Whether we like it or not, the holiday season has begun. The lights and trees are starting to go up and soon it will be time for parties, treats, libations and visiting with family.

As all of this fun is happening one of the biggest challenges many people face is that they tend to get sick and cannot fully enjoy all that the season has to offer. It is not a coincidence that flu/cold season tends to start now and I know that chiropractors also see more back and neck pain ‘emergencies’ at this time of year than any other.

When you combine more junk food (which starts with Halloween), a decrease in sun exposure and fresh air, staying out late, more alcohol than usual, and increased financial and family stress you have a recipe for failings in our health that often show up as illness and pain.

So, how do you enjoy the holidays and not end up out of commission? Can you indulge and still stay healthy? The answer is yes if you are smart about it.

The key to staying healthy over the holidays is to continue to do the good things while you indulge in the ‘treats.’ What that means is that while you indulge a little, be sure to continue to keep the habits that make you healthy all year round. Unfortunately many people let it all slide this time of year and end up paying for it.

So, if you know you are going to eat some junk, make sure you are loading up on fresh produce and high quality meat as well. Drink lots of water. If you know you will be out late, schedule some naps and a few quiet nights to minimize the effects. Don’t drop your exercise program. Schedule walks or mediation sessions to be sure your stress levels are handled.

Personally, as the holidays approach I pay even more attention to doing the good things so that I can have lots of fun, stay healthy and go into the new year floor running. Here are some of the steps I take.

Diet is crucial to staying healthy and while I am a self professed sugar addict and love baked goods, I make absolute certain I am eating lots of healthy food each day. Breakfast is a great way to start. I also make sure I load up on green veggies (as well as a green drink supplement) and meat at meal times.

While obviously it is better to get our nutrients from food, supplements really are essential to maximize our health – especially during the winter months. Everyone can benefit from high quality vitamin D, fish oil, and probiotic supplementation at this time of year. I also supplement vitamin C, magnesium and zinc and have seen wonderful results since doing so.

Physical exercise is a great way to stay healthy over the holidays, yet so many people let this slide. I use the extra time off of work to make sure I am physically active on a daily basis over the holidays (it is now a tradition in my house to do a squat session on Christmas day). It does not have to be complicated or elaborate, especially if you are travelling. Go for a hike, do some bodyweight exercises, visit a gym in the town you are in. It doesn’t matter, just move! It will keep you healthy.

Despite my Nordic appearance I really don’t like being outside in the cold and this is a challenge because fresh air is very important to our health. Shovel some snow, go skating, build a snow man, walk to the coffee shop. Get out and breathe the air.

Because it is impossible to eliminate or ‘fight’ stress at this time of year it is important to make sure the effects of that stress are not physically accumulating towards a crisis. I meditate daily which helps with this and my biggest weapon is the Neurospinal Optimization chiropractic care I receive for myself. I much prefer to stay on top of things instead of waiting until I have an emergency on my hands.

Start now to ensure you have a fun AND healthy and happy holiday season. Commit to the good so that you can indulge in some ‘bad.’

If you are looking for high quality supplements, Nexus Chiropractic does carry the fish oil and vitamin D that my family uses. Feel free to contact me to find out where I purchase the rest of the supplements I use.

Happy Holidays!

     …and Why it May NOT be a Great Idea.

     Whether we like it or not, the focus of our health care system is the treatment of secondary conditions, or what most people refer to as symptoms. This is certainly the case in most chiropractic offices where the goal is typically to alleviate as much pain and discomfort as possible.

For the most part, our system is quite successful at treating secondary conditions. Very often drugs do the job. Traditional chiropractors and therapists are very good at treating pain.

Why is it then, that so many people are frustrated when it comes to their health? Why do we hear so many stories from people who have had their symptoms (both pain and organ dysfunction) re-occur again and again over a period of years or even decades? Why are most people not getting long term, sustainable resolution?

The reason is that while we are spending all of our energy treating what is secondary, we are very often missing the primary issue that is underlying the symptom, and in some cases a variety of other secondary conditions. We have become so good at treating the surface, that the actual cause is never addressed.

I currently have some pain in my wrist stemming from using some weightlifting equipment I wasn’t accustomed to in Toronto. It isn’t too severe but I have to be careful while training and it actually hurts quite a bit doing certain things at work. There are a variety of both pharmaceutical and non-drug measures I could take to relieve that pain. I COULD, but I choose NOT to.

