Food For Thought

If you are very hungry and you eat some food, will your hunger go away?  The answer is, yes if you eat enough.  However, is getting rid of hunger the purpose of food?  If you eat food regularly, will it keep you from becoming excessively hungry again?  The answer is, yes if you eat enough of it consistently.  However, is preventing hunger the purpose of food, of course not.

Even though eating food is a very effective strategy for decreasing or even eliminating hunger temporarily, hunger will always return over time.  This is the nature of life.  As our bodies use up the nutrients contained in the food, it requires more food / fuel to continue operating at peak efficiency, and so we become hungry again.  Even though eating food consistently can be a good way to keep from getting too hungry, it would be ridiculous to say that the purpose of food is to eliminate or prevent hunger. 

Certainly we are all aware that food serves many more important functions than simply addressing hunger.  It is our fuel for keeping us alive, helping our bodies coordinate all functions, adapt to the environment, heal and continue growing throughout our lives.  We all know this is true about food, but many people do not apply this line of thinking to their chiropractic care.  Why is this? 

Do these people perhaps not fully understand that the purpose of chiropractic care is to maintain the flow of communication freely over the nerve systems between their brain and all of their trillions of cells, so that the natural energy of life within the body can actually perform all of the functions listed above – animating, coordinating, adapting, healing and growing our bodies from conception until death?  Do they not understand that without total unobstructed neurological connection, nothing would function as well as intended?

Maybe it’s because chiropractic care in the right amount is so good at decreasing or even eliminating pain and dis-ease?  Or perhaps it is because with consistent enough care many people can even prevent the recurrence of their health problems?  Even though chiropractic care is a very effective strategy for helping you regain your natural state of health and feel better, your level of health and vitality will always vary over time, due to physical, chemical and mental stresses of every day life.  If these stresses are beyond your “internal resistance,” they break you down and you progressively lose your health and well-being.  Health (normal function and the ability to adapt to stresses) is the natural result of the free flow and adequate expression of your health. 

When your brain and body are fully connected (because of a well-aligned spine and functioning nervous system), they communicate effectively and your natural health abilities are functioning, comprehending and responding to any changes (stresses) in your daily environment.  The result is your ability to adapt to these changes with effortless ease.  In addition, you are able to heal and continually grow in every way – physically, mentally and emotionally – including thinking at a high enough level to make good choices in every area of your life. 

The truth is we are all growing and dying at the same time, but one of these two processes always predominates over the other everyday.  In other words, overall we are either getting weaker and moving toward dis-ease and death, or we are growing stronger and moving toward health, wellness and wholeness.  The chiropractic approach to life and the adjustment process allows us the opportunity to progressively grow stronger than weaker, everyday.

So you see, saying that the purpose of chiropractic care is to eliminate or prevent pain and illness is as short-sighted as saying the purpose of food is to eliminate or prevent hunger!  The real purpose of lifelong, family chiropractic care is to continually maximize the flow and expression of your natural god given health and to help everyone consistently and progressively demonstrate the highest levels of health, happiness and the full expression of life! Simply put, Chiropractic is about life and what makes people live.

If this has made you think of your own life, join us and be part of the adventure at Chiropractic Today! Visit us online at www.chiropractictoday.com for upcoming events, to request your next appointment, or send us a question you would like to have answered. 

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Are You Blind?

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.  An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  Meditation is the key to a balanced life – If you don’t go within, you’ll go without.  Water is the true fountain of youth.  Laughter is the best medicine.  If you stay fit, your health will never quit.  A deep breath is a breath of life.  Except the Lord build the house, he who labors, labors in vain.

Each of these is a familiar phrase and each of them is true.  We definitely need a balance of movement and rest, including enough sleep.  But is that enough?  Good nutrition is essential, but can an apple a day keep us healthy all by itself?  Do you know relatively happy and healthy people who have never meditated?  How long would we last on just air and water?  Those body builders are totally fit, but most of them don’t look too healthy to me!  Some of the most spiritual people ever to walk the planet have died of terrible diseases.

