Archive for the ‘Health & Wellness’ Category

This text message I received from Paul today after I posted my first blog early this morning:

“Oh ya, thanks for making me puke in my mouth when I saw that semi-nude pic on your blog.  I’m still nauseated now just thinking about it.  Jeezus it burns my eyes!”

Here is a picture of Paul in 6 months if he didn't BEG me to do this challenge with him.

The gloves are officially off.  Paul, the worst part of my day was looking at your pics on your blog and realizing that I’m only around 6-7% less body fat than THAT.  If that’s not an inspiration to change, I don’t really know what is.

All kidding aside, we both commented on how liberating it is to just make your privates public on those pics and come face to face and share your own imperfections.  I’ve had lots of messages from you guys saying that you’re going to make some changes within your own lives too.  Hey, that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside, because it’s my mission to help others heal on different levels and become more self-aware, and self-actualized.  If I’m on this journey, and I can see a little further than a few, it’s because I’ve stood on the shoulders of giants, and want to help point the way.  This journey requires that I get a few “giants” on my team.

If you want to achieve anything great, it’s wise that you understand that you won’t get there nearly as fast if you did it alone.

My first “giant” I’ve hired is Shane Heins of Gymnos Evolution.  His mission is to help transform lives with a specific, unique form of exercises called “TACFIT” and “Circular Strength Training”.  My morning started at 5:30am when I woke up.  Uuuugh.  It was dark out, it was cold, but as I drove from my apartment towards downtown Vancouver, I noticed how peaceful and serene it was.  We met under the Cambie Street Bridge at 6:15 and began the most unique workout I’ve ever had.

I’ve done so many different workouts, with weights, without weights, yoga, pilates, P90X, etc… but I’ve never been pushed to move in these unorthodox ways before.  It was like learning a new dance.  I’ll report more about it as I learn what the heck he’s doing with me, but all I know is that this evening, every joint in my body is sore in the sense that it’s been pushed beyond it’s usual limit– in a good way.  But the exercise isn’t going to be my greatest challenge—I’m not a stranger to regular exercise at all.  There’s something way deeper here.

A Journey to Clear my own “Crap” surrounding my Carb Addiction

This Challenge has also made me become a more present, alert self-observer.  I listen to the cravings of my body from a 3^rd person-perspective, which is the only thing that has been helping me overcome them.  After our workout, I took my photographer buddy Tobin Smith out for breakfast.  I sat there, eating my fruit, bacon and eggs (no toast), watching Tobin down a stack of the most delicious looking pancakes I’ve ever seen.  Slathered with butter, drenched with syrup, he offered me a bite, and it took every single last bit of power out of me not to take one.

My lunch today: Spinach, romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, tomatoes, strawberries, raw beets, red pepper, cucumber, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, balsamic vinegar. To wash it all down? A spinach/banana/blueberry smoothie.

An interesting thing happens when you step out of your cravings and become and observer to them.  You realize that you are not your cravings.  They don’t have any power over you than the power you give them.  Most of us are so uncomfortable being uncomfortable, we go for the first thing we can reach for to fill the emptiness.  For some, it’s gambling.  For others, it’s a relationship.  For most, it’s coffee, alcohol, and carbohydrates.  Why?  Because these addictions are the quickest way to get the reward centers in our brain firing to cover up the emptiness and suffering.  Once we temporarily get our “fix”… it’s only a matter of time before we’re suffering again, and we spend our entire day/ life following this mostly unconscious pattern.  Does this sound familiar?

I made the decision to become conscious and aware of my suffering.  Then I realized that I’m not the one with the cravings.  Only when we are unconscious of them do our addictions run us to the point we can’t stop them.  When we have food addictions, our ego can become so unaware that it defends it’s right to be addicted.

“I deserve to eat this, I just worked out like crazy this morning, I’ll work out harder tomorrow, I’ll start tomorrow, I’ve already cheated today—I’ll just keep going” is what the ego says to justify succumbing to the craving.  I caught myself several times falling into that trap.  This challenge has been extremely enlightening for me.  When I awaken to the presence of the moment and become aware of my self and my body, I realize that I can overcome my cravings not by trying to make them go away, but by simply becoming aware of them.  I can feel them right now as I type, but again… that’s not me.  Who I actually am is the observer of the cravings, therefore I can be more powerful than them.  Interesting how you can use your greatest flaws as an access point for the magnificent present.  Some of you will know exactly what I’m talking about… others won’t have a freakin’ clue.

You just have to come up with a reason for yourself.  $500 is enough for me.  Do YOU have a “why” that’s big enough to make you healthy?  If you don’t, the day will come when you will be FORCED to have a why… and you can pray it won’t be too late.  As always, looking forward to your comments, retweets, share’s and recommends.  Let’s start a health revolution.  As I learn more about myself each day, I realize what someone has to go through to break the habit of being themselves. It’s quite challenging, and it’s quite liberating.

This way to the beach?

