List the 10 Most Important Values in Your Life

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Rate them 1-10 in terms of how well you live each one (1-poorly, 10-always).  Prioritize them by importance to you.  What can you do to change how well you adhere to each of these individual values? What ACTION steps will you take to make these important changes?

Step 2- Use your Feelings/ Emotions to Evaluate your Thought Process

• Negative Emotions= Stress
  • For Example: Anger, Frustration, Fear, Guilt, Depression, Weak, Helpless
• Positive Emotions= Fulfillment
  • For Example: Love, Joy, Hope, Peace, Happiness, Confident, Courageous, Strength

Step 3- Installing the Congruent Choices

• Things that have the greatest impact on emotions:
  • Release the past and focus on the present with love
  • Physical  activity and proper spinal movement
  • State Management
    • Change Posture
    • Drink more pure water and Eat Well
    • Take deep breaths
    • Get natural light
• ­   Visualization
• ­   Prayer/Meditation
• ­   Goals
• ­   Affirmations
• ­   Laughter

The 4 Foundational Truths Regarding Creating a Congruent Belief System

1. Your subconscious belief systems determines: how you value your past, present, and potential future life experience, your internal dialogue about yourself and your world and your state of mind and this your state of physiology.
2. Any pessimistic beliefs you have about yourself or your world represents: toxicity and deficiency, adaptive or illness behavior and incongruences with your innate values.
3. Optimistic belief systems about yourself and your world represents: purity and sufficiency, homeostatic or healthy behaviors and congruency.
4. You can identify, assess and choose your subconscious belief systems

Changing Emotions

• Forgiving and Forgetting the Past
  • One of the most powerful, least used methods out there.
  • Forgiveness is not saying an act or behavior was ok; what it does say is I forgive and release the emotional chains I am carrying around from someone else’s behavior.

Free at Last

• Removing every impediment from your heart opens a channel for Love to flow.
  • ­Love of self and others is the MOST POWERFUL of all fundamental, innate values.
• A new model of thinking and feeling will always lead to new limitless possibilities.
• If we want to see change in our lives, we need to change our perceptions and interpretations of our present situations
• Why waste your energy on something you cannot control?
  • ­   Keep that energy for something that really matters … living and enjoying life!

Goal Setting

• Build momentum with incremental goals
• Long-term and Short-term
• Specific and Detailed
• Time Sensitive
• In Present- Tense
• With Action Steps
• They are Always Modifiable

Set Your Goals

• The 6 P’s of Goal Setting
  • ­   Purpose Statement
  • ­   Personal Goals
  • ­   Professional Goals
  • ­   People Goals
  • ­   Prosperity Goals
  • ­   Play Goals

Meditation

• Silence is the only way to get into the sub-conscious mind.
• The subconscious mind is the only way to manifest your dreams and desires.
• There is no right or wrong way to meditate… just get quiet and turn the world off for a few minutes!
• Use guided CD’s for help initially
• Choose a pure environment- air, sound, etc.
• Slow your thoughts and internal dialogue
• A Concentration Focus- Pick a word, a sound, your breathing or a feeling that you put your focus on
• Comfortable position of wakefulness
• Deep, Slow, Diaphragmatic Breathing
  • ­   In through nose- count 4
  • ­   Out through your mouth- count 8
  • ­   Cycle- 8X

Visualization

• You must see your goal to BE your goal.
• Use vivid, specific thoughts
• The more details the better
• Visualize what you want, not what you don’t have

Affirmations

• Personal Statement of Intention
  • ­   Congruent with your Innate Values
  • ­   Present-time
  • ­   First person
  • ­   What you want )positive not negative)
  • ­   Use emotions
  • ­   Body language is important
  • ­   For individuals or groups, teams, businesses, etc.

If you are eating the Innate Diet, toxic food is not an issue. However, if you stray from the Innate Diet here is a list of foods and toxins to avoid.

