Time for Self Reflection

A new year is upon us. Traditionally a time for making changes, starting anew and kicking those "bad" habits, this is an easy time to get down on ourselves with resolutions such as "I need to lose weight" or "I need to quit smoking" or "I need to quit spending money" or whatever your struggle is. This kind of focus puts a negative spin on your thinking and creates feelings of defeat, inability or "I'm not good enough." This year try something a little different. Reflect on yourself over the past year and remember the wins, the things you did right, the areas where you improved and take some time to feel good about yourself.

I have been working extraordinarily hard this past year at healing some tough emotional traumas from my past. I have been doing a lot of work with NET (neuro-emotional technique), hypnotherapy, core transformation as well as listening to a lot of positive audio CDs and reading a lot of positive books. I am surrounded by family and friends who love me and support me in my healing journey. Besides all of those things, I am blessed to work with one of the finest doctors and most supportive friends, Dr. John Wendt. I encounter daily someone who believes in me and is constantly keeping me thinking about how to heal and helps me see the positive side to just about any situation. (Thank you Dr. John, you have no idea.)

Dr. John and I had lunch today and talked about this very topic of self-reflection and continued growth. My plan is to sit down next week with my calendar from the last year and look back over everything that I did, at every trip I took, event I attended, speech I gave, class I took, deadline I made, project I worked on, every visit with friends or family. I am going to remember the fun times I had, the struggles that made me stronger and the love that I experienced. I am going to make a list of all of the wins I had over the past year and compare where I am now to where I've come from. This self-assessment will naturally bring up areas that I want to continue working on.

I encourage you to try this different way to closing out a year and starting a new one, with gratitude and appreciation for the year past and renewed spirit, hope and joy for the year ahead.

Happy New Year!
Cari

Physical Trauma

Physical Injuries are not properly cared for in our country. After injury occurs to the body or cells, the body will attempt to restore function as well as it possibly can. We can only repair damage if we have proper building blocks (NUTRITION) and proper instruction (NEUROLOGY).

The brain controls all function in the body. The only thing keeping the brain working is electrical signals being brought in from the environment, and the body works from proper signals from the brain. These signals come from our senses such as smell, touch, taste, hearing, sight, temperature, pressure, gravity and other feedback mechanisms from our organs, joints, and body tissue. The chiropractic adjustment of subluxations help to restore proper signaling from the brain to the body and the external signals to the brain.

This process keeps the brain working! If you do not see a chiropractor your brain is not working at its full capacity. We can not possibly feel our best until we are at our best!

Fill out this survey to see if your body and brain signals are working properly.

Fall Cleansing

I am in the middle of the Standard Process Purification Diet. I wanted to detoxify my body from a summer of fun and get ready for winter. In the past I have had difficulty doing cleanses. I have found myself to get quite emotional while doing a cleanse. There are a lot of attachments we have to eating, to getting what we want and getting it now (instant gratification) that it's easy to understand.

This is my 5th cleanse since I began working with Dr. John and I can tell you that it is getting easier! I have had very few cravings this time around. In the past, I have gotten a really bad headache when I start the cleanse that in the past lasted 3-4 days. This time, I had a mild headache that only lasted 1 day! Besides being a little bit tired, I have felt great! I am beginning to "get it" ... to realize how exactly I should be eating on a daily basis, the difference between excess and balance.

I have also experienced emotional cleansing as well. During my last NET (Neuro-Emotional Technique) session, I was able to connect to and process some really intense and deep emotional traumas and I have felt much lighter ever since. I have experienced a lot of anger for past hurts and present slights, but do not feel burdened by those emotions any longer. The liver is the organ that is most affected by anger, so it is appropriate that I do not feel so angry anymore. This cleanse has been so interesting and such an amazing step in my healing journey!

Cari

Sugar and Depression

I have been blown away by this concept. How we eat is killing us on many levels, and makes us feel bad along the way. Here is how it goes down.

Sugar and simple carbohydrates creates a neurological reaction and elevation of Dopamine (chemical in the brain for pleasure). Research shows repeated surges of dopamine, and long periods without eating, creates an addictive pattern.

These foods create elevations of blood sugar very quickly. This makes the body respond in a stress response and surges of insulin. Insulin creates elevations of serotonin (a chemical in the brain for stress reduction, and sleep).

