"I'm too stressed!"

If you have ever felt this way, here are three scientifically proven ways to decrease stress before the holidays.





1. Eat Right
Stress levels and a proper diet are related closer than you might think. Unfortunately, it’s when we have the most work that we forget to eat well and resort to eating sugary, fatty snack foods as a pick-me-up especially when they are readily available during the holidays. Try to avoid the easy cookie on the tray and plan ahead. I like to carry a container of almonds in my car. Fruits and vegetables are always good, and fish with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the symptoms of stress. A tuna sandwich anyone?

2. Exercise (Even for 60 seconds!)
Exercise doesn't necessarily mean power lifting at the gym or training for a marathon. A short walk around the office or simply standing up to stretch during a break at work can offer immediate relief in a stressful situation. Physical activity pumps up your feel-good endorphins and other natural neural chemicals that enhance your sense of well-being. Exercise also refocuses your mind on your body's movements, improving your mood and helping the day's irritations fade away. Consider walking, jogging, gardening, housecleaning, biking, swimming, weightlifting or anything else that gets you active. My 60 second exercise is sometimes a quick set of pushups or wrestling with my boys on the floor after work.

3. Count Your Blessings
There are many studies showing the benefits gratitude and happiness. They are definitely correlated. Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to count your blessings. In our house this year we made a "Thankful Tree." Instead of the leaves falling off the tree we are putting them up. Every day we add a leaf with something we are grateful for.

Some thankful leaves that made the tree this year include: Squirrels, trees, chiropractic, my bed, family, cars, mail, pjs, music, church, Jesus, toilet paper, computers, yummy food, eggs, BYU football/rugby, hugs, shoes, Christmas trees, water, trains, bikes, flowers, exercise, snakes, and sunshine.

One more thing I'm thankful for is our PATIENTS!

We have the BEST patients. They voted us best chiropractic practice in the New Smyrna/Edgewater area so I guess the feeling is mutual. They are always willing to share their positive experiences and share chiropractic with their friends.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

What do you plan to accomplish in 2013?
So, it's been a month in the new year and what have you done so far? You only have 11 more months to reach your goals for the year!

I spent the good part of the first month of the year asking our patients what they would like to achieve in the upcoming year. From my unofficial results of my poll I found that either: 1) many people have no plan or

We participated in the RBI Cudas 5K River Run on Saturday by kinesio taping the participants of the race. The race benefits the high school baseball program as well as scholarships for all athletes after they graduate. It was great to be out by the river in Edgewater and feel the cooler temps!

We taped a few shoulders before the race and the participants commented on how much better they felt while running.

We love helping people feel better without drugs or surgery. The comment we got several times this last week was "it feels good to feel good!" I can't agree more.

The next event we will be participating in will be the Run to the Sun 4 mile run the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This is also for a wonderful cause and the perfect time of year to be running in Florida. Come early to get taped and enjoy your weekend!

    I never played football, but it's possible to win a Super Bowl one day.
   Yesterday I had lunch with quite a few doctors of chiropractic at my continuing education class. I was fortunate enough to sit by Dr. Michael Miller from Norwood, MA. Dr. Miller was wearing a ring that looks just like the one in the picture. I could tell by looking at him that it wasn't likely that he was a player on the Patriots any time recently (no offense intended, he is in great shape). Dr. Miller must have read my mind and informed me he is the team chiropractor for the New England Patriots! Then he let me hold the ring. Cool.
   
Since this would seem like every sports chiropractor's dream job I asked a few more questions. He told me that while all NFL teams have a team chiropractor, not all teams require players to get their spines checked. He said he is much busier than some NFL chiropractors because the Patriots require certain players get adjusted. Seems like the Patriots might know what they are doing. 

    The world's top athletes often attribute their performances to help from chiropractors. Recently (before the knee injury) Derek Rose made mention on national TV how his chiropractor helped him (see video HERE.) They already know that an adjustment will increase optimal performance and function.

    If the world's top athletes see the need to get adjusted, don't you think you might have one too?
  
I do know if I'm ever going to win a Super Bowl, it is going to be by helping the athletes on the field perform like champions.

p.s. The picture below is where the convention was held at Boca Raton Resort and Club. It was amazing and I didn't even stay there! Wish I would have got a picture of the ring on my finger...

It's Flag Day! And the birthday of the Army! I came across this article recently about the military and chiropractic care. There is no group of people that need chiropractic care more than the military. The extra strain they put on their musculoskeletal and nervous system NEEDS extra attention through chiropractic care! Have a read of the article below.

A piece of legislation passed by the U.S. congress on May 18, 2012 made strong pro-chiropractic statements while recognizing the benefits of chiropractic care for the men and women serving in the military. The original bill, numbered HR 4310, and titled the  National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, not only spoke to the benefits of chiropractic care for the military, but also noted that chiropractors are presently not paid at parity for their professional services as compared to other professionals who care for the military.

The language of the portion of the bill that addresses chiropractic is as follows HERE

June 14th is also right in between some birthdays in our family. We celebrated with a firetruck cake, which I think is pretty American. Mmmm... Firetruck cake...