What’s the point here?  It is simply that each one of the phrases above claims that there is ONE THING above everything else that is the true key to a long, healthy and happy life.  While I will not deny that each of these things is a piece of the health and life puzzle, it takes more than a single piece to complete the whole picture.  It reminds me of the story of the six blind men from India who were out walking together one day and came across an elephant in their path. 

These six sightless men had of course heard of elephants, but none of them had ever had the opportunity to see one.  Each man stepped up to feel the elephant attempting to ascertain what it must look like.  The first man fell against the elephant’s side and said that it was like a wall.  The second felt the tip of the tusk and was convinced the elephant was like a spear.  The third, upon feeling the squirming trunk, proclaimed that an elephant was like a snake.  The fourth put his arm around a leg and came to the conclusion it was like a tree.  The fifth grabbed an ear and announced that an elephant was like a big fan, while the sixth, upon seizing the tail, declared it was like a rope.

They all then fell to arguing about who had the truth.  While each of them had discovered a part of the picture, all of them had missed the whole picture.

This is the same thing that has happened in the world as far as our health is concerned.  Yes, it is vital that we do all of the things in the beginning of this article, for each of them is a vital part of the puzzle.  But, none of them is enough by itself to completely carry us consistently toward wholeness.

There is one more crucial piece of the puzzle that hasn’t yet been mentioned specifically.  That is the need for a clear and balanced nerve system so that your Life Force can FLOW normally throughout your body.  This is where chiropractic comes in.  Actually, it has been mentioned in a way.  This is one way to actually use the Biblical quote above…Except the Lord build the house, he who labors, labors in vain...in a practical way.  You see, all of your efforts to build a healthy body will be in vain if the Power that made the body is not allowed to flow effortlessly and continue to help us adapt, heal and grow.

One more thing is important to understand here as well.  The reason the blind men got only little bits of information is that they were all blind to the wholeness of an elephant.  When you keep your nerve system clear, your INNATE INTELLIGENCE will be able to SEE each piece of your healthy lifestyle and integrate them into keeping your body and mind in the whole and perfect state that is your birth rite.

 HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU!

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Just Call Me "Mythbuster"

Maybe you’re familiar with the hit show “Mythbusters” that airs on Discovery. The show’s hosts and team members take common scientific myths and put them to the test. This month, I’m going to do the same with myths about chiropractic, to bust what I believe are the most common misconceptions about chiropractic care.

Let’s start with science and Myth #1:  Chiropractic is not scientific.  BUSTED!  There are many studies that outline the efficacy, safety, and cost effectiveness of chiropractic care, and no, not all of them were done by chiropractors! Paul G. Shekelle, M.D., M.P.H., of the RAND Corporation made the following statement on ABC’s 20/20:  “There are considerably more randomized controlled trials which show benefit of this (chiropractic care) than there are for many, many other things which physicians and neurosurgeons do all the time.”

And speaking of physicians, let’s look at Myth #2:  Chiropractors are not real doctors. BUSTED! A chiropractic college grants a D.C. (Doctorate of Chiropractic) degree which follows a curriculum that is extremely rigorous and virtually identical to medical school curriculum. Chiropractors are licensed to practice only after passing national and state board exams and, like medical doctors, are subject to the same type of testing procedures, licensing and monitoring by peer-reviewed boards.

Now here’s a myth I hear all time, and it may be the one that drives me the craziest.  Myth #3:  Chiropractic is only effective for back pain.  BUSTED!  This couldn’t be further from the truth! Your nervous system controls everything that goes on in your body, and when there’s interference to your system, you will have health issues. Chiropractic care identifies where the interference is occurring, and through all-natural corrective care can minimize or eliminate the lack of correct function, resulting in pain and disorders. I’ve had literally hundreds of patients over the years come in for back pain only and after just a couple of visits find themselves amazed at how their overall health had improved…allergies, digestive issues, diabetes…you name it!