Toxic Foods Choices to Avoid

1. Fried Food (fries, donuts, chips, etc.)
2. Processed and Non-Fiber Carbs (Flour, Pasta, Bread, etc.)
3. Grains (Limited Whole Grains- Wild Rice and Whole Oats)
4.  Dairy
5. Juices (Limited, Very Diluted)
6. Caffeine (Very Limited)
7. Sprayed, early Harvested Fruits and Vegetables
8. Grain-fed, Antibiotics-fed, Hormone-fed Meats
9. Non-filtered or Non-distilled Water
10. Dried Fruits (Limited, Organic Only)
11. Corn Products
12. Soy Products (Limited if Fermented- Tempeh-miso)
13. Shellfish (Bottom Feeders- Bioaccumulate Toxins)
14. Tuna (Top of the Food Chain- Bioaccumulate Mercury)
15. Farmed Fish (i.e. Higher Toxicity, Less Omega 3, etc.))
16. Smoked Meats (Full of Nitrites and Nitrates)
17. Pork (High in Parasites, Mold Spores in Pork)
18. Carnivores (i.e. Fish that eat other fish bioaccumlate
19. Alcohol (Yes, even Wine)

*Eat Local, Organic non Processed Foods
*Eat Vine-Ripened Local Fruits and Vegetables

Toxic Food Additives to Avoid

1. Hydrogenated Fat
2. Partially Hydrogenated Fat
3. Trans Fat
4. Added Salt
5. MSG
6. Hydrolyzed Protein (Disguised MSG)
7. Aspartame and Other Artificial Sweeteners
8. Any and All Chemical Food Additives and Colors
9. Non-Fiber Carbs (Sugar)
10. Corn Syrup

Food Preparation Methods to Avoid

1. Microwaves
2. Non-Stick Pans
3. Frying with Oils- Add Healthy Oil after Steaming or EAT RAW
4. Fast Cooking Meats- Better to Slow Cook
5. Boiling Vegetables- Better to Steam or EAT RAW

Environmental Toxins to Avoid or Minimize

1. Closed Car Garages
2. Attached Garages
3. Diesel Fumes and Gasoline Fumes
4. Cigarette Smoke
5. Lawn and Garden Pesticides and Herbicides
6. Plastic Food Containers- Especially Soft Plastics (Use Glass)
7. Tracking Industrial Chemicals into House- TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES!
8. Poor House Ventilation
9. Mercury Fillings, Roots Canals, and Vaccinations (Flu Especially)
10. Prescriptions and Over the Counter Drugs
11. New Cars (Interior Plastics Outgas)
12. Fire Retardants (In Mattresses and Baby Clothes- Highly Toxic!)
13. Cordless and Cell Phones

Good Healthy Choices to Make

1. Organic, Vine Ripened, Local Fruits and Vegetables
2. Grass Fed, Antibiotic, Hormone Free Meats
3. Wash the Heck Out of Non-Organic Produce- Use a Natural Cleaner
4. Natural Cleaning and Beauty Products
5. Wood and Tiles Floors
6. Regular, Filtered Vacuuming
7. No Shoes in the House
8. Stainless Steel or Cast Iron Pots and Pans
9. Slow Cookers
10. Steamers
11. EAT RAW
12. Park Car outside or Leave the Garage Door Open when Car is Running
13. Wood Windows id possible, Metal is next Best
14. Filter Water for Drinking and for Baths and Showers
15. NEVER Spray your Lawn or Garden
16. Avoid Vaccinations
17. Buy Oils and Organic Juices in Glass Containers
18. Get and Air Filter
19. Buy Real Wood Furniture, Buy Used
20. Get a Head Set for Cell Phone
21. Recycle Whenever Possible

The Innate Physical Fitness Program: Energy Expenditure and Daily Activity Pattern Profiles

Activities to Avoid or Minimize

1. Sitting
2. Standing with weight on one foot
3. Reading on back with head flexed forward
4. One sided sports (always practice both hands)
5. Carrying bags on one shoulder
6. Sleeping on stomach
7. Cradling phone between shoulder and ear
8. Watching T.V. (no justification possible)
9. Repetitive activities with arms in front or overhead
10. Poor posture during any activity

