogens
Probiotic supplements or gut-supporting herbs like ashwagandha and licorice root may help you restore balance—just check with your wellness provider.

(1) ​Probiotics’ Effects in the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression: A Comprehensive Review of 2014–2023 Clinical Trials. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10893170/

​Research shows the average American eats 57 pounds of added sugar each year (1).  Food manufacturers are sneaky, and there are well over 200 different names for added sugar content.  We will help you decipher what foods have added sugar and help you cut back!

Dr. Matt and Monica are taking the month of January to reduce our carb intake.  Over the years, we have both experimented with keto, low carb, and even the carnivore diet.  The reality is that the standard American diet is full of sugar, lacking in nutrition, and all but guaranteed to increase inflammation in your body.  

Carbs have been given a bad name in recent years, and there is some support to that conclusion, particularly for those struggling with insulin resistance and metabolic disorders such as Type II diabetes.  In addition to sugar, our diet tends to be filled with carbs found in refined grains, corn, beverages, potatoes, and even fruits and veggies.  

Why do carbs matter?  Carbs are an easy way for your body to get a quick boost of energy.  Carbs provide glucose to fuel your muscles, brain, and other body functions.  But, your body might not need nearly as many carbs as once understood.  
​

​Excessive insulin will eventually cause insulin resistance, increase the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, and cause weight gain.  When we eat a high carb diet, our body is constantly flooded with insulin.  Dr. Fung recommends a low carb or ketogenic diet and to practice intermittent fasting.  Giving our body a break from food and the digestive process allows insulin levels to reduce and our body to start to heal.  If intermittent fasting is too big of a step, you might do well by just limiting your intake to 3 meals a day without snacking.  Giving your body time between meals allows insulin levels to reduce.
​

One of the first places to start in reducing carb and sugar intake is understanding how sneaky food manufacturers are!  The Hypoglycemia Support Foundation has a list of 262 different names for
sugar (1). These names include agave, barley malt, molasses, cane sugar, corn syrup, maltodextrin, dextrose, evaporated cane juice, and hundreds more.  Read nutritional labels carefully.  If a product lists sugar in any of its forms in its first five ingredients, it may be best to try something different (ingredients are listed in the order of greatest to least content).  

Of course, you should also be looking at the nutrition label for added sugars and total sugar content. In general, many people consider a low carb diet to include around 20-50g of total sugar content per day. They also recommend that none of this come from added sugars, but instead only be found in natural sources such as fruits and vegetables.  

The table below will help you understand the sugar content of fruits and vegetables.  Each serving is listed as 100g.  For reference, a medium sized apple is approximately 180g.

​If you are eating a few servings of fruit and vegetables a day, it is very easy to get to 20g of sugar in a hurry!  

You know your body best.  You should always consult your health care professional prior to making any major dietary changes.  Of course, please feel free to discuss your nutrition questions with Dr. Matt at your next visit! 

Our low(er) carb journey will include a drastic reduction or elimination of refined carbohydrates and added sugar.  We will focus on protein first, then healthy fats, followed by vegetables and berries (in general, it is suggested to limit fruit to berries if trying to reduce carbs and sugar).  While there are many sugar alternatives that are available, be aware that even these can cause an increase in insulin.  That increase in insulin may cause a chain reaction of health consequences even though the product itself may be low or no calorie.  In addition, many sugar substitutes are full of harmful chemicals.  

You may want to steer clear of sugar substitutes such as sucralose and aspartame (may now be called "Amino Sweet.")  More natural sugar alternatives include stevia, monk fruit, and allulose.  If you are not concerned with total grams of sugar but are looking for a more natural source of sugar, you might try honey, pure maple syrup, or molasses.

We want to support YOU in your health goals for the upcoming year.  Talk to us at your next appointment.  We'd love to be part of your journey!

(1)-Decemer 27, 2024. "Added Sugar Repository." Hypogycemia Support Foundation.
https://hypoglycemia.org/added-sugar-repository/#:~:text=The%20ASR%20currently%20includes%20262,(71%20grams)%20every%20day.
(2)- December 27, 2024. "What Sugars are in Fruits and Vegetables?" Sugar Nutrition Resource Center.
https://www.sugarnutritionresource.org/news-articles/what-sugars-are-in-fruits-and-vegetables

​“Curcumin seems to target specific molecules or pathways that control the cell cycle. It also blocks inflammatory cytokines and enzymes, including cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)… a 2021 review of 15 randomized controlled trials found curcumin relieved OA pain and stiffness as well or better than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and celecoxib – minus potentially serious side effects.“1
 1:Quote was extracted from this article:
https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/nutrition/anti-inflammatory/turmeric-wont-help-arthritis

​Prolonged NSAID, most common, ibuprofen, use will cause kidney disease.  Another common pain reliever, Tylenol, is known to cause liver damage with prolonged use.  Curcumin, taken in normal doses, does not have these nasty side effects. 

It is important to note that just like with ibuprofen, a common contra-indication to taking curcumin, is taking any blood thinners. In addition, if you take curcumin in very large doses, over an extended period of time, it may cause kidney stones (though not kidney disease).  

In another study of 750 military personnel with low back pain, thirteen scientists explored what happened when they added chiropractic care to the usual medical care that they were receiving. In this study, they found that over six weeks, the group that saw a chiropractor had less back pain intensity and less disability than the group that only received their usual medical care.

​What’s more, the chiropractic group was more satisfied with the care they received, thought they’d improved more, and reported taking fewer drugs to help control their back pain compared with those who only got the usual medical care.

Click here for .pdf version of article

References

1. Hartvigsen J, Hancock MJ, Kongsted A, et al.Lancet 2018;391(10137):2356-67. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(18)30480-x
2. Non-invasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain 2017;166(7):514-30. doi: 10.7326/m16-2367 %m 28192789
3. Corp N, Mansell G, Stynes S, et al. 2021;25(2):275-95. doi: 10.1002/ejp.1679
4. Hodges PW, Danneels L. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2019;49(6):464-76. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2019.8827
5. van Dieën JH, Reeves NP, Kawchuk G, et al. 2019;49(6):370-79. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2019.7917
6. Hodges PW. 2011;21(2):220-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2011.01.002
7. Meier ML, Vrana A, Schweinhardt P. 2019;25(6):583-96. doi: 10.1177/1073858418809074
8. Haavik H, Murphy B. 2012;22(5):768-76. doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2012.02.012
9. Haavik H, Kumari N, Holt K, Niazi IK, Amjad I, Pujari AN, Türker KS, Murphy B. 2021; doi: 10.1007/s00421-021-04727-z.
10. Eklund A, Jensen I, Lohela-Karlsson M, et al. 2018;13(9):e0203029. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203029
11. Lelic D, Niazi IK, Holt K, et al. 2016;2016:3704964. doi: 10.1155/2016/3704964
12. Seminowicz DA, Moayedi M. 2017;18(9):1027-35. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2017.03.008
13. Goertz CM, Long CR, Vining RD, et al. 2018;1(1):e180105. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0105

Acknowledgments

• Dr. Heidi Haavik – BSc(Physiol) BSc(Chiro) PhD
• Dr. Kelly Holt – BSc, BSc(Chiro), PGDipHSc, PhD
• Dr. Jenna Duehr – BChiro, BHSC (Nursing), MHSc