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COVID 19 – Your Defense Against It

Our world continues to get shocked with pandemic diseases causing the loss of thousands and even millions of people. It’s possible for your body to be affected by these diseases and infections. The most recent COVID – 19 has caused our world to take generous precautions to avoid and defeat the rampant virus. The virus also known as SARS-CoV-2 originated in Wuhan China and has made viral impressions globally over the past few weeks. Some cases are reported much more severe than others. A major risk of the virus is that some carriers show no symptoms yet it’s as contagious as those that do. Those that aren’t showing any symptoms are more likely to contribute to the person to person spread. Those with severe medical conditions are at a greater risk of picking up a serious case of COVID -19 than those without, yet people of all ages have picked up the virus. We will continue to see the virus spread over the coming months. For more information and updates on the virus please reference the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

This is a reality that we must all face and prepare for. Having a body that is strong and healthy enough to fight off any serious illnesses is something that comes from consistently making healthy choices. What you intake and do not intake will structure your cells accordingly. The flow of your lifestyle will also be a large influence on the makeup of your body’s DNA and molecular structure.

Eat for Infection Prevention and Immunity Strength

Choose foods and supplements that are rich in vitamins and minerals. Raw fruits and vegetables, leafy greens, and grass fed/ pasture raised/ wild caught meat. Garlic, Elderberry, and Oregano Oil, are healthy bacteria fighting aids. Making healthier intake choices will eliminate harmful pathogens and fight infections.

Regulate Gut Health

Healthy probiotics like Kimchi can stimulate the neuro-receptors within your gut. Colostrum is a great recommendation for cultivating immunity through supplements. This will increase your mental clarity, and the well-being of your body and digestive system. Incorporating probiotics into your lifestyle will also prevent Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Diarrhea from infectious causes.

Exercise to Increase Vitality

Physical activity promotes healthy blood, and natural killer cell production. Natural Killer Cells are white blood cells that reject tumors and viral diseases. Choosing to exercise builds bloods cells instead of fat cells and leads to ant-aging benefits. Exercise regulates a proactive body on the molecular level increasing healing abilities and disease prevention.

Get Proper Sleep

Healthy sleeping patterns as well as all the other topics we have discussed so far will reduce your risk of getting heart disease, diabetes and immunity dysfunction.

Heat & Hydrate

Drinking fluids will wash the virus into the stomach where it will die in
the stomach acid. If you do not drink enough fluids it can move from the
windpipe into the lungs. The virus cannot survive in temperatures greater than 530
degrees Celsius. That is about 133 degrees Fahrenheit. The higher the
temperature the faster the virus will die. Fit a regular sauna visit into your
routine and make sure you always keep a vessel full of fluids with you.

All together healthy eating, sleeping, heating, hydrating, and exercising
will be your biggest weapon when preventing and defeating viruses like the COVID
– 19. Take some time to learn about and appreciate the resources and design
that nature provides for us to stay healthy and happy. We are all capable of
monitoring our choices and our bodies. Feel better, look better, be better, and
most importantly; live better.

Heart Health and Body Structure

I am sure you have heard a lot about heart health. Everything from diet, hydration, stress management and even sleep affect your heart. There a lot of really good points to follow, but have you ever thought about heart health and the structure of your body.

The structure of the body is usually talked about or thought about in relation to posture, movement or pain. And all this is true. The better your structure the better you posture, the better you move and the less pain you will have. But the structure of your body is very important to the health of your organs too. Your organs (viscera) all have a place that they are supposed to be within the body. They all have “rooms” formed by fascia (connective tissue). If the structure of your body is out of balance and your fascia is unhealthy, then the space (room) holding your organs is compromised and they cannot function optimally. It’s as if I were to ask you to perform a task but then bind your arms and legs to limit your movement. It’s going to be difficult, if not impossible to perform.

Now to use your heart as an example. For it to be healthy and function optimally, the heart should sit properly on your diaphragm and the pericardium (heart skin) should provide enough room and be able connect correctly to the neck and sternum.

Image received from Guy Voyer, D.O.

In this image (above), the pericardium (green) connects to the sternum (breast bone), C6, C7 and T1 vertebrae (neck), and the diaphragm for support. If any of those connections are tight or “out of place” then it will twist, compress or pull the pericardium and cause the heart to not work well.

