Showing posts with label wellness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wellness. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Friday, April 22, 2011
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?
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?
Friday, April 8, 2011
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?
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?
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Age is no excuse for pain... The World's Best Kept Secret
I had a patient come to me not too long ago.
He had heard about the fantastic results I had gotten for another patient with chronic neck pain and he wanted to know if I could help him. He had been getting adjusted for a year, once per week, and though his neck and shoulder pain had improved, it was still there. Mondays it was mild, but as the week wore on, it got consistently worse. The weekends, it was as if someone had pressed the reset button... and the pattern continued.
He has been seeing me for three months, and his shoulders feel great. The symptoms are gone, and the scans of his nervous system are vastly improved. We were marvelling together at his speedy recovery once the proper tools were implemented and we addressed the emotional component of his nervous system and the resulting symptoms and he mentioned that he had thought, as a man in his 50's, that he was just getting old. I noted, as I have many times with patients, that age really is just a number. He agreed... something that might not have happened if it hadn't been for chiropractic. "Isn't it sad that more people don't know that? It's the world's best kept secret."
Only 7-10% of the population is under care of a chiropractor right now. At least 90% have had a favorable experience with a chiropractor. I had the pleasure of hearing a Chiro in his 70's speak last night... he had great posture and was in excellent health despite years of beating up his body with the very physical work of being a high-volume chiropractor. What was his secret? Weekly Chiropractic Adjustments. Are you going to wait for your body to break down before you start taking care of it? Do you only brush your teeth when they hurt? Do you only change your oil after your engine breaks down? Any other part of your body can be replaced... but you only get one spine, and one nervous system. Treat it well.
He had heard about the fantastic results I had gotten for another patient with chronic neck pain and he wanted to know if I could help him. He had been getting adjusted for a year, once per week, and though his neck and shoulder pain had improved, it was still there. Mondays it was mild, but as the week wore on, it got consistently worse. The weekends, it was as if someone had pressed the reset button... and the pattern continued.
He has been seeing me for three months, and his shoulders feel great. The symptoms are gone, and the scans of his nervous system are vastly improved. We were marvelling together at his speedy recovery once the proper tools were implemented and we addressed the emotional component of his nervous system and the resulting symptoms and he mentioned that he had thought, as a man in his 50's, that he was just getting old. I noted, as I have many times with patients, that age really is just a number. He agreed... something that might not have happened if it hadn't been for chiropractic. "Isn't it sad that more people don't know that? It's the world's best kept secret."
Only 7-10% of the population is under care of a chiropractor right now. At least 90% have had a favorable experience with a chiropractor. I had the pleasure of hearing a Chiro in his 70's speak last night... he had great posture and was in excellent health despite years of beating up his body with the very physical work of being a high-volume chiropractor. What was his secret? Weekly Chiropractic Adjustments. Are you going to wait for your body to break down before you start taking care of it? Do you only brush your teeth when they hurt? Do you only change your oil after your engine breaks down? Any other part of your body can be replaced... but you only get one spine, and one nervous system. Treat it well.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
How dare you put sugar in my gas tank!
Hello, Wellness Seekers! Today, I'm going to talk about your car. We all know that if you take good care of your car, it will last a bare minimum of 10 years. Sometimes even 20! (and if they made them like they used to, or you're hyper vigilant, it might even last you 40 or 50!) There's some things we need to stay on top of when it comes to caring for a car. To live a nice, long life, a car needs proper maintenance as well as hygiene. You need to wash it, and feed it the right gasoline and make sure the tires are properly inflated. You need to give it regular oil changes, and keep up with the belts, and filters. You need to wax it, vacuum it, and get it examined every couple years to be sure it's fit for the road. You need to drive it with care to avoid accidents and excess wear and tear. You need to keep it supplied with washer fluid, and oil, and antifreeze, and fresh tires. You need to replace the headlights and taillights, turn signals, spark plugs, and battery. And of course, there's the larger stuff that occasionally needs to be replaced like the alternator, the clutch... you know, all that car stuff that I'm not going to embarrass myself talking about. (I'm not a mechanic, and don't claim to be... I'll stick to the human body, and leave the car stuff to them.)
What we don't seem to recognize as a society is that the human body is the same way! If I put sugar in your gas tank, your car would not run, and you'd probably be pretty annoyed with me, and yet how often do we fuel our bodies with candy, cookies, ice cream, and soda. I hear people say it's different, but how different is it? We put so much energy into preserving our vehicles, which are relatively easily replaced and will work for us for a small portion of our lifetime, while we abuse our bodies relentlessly and refuse to give it the same attention. When our body wears out, there's no driving to the dealership for a trade in. We only get one nervous system. Shouldn't we take care of it? I see bodies ravaged with arthritis, and diabetes, and atherosclerosis, and cancer.... how sad to know that it could've been prevented if we had only dedicated a little time to regular maintenance. It's never too late to get your nervous system checked for interference!!! And for gosh sakes, please stop sugar in your gas tank... our body is so incredible, it can cope a lot better than your car, but it can't hold out forever...
