Get outside and live life fully!

The anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle is very much in the news these days.  Is it Fact, Fiction or Fad?

I’m very much learning as I go so I will take a basic intro to the anti-inflammatory world of do’s and don’ts and share them with you!  And would love your ideas, feedback and recipes.

First let’s talk about inflammation. What is it? Why does it happen and why is it bad for us? Or is it?

Inflammatory cells are cells that cause inflammation. They release different molecules and mediators that can cause an area to become hot, hyperperfused (red), painful and swollen. In some cases, inflammation is a good thing.  A mosquito bite gets puffy and red.  It’s the body’s way of isolating a problem or intruder, rushing blood cells to the area to fight and heal.

It is important to let the body heal itself.  But when is it a problem and what is chronic low level inflammation doing to our bodies? Let’s look at what today’s lifestyles throw at our bodies, things that previous generations never had to deal with and as a result we are seeing more and more chronic illnesses and even fatal diseases. Things such as chronic fatigue, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Let’s take a look at contributing factors;

·         Sedentary lifestyles – we work more, exercise less.

·         Diet and Nutrition – we think of diet predominantly as a number/result issue as opposed to nutrition/wellness  – Processed foods may be fast  and easy but it’s also a fast and easy way to wreck your health.

·         Environmental contributors – pollution, second hand smoke and even medications.

Hence the Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle! Or as we like to say around here “ a balanced lifestyle”. Identify in your life what could be contributing to unnecessary inflammation in your body.  Some of these things you can change some you can’t. Cut out ONE simple anti-inflammatory causing food at a time.  Replace it with an anti-inflammatory fighter!  Follow a vitamin regimen and modify it as needed. GET ADJUSTED!  A well-functioning nervous system is the hub to wellness.  Discover a fun way to exercise that will keep you motivated and committed. Hiking, dancing, skating or even just walking.  I have friends that have recently discovered photography and bird watching.  Get outside and live!  Do everything possible to help your body fight todays challenges!

Here are a few more anti-inflammatory ways to fights;

·         Omega 3 – in its purest form

·         Spices such as turmeric, ginger, curry and garlic

·         Whole grains such as wild rice, quinoa and oats

·         Go fresh!  Stay in the fresh food isles and explore new ways to add foods (for me it’s some I don’t enjoy) as smoothies and soups

·         Tea, dark chocolate and yes even a little red wine is good for you!

So when (not if) we choose a balanced approach to an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, we will be helping our bodies be inflammation fighters when they need to be!

After seeking chiropractic help in her twenty’s for the usual (and expected –or so she thought) lower back issues that go with horseback riding, she experienced a new level of health. Not only has she made chiropractic a regular part of her life but she has made a commitment to changing her lifestyle and coaches others how to do the same. She is an avid outdoors person. You can find her walking her beagle, biking, painting and drinking great coffee. Her true passion is riding horses and has been a competitive rider/jumper for years.

We all make them. We all break them. It’s like there’s a societal pressure to make resolutions every January, only to stop mid-February and feel like a complete failure. Gyms thrive on this time of year; hundreds of new memberships sold, a large percentage of which will go unused within a few months. Countless healthy cookbooks bought, new workout equipment, self-help gimmicks that are going to change lives! I’m not saying some don’t stick with it and we should celebrate those who do, but there’s a definite noticeable difference in the gym parking lot come March.

What if you didn’t NEED to resolve to do better each New Year because you always strive to do your best regardless, and if you slip, you’re ok with it? A novel idea, but one that everyone should adopt.

Here are my 4 ways to stop the madness and be your best all year:

1. Stop pressuring yourself!

   You’re not perfect, no one is! Stop trying to attain a level of fitness, healthy eating or mental clarity that you’re not ready for. Stop comparing yourself to others. You are your own independent person and you should act that way. Unfortunately in this day and age, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stay our own course and feel like we are doing OUR best. Stand strong and know that as long as you are doing what is best for YOU and for YOUR family, that’s all that should matter. Do not let other people’s opinions influence your daily life. Only YOU have the power to let anyone make you feel a certain way.