Ok, I know I’m not obese, but I’m just like you in that there’s always room for improvement.  After my ChiroMission trip, where you pretty much ate what was put in front of you, and if you didn’t load up on the breads and pasta’s you would starve, I admit that sticking to a healthy diet has been a challenge.  Things have been extremely busy with my many roles—Chiropractor in Maple Ridge, health and wellness coach and speaker in the Greater Vancouver Area, husband, father to my dog Lucy—it can get pretty exhausting…

Now enter my buddy Paul.  Paul is…. well, there’s no other way to put it… Paul is fat.  He’s not obese, but we’re both the same height, and he outweighs me by quite a bit.  Paul is a professional blogger, and makes money online, so he spends a great deal of time sitting on his fat ass (don’t worry– he’s a worse trash talker than me).  He calls me up a couple weeks ago and asks me to do a weight loss challenge.  You see, for Paul, the only thing that would entice him to stop drinking his 45 cans of coke with his 12 pizza’s per day is a competition.  If you look at his blog , dedicated to making money online, along with geeky online gaming stuff, you’ll see he went through a weight-loss challenge several months ago with another buddy, and lost 15 pounds in 10 weeks.  He even posted gruesome before and after pics.  Here’s the problem… Now, 5 months after the end of his challenge, he’s gained it all back, and then some… he’s even 5 pounds heavier than when he began.  So basically, he’s using me to lose weight. http://www.paulymath.com

He’s been texting me and taunting me all week.  We went to lunch yesterday to do our last bit of trash talking in person before the competition.  This is what I ate:

My Meal... Cesar Salad with diced tomatoes and chicken... with water.

And this was Paul’s meal:

Soup, Chicken Sandwich smothered in Mayo, and a Coke with a Refill.

So, the challenge begins today– this morning.  Now, 8 weeks is not a significant amount of time, but it’s enough to make some noticeable change.  Since we’re both at 2 different starting points, our goal is to lose 6% body fat from first weigh in, using a scale that makes a quick measurement.

The wager?  We’re putting on a $500 bet.  Whoever loses the 6% body fat in 8 weeks gets to keep their money.  It’s that simple.  If I fail and Paul succeeds, I pay him, and vice versa.  If neither of us succeed, then we both lose, but get to keep the money.  So essentially, we’re betting against ourselves.  Which increases our chances of success, because neither of us like to lose our money.  Only way to lose is if the other succeeds if you don’t.  And I have to warn you… Paul is a trash talker.  I’m not much of one, but he could piss me off enough to become one.  I’ve usually kept my blog posts clean and nice but the gloves are coming off.

So why am I doing this?

First of all, I have wanted to get back in shape since my ChiroMission trip and my trip to New York where we indulged in every thing I wanted to because “I was on vacation”.  Sound familiar?   I’ve been slacking on my diet and exercise.  This would be the perfect opportunity.

Second, I’m now pushing 35, and even though I’m not considered as “fat” per se, I have always resented my love handles and belly fat and would like to get some control over it.  The older you get, the tougher it is to shape up. Instead of putting it off to later… why not now?   I have to laugh, because I was always the skinny kid in high school, even in university, and now I’m having to “battle my bulge” publicly.  To give me more of a reason, it’s a fact that high belly fat is a very reliable indicator for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes… a perfect recipe for early death.  If you are reading this and you got a huge gut, there’s a great chance that you’re going to die earlier than you have to.

Next, I have a confession to make.  I, like most people in the world, am addicted to carbs.  I teach people about healthy lifestyles for a living, so I understand the challenges that my patients and clients go through.  This is an opportunity for me to take charge of my addiction, and exercise my self-control, and make a radical improvement to my already active lifestyle.  I’m contemplating having a “cheat day” in the week, vs. cutting bad carbs completely.  I’ll make it up as I go along.  Any suggestions on what’s worked for you?  I’ve never really done this before.

This will also help me with my congruency with my patients.  Life is a struggle sometimes, and so is self improvement.  This will help me understand what my patients and clients are going through, and to help them see that I go through the same challenges they do.  Plus, it’s easier for me to look myself in the mirror in the mornings when I am living what I am teaching.

One of my biggest reasons for doing this is for the Average Joe who’s in the exact same boat as me.  I know that as you are reading this, many of you know me personally… you will say “heck if he can do it, I can do it too” and this might inspire you to make some changes in your life too.  I would encourage you to leave your comments and photos if you’re brave enough.  I want to show you that if the desire is there, and you simply add a few healthy habits, the bad habits will want to fall away.

So here are my gruesome “before” pics.  I realize I’m not going to be on the cover of men’s fitness magazine anytime soon, but we’ll see how much I can do in 8 weeks, and then again how well I do during the holiday season after the competition is over.  Warning.  These pictures are not for the faint of heart.

He is a loathsome, offensive brute, yet admit it... you can't look away.

Gotta look sad in the "Before" pics. For the "After", I might even tan and wax the persian rug off.

I plan on taking you with me during this journey, and teach you as much as I can, as I learn this process from a first-hand perspective.  My goal is to give you tips and strategies on getting healthy, losing body fat, controlling your cravings, and taking control of your health by mastering your own mind and your body.  Please feel free to share with others, enter your email to receive updates in your inbox, and of course “follow” me and “recommend” this blog on twitter and facebook. Results of Day 1 Weigh-in are in the video below.  Let’s get this show on the road.  Game time.  Your fat ass is mine, Paul.

Weight: 172.2 pounds

Body Fat: 21.9%

A "Post-Adjustment" smile was the typical gift we would receive after sharing our gift

After returning from our ChiroMission trip in the Dominican Republic, I felt compelled to share our photos and videos to help raise awareness for the need for all of us to get out of our environments from time to time and look at the big picture in our lives.

We all go through our ups and downs.  We have anxieties, depressions, joy, pain, and it seems that we are in an endless pursuit of happiness.  This desire sometimes can keep us from being present and grateful.

