Precision Chiropractic

NeuroStructural Chiropractor

adaptability

Longevity: What Really Matters?

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What does it take to live longer? 

Here is what the science says:

1. A high V02 max equates to decreased mortality over time. In layman’s terms, the better your body is able to get oxygen into your system during exercise the longer you will live. This means having healthy lungs and a strong heart. (Don’t smoke, exercise more) Link here.

2. Low grip strength is a better predictor of mortality than high blood pressure. Link here. According to this study, each 11-pound decrease in grip strength over the course of the study was linked to a 16% higher risk of dying from any cause, a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease, a 9% higher risk of stroke, and a 7% higher risk of a heart attack. (Add resistance/weight training to your exercise regimen)

3. A higher HRV (heart rate variability) leads to exceptional longevity. Your heart rate variability directly reflects the autonomic nervous system (particularly the parasympathetic nervous system.) This means that if you have a high HRV you have a high-functioning autonomic nervous system. Link here. Why is this important? Your autonomic nervous system regulates, controls, and coordinates all the unconscious functions of your body that allow you to maintain homeostasis—a pretty big deal. You can measure this through many different fitness trackers, including the Apple watch. (Measure your HRV, and develop HRV-friendly habits such as lowering alcohol consumption and stress management.) 

When you are making your New Year’s resolutions this year, consider what matters most to your longevity and make a change! 

Keeping It Simple

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In the current climate, it is hard to find answers about how to be healthy. You can always find competing ideas and opinions on just about every issue. If you go to “Dr. Google” to look for a simple and concise answer, you are more likely to be overwhelmed by information and leave confused and frustrated.

There is also the question of authority and whether an institution has gained and earned our trust. Not only is it challenging to sort through the information, but it’s also hard to trust those distributing the information. Furthermore, the pandemic has created a greater sense of urgency. Have you noticed that people are paying closer attention to their physical well-being? I have. This actually might be the silver lining of the pandemic: the reprioritization of our health.

So, where does this leave us? I think it leaves us with hope. 

Sometimes the simplest answers are usually the correct ones. In our dizzying information age, it’s important to remember the basics. Eat nutritious foods. Drink water. Exercise daily. Sleep well.

Take care of your body. Be proactive. Too often we get consumed and distracted by disease. It is more worthwhile to focus on what makes us healthy. 

Focus on improving your heart rate variability, a measure of your body’s adaptability. Measure your body composition. Track and measure your resting heart rate. Buy yourself a fitness tracker. 

It is not very sexy or earth-shattering to say you need to eat a well-rounded diet or to exercise routinely but it’s nevertheless essential. The answers are simple, so keep it simple. 

Doing the next right thing over a long enough period of time will get you the results that you are looking for. 

Keep it simple for as long as possible!

Credit Where Credit is Due

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Let me tell you a secret…

Doctors get too much credit for their patients getting well.

How well does a procedure or medication work on a cadaver? I know this seems like a weird point to make but stick with me here. What is the difference between a cadaver and you and me? The cadaver is missing the innate, self-healing life force that is present in living beings. The same life force that knitted you together in your mother’s womb. This life force is what mends our paper cuts and repairs broken bones. No matter what degree a Doctor has, no matter how much schooling, they can not replicate this healing ability. 

So give credit where credit is due, and pat yourself on your back! Don’t get me wrong, modern medicine is amazing and has saved many lives. But we need to remember the best Doctor there will ever be is the one that lives inside of us.

Pathogen vs. Host

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On October 17 at 5:04 pm a 6.9 magnitude earthquake rocked central California along the San Andreas fault system. This earthquake was captured on the live broadcast of the 1989 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics. This natural disaster caused 63 deaths, injured 3,800 more, and caused an estimated 6 billion dollars in property damage. Brick buildings crumbled, freeways crashed down, a section of the Bay Bridge collapsed, and the Marina neighborhood sank as the ground turned to quicksand as a result of the shaking. The reason I bring up this history lesson is that I see many parallels to our current crisis. Of course, there are obvious differences, but I want to point out a few key takeaways that can help us presently.

Earthquakes are natural. They are the tax we pay for living on Earth. Viruses are also natural. They are also a tax we have to pay for living on Earth. The very specific environmental requirements that are needed for human life to exist are also what allow viruses to exist. This means through our evolution (or creation), we have to be able to deal with these viruses and other bugs to survive. As I mentioned previously (click here for last week’s newsletter), this built-in adaptability is what allows us to be the most dominant species on the planet.

So here is the question that I will pose: should we focus on the host or should we focus on the pathogen?

Going back to the earthquake analogy we are using today, should we focus on stopping earthquakes or should we focus on building homes and offices with strong, reinforced foundations? The buildings that were not up to code or very old endured the bulk of the damage. 

Thinking in terms of either/or is convenient for our thought exercise, but in reality (thankfully) it can be a both/and situation. 

