A Message From Barbados, Part 2

On the plane ride home from Barbados the following idea came into mind: Why do people need Maximized Health Chiropractic? Do they really, truly need us? Are we a nicety or a necessity?

From last week’s newsletter you can see that a certain lifestyle offers certain benefits, i.e. an active, healthy, stress-free lifestyle inherently promotes health and vitality. On the other hand an inactive, unhealthy, stressful lifestyle will promote a plethora of health problems in addition to pain and discomfort.

So, with this in mind… what kind of lifestyle do you have? Do you exercise everyday as you are designed to? Do you make a strong effort to put highly nutritious foods into your body everyday as you are meant to? Do you take time everyday to quiet your mind, release stress, and center yourself? Do you take the time everyday to think about how your daily activities might be affecting your posture, health and livelihood? In short, are you doing what is necessary to counteract the stresses of modern day living in an effort to promote health and happiness?

The truth is, people are becoming unhealthier even as we become more technologically advanced. Why? Because most of us are ignoring the fundamental requirements of our own bodies! Such as, proper nutrition, regular exercise, normal posture, optimal function of the nerve and immune systems, internal and external stress management, healthy mental state production, etc. All of which require active participation- everyday! And, since our education and healthcare systems are not currently designed to give each of us the necessary tools to do so… we must seek out the solution to this problem on our own.

The BIG question is this… are you living actively or passively?
Think about this… most of our daily activities are creating abnormal, unhealthy postures- and reducing our state of strength and flexibility. What will happen if you don’t do something about that? Most of our exercise and nutritional habits are erroneous and sporadically healthy at best. What can we expect our body’s response will be to this course of action? Every-body must take action if maintaining health and happiness is a priority. Developing a proactive lifestyle is the solution to many of the problems we face- or will face in the future.

Having a proactive lifestyle entails education and awareness, motivation and inspiration, commitment, the help of qualified healthcare professionals, and a personal desire to live the best life possible. This is why people need Maximized Health Chiropractic. We actively promote your ability to thrive and survive, to be as healthy and as happy as you are meant to be. We are more than just a chiropractic office; we are part of the solution to a healthcare crisis!

Speak up and educate others,
Dr. Craig
P.S. We are gearing up for a “new and improved” health seminar series. All health seminars are free and open to the public. More details to come.

A Message From Barbados, Part 1

Believe it or not, even on my own honeymoon in Barbados; I was unable to stop thinking about this office, you, and the purpose by which we operate. Fortunately, my wife is just as excited as I about Maximized Health Chiropractic, and understands my commitment as a Doctor and Educator.

We noticed a dramatic difference in how the people around us moved and carried themselves. There were two distinct categories of people. The tourists, who were mostly from England, and the local Barbadians. The majority of tourists had horrible posture and seemed to waddle about as if their arms and legs were the only moving parts. The natives actually had surprisingly good posture, and moved about rather gracefully.

On the plane ride home I wondered… why such a distinct and obvious difference between these two groups of people. Several minutes later… the theme of this newsletter took form. Two key points of discussion to elaborate upon, and then the conclusion:

1. Healthy posture is a function of habit and lifestyle. The Barbadians that I observed were always working and playing upright – it seems as though their way of life left little time or desire for sitting in front of the television, computer, etc. Their upright posture was a reflection of their habits and lifestyle. It was actually normal, upright, and healthy!
2. Barbados is not nearly as “well developed” as much of America is. As a result the peoples’ activity level is incredibly high in comparison, i.e. walking to the store, manual labor, outdoor recreational activities, etc. In other words, they actually get daily exercise as a result of daily living. The majority of Barbadians we observed were strong, healthy and in seemingly great shape.

So, no evidence of gyms, fitness centers, Chiropractic offices, hospitals, diet programs, weight loss/fitness supplements, and yet most of the people had great posture and appeared very healthy. There must be something to learn from all this, right?

My point is this… these people live a more normal, natural, healthy lifestyle. Now consider your lifestyle and that of those you know and interact with. Consider the habits (posture at work, home, etc.) that are literally damaging the structure of our bodies from the inside-out. Consider your daily dosage of exercise/physical activity… is it really enough to promote health and longevity?

Long story short… you may not be able to change some things like your job, but you can change your habits and lifestyle choices. Remember this… if the balance of your habits and lifestyle choices is not promoting health and longevity- it is probably promoting discomfort and disease.

The average American lifestyle is changing, i.e. we sit at work, in a car, on the couch more than we should; and we exercise or engage in physical activity far less than we should. Yes, we have invented and created a lifestyle that is very efficient, but not very healthy. Where their habits and lifestyle promote health and fitness, our typical lifestyle does the opposite.

