Hi All,

Just a reminder of our hours over the holidays. I recognize the importance of sticking to things that add to your health over the holidays and for that reason we have minimal changes to our hours over the next few weeks.

This week we are open our regular hours from Monday to Thursday.

Next week we will be open both morning and afternoon/evening shifts on Thursday, Dec. 28th.

We will be back to regular hours on Tuesday Jan. 2.

We would love to see you during that time, and if not – have a wonderful holiday!

This is one of the most challenging times of year to stay healthy and there are several reasons for this. It is not a coincidence that the flu season is typically kicked off after we (and our kids) bombard our bodies with immune system weakening Halloween candy, combined with getting less sunshine as the seasons change. Added to this is the start of the holiday season with the parties, sweets, drinks and….STRESS.

The good news is that there are a few simple steps we can take to ensure that we are able to make the most of our holidays and don’t wind up on our backs in bed.

The first step to staying healthy is to minimize sugar and grain intake. Sugar and grains decrease immune system function, makes you tired and leave you susceptible to getting sick and fat. Is it ok to have some treats? Yes! I recommend making sure that your regular meals are as healthy as possible so that indulging in one of grandma’s famous Christmas cookies won’t do any harm.

The next step is to optimize your vitamin D levels. Most people in this Northern climate become vitamin D deficient in the fall and winter as the sun is not as strong and we spend more time indoors. I personally take up to 6000 units of vitamin D a day in the winter. If you are concerned about your levels, ask your M.D. or Naturopath to have them checked and supplement accordingly.

Another step I highly encourage for everyone is to get adequate Omega-3 intake using a high quality fish-oil supplement. Most people are low in Omega-3 which has a detrimental effect on the nervous system which obviously can create many secondary conditions. Fish oil is also great to reduce systemic inflammation and is great for the skin – especially in the cold months.

A word of caution regarding fish-oil. Make sure it is from a trusted source as it can be contaminated with heavy metals which makes it harmful. Typically, you get what you pay for. Our office sells Innate Choice, which is what my family and I use. There are other high quality brands available locally.

The fourth step to staying healthy this holiday is to get high quality sleep. Again, there will likely be nights when this is not possible, so do your best to make the most out of your ‘regular’ nights. Some tips to help with sleep quality are to take a bath before bed, no TV right before sleep, take a magnesium supplement 30 minutes before retiring and avoid eating at least a couple of hours before bedtime.

The final step to a vital holiday is to minimize the effects of stress. This time of the year can be stressful to many folks and trying to fight that can be overwhelming. Accept that there will be some stress and take steps to reduce the harm it will cause. Be sure to take some time to look after yourself. Exercise regularly, take a walk, meditate for 10-20 minutes a day. When we look after ourselves, our capacity to handle stress is enhanced greatly.

The Neurospinal Optimization care we provide is a powerful tool for staying healthy, regardless of what symptoms or secondary conditions are present. In addition to normalizing the nervous system it ensures that are adaptable to traumas and stresses all year round.

The holidays are meant to be fun, don’t let your health get in the way. Take the simple steps necessary to give yourself the gift of a healthy holiday.

I am so excited and refreshed to be back home and ready to start entraining people in the office after my two and a half weeks in Italy to compete in the World Masters Weightlifting Championships in Turin, and then enjoy a holiday with my family in Florence and Rome.

This article will take a break from my series on Going Deeper to Get Better, to go back in time and complete the classic September grade school project; what I did on my summer vacation. Because I’m sure you could care less about most of the details of my holiday, I thought I would instead share what I learned both from the competition and the vacation in general.

First the competition. Jumping into my first world masters competition was a HUGE deal for me. For the most part I have been blessed with pretty good athleticism and I have typically done well at most athletic endeavours (except flag football, but that is another story!). I am USED to succeeding in sports.

Picking up Olympic weightlifting at the age of 38 has been a big challenge to my big ego. I have shared with some of you that weightlifting is more of a spiritual practice for me than anything and this is one of the reasons why. When I registered for the World Masters – paid the fee, booked flights and hotels – I had yet to even reach the standard to qualify! I just committed to find a way to get it done. Those who know me are aware that this is NOT my style – or at least hasn’t been until now.

So, one thing I learned is that sometimes it is okay to get READY, then FIRE and then AIM. You don’t have to have every angle figured out before you commit.

“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

            -Woody Allen

I never wanted to believe that quote, but I have found it to be true in many cases. My expectations going into this competition was to finish somewhere between 14^th-16^th out of 16 competitors. Some of you were even upset at me for suggesting I had no chance at a medal. What ended up happening was that a few of the top lifters could not get into the country, a couple others had bad days on the platform and I ended up in 6^th place. Had I made my last lift I would have been 4^th. Sometimes you just have to prepare the best you can and show up!

The Roman Holiday

Holidays – especially in foreign countries – are always great learning experiences in many ways. Italy is a country with lots of challenges (especially financial) presently and in a time of challenge you really get to see what a culture’s priorities are. On the surface, what struck me most about Italians is the importance they place on high quality food. Compared to North Americans they eat fresher, better, and less processed food – and they are willing to pay for it.

The biggest lesson I learned on this holiday was to be adaptable. It is rare to be in a place where almost nobody speaks your language (Turin), stores are open and closed at odd times, training facilities are different than what I am used to, there are no clothes dryers, the internet access is kind of sketchy, air conditioning is not what it means to us, and our Roman apartment was spread over 7 floors. In spite of all of this perceived loss of our usual comfort, we were happy, we had lots of fun and I was able to put in my best competition total to date.

Being in a different place provides an invaluable and immediate shift in context that forces us to look at what is really important, what is really necessary and question if the way we have been doing things is really the best way. That is a great gift and one of the reasons we have taken our children on major trips since they were toddlers.

Naturally, I filter everything I learn and experience through the work that I do correcting Neural Resistance through NSO (Neurospinal Optimization). The link is that Neural Resistance reduces our ability to adapt to both physical and mental changes and challenges. It freezes us where we are (physically and mentally), hindering us from ever making any real progress. AND this hurts!

Correcting NR allows us to unwind what has kept us stuck and in pain and opens up a new world to us whether we are walking down Main St. in our hometown or fighting the crowds and 40 degree Celsius heat at the Colosseum.