Enjoy!

1. Go for a nature walk or hike!
Bring the kids, pack a picnic, and explore the great outdoors! One of the reasons I love living in Ottawa is because all of the great hiking and walking trails. Plan your hike ahead of time by researching the trail online. Most public trails have information concerning the degree of difficulty, length of trail, and additional activities offered. If you live in the East End of Ottawa I strongly suggest visiting Mer Bleue’s Bog boardwalk. Learn about Canada’s wetlands as you walk the 1.2km interpretative trail. Want to burn more calories? Extend your stay and walk the 6km trail through surrounding forest.

2. Take a walking tour of the city!
Though travel may not be in your cards this summer, who says you can’t be a tourist in your own city? Most big cities have walking tours that you can join for a relatively decent price (many offering discounts to families). See the sites that your city is famous for and learn the stories behind them, all the while burning calories! Most walking tours last anywhere from 1-2 hours and run throughout the day during the summer. They are a great way to get to know your city, as well as get some fresh air.
And for those of you who like to be spooked check to see if your city offers a Haunted Walk tour. Get exercise while following your tour guide through the dimly lit streets and stop to hear scary ghost stories along the way. Booooo!

3. Go to the beach!
For those of us living in Ottawa, going to the beach isn’t something we do often. But why not pack a picnic, some towels, and volleyball and head to the water. Swimming might not be an option, but burn calories by walking along the shoreline, or playing a pickup game of volleyball. Just because we don’t live in California doesn’t mean we can’t act like it!

4. Join a summer sport’s league!
Joining a sport’s league is a great way to meet new people and get fit! Go online and search for adult recreational sports teams in your area. In the summer months there are a variety of outdoor sports you can join. Volleyball, flag football, golf, kickball, soccer, softball, and ultimate Frisbee are just some of them offered in the Ottawa area.

5. Row, row, row your boat (gently down the cannel)!
In the warmer months consider joining a rowing club to get fit and be social. Do it recreationally or competitively, but prepared for team work! Ottawa is a prime place to join a rowing club, the Rideau cannel runs through the city’s core making it accessible to people coming from both the east and west end of Ottawa.

6. Go Bicycling!
Most cities have rentable bikes located throughout the city. Grab a bike and ride off into the sunset.

7. Find your zen!
Find a yoga centre that holds classes outside. We all know how beneficial yoga can be, breathing in some fresh air while doing it is even better.

8. Go to a water park!
Your kids will love you for it, and there are two great water parks in the Ottawa area.  Where does keeping fit come into play? Walking from the parking lot to the park’s entrance is exercise enough (haha), not to mention all of the swimming and stair climbing you will be doing.

9. Try something you’ve never tried before!
Be adventurous go rock-climbing, zip lining, whitewater rafting, or paintballing. These types of activities get your body moving in a non-conventional way. Be safe though! Go online and find out where you can safely experience your wild side.

10. Put your walking shoes on!
It’s nice out. Get out and get moving. Walk around your neighborhood or go downtown for a stroll around the city. And when walking isn’t enough jog around your block to your favorite playlist. Summer is only here for so long. Enjoy it!

Note: For those of you who live outside of Ottawa there are plenty of outdoor activity resources available online. Play tourist and visit sites like tripadvisor.com. Sites like this list a variety of activities available in your area.

Do you have any other ideas you can add to the list? Let me know below!

During his research, John Erb, author of ‘The Slow Poisoning of America’, discovered that in hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies. They make these creatures morbidly obese by injecting them with MSG when they are first born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and perhaps humans) to become obese. Shocking, isn’t it?

What’s even more shocking is the amount of foods that contain this harmful substance. Take a look through your kitchen pantry and refrigerator. Are any of the following in there?
• Campbell’s soup
• Lays flavored potato chips
• Ramen Noodles
• Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper
• Heinz canned gravy
• Swanson frozen prepared meals
• Kraft salad dressings
Given the poor reputation of the substance, most companies are not likely to contain MSG in their listed ingredients but it doesn’t mean that it’s not there. “Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein”, “Accent”, “Ajinomoto”, “Natural Meat Tenderizer”, and “Natural Flavoring” are all names for Monosodium. So, while the products listed above may not list MSG as an ingredient it’s there, just concealed by another name.