Initially these responses create elevated mood. After continued stimulation of these systems, the body begins to run out of amino acids (from protein), Vitamin B6 (Veggies), Fatty Acids (Omega 3 Fish Oils) which make the brain chemicals to create dopamine and serotonin. This makes it very difficult to feel pleasure, get deep restful sleep, and reduce stress.

Elevations of free radical damage create allergies, skin problems, hair problems, digestive problems, even headaches and pain.

All along the way we begin to gain weight, hormones become unbalanced, energy reduces, less likely to be motivated to enjoy exercise or physical hobbies, even sex!

Chemically our brains can not create pleasure, sleep, or relaxation.

68 Different Antidepression medications, costing up to $588 per month as a prescription, and $20,000,000,000 per year as an industry (YUP 20 Billion). All of which have side effects which resemble the very problem there are meant to treat. If you or someone you know is on one of these medications, speak to a functional health doctor, or chiropractic neurologist ASAP! www.inspirelifechiropractic.com

What does it really cost us to change our diet habits, or food choices. Some of these foods cost more, but you will save money, energy, and yourself from depression.

Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is a problem with sugar metabolism. It is based on a macro diet of sugary foods like processed grains and dairy products. If most of what you eat comes out of a box bag or can you need to pay attention.

Common Symptoms:
Fatigue after meals
Crave sweets and salts after meals
Eating sweets does not relieve craving (ie insatiable)
Difficulty losing weight

When we eat simple carbohydrates (chips, crackers, muffins, pastries, pastas etc) or high sugar drinks and foods (diet drinks and foods with artificial sugars are even worse for this) cause a huge spike in blood sugar. Our body recognizes the extreme nature and releases insulin in high doses to put away all the excess sugar, often times dropping our blood sugar below a good range for function. Here comes the cravings for sugar or fatigue.

However, when we eat clean proteins and vegetables we see a slow breakdown of food and slow release of insulin, creating a longer satiety level and better support of blood sugar levels. Also benefiting from small meals more often to keep blood sugar stable and metabolism high. Light to moderate exercise can also stimulate metabolism and proper blood sugar support. Ten minutes of exercise after eating each large meal could keep metabolism and energy high all day long!

Another compounding effect of blood sugar problems comes from skipping meals (Breakfast especially) or going long periods without eating. This creates a starvation mode in the body which creates a storing effect after eating. Our body hoards the nutrients for later use because it doesn't know when the next meal may come. This ultimately slows metabolism and causes weight gain, insulin resistance and low energy.

Go to my website and find the symptom survey (metabolic) and fill it out and email it to our office or bring it in for a free consult to understand what your symptoms are telling you.

www.inspirelifechiropractic.com

Yours in health,
Dr. John

HCG is Easy!

I have been doing the HCG diet for 26 days now and I've lost 20 pounds! Amazing! I thought I would have a hard time considering you're only allowed to eat 500 calories per day and that's from a very specific list of foods. Well, it was difficult the first 3 -4 days, but my body was withdrawing from sugars and caffeine and all of the toxic foods that I had gotten used to. Once I got through that and got into a rhythm, I have found the diet to be quite easy actually.

I keep celery and apples around for snacks in case I get hungry but for the most part, I am not hungry and I don't have too many cravings (chocolate once in a while) and I have been able to get past most of those cravings.

I want to encourage you to try the HCG diet if you have stubborn weight to lose and nothing has seemed to be working. That's the boat I was in. I had lost some weight but was at a place where I just didn't seem to be able to improve any further. HCG has been very effective!

--Cari

Emotional Agreements

Have you ever read the book, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz? If not, it's a must read. I have never had our emotional reality put into a more simple understanding.

First Agreement:
Be Impeccable with you word.
~ Sounds easy, but can be the most difficult thing to do. Imagine being honest with everyone, even if it hurts them.

Second Agreement:
Don't Take Things Personally.
~If we take our mind off this key agreement, we find ourselves angry and resentful. People say and do things out of the unconscious programming of their past, often times we just represent the triggers, not the actual reason others are unhappy.

Third Agreement:
Don't Make Assumptions.
~We all know this one. If we assume we find ourselves without an umbrella. Clear and honest communication is vital to healthy relationships. All too often we assume the other person knows what we want, but mostly we just need to spend more time laying out our message so others may understand.

Fourth Agreement:
Always Do Your Best.
~Powerful when dealing with our own minds. If you have honestly tried your best, no more, no less, then you can not possible be upset with the outcomes. After all, it is OK not to be the best, as long as you have given your best.