Image taken from Built Lean

Take a common posture that you can see everywhere now. It’s called forward head posture. And just as the name implies your head is forward to your shoulders. This is usually seen with a rounded back (kyphosis) and a collapsed sternum. So take the picture of the heart above and place it in this poor chap. Let’s start at the top. When your head is forward and you have kyphosis, it pulls your neck forward and causes those vertebrae to slide forward. It also causes those connections at the sternum to slack. And 9.99999999 times out of 10, this posture will also cause your diaphragm to be jumbled (technical name) and so the floor that the heart sits on is crooked and compressed.

Image taken from Bourdage Chiropractic

So now you poor little heart is all twisted and compressed and sitting in a bad place and you are asking it work optimally. In addition, your posture is now reducing your lung volume which reduces the amount of oxygen your body (including your heart) is getting. And now extrapolate that strain and think about the effects when you are exerting yourself. Talk about putting your body (and heart) in a position to NOT succeed.

If this represents your condition, the good news is that your current condition is not a death sentence because most of what I am talking about is soft tissue. Which means, you can do something about it if you don’t wait too long. There are exercises that can open your neck and pull those vertebrae back into it’s intended position, and correct your kyphosis.

If you goal is longevity and vitality, then get on a workout treatment program that works on your body from all different angles, including your posture and structure. The benefits to your entire being are numerous… because it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.

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Don’t Just Set Resolutions, Choose Who You Want To Be

I understand your pain. Growth is HARD. You’ve been carrying around this
voice that keeps telling you what you could be doing to reach your full
potential. It says you are so much more than what your lifestyle says you are.
There’s this deep groaning in your gut that is saying go HARDER.

We don’t listen to this voice often because it’s calling us to step out
into somewhere new. Humans don’t like “new places” because there
could be predators lurking about to destroy us. These predators come in all
shapes and sizes. They could look like a group of fit young students laughing
at you because you’re overweight and trying to get in shape. You decide not to
go to the gym anymore, meanwhile you paid one visit with your new membership.
It’s the physical pain of dealing with sore muscles after getting into a
workout routine. Perhaps it’s the $100,000 student debt that you’re going to
get as you pursue your dream of becoming a teacher. It’s important to recognize
these monsters that are standing in front of you and understand that you don’t
have to be afraid any longer. Take courage and begin your journey.

Step 1: Vision

Who is this person that you long to be?

Why do you want to live this way?

Does he/she walk with confidence?

Do they smile everyday knowing that they have meaning in this world?

Do they know that they are loved?

Are there things in your life you don’t want anymore?

Are there things that you don’t have in your life that you know you want?

What does he/she look like today? Tomorrow? Next year? Five years from now?
Ten years from now?

Cast the vision of you in your fullest potential. Be specific. Set small
goals to achieve every day, week, month, and year that is going to get you
there. They could be as simple as reading a chapter a day, or read 12 books
this year, or go to the gym 3 times this week.

Step 2: Focus

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” – Proverbs 23:7

Your most powerful weapons in producing positive growth are your heart, and your mind. It’s your responsibility as a conscious human being to monitor your thoughts and self-talk and to protect and feed good dialogue within. What does your inner dialogue sound like? Are your thoughts always of shame? Doubt? Guilt? Do you hear negative put downs all day? Are you always telling yourself you are not good enough? If this is what your self-talk sounds like it’s time to set an anchor of who you truly are in your heart and mind. This is the spiritual side of war. I recommend reading books that work on your mindset, taking time to pray/meditate and find things in life to be thankful for, meditating on good thoughts like “you are loved” and surrounding yourself with people who add value to your life instead of cut you down. The main point here is to believe whole heartedly that you are deeply loved from above and were created with a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. Out of this place of belief you will begin to live as so.

Step 3: Perseverance

When the going gets tough, KEEP ON GOING. Nothing of value will ever come
easy. It’s your perspective within the little moments, tasks, and jobs, that
will decide how much joy you experience, even in the toughest of days. Remember
who you are, and why you live the way you do to get through the growing pains.
Be thankful for those reasons, be thankful that you have the courage to be
where you are because this is who you are. You are a well-reasoned, capable, and
endearing human being that has the ability to change the world if you believe
you can. This is truly who you are.