Most of us are aware of MSG presence in Asian take-out food but did you know that it’s also in most other fast foods?
• Burger King
• McDonald’s
• Wendy’s
• Taco Bell
• Denny’s
• Kentucky Fried Chicken
All of these restaurants have items on their menu containing MSG! What’s worse, most will deny that they do and can get away with is because MSG isn’t a listed ingredient.

So, why is MSG in so many of the foods we eat?
In ‘The Slow Poisoning of America’, Erb states that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body.
MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their products. It makes people choose their product over others, and makes people eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn’t added. Using MSG, in this case, makes sense—well, at least from a corporate standpoint. If consumers become addicted to certain products then obviously, they will be buying more.

The Scary Facts
Since its introduction into the American food supply fifty years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to the pre-packaged meals, soups, snacks, and fast foods we are tempted to eat every day.
The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food and claim that it is safe to eat in any amount. But how can they claim it’s safe when there are hundreds of scientific studies indicating that there is a link between obesity and MSG? And that’s not all!
Many of the studies mentioned in John Erb’s book link MSG to diabetes, migraines and headaches, autism, ADHD, and even Alzheimer’s.

Clearly, taking the precautions necessary to avoid MSG is important if you want to remain healthy. However, it’s no easy task; especially, for those of you dependent on quick, processed foods. My best advice is to eat as natural and organic as possible. And when that’s not possible, read the ingredient label to ensure that there is little to no MSG in what you are about to consume.

1.  Bad sleep habits cause headaches

 Sleeping on your stomach or with your pillow bunched up is a sure way to a headache. What happens is that your neck becomes twisted for long periods of time as you sleep, putting pressure on the nerves, blood vessels and vertebrae in your cervical (upper) spine. That pressure sends messages to the brain that there’s something that needs to be addressed, and a pain signal is sent to your head. Presto! You have a headache and your neck hurts as well.

The solution is sleeping on your back with a pillow that supports your neck fully. You may also sleep on your side, but check with us at the office about the proper sleeping position that won’t create headaches. If you bring in your pillow to our office, I’ll check it to see if it’s part of the reason you have headaches. For example, a pillow that is too thin or too fluffy will contribute to headaches because it doesn’t support the cervical curve in your neck. The cervical curve is a natural S-shaped curve in your neck. If the pillow is too flat, that pillow flattens your cervical curve. If the pillow is too fluffy, it exaggerates your cervical curve.

In the past 20 years, chiropractors have used a complete range of cervical pillows to fit the necks of those who are young and old.

2. Too much caffeine and/or chocolate causes headaches

Scientists don’t know exactly what it is about caffeine that can cause a headache, but they do know that there is a clear connection. The big question is what is too much coffee? If you’re drinking six cups a day, that’s too much! Four cups a day is too much! Three cups of coffee a day may be too much as well. For some people, any coffee is too much; the caffeine triggers a headache and keeps them away from a headache-free life.

If you are drinking too much coffee, it’s important that you decrease your coffee consumption slowly. DO NOT STOP COFFEE COLD TURKEY! If you stop drinking coffee cold turkey, you will get a headache and it won’t be just an ordinary headache. It will be a monstrous headache!

The best way to cut your coffee consumption is to decrease slowly by 1/2 cup a day.

The same principle can be applied to chocolate. If you eat chocolate every single day three times, decrease it one time a day. Chocolate contains caffeine and you can develop that monstrous headache from its withdrawal.

3. A diet that contains too much monosodium glutamate (MSG), NutraSweet, Aspartame, diet sodas   causes headaches

Very clever researchers discovered that certain chemicals, especially MSG added to Chinese food is a strong headache trigger in many people.

Foods that contain MSG might not necessarily list “MSG” or “monosodium glutamate” on the label. Instead, you’ll see: hydrolyzed vegetable protein, natural flavorings, sodium caseinate, yeast extract, hydrolyzed yeast, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed oat flour, calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed protein. Protein isolates of any type may contain MSG, even soy protein. If you eat processed foods, it will be rare for you to see a label without one of these! Every fast food chain uses it in their food ingredients!