I have a confession to make.  I had the busiest summer of my life.  I was working so hard at the office, doing so many talks, that it left little time for me to do other things I enjoy– researching, writing and traveling.  I was getting bogged down by the daily grind of running an office, managing patients, and staff, and there were some moments when I felt that I lost my connection to my purpose and mission.

So, selfishly, I decided to volunteer my time and my wife’s time to helping others.  The confession is, I did it all for my own benefit.  I did it so I could uproot myself from my current daily activities as a Chiropractor in Maple Ridge, and go somewhere that was extremely different than where I live, and experience life in an entirely different way, and get some perspective, and become an observer, and pay attention and be present.

It worked.

We went to remote villages, schools, and even villages with Hatian refugees that were displaced there after the earthquake.  We were working in areas of poverty that most only see on television.  And as we “touched” the lives of these people– we realized that they were touching our lives even more.

I’ve now returned with a rejuvenated sense of purpose for the work I do each day in order to educate, to inspire, and to grow and develop in myself to assist in the transformation of the lives of others.

Here’s the video that Maria put together along with some of the fantastic photos she has taken which many of you have already seen on Facebook.  I wanted to thank her publicly and acknowledge what a huge part she had to play in the entire experience.  Without her there snapping photos and taking videos, I wouldn’t be able to share my experience with the world.  Thanks for all your comments and support.  More videos will be up shortly regarding a little orphanage we saw and were so inspired by– so please share this blog with others who would be interested, leave comments, and if you want to receive more blogs and info on health, diet, and stress management, enter your email on the side, and don’t for get to click on the “Like” and “Follow” buttons on the right hand panel.

“Nima, I need you to do a salsa performance demo with me on Sunday the 19^th,” pleaded my friend Alessandra 2 weeks before the event.

“Sure, what’s it for?” I asked.

“It’s for a charity benefit for the Dr. Peter Centre.  It’s kind of a big deal.  You know who Dr. Peter is, don’t you?”

I was too nervous about performing for the first time in months to appreciate her question.

“Sure, I’m up for the challenge”.

The Dr. Peter Centre is a centre dedicated to helping rebuild lives that have been affected by HIV and gender and sexual orientation discrimination, among a variety of other things.  It gives an “integrated” model for individuals to help them cope.

The evening was a blast.  Lots of great food, generous donations, a ton of laughter fom a brilliant-and-unapologetically flamboyantly gay emcee, and the highlight of the evening– shirtless firefighters.  Add our short and sweet salsa demonstration—it was a fun evening.  I was handed a DVD on my way out.

When I got home, I decided to pop the DVD in to see what all the fuss was about.  I didn’t expect to an Oscar-nominated documentary of a life-changing story.  Have you seen it?

Dr. Peter Jepson Young was a family doctor from Vancouver.  Now, if you’ve been keeping up with my blogs, you’ve heard me be very critical of the medical system.  As a passionate chiropractor in Maple Ridge, you’ll often hear me voicing my resentment towards Big Pharma and the way they manipulate doctors and the unconscious public.  I have the utmost respect for Dr. Peter, though… this man wasn’t doling out drugs by the truckloads—he was fighting for his life in a time where AIDS and homosexuality weren’t publicly supported the way they are now.

In 1986, Dr. Peter was diagnosed with HIV.  Forced to retire from practice by his debilitating symptoms, instead of shrinking into obscurity, he began a weekly diary that was broadcast nationally on CBC.  His mission was to educate the public about HIV/AIDS, homosexuality, and “blog” about  the challenges with his downward spiral of health and vitality.  Dr. Peter was raw, courageous and authentic.  He spoke of his discovery of his homosexuality, the denial that his parents went through as a teen, and the conversation about what his wishes would be when he finally passes on.  I was moved to tears on several occasions as I saw how he made the conscious decision to keep going on with his life and living it to the fullest.  Even after going blind (which happened within the first several episodes) you see him gliding down the slopes of Whistler mountain on a pair of skis.

His doctors estimated he had 9-14 months to live.  He refused to let his diagnosis become his identity or reality.

He said “AIDS is not a focus in my life.  It tends to be a bit of a nuisance.”

Tears poured down my face as I saw him describe his symptoms with such courage.  Week after week, you could see his gradual deterioration.  He would talk about what’s going on in his body at the moment, when his blood bacteria counts were dangerously high, when his Kaposi’s Sarcoma would be acting up, when his eyes were losing their sight.

He was on a mission.  He used his misfortunes as an opportunity to educate.  By the last episode, he was wheelchair-bound.  He broadcast 111 episodes and lived for 6 years after he was diagnosed before his body finally succumbed to the deficiencies in his immune system.

I thought about what this man inspired in me:  Staying true to your mission, having courage to speak your truth publicly despite having critics, and being at grace with your vulnerabilities.  We could all learn from him.

On one episode, Dr. Peter shared that his mother, being a religious woman, was having a tough time with the fact that her son would be afraid to die because he had no belief in God.  This got him discussing his spiritual beliefs.  While on a trip to Long Beach in Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island he was connected with nature, observing the surf pounding on the beach, when he climbed up on a rock and layed on his back, and suddenly in a moment of grace, came up with the most inspiring affirmation I’ve ever heard in my life in any given context.  For one, the affirmation applies to me and you and everyone on this planet regardless of their religious beliefs, and second, because two weeks ago, I was on that exact same beach (See photos) and I had a similar spiritual experience although not quite as eloquently described as Dr. Peter.  He died in 1992 at the age of 35, less than 1 year away from my own age at the writing of this blog.