There is a solution to this problem. That is why Maximized Health Chiropractic exists.
Speak up and educate others,
Dr. Craig

Crooked teeth, Corrective Stress and Consistency

This week’s message has everything to do with crooked teeth, corrective stress and consistent results. You see the concept of realigning crooked teeth is no different than realigning spinal bones- with one exception… one has the convenience of wearing a brace while the other requires considerably more effort on behalf of the patient. Whether it is a brace or shear effort and will, the process depends on how much corrective stress is directed towards correcting the misalignment.

Often times I wish that correcting spinal problems was easy, or that the Doctor’s role would always determine the outcome. The truth is… it is not easy, and although the skill of the Doctor is a key element, it is actually the patient’s effort that will be the deciding factor.

Corrective stress is anything that will produce positive results or change towards normal and healthy. This will include mirror-image head extension exercises, spinal traction, mirror-image chiropractic adjustments, ergonomic and postural awareness, and lifestyle changes. All these elements must be addressed consistently in order for change to take place. A lack of effort or consistency in any one area will alter the outcome drastically. Unfortunately, I have seen this happen many times with many patients. Whether it is a lack of home traction sessions per week, bad ergonomics, poor postural awareness out of the office, or a lack of head exercises… the result is always the same… poor results.

No matter how much I care or want a patient to change and improve… only so much can happen as a result of my efforts- the rest depends on you!

With that said I urge all of you to mentally recommit yourself to the challenge you face. That is, to improve your body, your health and your life. I ask that you remain diligent and focused on the outcome, which is to regain the health of your spine, posture, nerve and immune system. I am doing everything within my power to make this happen for you. Are you putting forth the same effort? The outcome of our work together depends on it. I will always do my best to remind and motivate you of the task at hand.

As many of you know I will be getting married on July 12^th. I will be taking time away from the office to celebrate the week following. I have made sure that you will not go without proper care while I am away. As a favor, a friend and colleague will be assisting you in maintaining the consistency of your care plan. You will have the opportunity of being cared for by one of the greatest Chiropractors I know. His technique and skill set are virtually identical to mine. We trained together for many years. I trust him fully and I firmly believe that each of you will be in good hands.

I understand that a new face may provide the excuse for you take a break from your care plan until I return. That would be a mistake. I am going to great lengths to provide a detailed plan for Dr. Steven and the rest of the staff so that each of you will still be getting the highest quality care- without interruption! Please take advantage of this Doctor’s presence. He is very excited to meet you and help you!

Stay on course. Don’t slow down. Remain diligent and focused on the course of your care plan. The challenge of regaining your health is not an easy one, but is perhaps the most rewarding should you succeed!

Yours in Maximized Health,
Dr. Craig

GET A NATURAL FACE-LIFT: AVOID SUGAR

If you want to reverse wrinkles and minimize the appearance of aging, you need to avoid refined sugar starting now!

Internationally renowned Microvascular Plastic Surgeon Dr. Lu-Jean Feng was recently interviewed for an article in the May 2, 2007 Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper where she identified refined sugar as the catalyst causing premature aging and wrinkles. “Sugar is very damaging” says Dr. Feng, “I tell people, I can do a face-lift on you, but if you keep eating badly, your face will show it.”

Dermatologist Dr. Fredric Brandt—also known as the skin specialist to the stars—agrees with Dr. Feng. In his book “10 Minutes In 10 Years” Dr. Brandt talks about glycation—the nasty chemical process that occurs in your body each time you eat refined sugar.

Here’s how glycation works: when you eat sugar, the sugar molecules begin to stick to your skin’s protein fibers (think collagen, the elastic material that keeps skin firm and youthful.) The sugar molecules begin to dry out these precious fibers, causing them to lose elasticity and become brittle. As a result, skin becomes more susceptible to wrinkles, sagging and sun damage.

“It doesn’t take a doctor to notice a dramatic improvement in the quality of facial skin once a person reduces the amount of refined sugar in her diet” says Dr. Feng, who is also the Founder and Medical Director of The Lu-Jean Feng Clinic Health & Wellness Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

It’s simple. If you want to look younger, avoid refined sugar. Take this easy and natural step to improving the quality of your life. And remember to include regularly scheduled chiropractic adjustments in your plan for a long and healthy life.

NOTE: Upon return to the office we will be scheduling a series of educational seminars- including a nutritional seminar called “The Un-Diet”. Please keep your eyes open for these seminar dates. I promise to make each workshop worth your time!

Please be sure to stay on track next week. I am very excited for you to meet Dr. Steven O’Dell, who will be covering the practice. Stay focused on your care plan and keep up the good work!

Yours in Maximized Health,
Dr. Craig