You may lose to gain. What I mean by this is that you may lose your present life in the meal department to gain a headache-free life. What you gain is learning how to cook and prepare foods from scratch. You gain the freedom to do things you couldn’t do before and you can do them without restriction. You gain the affection lost by family members who didn’t understand your headaches.

In a few months, you will have adapted so much to your new diet, that your family and friends will want to come over to see what you’re cooking that tastes so good! Natural food cooking is different than what it was like a decade ago. It’s easier to find cookbooks, share recipes, and find near ready-made alternatives at the health food stores and whole food superstores.

NutraSweet and aspartame are unnatural sugars synthesized in the laboratory. There have been thousands of reports about headaches and even brain tumors linked to aspartame.

The “sugar-free” label really isn’t so sweet after all. Avoid anything that has a list of chemicals in it! If you’re truly serious about eliminating your headaches, try one week without any chemicals. That includes diet sodas, which are nothing more than a chemical concoction!

When you go one week without chemicals, you will be amazed at how different you feel and besides that, you will have a week free from headaches. Tell me what happens because I will want to write it down so other patients will be motivated.

4.  Low blood sugar from not eating regular meals causes headaches

When you don’t eat regular meals, you get energy from stored fats and carbohydrates. This happens automatically in response to low blood sugar from not eating. Keep a journal of your diet and look for a pattern of headaches that appear when you don’t eat breakfast, skip lunch or dinner, or go to bed hungry. The best diet you can eat is one that supplies you with three meals a day and snacks in between.

5.  Low blood sugar from eating too many carbohydrate foods in a meal causes headaches

Carbohydrate foods are foods such as breads, pasta, cakes, cookies, candy, muffins, rice, beans, whole grains, tacos and tortillas. Starchy vegetables such as peas, corn, potatoes, acorn squash, and other winter squashes also contain high levels of carbohydrates. Milk products are another good source.

It’s okay to have carbohydrate foods in your diet, but limit them to a maximum of three or four servings per meal. Some people must limit them to one or two to become headache-free. Watching your diet for the number of carbohydrates eaten in any one meal can be a big revelation into why you have headaches. Too many carbohydrates cause headaches by raising insulin levels that lower blood sugar too fast and also increase inflammation in the body.

Here’s an example of too many carbohydrates in a meal:

Oatmeal with raisins, orange juice, a muffin, and an apple.

You may think that the oatmeal meal is a healthy meal but it contains too many carbohydrates. The headache-free breakfast would be oatmeal with milk and an apple. You could even add an egg to this new meal.

Here’s another example:

Steak, big baked potato with butter, green beans, peas, corn, salad, and apple pie a la mode.

Here’s your headache-free meal:

Steak, 1/3 to 1/2 baked potato with butter, green beans, salad, one-fourth slice of apple pie a la mode.

 6.  Low blood sugar from not enough protein in the meal or in the diet causes headaches

Many people believe that it’s not a good idea to eat red meat, so they eliminate it from their diet. Grass-fed red meat is an excellent source of nutrients, including omega-3 fats that prevent headaches! The problem is that when many people eat less meat, they don’t substitute other protein foods for the red meat. Other protein foods include fish, chicken, turkey, wild meats, eggs, cheese and dairy products.

If you don’t have enough protein in a meal, your body cannot repair itself. Without enough protein in a meal, the composition of that meal is primarily carbohydrates and fat. And we already know what too many carbohydrates in a meal can do: cause a headache!

Make sure you eat some form of protein at every meal. Even adding one or two eggs for breakfast can change your life and your headaches! See how good your day goes when you have enough protein! Eat at least three ounces (about the size of a computer mouse) at each meal and you’ll have the minimum amount you need each day.

7.  Food allergies cause headaches

Food allergies will trigger a headache quickly. If you’re allergic to a food, whether it’s yeast, milk, peanuts, wheat, or sugar, it’s possible that you will have a headache after eating that food. In children suffering from migraines and epilepsy, eliminating offending foods will result in a reduction of seizures.

What makes food allergies more complicated is that a food essentially stays in the body for four days so you could be reacting to a food eaten four days ago!

