Mick’s up with Your Travel

Since we just finished a great week of travel over the holiday, soaking up lots of love from family, I’m thinking you might be traveling, too.  We love visiting parents, brothers and sisters-in-law, nephews, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles… but it sure can be a pain in the neck!


I don’t mean it as a cliché.  I mean it literally!

If Jay and I don’t take our regular pillows with us when we travel, then we have pains in our necks each morning and throughout the days.  Why is that?  Do you have the same problem?  What do you use for sleeping?  What is recommended for proper sleeping?

First, the why:  “Sleeping on a pillow that does not properly support your neck or causes it to tilt forward can gradually decrease the angle of the cervical curve and cause pain, stiffness, headaches, and misalignment of the vertebrae over time.” (Dr. Suzy)  There it is!  We need to support the natural curve in our necks.  “A normal, healthy neck has a small lordosis, which means it curves.” (Anne Asher)

Next, the what:  I have always wondered what is healthiest for sleeping, and so I was very excited to be told at my previous chiropractor’s office of a neck support to use while sleeping.  So far, that is the best thing I have found.  Nothing worked as well before I used this cervical pillow, and I have not yet come across anything since.

You might use a type of pillow suggested by your doctor.  I am not going to say it is good or bad.  If you are trying to improve your cervical curve, then that is a great place to be!

Finally, the how:  As much as people don’t want to hear it, there are some sleep positions that are just not at all good for the spine.  If you truly, honestly want to be the healthiest you can be, then you need to consider your spine, and in this case, how you sleep.  Lying on your back and using spinal supports is the best thing you can do for yourself, when it comes to sleeping.  It takes time to get used to it, if you are not a back sleeper… but it sure is worth it!  (I heard a great tip from a chiropractor recently.  She suggested that a stomach sleeper wear an oversized shirt for pajamas, and stuff a pillow under the shirt at the chest/belly area.  This should hinder a stomach sleeper from rolling onto their belly while sleeping.)

Keep your chin up!

In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8 (NIV)

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Mick’s up Merry

Get the most out of your holiday.  Have fun, but also take care of yourself.  That way, you don’t have to take a vacation to recover from your vacation!

 
I read some great advice in an article, “The Holidays: The Most Important Time to Keep Yourself Well.”  Even though I’m all about avoiding sugar and other inflammatories as much as possible, I also say we need to plan for splurges.  The article puts it well:  “Have a blast and eat like it's your last meal for 3-4 meals (not days) over the Holidays (starting with the Christmas parties, right up until New Years).  Yet, remember it’s about God and others – both of whom want you to live a long and joyous life.  Continue to exercise, manage your peace, and make the other meals nutritious.”
 
So, with that said, let’s move on to the Central Nervous System and how you will take care of that during the holidays.  The Central Nervous System controls all function and healing in the body, which includes the immune system.  One great way to keep healthy this holiday season is by boosting your immune system.  If you have not been seeing a chiropractor, now would be a great time to start.  This one change in your lifestyle will be a wonderful boost to your immune system.

Here’s a great to-do list from the above-mentioned Holiday article:
- If you typically exercise four days per week, exercise five days per week! 
- If you get adjusted twice per month, visit your chiropractor three or four times during the month of December!
- If you typically “pig out” once a week, hold off and do it every two! -If you usually function on 6-8 hours of nightly sleep, give yourself 8-10 hours instead.

 

 

“ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Luke 2:14 (NKJV)

 

 

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Mick’s up on Stress

“Chiropractic is Proactive.“

(Dr. Patrick Gentempo)

We all deal with stress of some kind in our lives.  We are faced with any one or a combination of the three stresses, which are physical, emotional, and chemical.
 
Physical stress can be a variety of things, from sleeping in a weird position to being in a car accident.

Emotional stress is obvious.  We worry.  Our feelings get hurt.  Tragedies happen.
 
Chemical stress is anything from seemingly harmless caffeine, to pollution, to drugs.
 
The Central Nervous System, which consists of your brain and spinal cord, lies between stress and illness.
 
“Stress is managed and processed through the Central Nervous System.  That means how you handle stress is dependent on the condition of your nervous system and how well it can manage the stress you are under.  If there is interference, its ability to handle stress will be hindered, and you may find yourself in ill health.  Chiropractic offers lifestyle support to help better address whatever your challenges might be.  If you want a healthy lifestyle, chiropractic is a critical component.” (Dr. Patrick Gentempo)
 

 

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

 

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What’s the Mick’s up on Sugar and Toxicity

As we learned from Dr. Fred Roberto in Mick's up on Fuel, sugar acts as a toxin to our “amazing human engine.”  If something causes inflammation, or acidity, or addiction, wouldn’t you consider it a toxin?

“I was so shocked to find out how toxic and poisonous many experts believed it was…. From what I read, I was also encouraged to understand that I wasn't just some freak that had no self-control, sugar was actually doing things in my body that was causing me to crave it like an addict.” (Samantha Taylor – Sugar Addiction Solution)

When comparing people’s lives before and after sugar, the negative effects on the body with and the positive benefits without sugar are certainly obvious.