I leave you with his affirmation.  I have been saying it every day since Sunday and it brings me inspiration each and time I read it and it puts things into perspective for me.  I know it will do the same for you.

But before I log off, I encourage you to watch his 45 minute documentary and learn from this courageous man what can be accomplished if you come face to face with your own mortality.  There is wisdom to remembering each and every day that your days are numbered before you turn into dust.

What would you do with your life if you knew that you were now living on borrowed time and your quality of life depended on what you ate each and every day?   Would you make time to exercise and go out in nature if you knew the enjoyment of your day (and life expectancy) depended on it?  Would you start to pay attention to your mind and what you thought about?  Would you sweat all the small stuff the way you do now? How would you spend your time?  What fears would you overcome?  What message would you share?  (Feel free to share.)

Thank you Dr. Peter, for inspiring me, and sharing your truth so that others could waken from their unconscious state about HIV/AIDS and homosexuality.  It was an honor to be a part of your benefit sharing our salsa dance, and I look forward to working with the Dr. Peter foundation again in whatever capacity I can in terms of Health and Wellness/Lifestyle education.

Dr. Peter Jepson Young’s affirmation

“I accept and absorb all the strength of the earth to keep my body hard and strong.

I accept and absorb all the energy of the sun to keep my mind sharp and bright.

I accept and absorb all the life force of the ocean to cleanse my body and bring me life.

I accept and absorb all the power of the wind to cleanse my spirit and bring me strength of purpose.

I accept and absorb all the mystery of the heavens, because I am a part of that vast unknown.

I believe God to be all of those elements and the force that unites them.

From these elements I have come.

To these elements I shall return,

But the energy that is me will never be lost.”

-Dr. Peter Jepson Young

please feel free to comment and share.

When was the last time you thought “wouldn’t it be great if I made more, if I just got my degree, if I just got that job, if I could only find a relationship,” and then you got it… only to realize that it wasn’t as glamorous as you thought it was going to be?

This is the entire story:  Even when you get THERE, there will be other factors, consequences, frustrations, challenges, drawbacks you might not have thought about.  That’s why the expression exists.  Because, as Anaxagoras said in 500BC “Nature never experiences one-sided events.”   Nothing is one-sided.  When my intentions came to pass and I experienced the “other” side, I used to think “oh, it’s not what I thought it was– I’m still not happy,”  and then I graduated to something else to desire and my never-ending pursuit of happiness continued.

When we put our dreams into perspective, we would be wise to foresee the downsides of making our dreams a reality.  You may think this is “negative thinking”, but deep down inside, you know there is truth to it.  Think of what your dreams would cost you—what area of your life needs to suffer to make your dreams a reality—and go for it anyway, if it’s TRULY a high priority for you.

Nobody ever accomplished anything magnificent without it costing something.  Remember, if it doesn’t cost you, it’s not valuable.

So you want to be wealthy?  Make it a priority and decide where you would pay the price to be wealthy.  Is your financial health worth the pain of saving?  For most people it’s not—that’s why they live paycheck to paycheck.  The cost of building wealth and saving money is much too high for a great number of people.

So you want to be healthy and vibrant?  Is your health worth the pain of exercising, eating right, making healthier choices (should I eat the watermelon, or the chocolate-chip banana bread my wife just baked for me?)  Is it worth the money for organic foods, the gym pass, the Chiropractic care, The colonics, the massages?  For most people, it’s not worth it—that’s why so few are healthy and chronic illness is on the rise.  The cost of living a healthy lifestyle is much too high for a great number of people.

So you want to be enthusiastic, hopeful, and fulfilled in your life?  Is your mental and emotional fulfillment worth the time and expense it takes to learn life-skills to deal with adversity and stress, to attend seminars that ask some difficult questions that might challenge your beliefs about who you are?  For most people, it’s not worth it—they just can’t seem to make the time to learn and study these tools– that’s why there are so many depressed and anxious people on medications, who aren’t aware of their purpose, who are deteriorating emotionally, who are victims to their environment rather than co-creators of their world.  The cost of emotional magnificence is much too high for a great number of people.

So you want a dream relationship?  Is having a fulfilling relationship worth the effort it takes to nurture, to spend time with your loved one, to plan “date nights”, to learn the priorities and “love language” of your partner, to study and learn communication and consultation skills?  Is it worth the pain of being truthful and authentic with yourself, with your shadow and sharing it with your partner so they understand the real you?  For most, it’s not worth it—that’s why there are so many unfulfilling relationships.  The cost of relationship magnificence is much too high for a great number of people.

If you want it bad enough, you will think about it and see and feel yourself as though you were in the present-time ownership of your dream. There are only a certain number of hours in a day, but you will manifest what’s a high priority for you—whether it’s health, money, or relationship/career fulfillment…. But be careful what you wish for, because you will get it, and it will still present it’s challenges.

Watch this video.  I just came across it from Esther Hicks, who believes that the prophet Abraham speaks through her.  I still think she’s a bit nutty, but again, her explanation here has wisdom, humor, and depth.  And her answer to the question the guy asks about why he’s not rich yet is so bang on.  I would add something to “Abraham’s” answer:

-Acknowledge that the reason why you haven’t made a lot of money yet is because it’s not a priority—you are not prepared to pay the price of becoming wealthy. (Believe me when I say there is a price to pay for it—this is not a limiting belief).

- Change your beliefs and values—and your life changes.