While you may not necessarily be allergic to a certain food, you can still be sensitive. Many of us are sensitive to foods and don’t even know it. Food sensitivities differ from allergies as a true food allergy requires the presence of IgE antibodies against the food, while a food sensitive does not. Nonetheless, symptoms can be rather similar. Oftentimes food sensitivities can result in fatigue, headaches, skin irritations, respiratory issues, nausea, abdominal cramping, and so on. It is important to remember that food sensitivities differ from allergies, and as such cannot be tested for in the same manner. If you have any of the symptoms above, ask your doctor or naturopath if they feel a food intolerance test would be right for you.

8.  Faulty elimination causes headaches

For a minute, think back to a time when you were constipated. How did you feel? Miserable! I must tell you how important it is to have a bowel movement at least twice daily. If you don’t, you are constipated!

What happens inside the body when you are constipated is not pretty! All that waste matter sitting inside your intestines is rotting! Forgive me for being so graphic, but I want you to understand this. There is a process in the body called diffusion that happens inside the cells that works like this: wherever you have a higher concentration of something, it will flow to an area of lower concentration. When you have a high concentration of wastes in the intestines, they start “polluting” the rest of the organs in your abdomen. This is part of the reason why so many men have prostate problems!

Those wastes in your colon are in such a high concentration that they start “flowing” to other places in the body. Countless patients have told me over the years that part of the reason why they got headaches was because they were constipated.

So stop carrying around those old meals as a suitcase in your colon and start feeling better. You will clearly have fewer headaches as a result. Some simple ways to do this:

1. When you get up in the morning, drink two to three 8-oz glasses of water within five minutes. This will result in a bowel movement within about 30 minutes.
2. Consume food high in natural fiber (such as various seeds, vegetables, and fruit)
3. Obtain a colon cleanse formula and use it for at least six weeks.
4. Take a probiotic daily for proper digestion and absorption and to maintain a normal flora.
5. Add 3 oz. aloe vera juice to every meal.

 9.  Dehydration causes headaches

Your body uses water to dissolve EVERYTHING except fats and fat-soluble vitamins. When you don’t have water, you can’t dissolve toxins and get them out of the body. Your blood has a high percentage of water. When your water levels are only 5% lower, your efficiency suffers by 30%. Aim for 1 oz. water for every 2 pounds you weigh. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you need a minimum of 75 oz. water per day. That’s equivalent to a little over nine 8-oz glasses water. If you drink three in the morning when you wake up, you only have six more to go for the rest of the day. That’s easy!

10.  Malnutrition causes headaches

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies cause headaches. I’m not going to go through every one of the vitamins and mineral deficiencies that do this because you’ll rush out and try to buy them. The problem with that thinking is that it doesn’t work. You must have balanced nutrition, a balanced amount of vitamins and minerals to make nutrients work. A good vitamin/mineral supplement plan is important.

11. Stress causes headaches

I understand that you may be experiencing a very difficult time in your life; during difficult times, there’s a lot of stress. For every problem, there’s a solution. Some of the top ways to beat stress are:

1. Exercise! When you exercise, you purposefully stress your body, teaching it how to overcome this stress. That’s why you feel so good after exercising!
2. Let all your frustrations be dissolved by taking a walk in the mountains or by visiting a lake or river. Go somewhere peaceful; the energy of that place will be transferred to you.
3. Play an instrument or listen to music or sing.
4. Pray.
5. Jump up and down on a rebounder and yell at the top of your lungs! With three or four screams, you’ll notice the stress is gone.
6. Add an extra B vitamin to your diet: pantothenic acid. This B vitamin, which is vitamin B5, helps support the adrenal glands and makes a big difference in stress levels in three days. Take 500 mg.
7. Laugh belly laughs!.

12. Processed foods cause headaches

 Processed foods cause headaches by causing inflammation; the more inflammation, the more frequent you’ll have headaches. The way that processed foods cause inflammation is by the chemicals in them called advanced glycation end products, or AGEs. These AGEs are worse than free radicals, causing mini explosive reactions inside the body’s organs that lead to aging, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and inflammation.

Once you commit to not eating processed foods, your life actually becomes simpler and you end up saving money on the grocery bill. Your lunch and dinner meals are similar: protein food (meat), grain, vegetable, and fruit for dessert. The simpler they are, the easier they are to prepare. For example, one meal could be chicken breast, brown rice, green beans with almonds, applesauce, and beverage.

