TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR STRESS
- Ninety percent of our stressors come from conditions we have no control over. Write out all of your stressors and see what ones you can ACTUALLY CHANGE. If you are able to put your focus on only the ten percent that you have control over, then you will find tremendous self-growth & relief. It is a waste of energy to stress about things in your life you have no control over.
REWIRE YOUR BRAIN
- Start your day with positive affirmations. Set goals and reflect on what you are grateful for. Every emotion and thought stimulates different hormones in the body. When these hormones fluctuate, especially over an extended period of time, it changes your genetic makeup. Being positive and optimistic is more powerful than you might think.
ELIMINATE INFLAMMATION
- Pain and disease cannot exist without inflammation. Which is why we need to be aware of and avoid foods that cause inflammation. Some examples of pro-inflammatory foods: gluten, dairy, soy, sugar & trans fats. Keep consumption of these foods to a minimum or avoid altogether if you can.
CHECK YOUR PRODUCE BAR CODE BEFORE YOU BUY IT
- If the first number in a barcode is a ‘9’, that means the product has been organically grown. If it starts with an ‘8’, that means it has been genetically modified. Lastly, if the barcode starts with a ‘4” then it has been sprayed with synthetic fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides. Signs and labels can be deceiving. It is of utmost importance to know what you are putting into your body.
EAT MORE FAT
- Increasing your consumption of healthy dietary fats will actually help you burn fat and lose weight! Try including some of the following into your daily diet: Avocado, raw nuts (specifically walnuts, macadamia & pecans), small wild fish (sardines & anchovies), olive oil (never heated), coconut/coconut oil, flax and chia seeds.
HYDRATE YOUR BODY
- It is very rare that I come across a patient that is drinking enough water. This is, single handedly, one of the most important things that you can do for your health. Try to drink one liter of water for every fifty pounds of body weight every day. Carry a water bottle with you at all times to help you reach your goals. You will be amazed by how much healthier and fuller you feel.
TAKE A DAILY PROBIOTIC
- The more good bacteria you consume, the healthier your gut flora becomes and the healthier you will be!
TAKE CARE OF YOUR PAIN
- Stop “treating” your symptoms and instead, aim to”fix” the root of the problem. Pain is usually the result of an underlying biomechanical issue. Anti-inflammatory and pain medications will help with the discomfort, but will not fix the problem. Imagine you have a leaky pipe in your home and you clean up the water on the floor with a mop. The leak is the issue, not the water on the floor. The floor will continue to be wet if you don’t fix the leaky pipe. Just the same goes for physical ailments. The lower back pain is not the issue, the faulty biomechanics is the problem, and the pain is the result.
STRETCH, STRETCH & STRETCH SOME MORE
- Stop skipping out on your stretching routine. Movement cures. To put it simply, the better your body moves the better it will function. If everyone spent as much time stretching as they did at their desk, seated or working out than there would be less injuries and less pains.
DON’T FORGET TO RECOVER
- Every day we put mental, emotional and physical stress on our bodies. Yet, very rarely do I see individuals focus on body maintenance until they have experienced an injury. Preventative care such as: chiropractic, physiotherapy, acupuncture, and proper exercise, along with a balanced diet and sleep, will decrease your risk of injury and also help offset the stress you put on your body.
