CHOOSE

Often times we forget about our own power to choose our situation or even the outcome. We are the ones who get to say whether something is good or bad or it went well or not. As I woke up this morning and looked outside, that winter crummy feeling swept over me. I went out and started my car a little early so the ice would melt and my car would be nice and toasty. I caught myself as I began to say, this is going to be another crummy day. I was taken back to about a month ago when I met someone who was from Las Vegas and on vacation in Rochester Michigan of all places. Yes, someone actually comes here on purpose for winter. He was remarking on how awesome and beautiful the crisp snow was outside his window. Ultimately we are the ones who get to decide. We can simply just CHOOSE to have a fantastic day and love everything about it. After all, WHY NOT! I decided I wanted to be on vacation today, I put some salsa music on in my car, sprayed the office with coconut palm room spray and lit the office up with some steel drum music. My mood and view on the day completely changed. I do realize that I could have equally chosen to love everything about this snowy day but I needed a change of scenery. You know you've done a great job when people come in and say, "It smells like vacation in here." :) I agree!! Anyway, whatever you are facing today just choose to embrace it and love every minute of it. If you're feeling stuck just stop by my office and I'm sure some of it will rub off on you, we are infectious with our energy.

Preventing Injuries This Winter

Many times people come in to see me after a new winter injury. Some of the culprits include shoveling, ice, car accidents, and outdoor activities. Here are some basic tips to keep in mind to prevent a holiday setback. 1. Snow shoveling: Wear proper boots with good traction. Do NOT throw snow, simply push it. If you must throw it, throw it straight in front of you. Be sure to have a good shovel, and warm up before. 2. ICE: Slipping and falling on the ice in the winter leaves many people with ankle, hip, back,.............etc. injuries. The most important thing to remember is to wear shoes or boots with good traction when you are outside. Dress shoes are especially slippery, so changing into these at work will pay off and keep your feet warmer and your shoes salt-free. Step cautiously in the morning because temperatures tend to drop overnight and freeze snow. Finally, remember that your ENTIRE BODY falls. Even though you may hurt your knee or ankle or back, your whole body absorbs the impact. Getting your spine checked is especially essential to quick healing. 3. Car Accidents: The obvious number one is to avoid driving when the weather report indicates poor driving conditions. Allow extra distance between you and other cars. Turn more slowly, so that if you hit ice you don't spin out into traffic. Keep a warm blanket and jumper cables in your car over the winter for "just in case" scenarios. Finally, if you do get into an accident, get to your chiropractor A.S.A.P. to have your spine checked for subluxations. 4. Outdoor activities: I am referring to skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, ice skating etc. Remember to use caution. Skiing injuries can happen when people spend January-December not ever stretching and then decide to throw the skis on and hit the slopes. Keeping your body in good shape throughout the year will decrease your chance of injury in all areas of your life. Remember to have fun more than anything. Get outside and breathe in the fresh, crisp air. Keep your spine and body in good shape throughout the year and remember that even if you injure one part of your body, the entire thing is connected. Get your spine checked :)

'Tis the Season

For those of you who haven't heard already..... Health & Healing Chiropractic is starting a book club. I have been wanting to start one for a while now. I look forward to the opportunity to get to know people in Rochester. I have been really wanting to connect with the community more and more. With Christmas just around the corner, it almost seems like a bad time to be starting a book club. I think just before Christmas is just the perfect time. The holidays have a way of bringing about the deep desire for connections that we feel as human beings. We will be choosing a book on December 15th at 7pm. We will be meeting at Health & Healing Chiropractic. For more information find our Meetup.com group or check out our website www.HealingRochester.com We will be picking the book before Christmas and then joining up right after the new year to have the first group book discussion. I look forward to having new faces join us. Our office is the perfect, scerene, location. You will feel welcomed and look forward to joining us every other week.

Are you ready for flu season?

Health and Healing Chiropractic located downtown Rochester, MI is hosting a phenomenal event to discuss how your immune system is related to your digestive system. There will be sampling of delicious foods rich in probiotics and digestive enzymes. The event will take place on September 8th. To find out more details go to www.healingrochester.com.

Toxins

Here is an interesting question. What happens to toxins when you lose weight? Many toxins are fat soluble and are stored in the body's fat cells. This is one of the major reasons that carrying extra weight can be really harmful. The more fat you have, the more toxins you store. I read that everyone has some small amount of pesticides in their fat cells as a byproduct of the toxic environment we live in. When we lose weight, these toxins lose their storage place. The level of toxins in the body can significantly effect your ability to lose weight by messing with your thyroid levels of T3. When you think about it, here's two great reasons to detoxify your body. 1. so that toxins aren't preventing you from losing weight you've been wanting to shed before summer, and 2. after you begin to lose weight, the toxins that your body has trouble eliminating naturally could respond to a great cleanse.

Food for thought, especially for women: The largest collection of fat cells in your body is breast tissue. With such a collection of fat cells capable of storing toxins, it's not really surprising that many women struggle with breast cancer and breast diseases.

Natural Awakenings

Just wanted to let you all in on a magazine that Dr.Erica Peabody has in her office that I think is wonderful. It is called Natural Awakenings. She also advertises locally in her county. This magazine is also down in Atlanta for those of you still down there so here's the link for the one in Atlanta. You can also just good search for Natural Awakenings. Another thing to consider for anyone is a subscription to Pathways magazine that is produced by the ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association). This mag is produced quarterly so you get 4 in a year and the cost is just 25.00 to support pediatric chiropractic. It is a good resource to build your library of great info to share with new mothers or mothers new to chiropractic. Even if you just photo copy pertinent articles that you want them to read, this is a great thing you can do now as a student.

So much has been changing in my life daily that I feel as though I could write 12 more posts. Instead of doing that, let's face it i know you're not that interested, I thought I'd just list some things that I am grateful for. So, here goes:

1. My best friend Nicki and our amazing weekend in Grand Rapids, I haven't felt that happy in a while :)
2. The fact that my mom is a master networker and she challenges me to have conversations with people now instead of later. Due to her timely power outage at work last week, we spent the whole day together networking and doing business. She is a wealth of knowledge and I am learning so much from her.
3. My network of colleagues and friends in chiropractic. They keep me on purpose as my focus shifts from passing classes and boards, to opening a practice.
4. The amazing conversation I had with my grandpa last week. He is such an advocate for my success and he keeps me grounded.
5. My sister, my brother-in-law and my nephew for allowing me to live in their space.
6. My sister for working out with me and helping me stay on track.
7. Everyone in the community up here that has been so helpful in my pursuit of figuring out what the heck to do next. :)
I love you all, thanks for being part of my life! :)