While you’re cutting out processed foods, you’ll also start to notice that you aren’t aging fast anymore. Your waistline is returning without trying. You have more energy and more concentrated brain power. And you’re headache free!

Diet that Reduces Inflammation

A diet that controls inflammation is high in antioxidants from fruits, vegetables and foods in that category that are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Incorporate these foods in your diet and monitor the number of headaches you have.

Fruits:   Apples, acerola berries, fresh pineapple, guavas, grapefruit and rhubarb, kiwi fruit, lemons, limes, oranges, kumquats, black currants, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries and strawberries, papaya, cherries, and tomatoes

Vegetables:  Spinach, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, cabbage, bok choy, onion, leeks, garlic, green onions, broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, brussel sprouts.

Herbs & Spices:  Basil, oregano, mint, cloves, turmeric, cayenne peppers, chili peppers, parsley, rosemary.

Fish and Meats:  Cod, halibut, salmon, snapper, bass, whitefish, herring, trout, sardines, grass-fed beef, pork, naturally raised (not on grain) chicken and turkey.

Whole Grains:  Brown rice, whole wheat, buckwheat, barley, rye, millet, spelt.

Fats:  Extra virgin olive oil, avocado, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts.

Natural Remedies that Help Decrease Headache and/or Inflammation

Ginger

Ginger contains over 500 different compounds, many of them which are anti-inflam-matory in nature. Try a 500 mg capsule when you feel a headache coming on, or about one third of a teaspoon. Cook with ginger regularly. One simple recipe is to braise beef or chicken strips with broccoli and one-half cup diced or sliced ginger. Use pineapple juice as a sweetener in this dish.

Omega-3 fats

The average American has eaten too many omega-6 fats in their diet over the last 20 years that has resulted in a widespread omega-3 fat deficiency. Omega-3 fats prevent inflammation in the body. The tie in to a headache is that inflammation can lead to a headache. Make sure you have omega-3 fats in your diet by adding two to four capsules of 500 mg EPA withDHAdaily.

Antioxidant Vitamins

Did you know that increasing your vitamin C intake could reduce inflammation in the body by 45%? That’s what researchers reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in March of 2006. A level of 2000 mg is a good start to decreasing inflam-mation in the body that may be related to headache. You can always increase it later. Make sure, also, that you get at least 400 IU vitamin E in your supplements daily. Vitamin E is responsible for reducing inflammation of the muscles, which may occur in the neck and cause headache.

Magnesium

This vital mineral has been found in deficiency levels in those who have migraines. It’s an essential mineral for contraction of the blood vessels. Adding 300-400 mg magnesium per day is probably safe, however, without a hair analysis test to see where all your mineral levels are, you’re taking shots in the dark.

Feverfew

This herb has been used traditionally for treating headaches. Use as directed on the label.

Germanium

Germanium has been used to oxygenate the system and provides pain relief in many different situations. When using it, take it on an empty stomach, and never at the same time with any prescription medications. 200 to 300 mg may prove extremely helpful.

Now it’s Time to Eliminate Those Headaches

Remember that you must decrease all the reasons for having a headache in the first place, not just use a supplement as a remedy. Address the 8 health and dietary habits discussed in the beginning of this report and use the supplements to fill in the gap and you headaches should decrease. Keep in mind, however, that these tips may only address the symptoms, Chiropractic however can addresses the cause. I urge you to make an appointment today to visit your local chiropractor for your Headache Assessment and still living a headache-free live!

Dr. NathalieBeauchamp, B.Sc., D.C. is an Ottawa based chiropractor, a certified personal fitness trainer, a professional natural figure/bodybuilder, a wellnessconsultant, lecturer and local TV personality She is the co-author of the published book—Wellness On The Go: Take the Plunge- It’s Your Life! and the creator of the Roadmap to Wellness, an online coaching program, designed
to teach clients how to live a wellness lifestyle. She is the owner of Beauchamp Chiropractic: A Creating Wellness Center, and is the recipient of the 2009 Chiropractor of the Year award from the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance.  You can reach Dr. Nathalie’s Wellness Centre at 613-837-2883.

There are many new patients that come to my practice and tell me that they have tried everything and they can’t find anything that helps other then medications. There are natural solutions I can assure you!

