When life blows you down...

...roll with it, get back up, and get back on track... just like these adorable little ducklings.

A love letter to my Vitamix

I have to admit, it wasn't love at first sight. 

Initially, I just thought you were a really expensive blender.  Why would anyone pay that much for a blender??? But I misjudged you.  You are so much more.

Our love affair started as an experiment.  Let's see what all the fuss is about.  I used your cookbook, I made a smoothie, and I was enthralled with the rich, creamy texture that you somehow concocted of nothing but fruit.  How did you DO that???  The love affair grew steadily as I plowed through recipes.  Soups, nut butters, pesto, hummus made with zucchini, ice cream, milk shakes, cake batter...  And then, it happened.

I graduated to my first green smoothie.

I had tried this before, and the results were nothing but disastrous.  Mind you, my last attempt was in my misguided youth, utilizing a plain old 12-speed blender.  My "smoothie" resembled a chunky, partially digested salad and left much to be desired. Despite holding my nose and chugging as fast as I could, I couldn't even finish half.  To be completely blunt, it was disgusting, left me slightly nauseous, and I couldn't believe anyone would voluntarily consume such a thing.

With you, all of this changed.  With some pineapple (peeled, but uncored!), an orange (peeled), a quarter of a banana, and some ice, you took my lettuce, kale, and spinach, and transformed them into a luscious, creamy, smooth taste of heaven!  I have used you almost every day since, and every day, I love you more and more.  Thank you for coming into my life!  You have given me a new and exciting way to get my daily nutrition and I couldn't imagine life without you.

<3 p="">Me.

A smoking baby??

Watching this from an educated perspective, it may seem completely preposterous that someone would allow a 2 year old to smoke.  I mean, a child doesn't just pop by the store and whip out some of their hard-earned cash to purchase a pack of cigarettes.  They don't even have the hand-eye coordination to *light* a cigarette!  It's easy to look at this and wonder what is WRONG with those parents for doing that to their child.  Some would even claim it's child abuse!

But is it really so different from what we are doing to children in this country?  We raise them on diets loaded with saturated and trans fats, refined sugars, preservatives, unpronounceable chemicals, and dyes.  Our most consumed "vegetable" in this country is french fries.  We serve kids food that don't even resemble anything coming from nature.  Children can't even recognize common fruits and vegetables.  Toddlers are developing plaque in their arteries and early-onset diabetes.  Roughly one in four children in our country are actually obese!  This generation is expected to be the sickest ever.  And yet, parents continue to feed their children unhealthy foods that they refuse to eat themselves.

When we were children, there were no options at meal times... we ate what was given to us, or we didn't eat at all.  Have human beings changed that much?  I assure you, kids WILL eat.  And I know they'll throw a tantrum.  Or two. Or ten.  But who has allowed them to develop these bad habits?  And do you really want to be responsible for your own child's future health issues?

Remember when doing your best to lovingly stand your ground that you're doing it for THEM.  It may be hard to swallow, but they have developed these unhealthy habits because you have allowed it.  They were entrusted into your care for you to show them the way.  Please don't let them down.

Why I spread my message to people who don't want to listen...

When I first started Chiropractic School, I was on fire with the passion to spread the Chiropractic message.  Any time I came across someone with a health issue, I would start telling them how Chiropractic could help.  But sitting at a family function last week, listening to a number of people gripe about their health issues and brag about the ways they've found to fix (aka cover up) the problem all by themselves,  I became frustrated.

The things they are experiencing are red flags of serious conditions lurking under the surface that no amount of medication is going to heal!  They've heard the miracles that occur in my office, and yet they don't seem to want that for themselves.  Do they not think it will work for them?  Are they deluded into believing that chemicals can grant them long-term quality of life?  Have they just decided that they'll worry about it later, when things are broken down past the point of repair?  Or are they convinced that the negative consequences will never catch up to them?  When they think of how many years they could potentially be on this earth, how could they not want to take care of the only body they'll ever have??? They treat their cars better!

It hit me, as I sat there biting my tongue, that somewhere along the way, I realized that some people just don't want my help.  I've already told them what Chiropractic can do for them.  I've told them how serious the condition is.  I wonder if I'm doing the right thing by giving up on them and quite honestly, I'm torn.

If someone had the answer to my problem - an answer that would make my life happier, longer, and more rewarding - I would feel cheated if they didn't share it.  Actually, I would probably want them to take me by the shoulders and shake some sense into me until I listened.

And this is why, despite the knowledge that many people don't want my help, I still find myself telling complete strangers, as well as friends and family, what chiropractic can do for them.  Most of the time, they brush it off, and continue living their sub-par existence, with their body and mind just struggling to exist in this world... but sometimes... they actually listen... and I get to see their lives transform.  And THAT really is a beautiful thing.  Those moments make all the rolled eyes worth it.

Don't be afraid to share the message... you might just save a life.

When a canceled flight turns into an educational experience...

A healthy attitude is more important than a healthy body.

As a chiropractor, it may seem blasphemous to say such a thing, but the truth of the matter is, a healthy attitude is PARAMOUNT to having a healthy body!

Recently, I was traveling for a seminar, and my flight was canceled after first being delayed by about 4 hours.  The next available flight would be the following morning, which not only meant I would have to be up at 4am to get to the airport in time, but I would also miss half of one of the two days of a seminar I was traveling halfway across the country for.  I made a conscious choice not to get upset about it.  After all, there was nothing I could do to change it, and getting upset would just flood my system with stress hormones and increase my cardiovascular risk.  I amused myself while waiting in line, chatting with the other passengers and joking that this was just another story for my book... another adventure unfolding.  What could have been termed as a "complete nightmare" transpired as a pleasant exchange with some new acquaintances and a chance to slow down and enjoy the scenery.

