Slimkicker: The Health And Fitness App Like No Other

(Editors Note:  Today's post is about a health and fitness app that I came across that approaches the subject in a very unique way...hope you enjoy.  Check it out in more detail at SlimKicker.com)

Turn your weight loss and fitness goals into a level-up game

Gamification of weight loss

SlimKicker was formed to solve a huge problem when it comes to losing weight, or living healthier: sustaining motivation. Many people makes resolutions to stop eating junk, or start going to the gym every New Year. But once March or April hits, we forget about our goals, and return back to our old ways.
That's why we created SlimKicker, a level-up game and point-based program. You start by tracking your diet, where whole foods are worth more points than processed foods. It's similar to Weight Watchers, but in reverse.

But diet, and fitness are half of the battle. Most people regain weight because they never learn long-term habits. We solve this by taking habits as quitting soda, and turning them into 7-30 day challenges. Like a regular game, the challenges start out easy, and gradually become harder, with more points. We encourage you to check-in daily with others doing the same challenge for accountability and social support.

Does SlimKicker replace a diet program?

SlimKicker can be used alongside any existing diet program, or can replace other diets such as Weight Watchers. We think short-term diets are not effective because people return back to bad habits after they're over. SlimKicker, on the other hand is all about learning proper nutrition, portion control, and acquiring important habits. In addition to challenges, SlimKicker also offer tools such as a calorie counter, a fitness tracker, and resources.

Fun and Games are not Enough

Making things fun and motivating is cool, but it's useless without actionable, personalized advice. That's why we're working on using all your data to give you advice on how to reach your diet and fitness goals. So for instance, if we find you're eating a lot of junk food, we'll tell you ways to cut back, and healthier alternatives.

Our Team

SlimKicker, the idea was born in April 2012, and was officially launched out of beta in March 2012. We're a bootstrapped team based in NYC. If you wish to contact us, we're on Twitter, Facebook, or you can email us at team (at) slimkicker.com.

Your Body: No Instructions Included?

We often fail to read the instructions before undertaking a task. Occasionally I may find myself at a self-serve gas station unable to get the pump going. Then I read the little instruction screen that says, “Pay the attendant inside first.” How often do we attempt to put together a new toy, new bicycle or a piece of furniture without bothering to read the instructions, unless of course we get stuck? Who takes the time to read the owner’s manual before driving off in a new car? Who ever reads the thick instruction booklet on a new DVD or Blu-ray player? What do we do? We plug it in, turn it on, and begin to use it right away. If it doesn’t work right, we try what we use to do before even though it might be a totally different model and manufacturer. When all else fails, then we read the instruction booklet.

Computer programmers have found a way to deal with this problem. They put the instructions on the screen and force you to go through them one screen at a time by clicking on “next.” Further, they give you all kinds of warnings and graphics to make you fearful to click to the next screen without reading the instructions. Of course, anyone who has used a computer is more likely to follow the screen’s instructions. It’s easier to take apart and reassemble a new back-yard barbecue grill then it is to fix a crashed computer. It never hurts to read the instructions first even if it does take a little longer and most of the time it avoids difficulties which are time consuming and have the potential for harm.

Ironically, the most important “appliance” in the world does not come with instructions. Wouldn’t it be nice if that new baby came into the world with “instructions for care and upbringing” tattooed on his little behind. There are many books on upbringing that help. Unfortunately, most of the books often elicit the response “that wouldn’t work with my kid!” That is because every child has a different personality. So we do the best we can and maybe hope for supernatural intervention.

The care of the body presents a similar problem. Every human body is a little different. There aren’t any instructions that fit everybody. We are designed as different on the inside as we are on the outside. Our individual bodies’ needs and functions are as different as our personalities. An instructional book is an impossibility. There are some common-sense measures regarding diet, rest and exercise that we can apply to everyone so we are not totally at a loss. Even better, we do not have to hope for supernatural intervention. That intervention is automatic. Within the living body is an innate intelligence capable of running the body from birth to death. It knows how to cool the “appliance” when it overheats, shut it down for rest, sleep and repair when overworked and so much more. It perfectly burns fuel (food) and eliminates wastes. It is run by the world’s most advanced computer. Its function is coordinated by the brain and nerve system. But glitches can occur in the system. When these glitches are caused by head/neck misalignment than upper cervical care can be of assistance. Upper cervical care corrects head/neck misalignment so the 'computer' can function properly and people can experience a fuller, more productive life. That is no small thing. So before you develop problems that cannot be corrected or just to make sure all your parts are working as they should, consider a simple guideline: Get periodic upper cervical check-ups.