Headaches can result from many causes, some serious and some not as serious. As a chiropractor, I do everything to insure that my patients’ headaches are not the result of serious disease. I set up a care plan that I believe will help address the root of their headaches once and for all. My goal is for my patients to be headache-free as fast as possible. Many of my patients begin their headache-free life shortly after their care!

It is important for you to make a commitment to start noticing the little things in your life that are contributing to your headaches. Some headaches are caused by your diet (I will talk about that in greater lenght in Part 2 on this topic). Have you ever noticed that sometimes after eating a nice dinner with a glass of wine, you get a headache? You may not have felt any stress during that dinner and everything was going very well when a headache appeared out of nowhere that sent you to bed early. Even though not every headache sufferers gets diet-induced headaches, a great majority does. That’s why part of your home care recommendations will be to monitor and alter your diet.

You will be able to find many diets online for headaches and all of them are different from each other. Some eliminate monosodium glutamate (MSG), others eliminate aspartame, and others eliminate tyramine. These diets have ignored some basic facts. What I’ve found is that there are certain dietary principles to follow that will address most of these – the MSG, aspartame, and tyramine simultaneously. Start here, and after you get these mastered, we can go further with individual diets later.

Chiropractic can help…..

How Chiropractic Helps…

Blood vessels, membranes, and cranial nerves in the brain and skull can become stretched, compressed, irritated, inflamed or infected for a variety of reasons we shall later discuss. If, and when this occurs a headache will result. Though popping an ibuprofen may dull the symptoms of a headache, the cause of the headache will not disappear. Chiropractic offers a natural, drug-free approach to combating headaches?an approach that targets and eliminates the cause.

As a chiropractor, I am one of the only health professionals trained to analyze your body for a serious and often ignored condition called, the Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSC). VSC can:

• Damage your nerves
• Cause tissue inflammation
• Cause muscles to tighten and knot
• Weaken your body and;
• Set the stage for sickness and disease.

What is VSC? VSC is a tiny distortion or misalignment in your spine that stresses your nervous system. Both physical and emotional stress can cause your spine to develop a VSC. Furthermore, Research has proven that most headache sufferers have VSC.

How Does Chiropractic Help?
Researchers have recently discovered a small neck muscle that connects to brain membranes. According to the researchers, when the neck is out of alignment the muscle can actually pull on the brain causing aches and tension.  A spinal adjustment will remove the nerve pressure and spinal distortions, relieving you of symptoms and working towards fixing the cause. By getting regular adjustment to make sure your spine and nervous system are working optimally and incorporating the following suggestions into your life, you will be that much closer to living headache free!

It is also important to look at cranial bones when it comes to headaches  as during our lifetime may have several falls and hits that can shift the cranial bones and can cause serious symptoms (like headache) and other health issues.

So make sure your spine and “your head” are not the cause of your headache by taking action today and NOT ignore your body.  In Part 2 of this blog I will give natural tips for headache that you can implement to get headache relief and better health! Stay tune and see your chiroractor!

Isn’t it strange, how seemingly healthy individuals can go from competing in a triathlon one week, to being diagnosed with a major illness? Or how a person can eat right, exercise and live a relatively stress-free life but succumb to a heart attack?

Though the symptoms may not have  been apparent, these health problems did not just appear out of the blue. In fact, they had probably been lingering for quite sometime.

“How can we find out what is going on inside of our bodies before it’s too late?” I asked myself one day.    After extensive research,  I came across a system that could tell us just that!

It’s called the ES-Teck System. The Es-Teck is an extraordinary system that introduces electric signals of very low intensity to the interstitial fluid of the body by means of 6 electrodes in order to see in 3D modeling what is happening exactly inside your vital organs and body, and it only takes 3 minutes to do. It has the ability to reveal health indicators before symptoms are manifested, and allows us to provide the person with the recommendations necessary to live happier, healthier, and maybe even longer!

I purchased the ES-Teck System as a preventative tool for my patients and my community. Unfortunately, in North America this type of technology is not used as much as it should be as our society is not focussing enough on preventative care and tend to focus more on “reactive” care.

There are many benefits to the scan, here are just a few….

–>Provides you with a NON-INVASIVE full body system analysis

–>Allows you to have a PREVENTIVE lifestyle in order to take action BEFORE anomaly becomes symptomatic.