It's important to remember that wellness is more than just how one treats their physical body, but also how one treats their emotional and spiritual body. Research has shown that not only does a positive mental attitude make a person more attractive, it also speeds recovery time and reduces overall illness. It even effects your pain tolerance! Taking time regularly to reflect on the way you approach and affect your world is imperative to having a truly fulfilling life. And finding a chuckle in the bumps along the way makes life far more fun!  After all, the worst disasters often turn into the most compelling tales...  Perhaps, the lessons I learned on my way to the seminar were even more valuable than those I learned while attending...  What kind of experiences have you made positive as a result of your own attitude shift?

You'll probably get Cancer...

Sorry for the sobering title, folks, but with the odds being 1 in every 2 men and women developing cancer these days, if it's not the person sitting next to you, it's you. This may seem scary and somewhat hopeless, but statistics also tell us that only about 20% actually die from it. And THIS is the statistic you can control.

The fact is, we will ALL face health challenges throughout our lives, but are you going to meet those challenges unprepared for battle, with a bulging gut, high blood pressure, nutrient deficiencies, and a sub-par immune system? Or are you going to storm the building, guns blazing, ready to handle whatever is thrown your way? Sadly, the leading causes of death in this country are life-style related. We are doing this to OURSELVES. And if you're waiting for the medical industry to save you after neglecting yourself for decades, no one can promise quality of life. You get what you give.

Invest in your body! It's the only one you've got! Most people spend more money in the last two weeks of their life than they ever do on prevention. Eating fruits and vegetables, preferably organic or the clean 15, keeping your nervous system tuned up, exercising, getting restful sleep, stretching, adequate stress management, spending time with friends, communing with nature, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol consumption... all these things are like making deposits into your armory and will contribute to you living a long, healthy life.

See you at the battleground! How will YOU show up?

Revolution against the Resolution

I have given up on New Year's resolutions.

It happened three years ago. I was so disenchanted with following the trend: Make promises to ourselves that we never keep and then berate ourselves for not following through. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

I decided that instead of adding so much pressure by setting my sights on specific goals, I would pick a theme and make all my decisions for the following year based on that theme. Every decision would be made by first -as best I could- filtering it through my theme. The first year, I decided I was going to nurture myself. This could be done a multitude of ways, and as the year went on, I discovered more ways to nurture myself than I ever expected. I thought it would translate to eating better, exercising more, and getting regular massages... but it turned out to be so much more... I started asking myself, "Is this what I NEED right now? And if not, what DO I need?" Sometimes, it meant canceling plans to rest. Sometimes it meant planning activities so I could go out, have fun, and socialize. Sometimes it meant planning time to run errands so they wouldn't cause unnecessary stress in my life by hanging over my head. Sometimes, it simply meant NOT exercising and being gentle with myself for that decision... you get the idea. As a result, I came into 2010 feeling stronger and more capable than I had in a very long time.

Last year, I decided to follow the still small voice within. You know the one I'm talking about... that one that says, "I wonder what so-and-so's up to... I haven't talked to them in ages. I should give them a call." Or tells you to do something you don't want to do but you know will be good for you in the long run. I had been ignoring this voice for a variety of reasons... fear being the main one. In re-connecting with this voice, I let my inhibitions go... I took my first surfing lesson, ran my first half-marathon, did my first triathlon, made new friends, and nourished relationships that had been starving for attention...

The things I accomplished as a result of these themes seemed almost effortless, because they simply became a part of my routine. This experiment provided beautiful learning experiences, as well as a flurry of love, laughter, and adventure. And by choosing one theme, it has allowed me to embrace and implement new behaviors and thought patterns into my life. Much more effective and efficient than some arbitrary resolution that averages about a two week lifespan, eh? A wonderful side effect has been the others that have been postively motivated in my wake... the friends and patients who had been inspired to change or act based on what they saw me doing... Like ripples in the pond... It really has been a beautiful year...

So I invite you to join me in my Resolution Revolution. What's YOUR year going to stand for?

You ask, I answer... Does Chiropractic Cure ADD/ADHD

Q: I saw a chiropractic office with a sign advertising to come in if you were suffering from a car accident or ADD/ADHD. Please explain to me how a chiropractor helps with ADD/ADHD. As it is, I am skeptical of this "sickness" to begin with. My ex and her sister had it and used to take medicine for it which I did not support.

Dr. Redmond: In my experience, ADD/ADHD is the consequence of a combination of various behaviors and their effect on the developing child's brain which, over time, alters brain chemistry. These factors include but are not limited to: lack of structure, sleep, proper nutrition, and exercise, as well as a number of food allergies/sensitivities. I have found that when those things are addressed, a drastic change is often seen in the child. However, even when those things are not addressed, when you start adjusting a child (just like when adjusting an adult regularly) it allows their nervous system to function more efficiently, allowing them to deal with lack of structure, sleep, nutrition, exercise, etc. more effectively. I've seen the same thing happen with autistic children. Within weeks, even people in the waiting room think it's a different child...

I don't think medicine is necessarily the answer... from what I've seen, it simply replaces the need to do what is best for the child and predisposes them to drug abuse later on... (got a problem? take this pill! But just say no to drugs...)





Send your questions to Dr. Redmond at doctorredmond@gmail.com with "Question for Dr. Jenn!" in the subject line and see them answered here!