Now that we’ve covered what I feel is the most significant secret to a balanced life, joy. Let’s get into some very practical but necessary tips to insure your life is full but effective. And as you’d imagine they cover some lifestyle choices.
If you missed our last post on secret #1, then before you read any further click here.
Secret #2; Daily disciplines that are simple, effective and affordable. Your “toolbox”.
The best analogy I have for the tips that I am going to share is adding critical tools to your toolbox of life.
These tools you absolutely need, they are the bare minimum.
Yes, there are more tools out there and if you have the time, money and discipline to add more then by all means go ahead BUT I am going to be keeping my recommendations as short and simple as I can.
[ctt tweet=”The average person is doing their best just to keep up, so adding too much is a recipe for failure. – Dr. Jenkins” coverup=”OemVX”]The average person is doing their best just to keep up, so adding too much is a recipe for failure.
So let’s dive in, here are the tools that are critical for success.
Tool #1 Your weekly chiropractic adjustment and regular home based exercises to keep your posture on track.
This may seem like an obvious one coming from a corrective care chiropractor but it’s more than me just telling you that what I do is important for your success.
It’s neuroanatomy. It’s just the way your body works.
There are (at present) over 1000 Pub Med studies that show poor posture increases mortality. And it’s not from a sore neck and back. It’s from a host of conditions from lung disease, heart disease, spinal degeneration and arthritis to digestive disorders.
[ctt tweet=”There are (at present) over 1000 Pub Med studies that show poor posture increases mortality.” coverup=”3k45T”]
If you don’t keep your nerve system healthy you will eventually suffer. And all the other things you are doing to get your health on track fall flat without a health nerve system.
Tool #2 Simple but practical nutrition strategies.
No where in health circles is there more “over the top” and expensive strategies than in the area of nutrition and supplementation. For more on supplementation, click here.
a.) Eating clean
Smart nutrition starts with eating as clean as you can, organic may not always be available but if you can get local, spray free you are well on your way.
Avoiding grains and move towards more healthy fat’s in your diet is another ground rule for success.
Get your carbohydrates from veggies and start consuming lots of healthy fats from fish oil, coconut oil, avocado, and other great sources of healthy fat. Even cheese.
b.) The intermittent fast
Another practical solution that has been gaining ground in the last 20 years is the intermittent fast.
Pick a day of the week where you can go from supper the night before to supper the next day without eating a substantial amount.
Focus on hydration on this “fast” day. A good trick is to take several tablespoons of coconut oil during your fast so your body runs ketogenic. It will also fool your brain to think you’re not as hungry as you are:)
[ctt tweet=”It will also fool your brain to think you’re not as hungry as you are:) – Dr. Jenkins” coverup=”He6KP”]There are huge benefits to intermittent fasting and hey, you get lots of extra work done on those day’s you can power through lunch:)
c.) Simple supplementation
Keep your supplements to the essentials. Here’s the short list;
- 5000 mg of quality fish oil a day
- 4000-6000 IU of daily Vitamin D3 liquid
- a daily tablespoon of coconut oil
- a good quality pharmaceutical grade multi vitamin (gender specific)
- 500 mg of curcumin (tumeric) each day
- add a probiotic if you can do it without breaking the bank. A randomized control trial in December 2015 showed that probiotic supplementation decreased body fat in people independent of exercise.[ref]Supplementation with two probiotic strains, Lactobacillus curvatus HY7601 and Lactobacillus plantarum KY1032, reduced body adiposity and Lp-PLA2 activity in overweight subjects. Saem Junga, Young Ju Leea, Minkyung Kima, Minjoo Kimc, Jung Hyun Kwakc, Ji-Won Leed, Young-Tae Ahne, Jae-Hun Sime, Jong Ho Lee. Journal of Functional Foods Volume 19, Part A, December 2015, Pages 744–752[/ref](so imagine if you exercised too!)
d.) Water
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. . . for all the reasons you need to hydrate and how you can hydrate more effectively click here.
Tool #3 Exercise every day and include mobility exercises as one of your workouts
There are no “day’s off” but what you define as a workout may need to change.
Did you know that the most effective exercise for longevity is walking? 60 minutes a day with 15-20 minutes of that walk being up hills or stairs that take your breath away is all you need.
I also recommend taking 2 of those day’s in your week and skip the walk to do some mobility and strength training.
Simple stuff like core exercises, pushups, squats and then flexibility exercises like we teach in our 100+Fitness Advanced Mobility Class. To watch it on our YouTube Channel, click here.
Everybody needs a wise mentor.
I really believe that your best health and lifestyle mentor is a great chiropractor. Today’s chiropractic is all about a balanced, practical approach to life.
If you are having trouble finding a chiropractor in your area that specializes in what we talk about in our blog then connect with us.
Leave a comment below or contact us at our office (250-870-9136) and we’ll try our best to connect you with a chiropractor in your area that does corrective work and freely offers the “added value” advice and insight that we all need if we are going to live a long and healthy life.
For 120 years our profession has lead the way in common sense health solutions. We’d love to get you connected with a doc that will help you live the 100+Living Plan.