2. DO NOT buy a Gym Membership in January! 

   At any time of the year that you feel you should step up your workout game, do it then! Don’t wait until the New Year. January is the time that you can’t find a parking spot, classes are packed and personal trainers are hunting for new clients. If you want to join a gym, do it at a time where not everyone has the exact same idea. This way if you want to try classes, they are of a reasonable size so you can ask for help and you have access to most equipment without waiting. That being said, it is not wrong to join a gym in January if that is when you feel inclined to do so. But remember to start slow, ask for help when you need it and do what you enjoy.

3. If you fall, dust yourself off and get back up! 

   You only fail when you stop trying. Working out and eating healthy is HARD! Saying you’re only going to eat kale salad and boiled chicken everyday is a recipe for disaster. Sure, that can absolutely be a goal, but most people are going to get sick of kale salad and chicken and may indulge in something way over the top, feel horrible about themselves and decide it’s not for them. So try this: when you get to that point of hating what you’re eating, switch it up. Add in some of those indulgences but in a healthy way. Or indulge once in a while and start fresh at the next meal. Don’t beat yourself up. If you’re too tired to make it to the gym one day, listen to your body and be ok with it. Start fresh the next time, don’t fall into a trap of thinking “I can’t do it”.

4. Be realistic! 

   Going to a gym everyday is not for everyone. But it’s also not the only way to workout. Find what works for you. Do you really have time to lug your kids to the gym daycare, do your class and get home? Find an at-home exercise program you can do while they entertain themselves, or better yet, do it with them! Does running on a treadmill bore you? Get outside! Research what you should wear when it’s cold, how you should pace yourself throughout your run etc. You want to try some new diet because everyone else says it’s amazing? Look into all aspects of any new way of eating before you try it and see if it realistically fits into your life first. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for the next. As long as you are avoiding foods that you know are harmful or do not work for you, THEN try to add in the good stuff.

The main point here is to pace yourself. Don’t jump out of the gate January 1st trying to change everything in your life all at once. That’s how people fail. Make small but impactful changes throughout the whole year. Or if January is your time to start, start small and slow. Add in the good and the bad will eventually fall to the wayside. Be yourself and enjoy your life. Like the cliche says, it’s often too short. Remember this: Be Fit. Eat Right. Think Well. Get Adjusted. Follow my 4 ways of maintaining your goals in each of these aspects and you will be just fine.

Kayleigh Read

Chiropractic and a wellness lifestyle changed her life. She had such an incredible experience and change in her health, that she decided she help change people’s lives. In addition to being the Director of First Impressions at Synergy, she is also a Certified Holistic Health Coach. When she’s not at the office, you will find her either at the gym kickboxing, or with my husband, Mike, and their 3 dogs. She is a philanthropist and founded a non-profit charity, Families First Community Cancer Support, which supports and provides financial relief to cancer-burdened families in the community.

My Boy!

About this time last year I set out to get healthy!   I know a lot of you are thinking it right now.  “Time to make changes.”  I set out  on the usual path with goals in mind, but boy did the plan change!  I’ll tell you one thing right off the bat, I haven’t been sick in a year!  Yep, Jan 15th 2016, I was suffering with my second round of bronchitis, weight gain, limited physical abilities, and STILL in menopause! Brutal.  I had numbness and tingling in my hands, prone to breaking out in hives, insomnia, and somewhat depressed.  Who wouldn’t be!  I was on a puffer for my lungs, sleeping pills to get some rest and the ususal handful of Advil for all the aches and pains.

It turns out the one constant place, person and treatment where I felt strong and motivated was here!  Synergy Chiropractic.  Their ever abundnant positivity and gentle pushing (and sometimes I needed a healthy shove!) slowly helped me get my act together.  Nothing is as easy as getting on a treadmill, eating a salad and putting a smile on your face.  Everyone’s reality is different.  And the one step forward, two steps back reality can be VERY discouraging.