–> Can be used to ENHANCE sports performance.

–> Allows SAFE and EFFICIENT evaluations without side effects or discomfort.

–> Analyzes your: cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, immune and nervous systems as well as brain and metabolic functions, and MUCH, MUCH MORE!

Don’t only guess that you are healthy because you look good and feel good, find out if you really are healthy from the inside out? Find out more at Beauchamp Chiropractic: A Creating Wellness Center.

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with friends or family members that render you miserable. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You are worthy of great friends who support you on your best days and on your worst days. Don’t let negative people infiltrate your life, you deserve the best!
 2. Stop running from your problems. – Deal with issues as they come! Don’t wait. It won’t be easy, but it will save you from a lot of emotional turmoil. Keep in mind, however, that no one is able to instantly solve problems. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall. Facing problems allows us to learn, adapt, and grow as a person.
 3. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – How many of you devote yourself to your spouse, your children, and your friends but forget to schedule time for yourself? It’s important to help other, but even more important to help yourself. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
 4. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – Nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and regret past decisions. But we are not our mistakes! Don’t dwell on the past focus on the present and look forward to the future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
 5. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – That other job opportunity you’ve been eying, that vacation you’ve been dying to take – you’re ready for it! Stop doubting yourself and do it! Who knows what will happen tomorrow, live for today! Don’t let insecurities stop you from reaching your goals.
 6. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. –Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only. Stop worrying about what your coworker or sister thinks of you! Every goal you undertake, every job you do should be for yourself- not to prove a point to someone else.
 7. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curve balls are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. Sure, it’s hard to see the benefits at first, but be strong! Things will get better. Don’t dwell on the negative aspects of your life, focus on the positive and your circumstances will drastically improve- I promise.
 8. Stop holding grudges. – Have you ever heard of holding a grudge as an effective means for conflict resolution? I think not. Let go and forgive. Forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too.
 9. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – When all is said and done, who really cares what you do? Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway. Do what you think is right!
 10. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Take the time to enjoy the little things in life- a sunset, a joke among friends, or a compliment from a stranger. Oftentimes, these little things turn into the big moments in life, the moments we remember.
 11. Stop blaming others for your troubles. – You are the master of your own life. Though others may have contributed to your hardships, you have the power to change your circumstances. Your problems are yours to change.
 12. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Sorry to break it to you, but you are no super hero. Trying to be everything for everyone will only tire you out. Narrow your focus, and take time for yourself!
 13. Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy. Can the issue be solved today? Will worrying about a certain circumstance improve anything? No, then stop worrying about it.
 14. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – It’s the Law of Attraction-focus or dwell on something and it will happen. Instead of thinking about the not so good aspects of your life, focus on what you want, and watch your life change for the better.
 15. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Don’t think about what you are missing, think about all that you have!

Sure some of these are easier said then done, but even attempting to do so will greatly improve your life. Stop taking yourself for granted, stop over thinking things! You are an amazing person with the power to do anything you set your mind to. To having 2012 be your best year ever!  Would love to know what your stop doing things are?

While thinking about the topic I wanted to discuss in this week’s newsletter, I kept coming back to the stress that we all face this time of year. From time constraints and shopping headaches to holiday feasts and financial worries, everyone is dealing with a huge array of stressors this time of year.

Are you worrying too much right now? Are you so busy taking care of everyone and everything else that you are forgetting to take care of you? If so, don’t feel bad. We all do this. But, there are some things you can do to lessen your stress and make the days between now and the new year “merry and bright”.

As many of you already know, there are three dimensions of health - Psychological, Physical, and Biochemical (Nutrition). Their names are pretty self- explanatory and each of these have a major effect on your overall health. The following are some tips on how to handle holiday stressors in each of these three dimensions:

Psychological Dimension:

