How Do You Eat an Elephant?

If you haven't watched the online documentary "Hungry for Change", you really need to take the time to do that.  It has a wealth of fabulous information about the foods we eat and most importantly how we can eat to be healthier.  A very compelling case is presented for why our society is so overweight and is suffering from so many chronic diseases.

The movie focuses mostly on the impact our diets have on our health.  There is mention of other things that we need to also get right if we are to experience true health.  Health that comes from the inside out and is not just cosmetic or a false front.  Health that provides real vitality and the strength to withstand the physical, chemical and emotional stresses of life.  To achieve such health requires attention to physical, mental and spiritual needs.  None of these areas can be neglected, for we are only as strong as our weakest link.

So to be healthy you need to not only eat right, but to drink right, sleep right, think right, move right, poop right, and talk right.  Those are Rakowski's Magnificent 7.  Plus you need to have a spine that has no vertebral subluxations.  That assures the nervous system is free from any interference that could compromise your health. Chiropractic adjustments are the only procedure specifically designed to correct vertebral subluxations.  The solution is to develop a lifestyle that promotes health by addressing all these factors.  Notice I use the term develop.  It implies that this is a process.


Does this seem like you have to juggle a lot of balls in order to be healthy?  Before you become too overwhelmed, remember the old riddle:
     Q: How do you eat an elephant?
     A: One bite at a time.
The same principle applies when changing your diet or when becoming healthier.  Take one bite at a time.  Every bite of healthier food you take means one less unhealthy bite you will take.  Every action you take toward being healthier means one less unhealthy action you will take.  The effects become compounding.  Celebrate each little step forward.  Today you ate healthier than yesterday.  Today you took more steps to promote your health than yesterday.  Tomorrow you can again take some small positive bites.  Take small steps forward every day and in a couple of months you will be eating better and you will be a healthier person because you are developing a healthier lifestyle.  One bite at a time.

Staying Off the Treadmill

No, this is not an anti-exercise post.  The treadmill I'm referring to today is about running to get ahead but ending up going nowhere.  Specifically it's the medical treadmill I'm going to talk about.  It's the treadmill people find themselves on when they run from doctor to doctor, take test after test, are subjected to procedure after procedure, and take drugs followed by more drugs looking while looking for help with their health problems.  It's a treadmill that wears people down.  I see young people stressed into anxiety and depression, middle aged people worried to the point of developing new illnesses, and seniors totally exhausted physically and emotionally from being on this treadmill.  I also see people of all ages who have made a conscious effort to either stay off the treadmill or get off it once they recognize they are on it.  These people are both happier and healthier than those who are continuing to run.

I must let you know that I am not against tests, procedures and medications.  I am against tests just for the sake of running tests.  I'm against invasive procedures conducted before conservative methods are exhausted. While prescription medications can be absolutely essential for treating many conditions, they invariably have side effects.  These side effects usually necessitate additional testing and in very many cases more medication to treat the side effects.  The cycle of testing and medicating can become relentless; like running on a treadmill that can't be stopped.  This is especially true for chronic conditions for which medicine has a poor track record of treating.

Staying off the medical treadmill can be a daunting task.  The first step is to acknowledge that you are the person responsible for your health.  You can seek the advice of others and partner with other people, including doctors, but you must make the decisions regarding your health.  This is a crucial step.  It means you must become informed about your health situation.  You need to explore your options and  weigh the risks and benefits of any tests or treatments.  There are times you will need to say, "No".  No one but you can decide what is best for you.

The second step is to adopt a lifestyle that promotes health.  The best way to stay off the medical treadmill is to not get sick in the first place.  I've talked about lifestyle in several previous posts, but let me quickly list a few of the basics.  You need to eat nutritious food, drink plenty of water, avoid toxins, get adequate rest, manage stress, maintain good relationships, attend to spiritual matters, exercise, and look after your nervous system.

Now maybe you've had the misfortune of already having your health compromised through injury or illness.  You can get off the treadmill.  You must first go back to step one and take responsibility for your own health.  You need to become the decision maker.  Do your homework and find out as much as you can about what is afflicting you.  Research the treatment options.  Look for treatment methods that work with your body and aren't going to cause side effects.  Look for professionals you can partner with to help you reach your health goals.  Make lifestyle changes that will strengthen your body so it can heal itself.  The body is marvelously self healing when it's given the proper environment to do so.

In more than a quarter century of practicing chiropractic, I've observed many, many people enjoying wonderful health in their advanced years.  Invariably they are the ones who have made an effort to stay off or get off the medical treadmill.  They have decided to take responsibility for their own health.  As a chiropractor I count it a privilege to be able to partner with these people.  I advise them on lifestyle changes that will promote their health.  I also assure that there is no interference to the proper functioning of their nervous systems by adjusting their spines to correct vertebral subluxations.  Chiropractic allows the body to heal itself.