Would you agree or disagree?

Just an FYI—if you want to discover your values and learn how to take control of your emotions and your life—or you are already in the know but want to kick it up a notch or 3, check out my upcoming Stress and Life Skills events and join us if you are in the Greater Vancouver or Maple Ridge Area.  I get a kick out of teaching people how to get what they want and deal with the consequences of actually getting it.

Looking forward to your comments…

Let’s leave my previous Coca-Cola addiction behind– that was a dark time in my life when I look back on it.  You know how your teeth feel after you’ve downed a can?  That rough plaque that seems to form in seconds after you’re done… like you can literally feel your teeth rotting?  Still, I thought they were yummy.  I had to have at least 2 cokes a day.  Lunch and dinner.  Gotta drink my pop.  It wasn’t a real meal unless it was downed with soda.

Then I started to do my reading.  Wow.  This stuff is poison.  Only problem: It’s delicious.  What to do what to do… Well, I saw this video and it literally cured me.  I had posted it on a previous blog entry, but it’s worth checking out again.  Now, I only drink maybe 5-10 glasses of pop PER YEAR… still it’s too much to be honest, but at least it doesn’t have a hold on me anymore.

So what’s the solution?  I know… Diet soda!

I bug my family members all the time.  The research on Aspartame is nuts.  It’s on Dr. Mercola’s website– well worth it to sign up and read.

Some new information from a New Study on Diet soda drinks, and how the brain gets confused when it tastes the sweetness and doesn’t get the calories it expects.  Dr. Marie Savard says that if you are dependent on the stuff– consuming ONE DRINK OR MORE A DAY, you’re increasing your risk for Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke, not to mention WEIGHT GAIN– the very thing most people who drink diet sodas are trying to avoid!   As she says, “if you are consuming one or more drinks per day, you should re-think what you’re doing.”

Watch this!

What’s the real solution?

How about some water please?

(I know– you feel like a soda, don’t you– shame on you.)

I sit here in the Emergency room waiting for a doctor for my wife.  It appears that she’s having a severe bout of appendicitis or an ovarian cyst rupture.  Persistent, worsening pain in her right, lower quadrant, pain that comes in waves.  Touching her abdomen sends her through the roof.  She’s cursing at me like a sailor.

How ironic is this?  Me, one who is extremely critical of the medical system is knee deep in it—and turning to it for help.

Medicine’s genius is in FIRST Aid.  Emergency care to prevent impending doom is where the magic of the profession is.

People come from all walks of life in to see me, and a lot of them are in acute care… sometimes even emergency situations… A great majority of them, we as chiropractors help them along, make them feel better, teach them to live in better ways, and sometimes miraculously after an adjustment, or a series of adjustments, they feel like a new person.

But in this case, I feel powerless. My wife, now resting, was screaming, writhing in pain, so I have no choice but to turn to the First Aid experts to do what their major strength is—help prevent impending doom.  And I humbly step aside for them to work their magic.  This is likely going to be a surgical case.  Ironic that I make my living provide the means for my patients to avoid drugs surgery at all costs.

As I sit here in the Emergency unit, I’m surrounded by people who are at their worst.  As my wife is now high on morphine, she’s fast asleep, and I’m constantly interrupted by beeps and coughs and sounds of vomiting and moaning patients.  The staff here appear to be miserable.  I don’t blame them.  The long hours, the suffering they are surrounded with.  Our environment does have a great deal to do with our pain.

From my research, I know statistically that 75-90% of all problems that people are in here for are lifestyle related.  These are conditions related to how we eat, how we move, and how we think.  The major killers?  Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer, and Adverse Reactions to Medications.

I can’t help but think of how that means that about 8 out of every 10 people who are in here could have prevented their need for being here. What’s worse is that the majority of people who are around me are already on copious amounts of medication—I overhear them listing all the medications they are on.

Our doctor’s offices are jam packed every day because people aren’t taught the why’s and how’s of what keeps them healthy and what makes them sick.   That’s because the system isn’t equipped for that.  While there are many places to go to get a diagnosis and a treatment, there aren’t too many places that will teach you why you got there in the first place and what role YOU have to play in getting yourself out.  That is too time consuming, and it’s not very profitable for the drug industry.

Doing research, attending health conferences, changing my own lifestyle habits… I was made aware that the only way our healthcare system can survive is to have LESS SICK PEOPLE.

This, fortunately, is not in the hands of the sickness care “health care” system.  It is entirely in your hands.  It is in the choices that we make every single day in how we eat, move, and think that will determine if you will be dependent on the system (drugs and surgery) or you will leave the system to what it is really there for:  First Aid.

My focus has now changed from “treating symptoms” to “teaching and helping the individual create health.” Using the logic of turning on light to remove darkness instead of focusing on the dark, I teach classes now in my office about lifestyle—how to eat, how to move, and how to even think– because people still live under the illusion that their genes control their health.  Even though it’s now been proven in science that your genes are not your destiny (as was the “Central Dogma” of Medicine).  It’s now undisputable in the literature.   Your environment, (how you eat, move, and think), not your genes, determine how your body expresses health or disease.

Let me give you an example:  When you are under any stressor, from family, to work, to even dietary stressors like too much processed foods; your body goes through a “fight or flight” response, liberating a great deal of energy triggered by the lower brain into an emergency protective mode.  Like a tiger chasing a gazelle, the only thing on the mind is survival for both lion and gazelle for that temporary time—just until the chase is over, and the gazelle returns to safety.