Upper Cervical Care And Better Performance

Performance can be defined as the degree to which anything functions as intended. When it comes to one’s performance as a human being (human performance) many factors are involved. Unfortunately, in today’s busy society with so many factors, most people are looking for a quick fix or a shortcut. Naturally then, when the average person is looking to improve their performance in any aspect of life, they tend to seek out the single key factor for the best results. So what is the single most important aspect in improving or maintaining a high level of performance in any aspect of your life? Factors such as adequate exercise, good nutrition, positive mental attitude, and a good nerve supply are all very important. But which one is the key to better performance?

The truth is, none of them is the answer, but here is the answer: The key to better performance is commitment. What good is exercise if you don't commit to doing it regularly? How much value is nutritious food when it is only talked about and you do not take the time to properly prepare it? If you just consider having a positive attitude, you might end up depressed. Simply agreeing with your upper cervical doctor that it's a good idea to have a good nerve supply just doesn't get it done.

Done sparingly, all of these measures are positive. Exercising only on the weekends is better than doing nothing at all. Some good nutrition is better than eating junk food all the time. Being positive only when things are going your way is probably better than being negative all the time. Having your spine and nerve system checked once a year is better than never.

However, making and following through on a commitment to improve your life is what really brings about better human performance. Sure, it may take more time and cost some money, but aren't you worth it?

Upper cervical care is committed to helping you with one aspect of improving your performance -- having a good nerve supply by correcting head/neck misalignment. That is the area in which he/she is an expert and can help you. To get the most from upper cervical care, just like anything else, you need to commit to it. Everything in an upper cervical care office, from office hours to the fee system, has been carefully thought out to make fulfilling your commitment that much easier for you.

The "Perfect" Diet And Upper Cervical Care

“For every illness, there is a country where it simply does not exists.”

This quote, from a direct mail promotional advertisement, is designed to get you to subscribe to a publication that claims to give you the secrets to preventing cancer, stroke, heart attack, diabetes and other diseases. They suggest that a natural diet which includes certain substances is responsible for the absence of certain diseases in certain countries. They further suggest that if you take these substances in supplemental form, you will not get these diseases either. There are a number of interesting aspects to this theory. First, independent of diet, people in these countries do not live to advanced age. In fact, they die at just about the same age as people in other countries, just not from these diseases. For example, countries with low mortality rates due to breast cancer have high rates due to bowel cancer or something else. It appears that people in these countries are not any healthier, they just suffer from different diseases.

This bit of information tells us that clearly there are a variety of factors involved in the development of any disease. Eskimos do not ordinarily die from cancers, but they do have an increased incidence of cardiovascular problems. Island populations that do not eat a lot of red meat do not have cholesterol-related conditions, but they often have stomach and bowel cancer from the high fish and seafood diets. The point is that there is no perfect diet just as there is no perfect environment. All have certain advantages and all have certain drawbacks.

This is not to suggest that what you eat is not important. Quite the contrary, everything that you eat is important. Likewise everything you do or do not do has an effect on your health and your longevity. Where you live and how you adapt to where you live are certainly significant factors in your health. Hereditary factors are also important, as is your ability to handle stress. So what is not important? Everything is important. There are literally hundreds of factors and causes. So the next time someone says they have the answer to disease, realize that they may or may not have an answer but they surely do not have the answer. Supplying a nutrient that is lacking in your diet may be an answer to one thing, the lack of that substance, but it is not the answer to all or any disease.

That is one of the great things about upper cervical care. We do not claim to have the cure for all or any disease or even the answer for back problems. We do, however, have the answer to one problem, an interference in the nerve system due to head/neck misalignment which deprives the body of working at its maximum potential in all areas. Upper cervical care is not a substitution for medicine, nutrition, exercise or anything else. It is one thing, only one thing, but this one thing can play a large role in you reaching your potential in every area of life.

We must also realize that since there are so many factors in health and in freedom from disease, it behooves us to focus on what we should be doing for our health rather than trying to prevent the thousands of diseases. No country is free from all disease. If there was such a country, it would be the most crowded spot on earth. Fortunately or unfortunately, the major cause of disease is not within the environment but within the individual and his or her ability to live in and adapt to the unique environment of that country. If you want to take supplements that is up to you, but realize that only addresses one factor relating to your health. Of course, ideally you would develop good enough eating habits that you would not require supplements and you would do a variety of other things necessary for good health and a productive life. Some of these things might include regular exercise, appropriate amounts of rest and a good mental attitude and by all means have your spine and nerve system checked periodically by an upper cervical doctor.