I appreciate the agreements in this book for many reasons. As a Neuro-Emotional Technique practitioner, all of the Emotional Complexes are agreements made with ourselves from our past experiences. I highly recommend this book as a means of understanding your behavior, to help overcome your past, and move toward a life you really want. When we can not see the light at the end of the tunnel, Neuro-Emotional Technique is there to clear the path.

Call today to set up for a Neuro-Emotional Technique session. 5 Minutes can change your life!
303-678-1979

Love,
Dr. John

HCG Diet: Weight Loss

By now you have all heard of the miraculous diet which people are losing upwards of 25 pounds in 3 weeks.

For once rumors have been proven successful. The diet is called hCG, which stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin, a hormone which we all have in our body but seldom use. Mostly known in pregnant females for regulation of metabolism, this hormone can literally transform and reset your body metabolism. But be careful, there are lots of claims being made, and just like any fad diet from the past, things can get blown way out of control.

Here is the basics of how the diet works. Don't judge it unless you are fully educated on what the diet is actually doing inside your body.

There are 3 ways in which to take this hormone (Injections, Sublingual, and Homeopathic) Injections are just like they sound, intramuscular injections of a hormone. Effective, but needs to be monitored very closely by your medical doctor. Sublingual is a hormone liquid (usually taken from human urine) dropped under the tongue for maximal absorption. Again effective but just not for me. Lastly there are homeopathic blends. These are the hormones diluted out up to 60x's. This may appear to be less effective, but it most certainly is not. The benefit of hCG in homeopathic form is you only receive 1/60th of the hormone with equal results.

Now that we see each method is equally effective, it is up to you to choose. No matter which method you choose, you NEED to be monitored by a knowledgeable practitioner.

Understanding what is actually happening in your body to create this miraculous weight loss.

Step one:
Administer hCG for 3 days with a "healthy" heavy diet. (ie Eat lots of food) The body (Liver) is starting to ramp up its metabolism to burn off all the extra calories from the food.

Step two:
Continue to administer hCG 21-40 days, but now reduce caloric intake to 500 calories (Cutting out all garbage foods). Sound scary? Do not be alarmed, as you only take in 500 calories per day, your body with burn fat to create the additional caloric needs of the body (up to 1700 calories). It is very important to stick to the strict guidelines of the diet, specifically what to eat, not eat, supplements to take/avoid, even what you put on your hands, face and body.

Step three:
Now that we have lost all this weight, we must set this metabolism into our biological rhythms of the pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands. This step will consist of 21 days of a strict diet. Basically this is the way we should be eating. After this point you can repeat the process until the goal is reached.

Does this sound easy? It is definitely not for the faint at heart, literally. Even though this diet is boasted as a miracle, it most certainly is not. As you burn off fat in the body, one has to ask themselves the question, why was the fat there in the first place?

Most of America is overstressed, under appreciated, unhealthy, and overly toxic. Each of these things creating habits of overeating, increased cortisol, emotional eating, eating poor diets, and not taking a break from all the garbage to detox or fast. Once the fat is burned off, do all of these things simply stop? No, they do not. So what do we do?

Folks, we have to change our way of thinking!

In our office we promote lifestyle changes during the diet. We encourage our patients to continue eating healthy. We teach how to do that. We detoxify the body during the process to support weight loss permanently. We support your bodies specific needs of nutrition and herbs to support your organs which become overloaded. Organs like your liver, gallbladder, kidneys, stomach, and adrenal glands. Most importantly we help reset the stuck negative emotions associated with eating. This is the only way to see permanent change while doing this miraculous diet.

I hope this message finds you so you can find us.


Here's to a new you!
Love,
Dr. John

Live in Gratitude

I often feel the stresses of life just as all of you do. In my life I take time each morning to reflect on my day and appreciate the joy that can be associated with each.

A local nurse named Diane Sieg came up with this handy tool to start your day off right.
First thing in the morning after a quick bathroom break.
5 Minutes of reflection on the day to come.
5 Minutes of Praniama breathing (Alternate nostril breathing)
10 Minutes of Yoga
5 Minutes of Meditation
5 Minutes of Journaling

At first when I began this daily routine, I was met with the stress of time. When is the 5 minutes up? Am I going to be late getting to work? Did I give myself enough time? Do I have enough time for this?

