digestion – We Only Get One Chance

DON’T DIE WITH YOUR DAYPACK ON

“DON’T DIE WITH YOUR DAYPACK ON!” they said.

These words stuck in my head from our briefing after dinner on summit night.

Every evening after dinner, they would come into the mess tent, do our medical examinations and share with us how they thought we were all doing and what will happen the next day, or later that night in this case.

Dr Erica Peabody - Don't Die With Your Daypack - Chiropractor Cafe of LIFE Fenton — Me (Dr Erica Peabody) Ready for Summit Night

We had 12 guides with our group for our normal day to day and about 50 support staff. The porters were the ones that carried all of our gear, food water and tents and such. Everyday they would pass us on the trail and get to camp ahead of us and have everything set up for us for when we finished our days.

The intensity of summit night required the assistance of our normal 12 guides along with 18 additional porters in order to have one to one support for the final hike to the very top. Having this one to one support for the final summit is the reason this particular company has such high summit success rates.

I woke up nauseated and although I ate a tiny bit of food, I really couldn’t manage to stomach much at 15,000 ft and almost no sleep. So the climb begins at 1am. We line up in our hiking line and start to make our way up the trail. It was the most beautiful night with bright stars in the big African sky.

As we begin to hike, the phrase “DON’T DIE WITH YOUR DAYPACK ON” came back in my mind. What exactly where they talking about? I feel absolutely fine. Were they really serious when they said that? I am surprised they made such a point to make sure that was clear and that if we needed to hand over the load on our backs to a porter, we could easily do that. “I won’t need to do that, I feel super strong.”

An hour goes by and I had already overheated once and had to strip my outer expedition-weight goose down jacket off. The guide warned me to keep it close because I would want it back sooner rather than later. As I thought about it all, it is close to zero degrees and I should not be overheating at this point. Then I got the chills. Then I got goosebumps from head to toe. Then I got hot again and then the chills. What on Earth was my body doing??? It felt as though my body was confused and couldn’t regulate my temperatures.

I felt my stomach start to gurgle (which will be an entirely separate blog post) and just after the first hour I realized I was not going to be able to do this summit with the current situation I had going on. I tried and tried and tried to remain calm and keep pressing on. I tried so hard to the point I got blurred vision and lost all my strength. Unfortunately for me my camelbak water hose froze and I no longer had easy access to hydration.

Dr Erica Peabody - Don't Die With Your Daypack - Chiropractor Fenton Michigan — Me (Dr Erica Peabody) Finishing Kilimanjaro Trek

I fell to the ground. I needed a break and I needed help…and THIS is exactly what they meant when they said “DON’T DIE WITH YOUR DAYPACK ON!” I understand now. Sometimes that extra 10-15 pounds, although comfortable and distributed evenly on my back, was just going to be too much, and for me, it was.

Now let’s back up a minute and discuss this concept. I am not one to ask for help from others. Of course in my office, I cannot do that alone and have hired help. But life in general is manageable and when I focus my mind and efforts on something, I almost always can be able to come out on top. I rarely ask for help, I guess maybe I was raised that way.

There was absolutely no way I could have gone on from that point which is common in those circumstances, hence them having one to one support for that part of the trek.

The greatest thing happened when I fell down. I was in tears and yelled “I NEED HELP!!!!” The next thing I heard was “Erica we got you covered.“ As I lay on the ground, those from the group that hiked past me put out their hands for a high-five and I heard things like “Erica you are my hero.”

I realized in that moment that I wasn’t a hero because I was so strong and powerful, I was a hero in that person’s eyes because I recognized that I needed help and asked for it.

Sometimes our admitting defeat is where we really grow into the person we are supposed to be. Admitting defeat and receiving the help we need is a sign of vulnerability and inside vulnerability is where true power lies.

Turns out that not only did I need my assigned porter to carry my pack, the final 50 steps to the summit, I needed him more than ever. When it got to the very end of the climb, I would take 2 steps and lean over so my chest would lay on the top of my trekking poles and take a few breathes. Then another 2 steps and lean over my poles. You guys, there is a reason NOTHING LIVES THAT HIGH!!! It was so void of oxygen I didn’t know how I was going to do it. My porter took my left arm and put it up over his shoulders. He then took my trekking pole and he took the final 50 steps as the left side of my body (picture the 3 legged race during field day in elementary school).