Slowly but surely I’ve been chipping away at many of my issues and how I got there:

• frequent colds, turning into bronchitis
• hives, from what?
• sleep? what sleep?
• weight, fitness
• over use of medications

Where to start? I think the big picture scared me.  That’s a big list of changes.  But I was sick and tired of being sick and tired!  My immune system was tired.  Worn out.  I had nothing left, so I started there.  Replacing the medical pill popping with vitamin pill popping.  Staying away from people and situations that could compromise my recovery.  Pretty sure the hives were stress related. But I couldn’t tackle it all at once so I gave myself permission to be succesful at just one thing at a time.  And it’s been slow!  I really thought by the end of 2016 I would have achieved all my healthy goals.

What have I achieved?  It started with learning more about vitamins and which ones are important to me.  And sticking with it.  I actually have a gigantic pill box on the kitchen counter to help me stay on track.  There’s a great website http://www.drweil.com/ that I follow.  He also has a health survey you can take and it will provide you with a vitamin protocol.  I don’t do all of it but I certainly do the obvious ones! Multi’s, C, Cal-Mag, Probiotics and more!  (You do have to give your email but I actually like the daily emails – they’re short and relevant and I’ve learned tons!)

Sleep is still an elusive creature.  But I have made changes and it has certainly improved.  And I always sleep better on a day that I’ve had my chiropractic adjustment!  Menopause *sigh*  Well it happens to the best of us lol! But there are also steps I’ve learned that have helped and most importantly not to be angry and frustrated with something that is a healthy part of life.  And also not to use it as an excuse!  “oh the weight gain… well it’s menopause, can’t do anything about that!”  Yes I can!

As most of you know I have a horse and I ride several times a week.  I am not however in great physical shape and that really was one of my goals for 2016.  So now that I have many of the other things under control I have set myself fitness goals that are related ONLY to my riding.  I’m hoping by narrowing the focus a little that I will have better luck sticking with new changes.  For the record… I hate the gym!  I could spend a day at the barn no problem!

I also went back to work this year!  And boy did I get lucky!  What a great place.  I’m learning tons, meeting great people and being supported and pushed along my journey.  Synergy Chiropractic is so much more than a place to get a physical adjustment.  They’ve adjusted my outlook on life and I am excited for 2017!  Round Two!  Another Healthy Year!

5 Steps to Turning Your Resolutions into a Reality

So here it is – January 1st, 2017!

I don’t know about you but the new year always brings a new sense of excitement doesn’t it? I mean, maybe you set out some goals for yourself for the new year. Well – how are you doing with them? As many of you know – it takes 40 days to make and sustain a habit.  Well let’s take some time to focus, commit and make it happen.

So here are the 5 steps to make it happen – to literally make your resolutions a reality!

1) Why
Everything in life begins with WHY, as in why we do, what we do. This is what drives us to take action OR not take action. This is what motivates us to get out of bed or not get out of bed each morning. And this is the reason we make a change or don’t make a change. Therefore, the first Secret to having your New Year’s Resolutions become a reality is to understand WHY you want it manifest in the first place? Why did you decide to make “what this is” your goal? Is it for YOU or is it because of societal or familial pressures? Maybe you want to do this for someone else. Have you attempted to pursue this endeavor in the past and why did it work or not work? Why do you do, what you do?

Take time to write our your why now. Write the following on the top of a fresh page of paper. “I want to _____, because___________.”

Maybe you want to lose weight. Maybe you really want to make this happen so you can be ready for that summer wedding, or because your health is important. Maybe you want to get into shape for a hiking trip. What ever it is for you. Write it down now. When you physically write it out, your likelihood to make it happen goes up ten-fold.

Why is at the core of your existence and the foundation of ALL ACTIONs, therefore, once you define your WHY, the next secret will come into play.