Good Choices to Make

1. Follow the Innate Physical Fitness Plan
2. Daily Innate Spinal Hygiene
3. Regular Chiropractic Spinal Checkups
4. Sitting on ball with good posture at good work station
5. Frequent breaks with exercises and stretches
6. Maximize opportunity for physical daily living tasks
7. Hobbies that require physical exertion
8. Finding an exercise buddy or group
9. Gymnastics, Yoga, Pilates, or equivalent
10. Set mirrors in car so you can only see out of them with proper posture
11. Dance!!
12. Own a wobble board or mini tramp and a Swiss ball

Josh M. has been dealing with Shoulder Pain for years. Listen to what he says about it.

My right shoulder has been bothering me for years. It was an “off and on” type of thing that rarely bothered me at first so I did not think much about it, but it started to get progressively worse as time went by. It went from the occasional minor pain to an almost constant Shoulder Pain Eau Claire WI that was almost unbearable. I tried pain medications and they worked, but I quickly found out that I had to take more every day in order to make it through the pain. I did not like the idea, and I imagine that it was doing horrible things to my body. I had to find a different way to fight Shoulder Pain Eau Claire WI, and I did. I started seeing a chiropractor, and my shoulder pain started to go away. Today, it doesn’t even bother me anymore.

Here are three reasons why a chiropractor may be the best choice for Shoulder Pain Eau Claire WI.

Reason #1

Natural pain relief

Dealing with Shoulder Pain Eau Claire WI every single day can be unbearable. Many people turn to pain medications to help them deal with this day to day pain. Pain medications are not good for long term use. They are meant to help relieve pain temporarily. Using pain medications for an extended period of time can have dangerous side effects. A chiropractor can help eliminate Shoulder Pain Eau Claire WI without the use of dangerous medications.

Reason #2

Increased range of motion

The shoulder is one of the most actively used joints in the human body. When a shoulder starts to cause pain, it can severely limit a person’s movement. Constant Shoulder Pain Eau Claire WI can make it difficult for a person to do simple things like open a door. If you are suffering from shoulder pain, then you know how it can affect your life. A visit to a chiropractor can help relieve this pain.

Reason #3

Enjoy your life

No one likes to live with pain. It can have a devastating effect on everything you do. It can also lead to other illnesses like depression. All it takes is a few adjustments to permanently relieve this pain and get your life back on track. Get rid of Shoulder Pain Eau Claire WI, regain control of your shoulder and regain control of your life.

From smart phones to computers to iPads, our beloved electronic devices are crippling our posture and contributing to weight gain, back pain, and joint problems like carpal tunnel syndrome.

Fortunately, there are a few strategies and exercises – such as changing your position often and “reorganizing” your torso – that can address a lot of these potential problems and help keep you more fit and properly aligned.

As miserable as back pain is, that may be the least of your worries if you spend a significant portion of your time on your duff. Sitting may actually cut years off your life. Lack of exercise is sitting’s evil accomplice. The more you sit, the less your body wants to move.

According to a study in the British Medical Journal,¹ reducing the average time you spend sitting to less than three hours per day could increase your life expectancy by two years, which is a significant decrease from the 4.5 to 5 hours per day the average American now spends on a chair or sofa.

An analysis of 18 studies showed that people who sat for the longest periods of time were twice as likely to have diabetes or heart disease, compared to those who sat the least.² Sitting has actually joined smoking and obesity as an important risk factor for chronic disease.