Back Pain?

At least 80 % of the American public will at some point suffer from back pain. Anywhere between $16 and $50 billion is wasted on medical expenses and lost work time annually due to back pain.

While it is true that thousands of people go to upper cervical doctors across the country everyday for back pain, many of whom find relatively quick, affordable relief, IT IS NOT TRUE THAT UPPER CERVICAL CARE IS AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR BACK PAIN.

The fact is, some of those people would have experienced relief whether they received upper cervical care or not. For some, general chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, hot/cold therapy or exercise might have been equally effective. Others would probably have felt better in time with no treatment at all. Unfortunately, what seems to work today may not work tomorrow. For many years the medical community suggested two weeks in bed for back pain. Today it is commonly understood that more than two days of bed rest can often make back pain worse. We realize now that as the muscles that support the spine are not used, they become weaker and less able to do their job. The variety in what constitutes effective treatment can partially be explained by the fact that the causes of back pain are as varied as the sufferers themselves.

Eighty percent of all low-back pain originates in the muscles, ligaments or disks. Some pain is caused by sheer overuse of muscles, whether it is by repeated use or by asking a muscle to do more than it is capable of in a single situation. Some back pain is caused by joint conditions--inflammation, arthritis or degeneration. Another leading cause of back pain is the herniated disk. However, interestingly enough, 20-30% of people with herniated disks and back pain actually have discomfort for a reason other than the disk condition. This is noteworthy inasmuch as many of these people go on to have surgery for the disk, which is not the cause of their pain. Still, other pain is caused by unrelated disease in the back area such as kidney or digestive problems or even cancer.

So with the variety of causes of back pain, you may be wondering how any one thing can be effective. For example, how aspirin works to relieve pain is yet unknown. If we don’t know that, how can we know that there is not a less toxic or even cheaper means by which we can do the same thing? Or for that matter, how can we know that this unknown mechanism is not harmful to the body in some significant way?

While upper cervical care is not a treatment for bad backs, it is good for the overall health of the body. Whenever you do anything that is good for your overall health, your whole body benefits. When you get a good night’s sleep, you are more energetic, more coordinated and more clear minded. Exercise, diet and rest obviously play a significant role in lessening back pain, not because they are effective treatments, but because they are good for the body. They promote health. Likewise, while back pain may improve under upper cervical care, it is not because upper cervical care is good for bad backs. Upper cervical care is good for your whole body. So have your spine checked periodically whether you have back pain or not.

Reminder For The New Year

It is never too early or too late to get into good health habits. As a doctor, I see patient after patient come into my office with the “baggage” from years of neglect. This amazes me sometimes because we are supposed to be living in a health conscious society. Health officials constantly give us advice on how to avoid health problems. Americans just don’t heed the warning. Let’s face it, we think that as long as we feel okay, nothing could possibly go wrong – we’re healthy. Although at the same time we think we’re healthy, most of us are abusing ourselves with the standard high fat, high sodium American diet along with the ever-strenuous daily remote control workout regime.

So, to help make sure YOU are healthy, the following steps are recommended:

1. Eat a healthy diet. Watch those saturated fats and low quality carbohydrates. If you are already overweight, decide today that you and your family are worth the effort to lose weight. Remember, strokes, heart attacks and high blood pressure happen to people just like you everyday.

2. Exercise. You know why. I don’t have to tell you. Just Do It!

3. Rest well. We live incredibly busy lives. Be sure your sleep habits are consistent and your sleep surface is adequate to support your spine and limbs properly.

4. Eliminate unnecessary stress from your life. Some stress is good. It challenges and helps us to grow. Worrying, however, robs not only the quality of your life but also the quantity of your life. Negative people die young. They have nothing to live for. (Smile).

5. And last but not least…. (I saved the best for last): MAINTAIN YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM AND SPINE. Did you know the nervous system controls the function of virtually every cell, tissue, organ, and system of your body? Upper Cervical Care concerns itself with the relationship between the nervous system and the function of the body (i.e. your health).

Remember, life is not a dress rehearsal. Choose abundant health in the new year!