Even as I write this right now, I get goosebumps from head to toe as I re-live the intensity of that scenario (again, sorry Mom).

“DON’T DIE WITH YOUR DAYPACK ON!!” I get it now and I am so glad that my subconscious took good note of that when it was said that night.

A LITTLE MAN

There is a little man.

He was born after 3 long days of labor. I saw them a lot during mom’s pregnancy. It ended up that my office seemed like the ideal place to be when labor was taking days and he was stuck in the birth canal. I labored with this beautiful mother for about 30 minutes and adjusted her spine between contractions.

She is a beautiful mother, an Earth mommy. She has done her research and chooses natural parenting ideas to rear her children…on all levels of life. Her children are lucky they have such an advocate for a mother.

I love her. I love the entire family. She came to me years ago when her other chiropractor scolded her for breastfeeding her child in his office while she waited for her turn to get adjusted. She called me on her way home from that appointment at his office. I am glad I answered that day because OF COURSE!!! you may sit and breastfeed in my office. We have a comfortable environment that I hope all feel welcome to sit and nourish their babies. If anyone in this building has an issue with it, that’s alright by me this is my place.

Her little man was born just over a month ago. He is precious and little. I mean really little. In fact, he is so little he was not gaining proper weight. He had gained about 2 ounces over the first few weeks of life when she brought him in to the Cafe of LIFE to see me.

I wish parents wouldn’t wait so long but he is here now and I am grateful for that.

This little man is so little that his pediatrician has become very concerned, rightfully so. Aside from that, this little mans’s grandmother, would call his mom in tears regularly for him and his situation.

His first visit with me, his discomfort was absolutely palpable and I could feel his pain. As a chiropractor, when little ones are struggling so much, they look deep into my eyes and do not break eye contact and their little beings beg and plead for some sort of help…and they innately know that I have some tools.

This is the first time one of the little ones made me actually cry during their visit. Usually it is after they have left the building or when I am wrapping up my day with thoughts of them.

I tried to keep my tears hidden as he stared me down, and I think I did. When mom reads this, it will hopefully be news to her. I was also concerned, really concerned.

In the back of my mind, I could tell he was not a “failure to thrive” baby, I could tell he was capable. As a chiropractor, putting my hands on him I could instantly feel the stress and tension through his entire nerve system, his entire body.

It is quite possible that during his 3 day birthing process, his spine got compromised. And not to the point of permanent damage, but enough to be cutting off his normal flow of information to parts of his body and leading to dis-ease (literally lack of ease) making it nearly impossible for him to relax into what he is trying to do, which is eat, sleep, digest and grow.

One adjustment and though he left the Cafe of LIFE screaming his head off, I knew and absolutely trusted that things were set in motion. I wish I could do one adjustment for the infants and they would calm down and be fine forevermore, that is not the case.

Two days later, another check of his spine and nerve system. And another adjustment. Still screaming.

Another three days later, another check of his spine and nerve system. Another adjustment and the beginnings of some real change. The little man slept all the way through the adjustment. So peaceful which means his body can slow down and rest and digest like he is supposed to. Only problem is that at this point the pediatrician is going to admit him to the hospital unless he gains weight by four days from yesterday. Mom is freaked out because they will put him on formula, which all I will say is please do your research.

She decided instead of waiting for four more days, she would stop by the pediatrician’s office after leaving my office and put him up on the scale just so she knows what she is dealing with.

This is the text message from her (yes some of my patients text message me) that afternoon…

This little man will not be so little any longer. He will grow and grow and develop and make his way in life. He will do this with a little bit more ease because his spine and nerve system have settled down towards normal and he can relax and learn to live in this crazy world.

It is such a beautiful thing.

Every single one of my patients leave a lasting impression on me. Every single one of them (you) take a little piece of my heart with them (you). On a side note, when the heart is broken, it grows back bigger. I am certain I have dealt with the level and extent of heartache in my life so that my heart is extra big to be able to handle the masses.

The adults take a little piece of my heart, but the kids they just run away with it…but also fill it back up big time.

A simple story like this, the simple chiropractic adjustments I have done on this little man, this is what keeps my own gas tank full.

It is an honor to be his family’s chiropractor. It is an honor to do this work. I am grateful beyond words and moved to tears on a regular basis by being able to help out so many but especially a little man like that.