After bringing this up in a NET session, days later, my affliction with time was no longer present.

Several other stresses presented themselves to me during this process, and with a little NET, I have overcome many of them.

Recently I have noticed that my 5 minutes of reflection is actually exciting. Praniama breathing feels invigorating. Yoga feels soooooo good just to get moving and wake up. The meditation is some of the deepest rest I experience. And best of all, Journaling has allowed my to be thankful, and connect to this world in a very relaxed demeanor.

Thanks Diane!

Love,
Dr. John

Mind Body Connection

Have you ever noticed when you feel crappy, that your mood goes out the window as well? My favorite part about being in the health service industry is that as I allow a person to improve their health, their spirit changes, and they begin to enjoy life once more. One of my newer patients has been coming in for the last few weeks and she has a very meek and timid personality. I thought that was who this person was. However, when she started to improve the function of the lower back and pelvis, she began to walk into the office with a great big smile. She began to joke around with the staff, and best of all, she stands taller and has more enthusiasm for life.

I guess that is why I called my practice Life Chiropractic. Because when you're not feeling well, you simply can't Live Well.

She ended her last appointment with, "I'm glad you are younger than me, so I can come to you until I die." Which now will be a very long time.

I love my Job!

Dr. John

Purpose

A funny thing happened to me at the gym today. A guy mentioned Tiger Woods and all the media coverage of late. I smiled and simply said, who are we to judge one of the greatest, most successful golfers in all of history. After all he is just a man. We are all flawed.

Which brings me to my point of this entry.

pur-pose: (noun) The object for which one strives or for which something exists; an aim or goal.

All too often we fall into a pattern-- get up in the morning, brush our teeth, and go out into the world to work, play, or simply survive. As pleasure driven creatures we are created to enjoy life. If we are not fulfilling a purpose we are more likely to give in to the temptations of the world (sugar, alcohol, caffeine, sex addiction (Tiger), etc.) Seeing how one of America's best atheletes gives in to these temptations, will put into perspective how our society works. Without a doubt one of the most successful people is driven to do more, or have more, leading him to a path of temptation. I wonder what Tiger's true goal or purpose is in life. I wonder how much his talent directed his life rather than his passion or purpose.

What to do?

Well, each morning I get up and spend 30 mnutes each day reviewing my intention for the day, and more specifically my purpose.

My values: Integrity, Assertiveness, Patience, Balance, Health

Purpose: To educate and lead OUR community to fulfill individual POTENTIAL.

The Process:

• 5 Minutes of setting intention


• 5 minutes of pranayama breathing (Alternate nostril breathing)


• 10 minutes of yoga (Movement and stretch)


• 5 minutes of Meditation (quieting of the mind)


• 5 minutes of Journaling the thoughts or questions that came up for me

In doing this exercise, and making a commitment to follow up everyday, my days have been brighter and I have been more focused and clear.

Which brings me to my next point. COME TO MY LECTURE Entitled "Forgot Something? The Aging Brain" at the St. Vrain Memorial Building on Longs Peak Ave in Longmont, 7pm. This lecture is the basis for all experiences in life. Call 303-651-8404 to sign up.

--Dr. John

How Sugar Affects Your Health

We recently acquired a booklet for our office titled "108 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health" by Nancy Appleton, Ph.D.

Today's random fact from that booklet is #76 "Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance."

Do you suffer from:

• fatigue
• headaches with physical or mental stress
• weak immune system
• allergies
• slow starter in the morning
• afternoon headaches
• crave sweets
• unable to stay asleep
• unable to fall asleep

These are just some of the common symptoms of hormone imbalance. You may want to examine just how much sugar is in your diet.

42 Days of 10 Minute exercise

I find myself 12 days past the 30-day challenge with no intention of quitting the 10 minutes per day. Actually, I'm trying to figure out how to get another 10 minutes in during another part of the day... potentially at lunch time.

Before I began working for Dr. John, I had been a stay-at-home mom who suffered from depression. This was "B.C." (before chiropractic) and I followed the doctor's orders which were to take an anti-depressant. After several years on the drug and not really feeling like it was helping the issues, I worked to get off of the medication. I had heard that exercise is as effective if not better for treating depression but had never tried it until Dr. John challenged me to the 10-minutes per day amount.