The gazelle, 20 minutes later, returns to grazing, and the tiger returns and rests shortly after, but we humans are so intelligent that we have the ability to re-live that lion attack

over and over again, day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade.

Now, we don’t have to worry too often about being chased down by a tiger here these days—unless you’re on a safari… But we are programmed to react exactly the same for our own version of tiger attacks—Family stress, work stress, lack of feeling of control of our environment, insecurity, divorce, financial pressures, low self esteem, resentment, anger, victimhood.

We re-live these emotions and repetitively wire our nervous systems with this damaging biochemistry, year after year, and our health falls apart—and we run to the doctor for an answer.  We line up in hospitals and in doctor’s offices.  And we end up spending more and more money, year after year. We’re reaching a breaking point, and simply can not sustain what we’ve created.   We call them chronic “medical conditions”, it’s but I can show you beyond the shadow of a doubt that 75-90% are simply the body making a

normal response to our lifestyle and thoughts.   And the system is designed in such a way that the only solution is in the form of a test, a pill or a knife, which has been proven to do a little to deal with the symptoms, and NOTHING to deal with the cause.

So what’s the solution to our long hospital waits (it’s now been 6 hours already and we haven’t seen a doctor—let’s hope her Appendix doesn’t rupture in the meantime–if it’s appendicitis)?  Simple:  LESS SICK PEOPLE.  And that, my friends, is not in the hands of a doctor.  It’s in your hands.  Everyone knows they should drink less alcohol, stop smoking, exercise more, eat more veggies, control our stress, etc.  But the problem with our system is that it doesn’t teach us the why or the how.

When you realize that you simply can’t express your health potential without exercise, and you are taught how to slowly incorporate it in your sedentary life, change becomes easy.

When you realize the processed foods we are eating are toxic, and how our cells respond to the deficiency of proper nutrients in our fast-food diets, and then we are shown how to overcome our food cravings, change becomes easy and the pounds start to fall off.

When you realize that just as your thoughts have the capacity to make you sick, your thoughts also have the capacity to help make you well—once you’re shown how to get out of survival mode and into creating the life you want, change becomes easy.

Sitting and talking endlessly about our problems re-creates the emotions, biochemistry, and physical illness patterns.  When we are taught how to overcome our fears, guilts, anxieties, and depressive patterns of thinking with some simple tools, we can heal the mind (and then the body) from all sorts of dis-eases.   Instead of blaming our current misery on what happened weeks to decades ago, we can learn to be grateful for what we have NOW.  And our biochemistry begins to change.

Far less costly on the system and far more effective than anything the system could offer, If these lifestyle changes could be bottled and sold in pill form, it would be the next blockbuster drug.   These changes have been shown to cure diabetes, reverse heart disease, and heal cancer.

But they’re not available in pill form.  They’re choices that require empowering yourself rather than being a victim to your environment or heredity.  A difficult choice for most of us, but without taking action personally on this STARTING TODAY, our collective physical, mental, and financial health has ZERO chance of survival.  It’s that serious.

It’s the reason why I’m dedicating my life to teaching how to create wellness and avoid the use of drugs or surgery, rather than treat disease.   The biggest challenge my patients face is not how to change–  It’s making the time to do it.  The hopeless cases are all the ones who “never seem to have the time”.  Even though they have all the resources I may offer at their disposal, from wellness chiropractic spinal care, to exercises, to attending classes on posture and stress:  “I’m just too busy.”  And then eventually their body seems to force them to make the time.  And I watch them deteriorate year after year.  So it fuels my passion to teach.  “Doctor” in Latin doesn’t mean “pill pusher.” It means “Teacher”.

Side note:  It’s now 2 in the morning, and the doctor has just come in and narrowed it down to 3 possibilities:  Kidney stone, or Appendicitis, or Ovarian Cyst Rupture.  Since CT scans have high levels of radiation, we’ve elected to do an Ultrasound in the morning.  Took us 8 hours to get to this conclusion—and now we have to wait another 7 hours for another test to determine the next course of action.  I’m staying with her in the hospital and I write this amidst the moans and screams of other suffering people.  My heart goes out to them because I know many of their problems are preventable if they only took the time to learn how. Here’s a list of how most of them could have avoided being here in the first place:

1)   If you want to be more alive than dead, eat foods that are more alive than dead.  Find resources to teach you strategies how to overcome your food addictions.

2)   When you wake up in the morning, don’t get out of bed without first thinking about all the things that you are grateful for, and what you would love to create in your day.  If you don’t take time to do this, your day will be filled with things you will be ungrateful for.  Guaranteed.  Re-program healthy brain/body biochemistry by THINKING WELL—Think better than how you feel.  Learn strategies to deal with the inevitable adversities of relationships and of life.  Everything begins with a thought.

3)   Keep your spine moving with exercise.  50% of all body movement nerve pathways are in the spinal joints and if it doesn’t move sufficiently, or it gets stuck, you could be in a great deal of trouble.  See your chiropractor regularly to keep it moving properly.

4)   Balance your movement and rest.  If you don’t get enough movement and exercise in your day, or you don’t get enough sleep—your cells become resistant to insulin—which has been shown to be the underlying root cause of all chronic degenerative illness—diabetes, cancer, heart disease, aging, osteoporosis, even mental disorders like Alzheimer’s and depression.