What we don't seem to recognize as a society is that the human body is the same way! If I put sugar in your gas tank, your car would not run, and you'd probably be pretty annoyed with me, and yet how often do we fuel our bodies with candy, cookies, ice cream, and soda. I hear people say it's different, but how different is it? We put so much energy into preserving our vehicles, which are relatively easily replaced and will work for us for a small portion of our lifetime, while we abuse our bodies relentlessly and refuse to give it the same attention. When our body wears out, there's no driving to the dealership for a trade in. We only get one nervous system. Shouldn't we take care of it? I see bodies ravaged with arthritis, and diabetes, and atherosclerosis, and cancer.... how sad to know that it could've been prevented if we had only dedicated a little time to regular maintenance. It's never too late to get your nervous system checked for interference!!! And for gosh sakes, please stop sugar in your gas tank... our body is so incredible, it can cope a lot better than your car, but it can't hold out forever...
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
I begin my blogging journey...
Welcome, to both of us! You, to my blog, and me, to the world of health blogging. I'm not new to the blog scene, but I realized recently that people are either clueless, apathetic, or hopeless about their health and what it means to be truly well, and as a Chiropractor, who lives, breathes, and was trained with a wellness philosophy, I felt it was my responsibility to get out there and educate. And this just happens to be one of the many ways I intend to do so.
I'd like to add a disclaimer at this point. I am, by no means whatsoever, "a picture of perfect health." I indulge my sweet tooth. I skip exercise to do other things. I even *gasp* eat such nutritionally terrifying foods like fried chicken and biscuits with gravy. I am not perfect, nor do I expect anyone else to be. But I strive for good health. I strive to be healthy the majority of the time, so that those days when I misbehave, it doesn't count quite so much in the long run. Some days, I do better than others. Some days, I let it all go, give myself a hug, and remind myself that I'm only human. And some days, I beat myself up with the best of them, before I remember, "Oh yeah. I'm not supposed to be perfect!" This blog is simply a place where I can share the latest in research, observations, and the wellness philosophy. I'll even throw in a recipe, cooking tip, or favorite exercise here and there. Topics you can look forward to are as follows (but don't even think I would limit my topics to these few!):
I hope you enjoy our journey, and remember, true health is not simply the absence of disease, but a sense of vitality in which all our body's systems are working in harmony and the mind is at ease. It is a potential we are all born with, or we wouldn't be born at all. Unfortunately, through introducing toxins, depriving ourselves of nutrients, leaving our body to become one with the couch, and sabotaging it with toxic thinking, we give our health away. Time to earn it back! We are constantly traveling the distance between health and sickness... which direction are you going to choose?
I'd like to add a disclaimer at this point. I am, by no means whatsoever, "a picture of perfect health." I indulge my sweet tooth. I skip exercise to do other things. I even *gasp* eat such nutritionally terrifying foods like fried chicken and biscuits with gravy. I am not perfect, nor do I expect anyone else to be. But I strive for good health. I strive to be healthy the majority of the time, so that those days when I misbehave, it doesn't count quite so much in the long run. Some days, I do better than others. Some days, I let it all go, give myself a hug, and remind myself that I'm only human. And some days, I beat myself up with the best of them, before I remember, "Oh yeah. I'm not supposed to be perfect!" This blog is simply a place where I can share the latest in research, observations, and the wellness philosophy. I'll even throw in a recipe, cooking tip, or favorite exercise here and there. Topics you can look forward to are as follows (but don't even think I would limit my topics to these few!):
- Living healthy on a budget
- Affordable Organics
- Easy vegetable gardening for small or large spaces
- Why do parents feed their children things they wouldn't eat themselves?
- Exercise: Why bother when I don't have time?
- I'm going to the pediatrician for ANOTHER prescription????
- Vaccines
- ADD/ADHD
- Recently discovered causes of Asthma and Allergies
- Why put sugar in your gas tank when you wouldn't do that to your car?
I hope you enjoy our journey, and remember, true health is not simply the absence of disease, but a sense of vitality in which all our body's systems are working in harmony and the mind is at ease. It is a potential we are all born with, or we wouldn't be born at all. Unfortunately, through introducing toxins, depriving ourselves of nutrients, leaving our body to become one with the couch, and sabotaging it with toxic thinking, we give our health away. Time to earn it back! We are constantly traveling the distance between health and sickness... which direction are you going to choose?
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