Our webinar on Thursday ended abruptly before we could wrap things up properly.

The big takeaway: Our Beliefs determines our Actions which shapes our Results.​

In this episode we discussed health.

Our current health is (almost) entirely the product of our past actions and behaviours.

And these actions are based on your beliefs, whether conscious or unconscious.

Our behaviors (actions) never lie.

If you don’t like your results, look at your actions.

The challenge is that many of our actions and behaviours are unknowingly based on false or inaccurate beliefs.

For many, being healthy means “feeling good”. But on closer inspection, health is MUCH more than that.

There are literally hundreds of illnesses that show no symptoms. (i.e. high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, etc).

Your homework this week – ask yourself:

1. What is health? What does it mean to be healthy?

2. What is the vision for my health?

3. Why do I want to be healthy?

4. What action steps do I need to take daily to make sure that I achieve my vision of great health?

In this episode, we dive into the truth about grains.

Please – whatever you do, don’t shoot the messenger.

Whenever I’ve given talks about nutrition, this topic raises eyebrows and creates some tension. I have to admit it too….it was hard for me to accept too.

Grains are not a food by design for humans.

Now don’t get me wrong, when I grew up, they were a huge part of my diet and they are super addictive.

But now, when they enter my diet, I tend to go overboard on them. Every few months they creep in some how or another.

Once I break the chains and get them out of my diet, I can’t believe what I notice.

• Less inflammation
• Less digestive upset
• More sustained energy
• Better sleep

All because I’ve cut them out of my diet. In this week’s episode, we will dive into much ado about grains.

We’ll discuss them in a historical sense and why working towards limiting them your diet is in your best interest.

August is here and so begins the ‘sneezing season’ for some allergy sufferers.  Ragweed wreaks havoc on many this time of year.  Itchy eyes and ears, sneezing, scratchy throats – it can be crippling.

What many people don’t realize is there is high levels of stress can cause your allergies to become worse. This has been confirmed by research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology.  Mental stress can upset the balance of your nervous system and immune system. If your nervous system is overstimulated with stress, it can affect the response of your immune system to an allergen.

How is that possible?

Our nervous systems have two divisions – the sympathetic (gas pedal) and parasympathetic (brake pedal).  You probably remember the terms ‘high or flight’ (sympathetic) or the ‘rest/digest’ (parasympathetic) from high school health classes.  Both of these systems work simultaneously to keep us constantly adapting to changes in our bodies and outside our bodies every second of the day.  Think of both systems working together like two kids on a teeter totter.  Sometimes the sympathetic system needs to be ‘up’ and at other times, the parasympathetic system takes a turn working harder.  Both offset each other to avoid one system becoming dominant.

So here’s how it affects you as an allergy sufferer.  The sympathetic system is responsible for our response to allergens.  When pollen or dust contacts the membranes of the nose or eyes, the body launches an immune assault to resist it.  This drives up histamine.  If the sympathetic system is overly dominant, then the histamine levels can be greater than necessary.

Schedules, finances, workloads, not enough exercise, poor diets, chemical stress and more can press down on our ‘gas pedal’ causing our system into sympathetic dominance.

So with that understanding, by decreasing mental, physical and chemical stress, your immune system can function better and head off many allergies at the pass.

Why it Matters:

Exciting new research has showcased how stress reduction can reduce the symptoms we associate with seasonal allergies. Meditation and chiropractic adjustments have been shown to reduce stress levels. And with reduced stress levels, your immune system has the potential to function at a higher level. Feeling more relaxed is something all of us could benefit from- and it may even help reduce your seasonal allergies.

– Physical, chemical, and emotional stress can cause your immune system to become hypersensitive.

– A hypersensitive immune system often overreacts to a potential threat resulting in worsening allergies.

– Reduce stress, and allergies, with a stress-reducing activity like exercise, meditation, or even getting chiropractic adjustments!