The Price You Pay for a Sedentary Lifestyle

A number of studies have investigated the health ramifications of a sedentary lifestyle. The research linking too much sitting with increased risks of disease and premature death is quite noteworthy:

1. Men who were sedentary for more than 23 hours a week had a 64 percent greater risk of dying from heart disease than those who were sedentary less than 11 hours a week, according to a 2010 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.³
2. A study of more than 17,000 Canadians found that the mortality risk from all causes was 1.54 times higher among people who spent most of their day sitting, compared to those who sat infrequently.⁴
3. According to an Australian study, sitting time is a predictor of weight gain among women, even after controlling for calories consumed and leisurely physical activity, such as exercise.⁵
4. People who use a computer for at least 11 hours per week or watch TV for more than 21 hours per week are more likely to be obese than those who use a computer or watch TV for more than 5 hours per week.⁶
5. Your risk of metabolic syndrome rises in a dose-dependent manner depending on your “screen time” (the amount of time you spend watching TV or using a computer). Physical activity has only a minimal impact on the relationship between screen time and metabolic syndrome.⁷

Going to the Gym May NOT Be Enough

Interestingly, research has also suggested a regular fitness regimen might be insufficient to counteract the effects of excessively sedentary habits during the remaining hours of the day, due to the adverse metabolic impact of sitting. Especially if the fitness regimen is focused around equipment that puts you back in a seated position like a recumbent bike or rowing machine. A 2009 study⁸ highlighted much of the contemporary evidence linking sitting with biomarkers of poor metabolic health, showing how total sitting time correlates with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other prevalent chronic health problems.

According to the authors:

“Even if people meet the current recommendation of 30 minutes of physical activity on most days each week, there may be significant adverse metabolic and health effects from prolonged sitting – the activity that dominates most people’s remaining ‘non-exercise’ waking hours.”

In other words, even if you’re fairly physically active, riding your bike to work or hitting the gym four or five days a week, you may still succumb to the effects of too much sitting if the majority of your day is spent behind a desk or on the couch. Researchers have dubbed this phenomenon the “active couch potato effect.”

According to a New York Times article,⁹ after just an hour of sitting, the production of enzymes that burn fat in your body declines by as much as 90 percent. Extended sitting slows your body’s metabolism of glucose and decreases your HDL, which is the type of lipid you want MORE of, instead of less. This explains why those who sit habitually for extended periods of time have higher risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems.

The Key To Sitting Successfully: Stand Up

The basic remedy is to get up and do a few simple exercises – but you have to do this frequently if you spend a lot of your life in a chair. Most back, neck, and other muscle pains are related to imbalanced absorption of force throughout your body, created by working in unnatural positions for extended periods. When you teach your body to establish and repeat correct positioning, the pain often goes away. You must correct your foot, pelvis, torso, shoulder and neck positions as these are all required for good posture and balance. When these core areas are positioned improperly, you will likely develop pain first in those areas, with other areas soon to follow. As the center of your body changes its structure to adapt to the demands you ask it to do most frequently, the extremities will follow..

For example, a great deal of carpal tunnel issues do not result solely from improper wrist position, but from forward rotation of the shoulder. The forward rotation of the shoulder is directly connected to the position of your lower back, and pelvis. As the shoulder changes position all of the muscles and nerves below the shoulder are adversely affected. The result is symptoms within the wrist that cannot be fixed at the wrist.

A basic remedy is to simply get up! But additionally, there are certain exercises you can perform to further reduce the adverse impact of sitting.

In the interview above, Kelly Starrett, popular mobility expert and physical therapist with Crossfit, shares some excellent tips for maintaining good posture while working for extended periods in a chair.¹⁰ The key is to change positions often – at least every 20 to 30 minutes – and maintain proper torso alignment, regardless of what position you’re in. Starrett recommends standing up often and doing some specific realignment exercises, which are actually quick and easy.

Sitting, especially while doing computer work or texting, tends to result in leaning forward with your head, neck, shoulders and upper back. The key is to teach your body to support itself in a more neutral position, without overcorrecting.

