The Trauma of Sitting

 
Lets walk through a typical American day;
 
Wake up – get ready – Sit in car to work – Sit in chair at work for 8 hours – Sit in car to home – Sit on couch to watch TV – Go to bed (on side in a sitting position) – Wake up and repeat.
 
Here are two problems with sitting;
1 – when you are sitting, you are not moving
2 – when you are sitting, you are likely not using good posture
 
Now for part two, what is a trauma?  Most people think of trauma as a car accident, a fall, or a sports injury.  Trauma can happen quickly, or it can happen slowly over time.  Trauma that happens slowly over time can actually be worse for your health!  You can be lulled into thinking your problems (headaches, digestive problems, aches and pains, etc) are normal.  Did you know that problems with your health are not normal? 
 
Ok, back to the title, the trauma of sitting.  We are designed for movement.  EVERYTHING tends to work better when we are moving!  The brain, the digestive system, the cardiovascular system, the endocrine system, you name the system.
 
Go for a walk, a run, a hike, a swim, go to a yoga class, or a pilates class, and get moving!  Take your kids to the park (but don’t sit on the benches), play with them!  Don’t be lulled into thinking your problems are normal, be proactive and take charge of your health!!

                                                              Does this look like you?

The Best Childhood Immunizations

 
We have been taught in our society that to protect the immune systems of our children, we must vaccinate them and limit the amount of germs they are exposed to.  Is this really the best way to develop a healthy immune system?
 
We can all agree the immune system is vitally important for normal development of a child.  So, what are the best ways to develop a healthy immune system for our kids?
 
First of all, the nervous system controls and regulates immune system activity, so maintaining normal neurologic development is the first step to a healthy developing immune system.
 
Secondly, the safest way to confer immunity to a child is through what is called ‘Natural Immunity’ and “Acquired Immunity’.  Natural immunity means it comes from the child’s parents.  This process happens naturally, and is most obviously seen with breast feeding.  Acquired immunity is developed over the course of one’s life.  This is best seen when a child (or adult) suffers from, and beats a given illness.  Memory cells in the immune system learn the illness and remember how to beat it in the future.
 
That’s it!  This is normal immunity!!  I encourage you to THINK about this for your child and yourself as you make decisions on how to actually PROTECT your child’s immune system.  Any questions?

Structure = Function = Life

My 101 year old grandfather in law, George, lives on his own in his own house, still drives to church and the store, does woodworking in his garage, and is totally with it mentally.  There are many factors that go into how long someone lives, and even more factors that go into how well someone lives. 

One thing I have noticed and I believe has a profound effect on his overall amazing health, is his structure.  What the heck am I talking about?  Well, to put it simply, he has good posture.  He does certain things to take care of his spine, and he makes an intentional effort to use good posture when he is doing his normal life activities.

Keeping your head over your shoulders allows for many proper things to happen in your body, and I see a real life example of this every time I spend time with George.  He is an inspiration to me, and hopefully motivation to you.  Motivation to keep in mind the structure of your body as you live out each day.  

George has sound structure, he functions well, and he has something very precious ….. life!

                                              Does he look like a 101 year old to you?

Life is One Big Placebo Effect

 
Did you know that science often dismisses the placebo effect as irrelevant in terms of research?  It is seen as just a ‘control’ in studies.

The power of thought plays a huge role in the process of expressing health and vitality.  When one thinks he will be healthy and/or recover from a dis-ease state, reality often follows this thought process. 

 
In studies where the participants realized that they were in the control group, and receiving just the placebo treatment, no measurable improvement is typically noted.  But, when the control group participants had no idea they were in the control group, and especially if they really thought they were in the treatment group, significant improvement is usually seen.
 
How can you ‘think’ yourself to be healthier?  One place you can start is by acknowledging the value of your life, and treat yourself and others with respect.  Recognizing the value of human life will help improve attitude and thought processes.  This will actually improve brain chemistry and function!
 
Having a positive attitude is not the answer to everything, but it plays a powerful role in the expression of life.  So smile, and give yourself a healthy dose of placebo effect today!

Benjamin Franklin once said "God heals, and the doctor takes the fee".  Does God really heal through natural or supernatural means?

Lets examine natural healing - if you have a broken bone or a cut on your arm, who heals it?  Your body does!  No matter your religious affiliation or spiritual beliefs, it is clear that the way we are created is to self heal. 

So, why don't we always self heal well?

This blog has a vision - to encourage people to think