It’s time to set some goals, get spiritually healthy, and show up for the dirty work every day with a heart of faith and gratitude. You owe it to yourself and to the world; it’s who you were created to be. You are not the only one that experiences fear. You are not the only one that longs to overcome your shortcomings and live in your full potential. Take the first step forward and if you fall, laugh off the dust and try again. Give yourself grace, but not too much grace. You are an overcomer and were created to overcome the laziness, overeating, and whatever other bad habits are holding you back from living in your full potential. It’s time to silence them once and for all. Believe.

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The Time To Start Taking Yourself Is Always NOW

We all interpret happiness through our own experiences. It can look completely different from one person to another. There is a common activity that can profoundly affect the level of every human’s level of happiness. This activity is called exercise.

Exercise produces euphoric chemicals and hormones in the human brain like
endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. Not only does exercise heighten our “feel
good” chemical experiences, it also lowers our stress chemicals like cortisol,
and adrenaline.

The holidays are just up the street. This is the time of year that
separates those who are serious and those who are not. Those who are serious
about their workout routines commonly share enjoyment in their active
lifestyle. I’m writing this article to share with you 3 things that will help
you maintain a successful workout routine all year round and enjoy it.

Motivation

Start with finding your why. Having a superseding motivational factor will be powerful on the days you don’t feel like pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and doing what you know you need to do. Always reflect on your why. I recommend writing it down and reading it every day. Remind yourself why it is so important for you to show up today.

Reward

Hard work itself can be rewarding, but its still hard work. Discover what
satiates you. Maybe it’s an evening at your favorite restaurant or a trip to
your favorite clothing store. When you work hard and achieve your goals, give
yourself a break and let your body and brain know it’s done a good job. You
will be more likely to return refreshed for another week of progressive
workout.

Repeat

Don’t give up. Remember your why, be diligent in your reward system. This
is very important in sustaining an enjoyable workout routine.

Those who enjoy their lifestyle are serious about their routines. Do you want to feel the best you’ve ever felt? performed the best you’ve ever performed? then what are you waiting for. Ride into the new year with a passionate momentum. Everybody knows that waiting until after the new year to begin a routine is just an excuse to procrastinate. Take this time before the holidays to start or recommit yourself to a workout routine. If you have any questions about getting started or how to improve your workout routine, I am always available to help.

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Want To Age Better? Read This.

Strength training as you age

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a pill you could take to keep your youth throughout the entirety of your life? Imagine being able to eat whatever you want, relaxing 95% of the time, and not having to afford the deteriorating results of this complacent behavior. For those who understand the vitality of activity and being proactive in your health conscious behaviors, this is nothing less than a pipe dream. Who says living a healthy life means living a boring life? 1 in 3 children are physically active every day. Less than 5% of adults in America take part in 30 minutes of physical activity each day. These stats can be shocking considering our bodies were designed to move, build, and grow under stress. A lack of physical activity is a major cause of premature death, premature aging, liver disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, stroke, cognitive dysfunction, arthritis, erectile dysfunction, and many more life threatening diseases.

Given these shocking facts you should ask yourself;
Why should I exercise? And how should I exercise? Hopefully these questions can
draw out a meaningful motivation, and a passionate means to do so. What do you
love to do? Finding activities that you love to do will be the promise of
consistency and longevity in your exercise programs. When you discover how you
will be exercising, it’s important to be aware of the proper way to execute the
movements your body will be making. If your movements are not correct, you can
actually do more damage to your body than healthy growth. A spike in the well
being of your body, brain and spirit will testify to the goodness of a
well-implemented exercise program.

What are the keys to staying young, healthy, strong, and vibrant? Every child, adult, and senior should make these routines and programs an enjoyable part of their life.

1. Stretching Routine

We stretch to become holistically balanced. This means that all our muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, fluids, etc, are doing their job. Training your body to stay balanced and strong starts with a stretching program that aligns your myofascial chains to stay in proper tension. Having the proper tension and compression in your body will result in great posture, awareness of your body, strength, and efficient movements.

2. Strengthening Program

Your body has thousands of components that work together to complete even the smallest tasks. Every day the world puts your body to the ultimate challenge. To become strong, you must make sure that these thousands of components are “doing their job” through a proper exercise program. And you must build strength in the 7 foundation movements. The 7 foundation movements are squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, and gate. All the different machines at the gym are slight variations of these movements.

Take some time to research some simple stretching, and strength building exercises. Is there a sport that you’ve always wanted to get involved in? What about local walking clubs or community exercising groups? Be intentional with your physical activity. Do you want to be healthier, stronger, or more vibrant? It will never be easier to start, than starting today.

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