1.  Don’t go shopping during peak hours. Though the sales may be tempting, the added stress of the crowds and rushing to get the items you want can hurt you both emotionally and financially.
2.  Make sure you write a list before you go shopping. Plan ahead and know what you need and where you need to go. The less prepared you are, the more frantic and frustrating those shopping trips will be.
3.  Doing some of your shopping online will also help. You can skip the long lines and crowded stores and there is often a larger selection available online. Most online stores even allow for shipping directly to the gift recipient as well as gift wrapping!
4.  When shopping, be sure you have a budget. Planning out your holiday shopping budget and sticking to it will leave you with less regret in the new year. And don’t forget the holiday meals. Be sure that you include the food and decorations in your budget so you don’t find yourself in a bind after buying all the gifts.
5.  When doing wrapping, decorating, cooking, or other holiday preparations light some candles, play some music, and engage the entire family in the activity. Keep things light and festive and you will enjoy the holiday tasks much more.
6.  Take more time for yourself and your family. This is the perfect time of year to nurture your most important relationships and, with less work and school, it will be easy to plan family time.
7.  Remind yourself often that it is the holidays and it is supposed to be a joyous time. Give yourself permission to relax and enjoy everything. Actively thinking about this will help you to reduce your stress level so you can focus on the truly important things.

Physical Dimension:

1.  Don’t forget to workout! I know you have a busy schedule and a ton of things to get done but, this is a must. Working out can relieve stress and put you in the right frame of mind to deal with everything that comes up during the day.
2.  Be sure you schedule your workout into your day. You are less likely to skip it (especially if you schedule it for first thing in the morning) and the simple idea of having at least one scheduled thing that you have complete control over will be a welcome structure to what may otherwise be a hectic day.
3.  If you are visiting family and are unable to get to a gym, schedule a daily walk. Take a different route each day if possible just to change it up a bit. It is a great way to take in some new sights if you’ve never been there before or, to reacquaint yourself with the surroundings if you are going “home”. Relive old memories or make some new ones while taking care of your body and your mind!

Biochemical (Nutritional) Dimension:

1.  Always eat something before you leave home. A healthy meal or light snack will keep you from being hungry while you are running your errands and you won’t be so tempted to stop for that burger and fries.
2.  Pick certain meals during which you will treat yourself and give yourself permission to enjoy it without guilt. Portions are the real enemy during the holidays, not the foods themselves. You can eat a little of everything you want and still maintain your health.
3.  When choosing your foods – eat more vegetables and lean meats such as turkey and chicken. Putting more of these on your plate will help to fill you up and the smaller portions of higher calorie and more dense foods such as pastas and breads will satisfy your desires for them.
4.  If you are attending a potluck dinner, offer to prepare and bring a healthy dish. Even if all of the other foods there are bad, you know you will have at least one item that is good for you. Plus you’ll have the added benefit of knowing that you are contributing to the health of everyone else who eats it!
5.  Get the junk out of the house as quickly as possible. Allowing these foods to sit around will put you under a lot of pressure. The temptation will often be too much. Send the leftovers home with guests or store it in a separate storage freezer/refrigerator.
6.  Go easy on the sweets. You don’t have to abstain from them completely, just watch your portions. If Aunt Sue makes the best sugar pie in the world, there’s no reason for you to miss out while everyone else enjoys it. Take a smaller than normal slice and enjoy!
7.  Another big health enemy during the holidays is alcohol. Most alcoholic drinks are filled with empty calories and can quickly undo all of your hard work (eggnog anyone?). Plan to have a single drink or glass of wine at any event and you won’t feel like you are missing out on anything.
8.  Keep a diary of what you are eating. This creates accountability and will often cause you to eat less. Don’t beat yourself up if you do get off track. During the holidays we all tend to overeat and partake of the wrong things. 9.  If you fall off the wagon, just dust yourself off and climb back on the next day. Get right back into your normal healthy habits and forget the day before. There’s no need to dwell on it and stress out. It happens to all of us!

My last tip can be applied to any of the three dimensions of health. Set aside some time for setting your 2012 goals. Whether they are geared toward your psychological, physical, biochemical or any combination of the three, it is important to begin this process before the new year. This way you will be ready to hit the road running and you won’t have to spend the first week of the new year focused on your Wellness Plan.

I personally use Tony Robbins’ goal setting CD to prep for the new year. I listen to it at the end of every year and he walks me through the goal setting process. The hour and a half program helps me get a perspective on the next twelve months and allows me to start it off prepared. Do you have a goal setting strategy that you use every year? Are you trying out a new one this year? If the answer to either of those is yes, please share it with me in the comments. I would love to hear what tools work best for you!