2 weeks ago in my article, I talked a lot about trauma, intending to define it so that it can be identified in the day-to-day. One of the things I mentioned was my opinion on how to be healthy. First, avoid as many forms of trauma as possible. Second, do things to increase your ability to adapt to trauma you cannot avoid. Since last week we defined what trauma is so you can recognize it and therefore avoid it this week we will talk about what I do to increase my ability to adapt to the trauma I cannot avoid.
What constitutes the need for an adjustment?
Before we dive into my routines I want to explain what happens that leads an individual to need an adjustment. Spoiler, it is not pain. An individual falls in need of an adjustment when the body fails to adapt to trauma, physical trauma emotional trauma, or toxic trauma. Today I'm going to talk about how to adapt better to the ever-present pressure of life. Here is the list of things that I TRY to do daily to help my body adapt better to life: 1. Get checked 2. Move 3. Eat healthy 4. Drink plenty of water 5. Strive for ample sleep 6. Practice good posture 7. Practice mindfulness
Get checked, by your chiropractor.
I get checked by my chiropractor 2-3 times a month to make sure that my nervous system is functioning properly. Getting checked and getting adjusted are two different things. Before I adjust every patient I check them for misalignment known as subluxation. If I find a subluxation then, and only then do I adjust the vertebra involved. If I do not find any subluxations I don't adjust the patient, this is referred to as a check or getting checked.
Move
Right now I am trying to get two "workouts" in every day. The goal I am working towards is a morning run followed by a big stretching session and then an evening weight training session. I weight train 6 days a week because I can easily train one muscle group while letting another rest. A quick note on Hormesis: You might think that I am introducing an unnecessary amount of trauma to my body with all this kind of exercise. You're right, to a certain extent. I am also introducing a form of low-level stress that my body can react to positively. This is known as hormesis. Hormesis is originally a term used in toxicology used to describe substances that have a positive effect on a biological system in low doses but a negative effect on a system at high doses. The best example is radiation from sunlight, at low doses, radiation from sunlight is used by the body to produce vitamin D. At high doses it has been related to skin cancer.
Eat healthily
What even is a healthy diet? Everyone has their own opinion about what foods we should and shouldn't eat. I eat what makes me feel good and avoid what makes me feel bad. I love game meat, and organ meats because of the nutrients packed into them. I eat lots of good fats, high omega 3 fats, like fish oil and butter made from grass-fed cows. I avoid processed foods and seed oils because they can cause an inflammatory response.
Drink plenty of water
I drink lots of water. I usually carry around a 64-ounce bottle of water and drink it throughout the day. My rule of thumb is to keep my urine clear and urinate often. I don't force myself to drink a ton of water I just listen to my body and give it what it needs.
Strive for ample sleep.
Sleep is when the body can heal. The recommendation for adults is 7-8 hours per night. I find that I can usually do just fine with 7 hours of sleep, 8 is great but occasionally I need a night of 9 hours. I also usually take a power nap, I put a hoodie over my eyes, lay back, and knock out for 15 minutes. After that, I am good for the rest of the day.
Practice good posture
Grandma always said, "sit up straight, you look like a slouch!" and she was right. I catch myself every day sitting in a position of poor posture and have to correct it. I do a few things like elevating my computer screen, putting a pop socket on my phone and removing the back off my desk chair, that force me into good posture so I don't have to think about it.
Practice mindfulness
This is a fancy way of saying do something that helps you decrease stress by connecting to the present moment. Most people immediately think of meditation as mindfulness. Meditation is a great avenue to follow but it is not the only way. I have found that I am most mindful when I am either freediving or snowboarding. My mind is only focused on the present moment and what is right in front of my face. All these things work for me and may not work for you, try things out and listen to what your body has to tell you. We look forward to meeting you! Come down to Happy Family Chiropractic and meet your Chiropractor in Juneau! It will be our pleasure in serving you high quality chiropractic care.
