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.

Karma can be a funny thing. At this time last week my plan was to write the article I am working on right now – about how I stay healthy while so many people are walking around (or laying in bed) with colds or the flu. Guess what happened? I woke up that morning with a fever, a sore throat, runny nose and a body that ached all over. I had the flu! Couldn’t very well write that article, could I?

So, I got my boys ready for school, dropped them off and when I got home – feeling like hell – I wrapped myself in warm clothes, climbed under a mountain of blankets and slept for 2 hours.  When I awoke I felt as good as new and went on to have a productive day. That was my experience with the ‘2 hour’ flu!

When I share this story with people they think it is impossible. I can tell you that this has been my experience from time to time. What has allowed me to bounce back so quickly from these illnesses is exactly what can help you to stay healthy this fall and winter while the people around you falter.

First, let me say that the reason I experienced those symptoms in the first place is that I had not been following my own advice. I had spent the weekend eating not the best diet. I had also been very busy working on some new projects and looking after my boys solo as my wife was working out of town. I was not sleeping well or enough. In a nutshell, I just wasn’t taking proper care of myself. Why is this important? Connecting my lifestyle with my ‘sickness’ allowed me to stop, pull up my socks and get it together. Here is what I do to stay healthy at this time of year.

Minimize Sugar and Grains. This is one of the most important steps in staying healthy at any time of year. Sugar and grains have a detrimental effect on the immune system and leave us susceptible to colds and the flu. They also lead to systemic inflammation, acidic pH levels, weight gain and chronic disease. Most of your diet should consist of grass fed meat, organic eggs and fresh fruits and vegetables. I buy most of my meat locally from Peasant’s Craft Farms.

Supplement with Vitamin D3. Most northerners are deficient in vit. D – especially when the weather gets colder and our skin is not exposed to lots of sunlight. Optimal vit. D levels are essential to a strong immune system (among many other benefits). If you are wary of supplementation, have your levels checked by your GP or naturopath. Vit. D is inexpensive and we carry an excellent product that my family personally uses.

Get High Quality Sleep. I am not a believer in many of the current sleep recommendations. It is my belief that if you are living a healthy lifestyle you probably do not require as much sleep as the average person. That being said, sleeping WELL is crucial to being healthy and strong. I find regular exercise to be the most important factor in sleeping well. Having a pre-bedtime ritual, dealing with stress, and certain supplements may assist also. Whatever it takes, make sure you are getting a good night’s rest.

Fish Oil. After vit. D, this is my favourite supplement. Our western diet has thrown our Omega-6 :3 ratios way off course. I believe everyone should be supplementing with a high quality fish oil supplement.  Quality is extremely important to avoid heavy metal contamination. There are several places to get good fish oil and we carry an excellent brand.

Get Entrained. This is the cornerstone of my healthy lifestyle and the reason I drive to Gatineau every  Wednesday for 2 NSA entrainments. Physical, mental and emotional stresses affect us all, and if they become locked as defense posture or physiology our immune system will become compromised. NSA is the best way I know of to not only release this tension, but use it to transform our body and health. NSA also helps me to sleep well, exercise more effectively and has been shown to help people make better lifestyle choices. For me, Network care is the piece of the puzzle that makes all others fit together perfectly.

Don’t treat symptoms. I know this sounds strange. Last week, what if I had taken some cold medication to lessen my sore throat and runny nose, taken a pain killer for my body aches, and an anti-pyretic to bring down my fever? Sure, I could have gone about my day as planned, but what would the ultimate outcome have been? No, I listened to my body and responded in a way that maximized its’ ability to heal. What seemed like a miracle recovery was just a result of listening to my symptoms instead of attacking them. Try it out and see what happens.

Obviously there are many others things you can do to be and stay healthy and I recommend you research them on your own. Starting with these 6 steps will have a major impact on your health and help you to avoid being one of the masses suffering this season.

I decided to delay the final article of the Winning the Game of Life series to celebrate the 12^th birthday of Gault Family Chiropractic! The time has flown so fast that it hardly seems possible that 12 years have passed. So, in this article I will share some of the history and evolution the practice has undergone.

Gault Family Chiropractic officially opened its’ doors on August 14^th, 2000 after I had graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa in February of that year. Our first location was in the former gas station at the corner of 5^th and Marlborough streets (now a methadone clinic)! At this time I had no children, had not yet re-met my wife and believe it or not hand an almost full head of hair. I also started the office without any staff and did it all myself (very stupid in hindsight).

When I opened the office I had barely even heard of Network Spinal Analysis, let alone have any thoughts of practicing it. Initially, I practiced a very structural (yet specific) system of chiropractic called Gonstead. In fact, I had been the president of the largest student technique club in the world at that time at Palmer and had attended hundreds of hours of professional seminars before I had even graduated. With Gonstead, we did full spine x-rays on almost everyone, and all women were gowned on each visit while men were seen shirtless. Obviously we used a private room at that time.

On the strength of word of mouth and the regular workshops I still give to this day (although I no longer show a VHS recording of a live birth or use big words like ‘histopathology) the practice grew nicely and I hired my first staff member Elsie Craig. Shortly thereafter we were joined by our first co-op student, Amy Main who is still a practice member in the office.

In spite of the growth of the office, early in 2001 I began to become dissatisfied with the long-term sustainability of the results I was getting with my regular patients. They seemed to hit a plateau and stay there. At this time of dissatisfaction and questioning that I happened to hear an interview with Dr. Donny Epstein, the founder of Network Spinal Analysis (NSA), who seemed to have many of the answers I was looking for (and a whole lot more). A month later I was at one of his seminars, he placed me on a table to demonstrate an entrainment and at that moment I knew I had to bring NSA back to Cornwall (even though I didn’t want to)!

Over the next year we transitioned the practice into full NSA, Elsie left to go to teacher’s college and we hired practice member Sandra Hanniman to replace her. The practice grew immensely at this time as I dedicated myself to mastering NSA. By 2006 I had become only the 12^th Canadian doctor to achieve the highest level of certification in NSA.

In the winter of 2004 I met massage therapist Matt Beaudette, who was about to open his own practice. He had a vision for a building with a variety of health care practices under one roof. In fact, he already had an accepted offer on 24 Adolphus St. and was looking for a business partner. That was the birth of The Adolphus Wellness Centre that included GFC; several massage therapists, a dietician, naturopath, EFT practitioner and a great psychologist (my wife).

In the fall of 2004 perhaps the event that has had the greatest positive impact on GFC occurred. I hired Cindy Besignano and Adele Gannon as Sandra was moving to Ottawa. They have literally been the backbone of the office over the last 8 years.

In 2009 I began coaching, tutoring, and consulting for other Network Chiropractors as a part of the “X-CELS” program started by my personal mentor, Dr. Pierre Bernier which I feel has given me the ability to have an impact not only in our community but around the world.

Thank you to everyone who has made this possible. We love the work that we get to do and love helping people of all walks of life. A huge thank you to my family who sacrifices so I can be obsessed with improving my work. Thanks to all of the patients, practice members and guests who have trusted us and supported us over the years.

The one thing I can promise is that we will never get stale. We will continue to refine our care, services, and procedures to get better and better. I can promise that on our 24^th birthday, we will be light years better than today. Thank you for 12 years of healing, passion, and fun!