Who’s in your Village?
There was a time a couple of years ago when “It takes a village.” was the buzz phrase. This was used to talk about caring for children. I also feel that this applies to our health. I got to thinking about this the other day when I was talking with a patient about all of the healthcare people that I see on a regular basis. As many of you know, I get adjusted every other week. Granted, I get to do this on a trade, but if you have the funds available, I have found that to be the ideal amount of time between adjustments. I can’t remember the last time that I actually had a cold and it keeps me feeling great.
Massage is also a key element. We talk about this a lot in the office, the Catch 22 of is it the muscles that are tight and are moving the bones out of place or are the bones out of place making the muscles tight. This is the basis of why we do stretching prior to adjustments and foam rolling in active care. Massage takes that to the next level and can target specific areas. Combining your monthly maintenance visit with a massage is an ideal step towards health. We are lucky to have Susie Barnes and Inday Doyle right next store. Both of them have over 10 years experience each and really target the core of the issue. Check them out at www.absolutehealthmassage.org.
I’ve also started personal training with Matt Jones, our Chiropractic Assistant. Matt’s true passion lies in personal training. I love to lift weights and found that after I herniated a disc last year that getting back into working out wasn’t a priority. I find that if I’m paying for something, I’m more apt to do it. Currently, we are working together for 2 one hour sessions a week. I then come in and lift on my own for another session and get in some cardio by teaching Zumba. I can’t say enough great things about Matt’s knowledge in this field and what a difference it’s been making for me. He has a great positive approach as well as making the workouts interesting, fun and yet challenging.
Nutrition is another key approach. I taught at Weight Watchers for years and personally have found that to be a great program. There is actually one that meets right in One City Center weekly. Kim DeMado also runs a nutrition program out of the Bay Club and Kristen Wright was featured in our last newsletter as a health coach. Another end of the spectrum is www.girlgoneraw.com with Elizabeth Frasier. She teaches Raw Vegan “un”cooking classes and offers full programs. I did this over the summer and find that I lean a lot more towards unprocessed foods.
At the end of the day, we need to remember that we are only given this body to work with and challenging it both mentally and physically can aid us in achieving all of your goals. So, I ask you the following:
Are you doing everything that you can today to be as healthy as possible?
When will be the right time to make that effort?
What additional aspects do you need to focus on?
And most importantly….
WHO’S IN YOUR VILLAGE?
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