Next Steps:

Aside from putting you in a bad mood, being over-stressed has far-reaching effects on your body. If you “start to feel your allergies coming on” find stress-reducing activities that you enjoy. It may be reading a book, meditating, getting a massage, or perhaps even getting a chiropractic adjustment. Feeling better mentally and reducing your seasonal allergies are just a few of the benefits you can expect by lowering your stress levels!

Take a moment and think about one thing that you could do to reduce your stress and plan how you intend to do just that.

Science Source: Stress and Allergic Diseases. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2011.

Dr. Craig Hazel’s mission is to help families THRIVE. After graduating from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education, he went on to earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy from Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas Texas. He is passionate about seeing children and families in his private practice at Synergy Chiropractic in Kanata Ontario. A sought after speaker, he has been featured regularly on TSN Team 1200, CTV and Rogers TV. He is also the Chairman of the Alliance for Chiropractic of Ontario.

February brings snowstorms, wind that cuts right through your coat, and a lack of available sunlight.

Ah, the joys of winter!

For many of us, winter means more time indoors, and a higher likelihood that we gather indoors.  When people are sick, that means that germs may circulate that could cause us to become sick.

When your ill, food is the last thing on your mind. Everything seems unappetizing when your nose is clogged, and

Rest and fluids are critical when you’re ill

you can’t taste a thing. But, by making healthy food choices, you can become stronger and speed up your recovery. Also, by maintaining a healthy diet, you can strengthen your immune system and perhaps even get sick less often.

Eating the right foods when you have a cold can make big difference in reducing how long the cold lasts and the symptoms you experience.

You’ve heard it before, but it’s true. Food is the fuel for your body. You wouldn’t imagine putting diesel fuel into a Ferrari, so let’s dial down our nutrition and give your digestive system a break.  Be sure to eat easily digestible, nutrition-dense foods like lots of vegetables, low-moderate amounts of fruit and lean meats. It will help your immune system stay strong.

Here are a few other ideas to get started:

– Bone broth contains minerals that can boost your immune system.  Most butcher shops sell bones for making your own bone broth.

– Probiotics found in yogurt can improve your sleep, digestion, and immunity.  Choose unflavored/unsweetened plain greek style yogurt and add your own fruit.

– Lean meats, especially those with omega-3 fatty acids, can reduce inflammation.  Fish, grass-fed beef and free range poultry are best.

Don’t get left stranded on the road or when you’re held up at the office and getting home late.  A little planning can go a long way. Most of the time, we make poor choices when we are in a rush, or unprepared. And this often results in stopping by a restaurant or taking out food on the run.

Create a simple calendar highlighting your meals for the week. Healthy home-cooked meals will not only strengthen your immune system, but it can also help you save money!  Another great suggestion – cook once and eat twice.  Cook yourself extra food so you can take leftovers for lunch the next day.

Supplementation

Lots of people reach for some good old vitamin C when they have a cold.  It helps a lot, but it’s important to the get the right kind.  Your best source is from fruits and vegetables.  But when it comes to supplements, buffered Vitamin C is what you want.  Buffered Vitamin C is easy on your stomach and is absorbed well by the body.

Vitamin D is an absolute must.  Besides taking it regularly, you want to make sure you get the D3 version.  It is readily absorbed and acts like a turbocharger for your immune system.

Zinc is another great immune system helper.  Lots of great sources include seafood, red meat and nuts/seeds.

Science Source:

Chicken soup inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro. Chest. Oct 2000
Probiotics and immune health. Current Opinion in Gastroenterology. Oct 2011
Omega-3 fatty acids in inflammation and autoimmune diseases. The Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Dec 2002

Dr. Craig Hazel’s mission is to help families THRIVE. After graduating from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education, he went on to earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy from Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas Texas. He is passionate about seeing children and families in his private practice at Synergy Chiropractic in Kanata Ontario. A sought after speaker, he has been featured regularly on TSN Team 1200, CTV and Rogers TV. He is also the Chairman of the Alliance for Chiropractic of Ontario.