After 42 days I can say firmly that I believe exercise is absolutely better than medication for most depression. I feel great! I have a much more positive attitude, I am able to handle emotional situations with more of a level head. I am also more energetic.

I encourage you all to give it a try. I know you can find 10 minutes per day! See how you feel!

Day 29

Tomorrow will make the 30th day of my 10-minutes per day challenge... I will keep doing it. I have felt so many benefits from this program and don't want to stop feeling them. The biggest thing I've noticed is more mental clarity, positivity and focus. I also start the day with more energy.

I hope you all are doing well with the program and finding the same benefits as I am! Let us know how you are doing. Send us an email at 1lifechiropractic@gmail.com

Have a healthy day!

Day 13

I managed to get out of bed today and do my 10 minutes plus crunches. I'll be honest, I was really tired and didn't want to do it. But I did it anyway and I felt better afterward.

I know sometimes you just don't FEEL like it but if you can set that aside and do it anyway you'll feel better.

Keep it up!

Cari

10 Minute Challenge

Hi everybody!

Im so proud of those of you who are joining us in our challenge. It will begin to change your life and stimulate your nervous system to balance out stress. After all we can not live without physical stimulation to the body. Let's get out there and live.

Quote of the day, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

Have fun and be creative.

Love,
Dr. John

Cari's Perspective, 10-Minute/30-day Challenge

In planning out the 10-minute, 30-day challenge with Dr. John, I got started on Jan. 31 so I'm on day 9 and I can tell you I feel so much better! The first thing I noticed was an increase in energy both physically and emotionally. I have so much more energy throughout the day and I feel better about myself.

I generally get up in the morning before the rest of my family and work out for 10 minutes on my elliptical. (Up until now it had been a very expensive clothes rack!) I also recently purchased a few exercise DVDs that claim to have 10-20 minute workouts on them. I haven't tried them yet but I will let you know how they go.

When I work out on the elliptical, I try to go as hard as I can but still be able to finish the ten minutes. I've been gauging myself as far as distance to be sure I haven't dropped down in speed and I try to go 1/10th of a mile farther each day as a personal challenge. Some days I make it and some I don't but I've always managed to do the 10 minutes.

I have also been doing about 5-6 different variations of abdominal crunches in sets of 10 each day. I'll tell you, my sides were angry at me after the first few days but they aren't sore now. And I did 2 more sets this morning, bringing a total of 8 sets of 10 crunches!

I feel so much stronger, more energetic and more capable of doing things. I know you can find 10 minutes in your day to do a workout. I encourage you to do it and feel so much better! Let us know how you are doing.

30 Day, 10 Minute Challenge

Everyone can find 10 minutes in their day. You spend that long or longer getting a latte or watching TV. I'd like to challenge everyone to get in one 10-minute moderate to intense workout per day for 30 days and see how it changes your life.

Some ideas for quick workouts: jumping jacks, jump rope, running, eliptical, etc. or utilize an exercise video. How about using all those cable channels and tune in to a fitness program? They are free, you can stay home, there are many options, usually equipment-free. If weights are needed simply get out a large can of soup (organic and salt free of course). If we get some responses, maybe I will get motivated to make exercise videos!

This is my workout for today which took me about 20 minutes:
60 squats (one legged), maybe advanced for some.
Leg press machine 60x's, just another form of a squat.
60 step ups onto a bench, with weights.
Hamstring curls, leg extensions, and calve raises
Full leg extensions (AKA donkey kick), Hip adductors, Hip abductors
Ending the workout with the most intensity--
Deep squats with a medicine ball onto a swiss ball, then standing and tossing the medicine ball 9' up catching squating then standing and tossing. 100x's
Followed by 100 mini hops (calf).
Then 50 medicine balls squats, 50 mini hops, 25 medicine ball squats, 25 mini hops

I realize this is advanced. I have been working out for 20 years. For all those who haven't been as active. Start SLOW! Simply walk 10 minutes everyday, increase speed or add inclination. Perhaps climb some stairs for added intesity.

This challenge is for everyone to join in. With increased cadio function we see less fatigue, less stress, and most importantly, more JOY. Lets start changing our course of health and life and really enjoy what OUR LIFE POTENTIAL can be.

More to come so stay tuned. We will be kicking off this officially the day after Valentines Day, Monday February 15th. Email us at 1lifechiropractic@gmail.com for more information or tips to start you off on the right foot.

by Dr. John Wendt