Realigning Your Body in Five Easy Steps

Starrett recommends a five-step series of body “reorganizations” or realignments, done in the following sequence:

1. Stand up with your with feet pointing straight forward or slightly inward.
2. In the interview Kelly recommends that we realign the pelvis by simply squeezing your butt tightly, we would like to add that this will be more effective for the majority of people if also told to internally rotate their feet 10-15 degrees (big toes slightly towards each other), roll feet to the outside of the arch and then try to pull the back of the legs together without the heels moving. This will allow the thigh and butt muscles to work together; the squeeze alone is otherwise less effective.
3. Create some tension in your core by slightly tightening your abdominals (this is not an extreme tightening – just to 20 percent of your max)
4. Correct your shoulder position by externally rotating (think of unscrewing) your shoulders and arms (rolling your shoulders back), which brings your shoulder blades closer together, your chest up and forward, and your thumbs pointing away from your body
5. While keeping your shoulders externally rotated, turn your hands back to neutral, so that your thumbs are now facing forward

These basic alignments can be applied no matter what position you’re in – whether you’re standing, sitting, kneeling, or anything in between. In the video, Starrett demonstrates exactly how to perform these simple corrections, making it much easier to visualize. If you practice these exercises regularly, you’ll be preventing many of the problems that commonly arise.

In case you’re wondering if you can just substitute a balance ball for your chair, there is little evidence for any benefit. Studies show minimal, if any, postural improvement, and one study even showed “spinal shrinkage” from using these balls as a chair.¹¹ The apparatus you sit on is far less important than the positions in which you teach your body to sit.

However, the ergonomic revolution has led to the birth of some interesting desks and workstations that offer the option of standing up to work. Some workstations even have a treadmill underneath for walking. Sales of the “TredDesk” have reportedly grown tenfold since its introduction in 2008. There are a number of companies putting a lot of money into research and development in this area, and I suspect to see many more of these designs coming down the pike.

Foundation Training Exercises:

Foundation Training is another way to compensate for long hours spend sitting. Foundation training exercises are powerful simple structural movements that help strengthen and realign your body posture. This program was developed by Chiropractor Eric Goodman as a way to address his personal chronic back pain, and have been a great answer to the increasing physical challenges of modern society. As a starting point, Dr. Goodman suggests making the following adjustments to your body when sitting. These recommendations are not meant to replace the way you sit constantly, but to give you useful alternative positions to use. It is recommended that you try them often, as your body is likely in need:

1. Backrests tend to promote excessive rounding of the spine and push us into what’s called an anterior head carriage. Sit upright on the front edge of a chair and practice the next 2 tips. At least 2/3 of your thigh should be off of the chair, and your knees should be no more than 6 inches apart while practicing.
2. When sitting, try to keep your chin behind your chest bone. When your chin is too far forward, you will inadvertently teach your hip flexors to remain abnormally short and you set yourself up for increased compression and degeneration.
3. An easy way to learn to lengthen your hip flexors without hyperextending your spine is to slowly increase the distance between your rib cage and pelvis while keeping your chin pulled in and down towards your throat. This is demonstrated in the last 5 minutes of the TED Talk listed above.

Yet another type of exercise called Egoscue can also be helpful in mitigating the damage from excess sitting

Take Breaks from Sitting to Ground Yourself to the Earth

Another downside to sitting is the lack of contact with the Earth, since most of us are sitting indoors. Have you noticed how much better you feel when you walk barefoot on the Earth, whether it’s dirt or sand or grass?

Science has finally solved this mystery!

For most of our evolutionary history, humans have had continuous contact with the Earth, but this is certainly not the case today. We are separated from it by a barrier of asphalt, wood, rugs, plastics, and especially shoes. Living in direct contact with the Earth grounds your body, producing beneficial electrophysiological changes that help protect you from potentially disruptive electromagnetic fields. Some of the EMFs closest to our bodies are those generated by the electronic devices that have practically become a modern appendage – like smart phones and iPads.

Your immune system functions optimally when your body has an adequate supply of electrons, which are easily and naturally obtained by barefoot/bare skin contact with the Earth. Research indicates Earth’s electrons are the ultimate antioxidants, acting aspowerful anti-inflammatories.

Chronic inflammation leads to a multitude of health problems. Therefore, reducing inflammation will help mitigate the negative effects of excessive sitting. Earthing (grounding) decreases the effect of the potentially disruptive electromagnetic fields that are emitted by those electronic devices we’ve come to depend on.