EXPANDING

The services at Cafe of LIFE are EXPANDING!!!

I have been in private practice for almost 12 years. Over the years, we have seen many patients come through our doors and heal, healing on levels both big and small.

There are so many different aspects to what make up our health and while chiropractic is a BIG PART of that, many people also have other areas that need assistance to sort out and change to really express more life and ease in the day to day. Things like diet, exercise and stress-reducing activities are so important in maintaining good health.

In the end, I am only one woman. And although I have created this facility and, along with my team, have grown it into what it is today, I am still only one woman, with only so much energy and only so much time. I realize that I cannot do it all. I also realize that you all need more.

So it is PERFECT TIMING to partner with a couple of dynamic women who have been doing HOLISTIC LIFESTYLE COACHING for a few years now. Jennifer Ream and Christine Landaal, otherwise known as the OSO Sisters, live locally here in town and have been coaching through an online and telephone platform. They are ready to bring their services out into the community and reach those in search of assistance to move their lives and health forward.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing, is a certified Reiki practitioner, and is a life-long student of spiritual awareness and holistic healing. She is also a wife, mother and lover of the outdoors and enjoys helping to guide clients towards reconnecting with themselves, healing from the inside out (which is also the chiropractic philosophy, seriously a perfect match for us) and learning tools to manage everyday life with ease.

Christine has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and is a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She is a wife and mom and has done some work with her son’s food allergies as well as healing herself through an autoimmune disease. Her knowledge and personal experience has led her to pursue her passion for nutrition and healthy living and assisting her clients on their health journeys.

WE ARE THRILLED to have such qualified and dynamic women here to assist us in furthering our mission to help serve this community better in your multitude of health needs.

Jennifer and Christine are conducting their business here Tuesday mornings from 8am-2pm. Go to www.OSOSisters.com to learn more about their services and schedule a consultation. Find them and “Like” their page on Facebook at OSOSisters or email them directly at JenandChristine@OSOSisters.com.

Some of our patients have had concerns about how we will all fit into this space. One day we hope to EXPAND the building, but for right now, we will be working with our different practicioners (there are 2 others joining us as well that I will introduce over the next couple weeks…stay tuned!!!) during hours we are not regularly open. Chiropractic care and massage therapy will carry on as they always have.

We are excited to be EXPANDING and able to offer you a little more in an INTEGRATED HEALTH TEAM atmosphere here at Cafe of LIFE.

While you are at it, grab your calendars and mark THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20 to join us here at the Cafe of LIFE from 6-7pm to meet our team and learn more about our INTEGRATED HEALTH TEAM!!!

WHAT SHOULD I EAT?

“Hey Doc!!! What should I eat???” I have gotten this question so many times over the past few weeks at the Cafe of LIFE that I wanted to answer it in a much bigger way and really put some information out there for you.

There are so many concepts of this food is good, and that food is bad, and that and that is bad, and this is good. Where does one even start???????? And you might be thinking and asking that same question and maybe you have been asking these questions for a long time now.

Should I eat meat or be a vegetarian?
What about being a vegan? What about red meat? And eggs or just egg whites?
How about that gluten stuff?
What about corn? And soy? And sugar? Should I have dairy?

I do not have all the answers. I am not a nutritionist. I do however have A LOT of years of trial and error of my own, worked with patients and have done a TON of research, seminars and have been learning and learning and learning as I go.
Here are a few tips on how to determine what to eat:

EAT FOODS WITH ONE INGREDIENT: This is what my diet consists of and most of it is vegetables. What do I mean when I say ONE ingredient? Well when you look at a cucumber for instance, it is just a cucumber. I doesn’t have any additives, it hasn’t been processed and is just the thing that grew from the ground. Chicken and fish are just that, chicken and fish, just one simple ingredient, and baked or broiled, delicious. Sweet potato is just one ingredient. Lettuce, tomato, rice, oats, apple, orange…you get the picture. Cracker, for instance, is usually some sort of flour mixed with something else and baked and they added salt and probably high fructose corn syrup and all other kinds of things. So when you sit down at the table to eat your meal, how many ingredients are in the stuff on your plate? Eat more WHOLE FOODS, more items that are just the food itself, just ONE ingredient.