Why? Because I know that treating the pain will not take care of what is behind it and may lead to even more trouble down the road. I could numb it with ice or Tylenol before work but then I wouldn’t feel the pain that is telling be to back off because I am causing damage. By leaving the secondary condition more or less alone, it will allow me to know if the primary injury requires rest to heal, a change in my diet to reduce inflammation or hopefully not, but orthopedic intervention if necessary.

Most people completely understand this concept of primary and secondary conditions in other areas of their lives. They know that they have to address the cause when they have trouble with finances, relationships, children or even their automobiles. When it come to health? Most people just chase the symptoms and pay for it down the road.

Now, I am not suggesting we should never treat symptoms. When our lives are in danger it certainly makes sense and I suggest you find someone very good at it. Most of the time, however we would be much better off by asking “what is primary to this symptom?” Of course, sometimes taking care of underlying causes takes a bit more effort than patching up the surface. It sure is worth it, though. Wouldn’t you rather change the faulty wiring in your house than have to buy all new appliances every 6 months?

At Nexus Chiropractic we focus on detecting and addressing a primary condition known as a Neurospinal Shift which is very similar to having faulty wiring in your house. When a Neurospinal Shift is present, a variety of secondary conditions may arise such as pain, poor posture, muscle spasm, and organ issues as all of these functions are mediated by the nervous system.

Our care is designed to address the NS Shift, which when successful it stands to reason that what is secondary often resolves as a result.

One of the most important determinants of success in any endeavour is focus. We tend to attract what we focus on and the more we focus, the more it grows. Our success requires focus. This is why it is important that the doctors, coaches, advisors and fiduciaries we work will possess a focus that is consistent with the results we are looking to achieve. When what WE want is very different from our doctor’s (or any other advisor) the outcome often leads to frustration, disappointment, and failure.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to give a lecture to trainer Tom Irvine of Quest Personal Training Studio’s fitness class at St. Lawrence College. I have been speaking and demonstrating NSA for his classes for years. This time, I chose to speak less about what I do and more about the different approaches in chiropractic and what the differences were. After all, I did not want to turn a potential future chiropractor off of the profession if they were not personally interested in MY focus in practice.

With so many techniques and systems within chiropractic, the best way to break down our differences was where we place most of our focus. I defined 4 distinct groups:

1. Pain and symptom treatment focus. These chiropractors aim to ‘fix’ your pain and symptoms and do so as quickly as possible. Success is defined as the pain going away and treatment is focused on achieving that goal.

2. Pain and symptom prevention focus. These doctors feel that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure so focus more on stopping problems before they happen. This may be in the form of regular ‘maintenance’ care and prescribed exercises. Success is a lower frequency of problems in the future. A doctor in this group may sacrifice the quick ‘fix’ of a symptom to ensure an injury more fully heals to prevent a future flare up.

3. Optimizing function focus. While pain and symptoms may be addressed, the focus is on getting your body functioning at its’ optimum. This may include optimal movement, immune system function, and in the chiropractor’s case definitely optimal nerve function. This doctor recognizes that pain and symptoms can be a part of a well functioning body so will not treat them at the expense of the whole. Often, these chiropractors are “subluxation-based” and recommend regular check-ups to ensure being in tip-top shape.

4. Evolving strategy focused. These doctors recognize that a living human is not a static entity and that there is an opportunity for everyone to develop new strategies for health and life. They know that once function is optimized, there is still another level to go. There is no ceiling to our potential for awareness, adaptability, resourcefulness, vitality, and happiness. The goal of these chiropractors is to help their practice members develop never-ending refinement. They also recognize that new physical strategies can impact our emotional, mental and spiritual lives. These doctors see pain and symptoms as a calling for more awareness and new strategies, not something to do battle with.

Of course, most chiropractors do not fit into only one of these categories. They do, however have one in which they place the most focus. One is not better than the other but they will definitely get different results. In my experience, when you start to take care of optimal function and evolving strategies, the symptoms often take care of themselves.

The great thing is that you get to choose which one fits best for you. A great way to find out what your doctor’s focus is to ask them what their highest vision for you in care. This also applies to any other coach or advisor you employ (a financial advisor focused on getting you out of bankruptcy will get very different results than one focussing on building your legacy for generations to come)!

Make sure your doctor’s focus is consistent with yours. What I look for in any coach is someone who is a little bit beyond me. Someone who will stretch me just beyond my comfort zone and makes sure I am learning something new. If you can identify your health focus above I would encourage you to choose a doctor 1 level past it.

“The more presence and congruence you possess, the less force is required in any endeavour”

–       Dr. Donny Epstein