Bottom line: the more you can walk or stand barefoot upon the Earth, the healthier you will be. Whenever possible, take a moment to venture outside and plant your feet in the wet grass!

We are designed to move well, sit well and play well within our environment. It is up to us to teach our body to do these things as it is designed to. We can only deprive our body of what it requires for so long before it begins to rebel against us physically.

The digestive tract is loaded with trillions of microorganisms that form a natural ecosystem commonly called the gut flora. Certain lifestyle stressors throw off the natural symbiosis and cause a rise in pathogenic microbes, chronic gut inflammation and damage to the gut lining. Healthy micro flora balance is a key health essential.

The beneficial micro flora digest our food and produce enzymes that metabolize protein into absorbable amino acids. These key enzymes also transport key vitamins, minerals and other nutrients through the intestinal wall and into the blood stream where they are effectively carried to cells that are in need of these nutrient packages.

These beneficial species also help the body produce and metabolize vitamin K2, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, folic acid & pantothenic acid. Without adequate microflora production the body will suffer from poor calcium metabolism, neuromuscular function and chronic inflammatory conditions due to deficiencies in these very important nutrients.

Two Arms of the Gut Flora

The gut flora has two major arms. The first arm senses our environment by reading the environmental toxins that are coming into the body.   When these environmental factors such as dust, chemicals, animal hair & pollen fall on the mucous membranes the progenic bacteria sense and react to them. The second arm is responsible for immune activation and inflammatory based reactions.

When the first arm is damaged the second arm begins to become hyperactive which leads to autoimmune reactions. Depending upon the genetic tendencies of the individual this can result in asthma, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s or Graves thyroiditis, fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, etc.

Contaminants Destroy Gut Flora Balance:

Antibiotics are the most lethal thing for our microbial balance. After a round of anti-biotics it will take at least four to eight weeks to reestablish the gut. This time period is an opportunistic window for parasites to establish themselves on the gut wall. Eating conventional meat, dairy and poultry products can be as dangerous as taking anti-biotic prescriptions due to the amount of anti-biotics present in these products.

Foods high in sugar and processed carbohydrates increase the number and variety of different strains of Candida in the body. These foods also promote the growth of parasitic worms in the gut environment.

Medications of all types including contraception pills and corticosteroids are extremely hazardous to the gut flora. Dental fluoride treatments and fluoride based toothpaste are damaging to the microbial balance. Chlorinated water is particularly dangerous as it sterilizes our gut and repeated exposure destroys the progenic bacteria in the gut.

Fermented Foods for a Healthy Gut Flora:

A diet high in fermented veggies and drinks such as coconut water kefir, ginger beer, raw sauerkraut, kombucha and kimchi help restore microbial balance. Fermented, raw dairy from one hundred percent organic grass-fed cows and goats is outstanding for gut health. This would include amasai, raw cheese and fermented whey. These are some of the best probiotic carriers and have been used for thousands of years by healthy cultures all over the world.

The rest of the diet should be rich in good fats such as coconut, avocados, olive oil and sprouted nuts and seeds. Clean animal foods such as grass-fed beef, organic poultry and eggs are highly recommended.  Probiotic supplements are especially important to speed up the restoration of the gut flora and maintain balance afterwards.

Intermittent fasting for periods of 12 – 24 hours daily can be especially beneficial for regulating the gut flora. These fasting periods should include lots of fluids and fermented drinks that bring enzymes, probiotics and organic acids into the gut environment. Longer cleansing periods with fermented drinks are recommended from time to time.

Mark S. has been looking for a Family Chiropractic Eau Claire WI for a very long time. Here is what he has to say about it.

My wife started going to the chiropractor a few years ago for chronic back pain. Regular visits all but eliminated her back pain. I was suffering from some minor job related neck pain and she suggested that I give her chiropractor a try. My neck was no longer bothering me. Once we had a family, we knew that it would be tough to find a chiropractor that offered Family Chiropractic Eau Claire WI. We were right. Our regular chiropractor did not offer services for our children. We were lucky enough to find Stucky Chiropractic Center. Our search for a chiropractor that offered Family Chiropractic Eau Claire WI was over.