For you moms out there:  “I have a 5 year old and we were having a hard time getting him to listen, he was bouncing off the walls; he was driving me crazy.  When I started to get free from sugar I thought maybe it would help my son as well so I stopped giving him all the sugary snacks.  Right away I noticed a change in his behavior, all of a sudden he was calming down and he is listening better.  It's amazing how much easier it is being a mom and I am also amazed at how much less sick my kids get now; less fevers and colds.” (Kim - former sugar addict for 20 years)


For those of you dealing with headaches and/or other health issues:  “I felt really unhealthy; I just didn't feel good, it was hard to get out of bed, I was having a hard time concentrating and I had a headache every day.  I literally thought if the way I felt continues, I didn't know how I was going to make it through the next five years.  I felt so bad, I even went to a doctor to see if something was wrong with me and he didn't find anything.  It never occurred to me that sugar was causing these problems…. Now… I have lost the last 15 lbs that I could NOT lose for 10 years, I have more energy so I can run 3 miles a day, I feel good about myself, no more headaches and I am happy.” (Kathy – former sugar addict for over 40 years)

Another interesting thought is addiction to caffeine.  Be careful with that, too.  A lot of times, caffeine is accompanied by sugar, as in energy drinks.  Some warnings about those are in the USAToday article "Young athletes and energy drinks: A bad mix?"  If we’re taking care of our bodies with good nutrition and correct sleep, we should not need sugar and caffeine to keep us going.  If a recovery drink is needed, choose coconut water, which is a healthier choice and doesn’t include the negativity of sugar and caffeine. Think long-term.  Think of your cellular health.

I hope by now you’re convinced of the urgency to decrease your sugar intake.  When you choose to do so…  “Remember you are detoxing off a poisonous substance…your body was all out of whack from having blood sugar spikes to insulin surges, and your body needs some time to balance back out.” (Samantha Taylor - Sugar Addiction Specialist)

Do your body a favor.  Lay off the sugar!

“You shall have no other gods before me.”

Exodus 20:3 (NIV)

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Mick's up Turkey and Exercise

I've been enjoying talking with family and eating lots of food I did not have to prepare.  What a wonderful day! 

Because of this, today the nutrition and exercise posts are combined into one.

To all of my American friends, "Happy Thanksgiving!"  Be honest.  How many of you did like I did this morning?  We exercised, in order to feel better about eating the feast later in the day.  Actually, I know lots of you really have been outside enjoying the beautiful weather, and working off that full feeling.  What a great way to make the most of this family time!

It's also a wonderful way to keep from falling asleep.  You know the feeling.  After the big family dinner, we all feel like taking a nap.  We always blame it on the turkey... poor bird.  We say it's the tryptophan.

Did you know, though, that research shows it's not the turkey's fault?!

If you think about it, the usual list of items on the Thanksgiving menu are primarily carbohydrates and high on the glycemic index.  What does this mean for our bodies?  It means we eventually experience a sugar crash.

So, let's not go pointing fingers and falsely accusing the holiday favorite.  Instead, go for a walk with the family.

...when deep sleep falls on people...

Job 33:15 (NIV)

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What a Mick’s up on Coffee

Here’s a formula for you:
1 c coffee = 17 glasses of water to bring down acidity


Our bodies need to be neutral or alkaline to keep healthy, but a lot of what we like to eat and drink makes us more acidic.
 
“It now turns out that we have a better shot at long-term health if our body's pH is neutral or slightly alkaline.  When we tilt toward greater acidity, which can be measured easily, we have a greater risk of developing osteoporosis, weak muscles, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and a host of other health problems.  Long term, excess acidity leads to thinner bones and lower muscle mass, points out Anthony Sebastian, M.D., of the University of California, San Francisco.  These problems are compounded by normal aging, which increases acidosis, bone loss, and muscle wasting…. Low magnesium levels can cause muscle cramps, arrhythmias, and anxiety.” (The pH Nutrition Guide to Acid / Alkaline Balance)

“If you drank one cup of regular coffee it would take 17 glasses of water taken immediately after, to bring your ph level back to alkaline. Disease cannot start in an alkaline environment.” (Java Joan)

Java Joan also says “drinking healthy coffee keeps your PH in alkaline.”  She goes on to talk about healthy coffee having “over 150 antioxidants and 200 nutrients” in one cup, which would be like eating 8 large oranges… and it “neutralizes the effects of caffeine in your system.” 


My husband insists the coffee we sold at our coffee shop years ago (and actually still purchase) is low in acidity compared to most coffees.  Interested?  Buy from Kaldi!

What’s one reason we consume coffee?  Caffeine! 

We tend to work so hard that we don’t get enough sleep, like the Psalmist says, “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling….”  Then we think we need caffeine to keep us awake.  So out come the acidic beverages and sugars. 

Hmmmm…  What do you think?  Continue the toxic intake of acid… or limit the intake, change your sleep/work patterns, and increase the alkaline food intake?  It’s your choice.

In vain you rise early and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—

for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Psalm 127:2 (NIV)

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