Action or Reaction?

TOYOS CHIROPRACTIC

Action or Reaction?

Taking Action - Being Proactive

Being proactive means taking action before things start to go bad. In other words, taking action before you need to be in reaction mode. When you're reactive, you're always catching up. You're responding to something that's already happened. When you're proactive, your moves go first. You lead the way. You get to choose how things are going to go. When it comes to the our health and the health of our family,  we always want to be proactive rather than reactive whenever possible. Rather than permitting our kids to sit around all afternoon and all evening, watching TV and talking on their phones for five hours, we are proactive and encourage them to engage in fun physical activities and sports for at least an hour each day. Everyone wishes they had more hours in the day. There's never enough time to do everything we want. But rather than taking the path of least resistance and ordering pizza and other fast foods for dinner most evenings, we are proactive. We take the time to plan our once-per-week shopping, making sure we're purchasing a variety of healthy foods and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. We take the time to prepare healthy, nutritious meals for the entire family. We're proactive parents, taking the time to take care of our health and the health of our kids.

We're all familiar with the mechanism of action-and-reaction in the world of sports. Pitcher-and-batter is an action-reaction duo in baseball. A basketball guard driving to the hoop and a defender leaping to block the shot is another example. A racecar driver negotiating a tight turn at speed is executing a complex series of actions and reactions.

Actions and reactions may also refer to choices we make in our daily lives. Someone cuts you off as you're trying to get into the left-hand lane. That's an action. Yelling and shaking your fist in the direction of that driver who by now is long gone is one sort of reaction. Taking a deep breath and simply releasing your tension is another sort of reaction. We may also take action on our own behalf or be reactive to events as they unfold. These are personal choices and, of course, there's no "right" way to be. However, the outcomes and consequences of an active vs. a reactive approach may often be different. These differences are apparent when we consider our approaches to personal health.

For example, the numbers of people affected by chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer continue to increase. In the United States one out of every three persons has a chronic disease, and most of these people have more than one chronic disease. It's also well-known that two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. The majority of these disorders are related to people being reactive when it comes to their health. For example, the majority of cancers are preventable.¹ Eating more food than your body needs for energy is a choice. Over time these extra calories accumulate in the body and one or more chronic diseases is the result. Finally, your doctor informs you that you have type 2 diabetes. You react to this news and declare you're going to cut down on junk food, lose weight, and really get serious about exercise. You're in reaction mode.

But there are consequences. Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of developing cancer ² as well as cardiovascular disease. Once you have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes it's certainly important to be reactive, but an active lifestyle approach could easily have prevented long-term consequences. Likewise with cardiovascular disease. You've never felt you needed to watch your weight, but as the years have gone by you've gradually gained weight and now you're concerned. Your doctor may inform you that both your blood pressure and your cholesterol levels are way too high and recommend several lifestyle changes that have been shown to be beneficial. Now you're in reactive mode and you eagerly desire to make a change.

Again, there are consequences. High blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels are important risk factors for heart attack and stroke. ³ Engaging in healthful actions in the first place helps to reduce these risks.
Regular chiropractic care is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Chiropractic care can be reactive, helping you to recover from an injury to your back or neck. Chiropractic care can be of even greater benefit from an active perspective. Chiropractic care helps to ensure that all of your body systems are working efficiently and working in harmony. Chiropractic helps you maximize the benefits from your lifestyle actions of a healthy diet, regular exercise, and sufficient rest.
¹ American Cancer Society: Cancer Prevention and Early Detection. Facts and Figures. Atlanta, GA, ACS, 2008
² Currie CJ, et al: The influence of glucose-lowering therapies on cancer risk in type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia 52(9):1766-1777, 2009
³Robinson JG, et al: Atherosclerosis profile and incidence of cardiovascular events. A population-based survey. BMC Cardiovasc Disord 9(1):46, 2009

Planning for Success

Planning for Success

Every successful athlete knows that a plan is necessary to reach the highest levels of performance. How many practice sessions are needed each week, what kinds of things to work on during each session, how much rest to get, how much and what kinds of food to eat, how much water to drink - these are some of the factors in an overall program for athletic success. Venus and Serena Williams, Lisa Leslie and Diana Taurasi of the WNBA, and Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh (perennial women's beach volleyball champions) are examples of world-class athletes who have very clearly defined roadmaps to help them get where they want to go. Michael Jordan worked on his jump shot every day, even after he won his sixth world championship. Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees takes batting practice and does strength training every day during the baseball season, as he continues a stellar Hall of Fame career. Track-and-field stars such as Usain Bolt of Jamaica (brand-new double world-record holder in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash) train year round and have very specific plans to reach their performance peaks at race time. Even though we may not plan to become professional athletes, we still require a plan for success in terms of physical performance and overall health and well-being. 1-3However, most of us don't consider health and fitness from the point of view of planning. We forget that the hallowed maxim of business success - "if you fail to plan, you're planning to fail" - applies equally to health and fitness. What happens if we don't have an actual plan for being healthy? We eat to satisfy cravings. We sit on the couch and watch TV all evening. We spend all weekend at the mall. None of these activities helps us maintain good health. We put on weight, year after year, and allow our bodies to deteriorate hour after sedentary hour. What would we be doing if we had a plan for achieving optimal health and wellness? Obviously we'd be consuming a healthful diet and engaging in regular vigorous exercise. We'd maintain a good weight for our particular body type and we'd be getting sufficient rest on a weekly average. Maybe not so obviously we'd also see our chiropractors regularly. Chiropractic care is a key ingredient in planning for long-term health and wellness. Your chiropractor is an expert in human performance. We are able to identify roadblocks and limitations that can be corrected with chiropractic care. Diet, exercise, and rest are critically important to good health. The underlying mechanism that coordinates all your body's activities - the nerve system - needs to be in top shape, too. That's where chiropractic care comes in. Talk with us  about your plans for your family's health and wellness. We  will be glad to help design programs that will work for your entire family. 1Holla J, et al: Recreational exercise in rheumatic diseases. Int J Sports Med August 14, 2009 (online ahead of print) 2Pisinger C, et al: The relationship between lifestyle and self-reported health in a general population. Prev Med August 27, 2009 (online ahead of print) 3Sternfeld B, et al: Improving diet and physical activity with ALIVE. Am J Prev Med 36(6):475-483, 2009

How Do I Start? Planning for success in the realm of health and wellness could start right now, in this moment. As with success in any other area of life, success in health begins with a choice and a shift in attitude. The choice to be healthy. The attitude of being responsible for your own health. With a positive attitude and the freedom that comes with a choice, you're all set to begin working your plan. Having a healthy diet and doing regular vigorous exercise are deeply related, and engaging in one area will support and improve the benefits of the other. Start right where you are - there's no special preparation needed. If you've not exercised in a very long time, begin by walking ten minutes a day for a week. Over the next four weeks, slowly build up your time and then gradually increase your pace. By the time you're able to do 30 minutes of very brisk walking, you'll be noticing some amazing changes. To begin eating a healthful diet, a good place to start is with fresh fruits and vegetables. Five portions a day is highly recommended (in fact, this is the recommendation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Choose colorful fruits and vegetables - these are  packed with nutrients. Cut way down on fast food, sugar, salt, and empty calories and you're working your plan!

Please sign up to our member wellness area which is separate from our newsletter.  You will have acess to exercises and stretches for your spine.  Please consult me prior beginning any exercise routine.  Thanks and have a great day!!
Dr. Pete