The hospital is a horrible place to be, but thank God it’s there in emergency cases like the one Maria finds herself in right now.  Doctors and nurses can be heroes.  But when we turn to doctors and nurses to treat diseases caused by poor lifestyle choices—we are playing with fire, and it’s a game we can’t win.  I’ve dedicated my life to teaching strategies on how to dramatically reduce our need to ever play.

P.S.  Turned out to be a ruptured ovarian cyst, and Maria is home recovering beautifully.  We elected for no surgery, and it turned out to be the right decision.  Many thanks to the doctors and nurses and Paramedics at Burnaby Hospital, and to our friends and family for their support.

Walking among the Great Pyramids in Egypt, I realized that what was built over 5000 years ago has stood the test of time because of vision and a goal, mixed with action and deliberate intention.  We forget that in order to get anywhere or accomplish anything worthwhile like the Pyramids, all the souls involved in such an endeavor have to go through fears, frustrations, health issues, anxieties, dramas, family issues, and disappointments.

We forget that just because we’re going through some turmoil, these experiences aren’t just nuisances… they’re part of the things that create our story, what makes us interesting, what makes us who we are.

I had my own fears to face when I left– I had fears about leaving the office for a couple of weeks– that leaving would deter me from the million things I had to do, planning my talks, patients who needed follow up, etc.  I have been afraid for so long that I didn’t go on a honeymoon because I didn’t want to leave the office!

Little did I realize that simply leaving the comforts of my home, getting a rampant case of what the Brits call “runny tummy” that affected us all, having some great (and sometimes not so great) experiences with my family and friends and meeting some of the friendliest (and yet most pushy, most aggressive, and sneaky buggers) people in the world would cause me to grow and learn so much about myself and others.

The highlight had to be witnessing with my own two eyes what the ancients could accomplish because of devotion to their beliefs, their mission, and their purpose.  Walking amongst the Pyramids inspired me to share some of my thoughts of what we can consider when thinking about what we want to accomplish in 2010.  And it made me grateful for the comforts of my home, my patients, clients, students…..and solid bowel movements (in no particular order).

If anyone is thinking of visiting Egypt, my suggestion to you is to be extra cautious when crossing the streets of Cairo!  And get comfortable bargaining and negotiating!  Thanks to Nazila, James, and Mo for making our time so memorable.  Please watch this footage from the Pyramids and if you watch it till the very end…There’s a message for you from a friend we met at the Pyramids… Looking forward to your comments.

Fear is an incredible thing.  Sounds crazy, I know… but think about it.  Your fears can be the driving force in your life.  Fear of failure drives many to succeed and go the extra mile.  Fear of poverty makes us become better savers of money.  Fear of going to a “hell” or a “hellish” afterlife can cause us to become very kind and generous to people.

In my case fear of chronic illness, getting obese and unattractive, and fear of early aging all serve to drive my mission and purpose:  To research and find ways of getting healthier, stronger, happier, more balanced, more fit, and more youthful.

In my own quest of running away from my fears, I serve others and make a living by teaching, treating, adjusting, coaching, and speaking to others about how to avoid the things I fear.

THANK GOD FOR MY FEARS.

But fear has it’s downside–I’m sure you’re well aware.

Fear, in it’s extreme cases, can cause such a level of anxiety that instead of pushing you forward, it holds you back.

It holds you back from being the best you can be with all the talents you’ve been given.

There is something you know you really want to be doing—would LOVE to be doing with your life RIGHT NOW.  I know because there isn’t a person who I have met or coached that doesn’t have an inner voice that propels them to do something very cool with their lives, whether they’re aware of it or not.

Not only that, but add on the daily fears— fears that are so constant, and so part of who you are that you walk through your life in a constant state of panic, as though your life is in continuous danger.

The problem with this high level of anxiety is that if left unchecked and unresolved, it could build up to the point that you have a panic “attack” where you suddenly feel like you’re at the end of your rope.

If you’ve ever felt this way, you’re not alone.  Everyone feels varying degrees of fear, anxiety, and depressive states.  It’s all part of the human experience.

The question is, what are you going to do about it?

If you’re like most people in North America, you could end up in a medical doctor’s office, who has training in recognizing signs, symptoms and labeling states of disorders and different states of adaptive physiology.  But be aware…. the only treatments they are trained to offer in medical school are MEDICAL ones.

My biggest challenge in my chiropractic practice is seeing patients in chronic pain, who also happen to be on anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication.

Though they come to me to “relieve their pain”, I find myself wanting to delve into their underlying emotional root causes in addition to their symptoms because I’m seeing more and more how the two are intimately linked together.

Luckily there is help for those seeking to start their inward–bound journey to awakening their own inner healer.

We have a “Law of Attraction for the Advanced Manifestor” seminar that will make you go inward like you’ve never gone before.  Please do not attend if you expect a “here’s the secret to happiness” seminar.  There’s no such thing.

But if you are one of those seeking an awareness and a path to overcome whatever fear that stands in your way to fulfilling your relationships, your career, you mind and body health, and your finances–that’s basically our target audience.

I was lucky enough to discover at a young age that our coping mechanisms for our fears, anxieties and stresses aren’t skills that ever get taught in school.  In school, I learned how to type, but I didn’t learn how to handle relationship conflicts with friends and family, and most importantly, myself.

What happens when we allow our fears to take control of our lives.

My mission is to teach these skills to children and adults around the world in one-on-one and one-on-many form to empower people to realize that their thoughts, perceptions, lifestyle choices, actions, and foods that they eat play a more significant role in shaping their health than anything else in the world.