Chiropractors can help individuals in so many ways. Here are three great ways that a chiropractor can help the entire family.

Say no to harmful medications

Children and medications are not always the best combination. Medications can be very dangerous, but many parents don’t know that there are alternatives. A chiropractor that offers Family Chiropractic Eau Claire WI can help by offering drug free alternatives that are safe for children.

Keep one doctor

It can be difficult enough trying to manage all of the different places that the entire family needs to go. This can cause plenty of unwanted stress. Sending everyone in the family to the same doctor can make things a little easier. That is just one of the more important reasons for finding a chiropractor that offers Family Chiropractic Eau Claire WI.

Benefits of chiropractic visits on infants

Babies can have a difficult time trying to tell us what is wrong. The only thing they can do is cry. It is a parents job to try and identify what is making the baby cry. If a baby is suffering from things like colic, it can be even more of a challenge for parents. Locating a chiropractor that specializes in Family Chiropractic Eau Claire WI can help stop colic completely.

Tom M. has recently discovered therapeutic massage. Listen to what he has to say about it.

I work in construction, and I spend most of my days working in the hot sun. I can handle the heat, but my job requires a lot of heavy lifting. The heavy lifting gets tough after a little while. My body gets sore, and it does not take long before the back pain makes my day miserable. I used to be able to work all day without any problems, but recently it has gotten out of hand. I needed to do something about it because my job was at risk. A friend suggested I try Massage Therapy Eau Claire WI, and I am glad that I did. My back pain has stopped and I just feel better over all. I am amazed at what massage has done for my life.

Here are three common benefits of Massage Therapy Eau Claire WI.

Reduce stress and anxiety

Everyone has to deal with stress and anxiety, and we all deal with it in our own ways. Some people use exercise to help relieve stress, and others may choose medications to help them get through stressful times. Massage Therapy Eau Claire WI is one of the best ways to help relieve stress. Relieving tension relieves stress, which can help relieve anxiety.

Relieve common pain

Massage can also help people live without pain. There are several common pain symptoms that Massage Therapy Eau Claire WI can help to relieve. People suffering from chronic neck pain, shoulder pain, back aches and headaches can benefit from therapeutic massage.

Feel relaxed

This one thing that more people can take advantage of. In today’s fast paced world people never get a chance to slow down and relax. The tension from work and home life can make it difficult for a person to truly be able to relax. This is something that Massage Therapy Eau Claire WI can help with. Therapeutic massage can increase blow flow and relieve muscle tension. A combination of increased blood flow and a relief in muscle tension can help with relaxation.

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite times of the year.  Good food, family, football and lots of fun.  I have come to relish this holiday throughout my life.  Like many of you, I too, have too often been guilty of overindulging in the bounties of the season.  Here are suggestions that I use personally to make the holidays healthier and more enjoyable.  This allows  me to have more energy, never get sick, and spend a higher level of quality time with friends, family, & loved ones.

1.     Eat Your Salad First:  Load up on your vegetables first, this way you get lots of nutrients, antioxidants, and alkaline minerals into your system first.  When you fill up on nutrient dense foods, you have less of an appetite for everything else.

2.     Food Combine Properly:  Our digestive enzymes metabolize foods differently.  Because of this, try to eat Thanksgiving meals in portions.  Give yourself 2-4 hours between portions. Healthy combinations include:

a.     Non-starchy vegetables, fats, and proteins  (meat, oils, & veggies)

b.    Non-starchy vegetables and starchy vegetables

c.      Non-starchy vegetables and grains

d.    Most fruits should be eaten alone or with small amounts of fat.

3.     Use Digestive Enzymes:  Before any big meal, it is always a good idea to add digestive enzymes to help your body metabolize the food correctly.  This is especially true when food combinations are less than optimal.  The enzymes help ease the digestive burden, reduce toxic byproducts and acidic wastes from accumulating and improve energy & immune function for hours after the meal.