Perhaps the other myth that causes MY blood pressure to rise is Myth #4:  Chiropractic care is too expensive. BUSTED! In a wellness-oriented practice like mine, we focus on improving your health, not managing your sickness. To that end, we work towards restoring your health which actually SAVES you money (in fewer doctor visits, medicines, etc.)  Wellness-oriented chiropractic care is an investment in your health. Consumers don’t give a second thought to spending money on annual or bi-annual dental checkups, or annual trips to the eye doctor…yet we often think it’s too expensive to keep up good spinal hygiene! When you consider the incredible variety of health issues that stem from poor spinal hygiene, it becomes a no-brainer to make sure yours is checked and maintained!

One of the myths that keeps people from coming in to see a chiropractor is Myth #5:  Spinal adjustments hurt/I don’t want my bones cracked. BUSTED! Chiropractors don’t crack bones, and the adjustments themselves are not painful. On the contrary, many patients feel instant relief immediately after their spinal adjustment. So what makes the “popping” sound you hear when being adjusted? It’s the release of nitrous oxide gas that occurs when the manipulation opens the joint space. It’s certainly nothing to be afraid of!

Finally, there’s a myth that requires a bit more explanation.  Myth #6: Once you start going to a chiropractor, you have to go forever.  Semi-BUSTED! Let me explain. If you come in for back or neck pain, chiropractic care will alleviate that pain within a set period of time and that problem will be resolved, so in that sense, you do not HAVE to go forever. However, if your problem is chronic or recurrent, or if you want to avoid future problems, you will benefit from periodic care to stay ahead of the strain that accumulates as well as acute flare-ups.

Think of it this way…just as it would be ridiculous to believe that visiting the dentist once per lifetime would ensure permanently healthy teeth and gums, it’s equally insane to think that visiting a chiropractor a few times will ensure a lifelong healthy spine. Our spinal tissues undergo daily stresses from many different sources…the environment, sleeping and postural habits, psychological stress and our hectic lifestyles, just to name a few. If you truly want to manage your health and not your sickness, then investing in lifelong spinal hygiene with a wellness-oriented chiropractor is a worthwhile investment.

I hope I’ve busted some myths for you this month, and that you’ll call my office to see for yourself how beneficial chiropractic care can be for you and your family. And if you’ve got a myth I didn’t bust here, bring it on…I’m happy to play the role of chiropractic mythbuster any day of the year!

Cast Don't Heal...

If you were unfortunate enough to break a bone, you know what it's like to get a cast. With a little re-positioning and some skilled plastering, the fracture is stable. After a few weeks when the cast comes off, you're just as good as new. So did the cast do the healing?

Plaster casts and Chiropractic Adjustments have something in common... neither one can heal you. Sure, both may be necessary after an injury. But they can only create the environment necessary for healing to take place. Casts align broken bones so they can mend, adjustments align misaligned vertebrae to optimize nerve flow- but it's the innate healing power of LIFE inside you that scripts the healing.

The next time you come for an adjustment to instantly ease your headache, your sciatica or your sleeping problems, understand it's not the adjustment that produces the result. Adjustments simple create an environment conductive for healing. The doctor inside you is the one who does all the work.

http://www.chiropractictoday.com/

“Healing With The Brakes On…”

Ever feel like you're spinning your wheels when it comes to

staying healthy? You eat right, exercise five days a week and

try to get enough sleep – you've got the 'pedal to the metal' 

when it comes to staying fit, but something's holding you

back. Maybe it's time to pay more attention to your Nerve

System.

Although you've got one foot on the gas, Subluxations can put the brakes on your progress. Subluxations are troublesome misalignments in your spine that irritate your Nerve System and rob you of potential health energy. The effect is like trying to drive with your brakes on. You've got your fitness throttle wide open, but you're going nowhere fast.