But what’s the proper ratio? On Facebook, Twitter, and the nightly news, nearly all the attention is spent on the pathogen and not the host. 

It has been very easy to feel helpless during this crisis but we have the opportunity right now to take better care of our bodies, allowing it to perform at its best. After the earthquake in 1989, there was a massive effort to retrofit old buildings to make them more earthquake resistant. New building codes and policies were put in place to prevent the same level of devastation in the future. In addition, there were advancements in technology to provide early detection and communication. 

Earthquakes will never go away and neither will viruses and bugs. So let’s spend more time on building strong buildings and bodies so that the next time disaster strikes, we will be ready.

What to Believe

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WHAT TO BELIEVE…

If you have been paying attention (who hasn’t?) surely you’ve come across a myriad of different opinions and theories about what is happening. Some are wild and easily dismissed, some seem to be rooted in sound reasoning, and some appear factual and undeniable. You may have discovered these theories on Facebook, on the news, or during the President’s daily briefings. Every day brings a new angle or article about COVID-19. There is a lot to sort through. It can be tough because we are all biased consumers – we see things through the lens of our own experiences and belief systems. We are not immune to political persuasions and personal constructs. This is why I want to share what we know.  

Here is what we do know:  

  1. The human body has a built-in defense system against bacteria, viruses, and other unwanted invaders. You don’t make it to the top of the food chain, spawn great civilizations, and inhabit every corner of the globe without it. The nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system give us all a highly effective means to adapt to any external factor, including the climate, altitude, environment, and various bugs and viruses we encounter along the way.
  2. This isn’t the first time this has happened, nor will it be the last. The Spanish Flu, The Black Death, Russian Plague, and the Great Plague of London are all examples throughout human history where we have been challenged in this way. BUT…there is no other point in history where we are more capable of dealing with this challenge. Clean water (indoor plumbing, seriously valuable!), sanitary practices, technological advances in communication and medicine, and a deeper understanding of what makes people healthy are all advantages that we have now. 
  3. The better you take care of yourself as a matter of routine, the better your body will be equipped to ward off invaders. This doesn’t only apply today as we do all we can to avoid serious illness now that there is a more tangible threat. The lessons we are able to glean from this period of “reset” that humans around the world have found themselves in can, and should, be a catalyst for introspection. If we’re being wise, we should all emerge from this experience having made lifestyle changes that support our body’s ability to heal and thrive. Don’t rely on the latest medicine or the government to save you – there is no replacement for being healthy naturally. 
  4. We, as a society, need to redefine health. Health cannot simply be a lack of symptoms. Even the World Health Organization acknowledges this and defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health isn’t found at the bottom of a pill bottle or in the latest and greatest surgical intervention. Health is, and will always be, your body’s innate ability to adapt and heal. It’s on us to shift our mindset and start looking at what it really means to be healthy so we can make better decisions for our future. 

It may be difficult to figure out what to believe. I know I’ve been having a hard time with it. The never-ending news cycle, simulations, and prognostications can make it very hard to know where the truth lies. My suggestion is to focus on what we actually know. If you do that, not only will you find good news but also a path forward. We do not need to be afraid. We’ve done this before and we’ve got all we need.

Want to Change Your Health? Change Your Perspective

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Do you want to change your health? It all starts with changing your perspective.

No, I’m not going to give you mantras or affirmations, nor am I going to tell you just think positive.

What I will do is point out something that guides how we make decisions about our health that is right in front of us but is something we don’t stop and critically evaluate.

Right now the conventional thought about health is pathogenic. In other words, it’s about the factors that cause disease. This method has very distinct characteristics and principles.

In a pathogenic mindset, you are either healthy or sick. The attention is directed toward the specific diagnosis of the specific disease of the patient. The focus is also aimed at the risk factors for the disease being considered.

The starting point is the disease or problem.

Now let’s try a new mindset.

The Salutogenic mindset. The word Salutogenic comes from the Latin salus (meaning health) and the Greek genesis (meaning origin).

A Salutogenic approach to health focuses on what makes us healthy instead of what causes disease. In this approach you are not either healthy or sick, you’re on a continuum in which you are moving towards health or towards being sick.

The attention is focused on the overall state of the health/illness of a person. Instead of just looking at the risk factors of the particular disease, the focus is on where the patient is on the health spectrum.

The starting point in this approach is the health potential of each patient instead of the patient’s disease or problem.

A pathogenic approach is reactionary. Decisions are made in response to signs and symptoms of the disease.

By definition, a Salutogenic approach is a proactive approach. Decisions are made to enhance each patient’s overall well-being.

Exercise, eating well, and taking supplements are all examples of a Salutogenic approach. Another familiar example is brushing your teeth and seeing your dentist regularly. Taking care of your spine and nervous system would be a less familiar example but can be essential in helping you realize your fullest health potential.

The next time you make any decision about your health, ask yourself, am I being reactive or proactive?

Am I focused on the disease? Or am I focused on creating health?

This change in your mindset can make all the difference.

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