4.     Use Apple Cider Vinegar:  Contains a natural array of beneficial acids and enzymes that help enhance digestion and nutrient extraction.  The acids are incredible at enhancing meat and protein digestion and radically improve symptoms of reflux.  Grains and legumes are also aided by the digestive acids found in this natural elixir.  Apple cider vinegar is also loaded with powerful alkaline buffering minerals and improves insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control.  Use it as part of your salad dressing, marinates, etc.

5.     Go Gluten-Free: The common protein found in wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, & kamut is highly allergenic, challenging to digest, and harmful for up to 81% of the population by some reports.  Many autoimmune conditions are initiated and/or promoted through gluten containing foods.  For amazing gluten free holiday recipes go here.

6.     Burst Train:  Be sure to make time Thanksgiving morning to get a great workout in.  I recommend you either continue with your MaxT3 workout (for those of you who are doing our program) or a burst style of workout where you do high-intensity intervals.  You will feel so much better later and be in peak fat-burning mode when you indulge in the feast of the day.  Be sure to MaxT3 or Burst train again Friday morning as well to energize yourself and help blow through all the weight you gained from that glorious meal(s).

7.     Use Probiotics:  Give your gut a helping hand by stabilizing the little warriors who work so hard on your behalf.  Optimal probiotic supplementation helps ward off bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections.  It also enhances digestion, nutrient absorption, and toxic elimination.  I recommend and personally take between 50-100 billion organisms daily.

Most supplements, yogurts, etc barely have 5 billion organisms, so they just don’t give you the bulk that you need to thrive.  Drinking Beyond Organic Amasai & SeuroViv are great, however you may consider a probiotic supplement that packs a punch.  On my website under my suggestions page, you can find a link to a pure, affordable source that will supply you with 70-80 billion organisms daily.

8.     Use Healthy Fats:  Cook in extra virgin coconut oil, the only oil that cannot be denatured under heat.  Use extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings, marinates, etc.  Avocados, brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, flax seed make for great fats in different recipes as well.

9.  All Meat Should Be Organic, Grass Fed:  One of the most critical essentials is to invest in grass-fed meat sources.  The Omega 6:3 balance of grain-fed meat is between 20:1-40:1 (ideal is 2:1).  This quickly creates an environment within your body that promotes rampant amounts of inflammation.  Grass-fed meat has the ideal fatty acid ratio, the animals are happy and healthy throughout their life, and there is no hormones, antibiotics, and other junk pushed into their system.

Out of my heart and spirit that wants so desperately to see a purified world, I urge you to make this 1 choice for the holidays more than anything else.  Thank You for helping to change the world with your wallet and your educated and informed shopping decisions.

9.     Be Grateful:  The greatest thing you can do in your life is to be consistently grateful for every situation, event, and circumstance that comes about.  Live with the realization that God created you, loves you unconditionally, and continually blesses everything in your life so that you can grow and be more like Him.  My life changed when I stopped putting labels on things (good/bad) and began seeing everything as an opportunity to grow and have new experiences.  That perspective alone gives me incredible peace and fulfillment that my life has extraordinary meaning.  The same is yours…so be grateful and express it in your words and interactions with others!

10.   Lend A Helping Hand:    There is nothing like service to others to give your life meaning and fulfillment.  This is one of nature’s greatest anti-depressants, serving those around you.  While everyone gets caught up in the hoopla and commercialism of the season, the greatest gift you can give yourself is the non-tangible.  The ability to serve another, to uplift someone in need, to help someone reach a goal, to make the world a better place.

My spirit constantly yearns to selflessly serve others and uplift their lives with my time, talents, skills, and persona.  This gives me incredible joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment.  As I am writing this, I am tearing up about the opportunities I have had in my short life so far to impact the lives of others.  I pray that writing this alone helps someone find greater meaning and fulfillment in their lives.