If you want to stop spinning your wheels when it comes to your health, prioritize your spinal care. When it comes to unleashing more health horse power, nothing releases the brake like Chiropractic can.

http://www.chiropractictoday.com/

“Chiropractic Colored Glasses”

What does the world look like through Chiropractic colored glasses? Does your health shine brighter… are your relationships with friends and family more in focus… is your job performance sharper and crisper?

You 'see' everything through your nerve system – how you 

feel, how you interact with the people around you, how you 

perform at home or at work. When your nerves are stressed, 

the line between barely existing and fully living is blurred. 

However, the more clear your nerve system, the better your 

ability to interact physically, mentally and spiritually with the

world around you; and ultimately the better your quality of 

Life.

When a Chiropractor adjusts the stress from your nerve 

system, it's like cleaning the dirt, streaks and smudges from

the lens through which you interpret your world – and with a

clear lens you can see all your potential. Life is vibrant when 

you're viewing it through Chiropractic glasses.

http://www.chiropractictoday.com/

It's All About Time

The Sixth Principle in Chiropractic states there is no process which does not require time, including the healing process. BJ Palmer (the developer of Chiropractic) believed that with time and clarity in the nerve system, the body could heal itself in just about any situation.

A sick cell is replaced by a healthy one – healthy cells become healthy tissues – healthy tissues become healthy organs – healthy organs make a healthy human being. The conversion from sickness to wellness is an innate process that can only be performed by the doctor within you, via a well toned nerve system.

Healing is therefore a process of RE-creating yourself, one cell at a time, over a period of time. The power that made your body is more than capable of converting you from sickness to wellness. All it needs is a clear pathway and enough sand in the hour glass to accomplish it. 

http://www.chiropractictoday.com/

Launching Your Care

"Launching Your Care"

In it's heyday, the space shuttle would generate nearly 8 million pounds of thrust just to lift itself off the launch pad into the atmosphere. Once beyond the earth's gravitational pull, it didn't require as much effort to stay in space and could effortlessly cruise at 17,500 mph with a fraction of that power. The same can be said for your Chiropractic care plan.

The start of any healthy endeavor requires more effort-in Chiropractic that means more visits in the beginning to break free from the gravity of dis-ease and build forward momentum. Once free from the "pull" of poor habits and chronic illness, it requires less effort to keep you aloft.

It takes more effort to get off the initial care launch pad than it does to stay in a healthy orbit. If you want to get results, expect to put more work in at the beginning of your care. Your chiropractic team is ready to help you along the way... just stick with the mission plan and you'll reach your destination. 

http://www.chiropractictoday.com/

Symptom Whack-A-Mole

"Symptom Whack-A-Mole"

The object of the carnival game Whack-a-Mole is to use a mallet to hit as many critters as possible when they pop up in random succession. Trouble is, as you hit one mole, three more pop up and disappear before you can nail them all. Whack-a-Mole is a perfect metaphor for how people are medicated today. Unfortunately in this game you end up on a ton of drugs, for a bunch of problems, with no actual improvement in your health.

According to a NCHS Data brief by the CDC, over the last 10 years the percentage of Americans who took at least one prescription drug in the past month increased from 44% to 48%. The use of two or more drugs increased from 25% to 31%. The use of five or more drugs increased from 6% to 11%. Yet despite taking all these drugs, the US embarrassingly ranks 37th among the world's industrial countries when it comes overall health.

For Chiropractors, health is not defined by how many symptoms you can temporarily 'whack away' with drugs, but how well your body can adapt to its environment and heal under its own innate abilities. You have more healing intelligence in your little finger than all the doctors and pharmacies in the world put together. Big Pharma doesn't believe so, but Chiropractors do. Keep your Nerve System clear and you won’t have to play their failing game.

http://chiropractictoday.com/