In the meantime, I’ll just keep using my fears to my (and your) advantage.

So what can YOU do about it?

Aside from going inward and learning more about yourself in courses and seminars, it would be wise for everyone to take the time and ponder on some empowering questions:

1—What is my greatest fear?

2—What are the benefits of me living with this fear? (They wouldn’t be there unless there were some benefit you’re getting out of it)

3—What is this fear costing me in my relationships, career, in my physical, emotional, and financial health?

The problem is, we seldom take the time to ask ourselves these important questions.  And our mind/body health can deteriorate because of it.

Click here to see date and location of “Law of Attraction for the Advanced Manifestor” class (scroll to bottom)

This amazing discovery can be enjoyed out of the comforts of your own

The results of this study should get you excited enough to get out and start moving!home or neighborhood. It's so amazingly simple, and so under-utilized. This "Cure" is so profoundly effective that there is no other remedy or therapy that can rival it. Here's what it can do:

• Prevents up to 91% of cases of obesity and type 2 diabetes (obesity and diabetes costs $519 MILLION DOLLARS per DAY in the U.S)
• Prevents up to 50% of all cases of Heart Disease (Heart disease kills 950,000 people per year, and accounts for 41% of all deaths, and costs 501 MILLION DOLLARS per DAY in the U.S)
• Reduces the risk of stroke by 25-30%
• Prevents up to 50% of all stroke deaths
• Reduces Congestive Heart Disease deaths by 63%
• Reduces hospital readmission for heart failure patients by 71%
• Normalizes blood pressure
• Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure
• Restores and maintains heart and blood vessel health
• Restores and maintains normal cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• Reduces risk of breast cancer by up to 60%
• Reduces pancreatic cancer in overweight people by 50%
• Reduces lung cancer in smokers by up to 72%
• Reduces melanoma cases by up to 72%
• Prevents up to 50% of colon cancer
• Reduces risk of and improves rheumatoid and osteoarthritis
• Prevents osteoporosis (just the fractures from osteoporosis costs $38 million per DAY in the U.S)
• Increases strength, flexibility, balance
• Decreases gall bladder removal by 20%
• Decreases gallstone formation
• Improves digestion and decreases indigestion
• Improves bowel function and elimination
• Increases immune system function
• Increases macrophage (anti-tumor) activity and anti -oxidant levels
• Decreases all cause mortality by 67% in general population
• Decreases all cause mortality by 50% in 61-81 year-olds
• Prevents up to 47% of cognitive impairment
• Prevents up to 62% Alzheimer’s and 52% of dementia
• Provides better physical function in older adults
• Decreases chance of ever being in a nursing home
• Decreases rate of aging
• Enhances learning capacity up to 12 times
• Increases Serotonin levels (“feel-good” hormone) many are taking prescription pills to enhance
• Decreases Depression by 20% (including relapses)
• Decreases stress and stress hormones (that break down the body)
• Increases Growth and Healing Hormones
• Decreases Risk of weight gain and obesity

You might be asking what can do all these things, and where the heck can I get it?

(Ref: Booth et. al.  Waging war on physical inactivity.  Using modern molecular ammunition against an ancient enemy.  Journal of Applied Physiology 93:3-30.)

This amazing “Cure” is Physical Activity and Exercise. Most of the studies that were referenced in this Journal article were referring to studies looking at WALKING FOR 30 MINUTES, 5 DAYS PER WEEK!

The saddest part of what I see every single day in my office is when

Who would have thought this miracle cure is so simple?

people are coming to me with all sorts of chronic conditions, and I see on their case histories illnesses and disorders created because they don’t get out and exercise.  They’re fat, on all sorts of prescription pills, diabetic, and don’t get any exercise, and always seem to be needing to go to the doctor.   I’m not even talking about going to the gym either.  I’m talking about a simple walk each day.  It’s getting increasingly difficult for me to be politically correct and keep my mouth shut with certain people.  I started blogging as my own therapy for dealing with those types of patients, so I don’t p__ off too many people and drive them away from my office.  It isn’t working.  People are still looking for that Miracle cure/quick fix for their mind and body disorders created because they don’t eat, move and think well.

Good for the Brain, too?

Pleasure Centers of the brain that are stimulated during exercise and movement of the spine (also stimulated during chiropractic adjustment)

We all know why exercise is good for the heart and lungs.  But why does it affect your mood, your brain, and mental health?  Because in your Spine and Nervous system, there are receptors involved in movement and pleasure pathways, and they are connected to your brain.  When movement in your spine is stimulated, the brain receives stimulation which acts as nutrients that are needed to function in a normal healthy manner.  Without this “nutrient”, an optimum state of health is not  possible.  That’s also patients feel a sudden mood change when receiving chiropractic care.  Chiropractic adjustments help to restore that connection between brain and body and to stimulate those pathways (through mechano-receptors).

I want to make a correction:  Walking is not a “cure” for any medical condition.  We’re so immersed in an allopathic, treatment-based medical society that we get ourselves sick and dis-eased, then we look for answers on the outside.  What I’m trying to tell you is that we get sick in the first place because we haven’t done what’s necessary for our cells to express health and wellness.  ”Medical conditions” (what really does that mean anyway?) occur because of a deficiency in movement.

Healing can be defined as any movement towards balance and homeostasis– and this movement can begin with a simple half hour walk per day.  It costs you nothing, and it will save your life.  That’s why you won’t hear about it on any advertisement.

Show me a pill that can do all that.