EAT LOTS OF PLANTS: Each time we look down at our plate and are about to eat a meal, I suggest more than half of your plate should be plants or the product of plants and is considered a PLANT BASED DIET. I am not recommending a vegan or vegetarian diet, although I do have my own good and bad experiences, that is completely up to you. You can decide if meat is right for you and which meats you choose to eat. When choosing meats, clean, organic, grass fed animals is what you want to choose. How do they grow and what do they eat when given their natural environment. So many of the meats have been mass produced at overcrowded farms. Not good. And if you are eating the meats, skip the sauces and figure out some herbs that you can use for flavor. When I say I recommend is a PLANT BASED DIET, that just means load your plate up with the vegetables and then a clean protein. In other words, consume lots of live things that grew from the ground.

PROTEIN, FAT and FIBER: One of my mentors has done away with the idea of PROTEIN, FAT and CARBOHYDRATES and has replaced the last part of that with FIBER. This goes back to getting our actual carbs from FIBER, mainly vegetables and some fruits. When we have the word “carbohydrate” on the back of a package and we know we need a certain amount of carbohydrate per day, we will give ourselves an excuse to eat some food that is not beneficial to us. This doesn’t mean that we can get our carb allowance for the day from some sort of processed food and call it the same as eating a sweet potato, oats or brown rice, it doesn’t work like that. Fiber keeps our digestive system clear and moving, keeps our blood sugar regulated and it should be the key ingredient when you go to choose your carbohydrates for the day. Let’s think about replacing the word “carbohydrate” with “FIBER” and make our choices be a lot more vegetables and a whole lot healthier.

EAT HEALTHY FATS: In this culture we have gotten to a point that we are primarily driven by sugars. Our body is breaking down sugars as an energy source and we really need to revert back to breaking down fats. If the body is constantly able to just use sugars and carbohydrates as energy source, we don’t get to the powerful energy source which is fat. When the body switches back over and starts burning fats for energy, it will start to burn more body fat and melt that right off the body as well.
How do we go about switching our bodies from sugar burners over to fat burners? Start adding super healthy fats into your diet when you need a little energy boost and at the same time
limit your sugar and carb intake. Some ideas for healthy fats are avocado, coconut and coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, whole eggs, fatty fish like salmon, fish oil or flax seed oil supplement or a little bit of dark chocolate.

DRINK MORE WATER: Water, water, water, water, water, water, water, water, water, water, water. Period.

In the end, our diet doesn’t need to be and probably should’t be exciting. Food is for nourishment and what I have noticed over the years, for myself and my patients, is that the cleaner and simpler it is, the more nourishing it is and the better the body feels.

The question, “What should I eat?”, I hear it a lot. There is no “one size fits all” recipe for life. In sharing this, I hope the simplicity helps a bit and helps you realize that the choices we make today effect us right away…but the long term cumulative effects of good choices really adds to our overall quality of life now and especially down the road. The name of this blog is “We Only Get One Chance” and we may as well treat our body in a way that our one time around is the healthiest it can possibly be.

NOBODY IS EXEMPT

Daily, for over 10 years, I have been helping people to increase their health and internal resilience through my job as a Doctor of Chiropractic. Aside from keeping the nerve system free of interference, the chiropractic adjustment, there are NATURAL LAWS OF THE BODY that need to be followed in order to be healthy and remain that way…and nobody is exempt. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, in order to be healthy, you have to do the following:

EAT WELL.

MOVE WELL.

THINK WELL.

REST WELL.

Some of you are doing an exceptional job at committing to health and I don’t want to make a blanket statement but I do want to review what is necessary.

Let’s start with the first…EAT WELL. The body heals by replacing cells. The body and all the cells in it are replaced on a regular basis. The body grows new cells by the building blocks you ingest. Ingest a bunch of junk and you will have weak structure and usually a lot of inflammation. Ingest good healthy food and you will have strong building blocks to construct your cells. AND DRINK YOUR WATER!!! Every single day, yes ALL OF THE DAYS, EVERY SINGLE LAST ONE, you need to DRINK WATER. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, in order to be healthy you have to EAT WELL AND DRINK WATER and nobody is exempt.

Second thing you need to do daily…MOVE WELL. The body is built to move. Every joint in the body is nourished through movement. If we were supposed to be sedentary we would not have nearly as many joints in our bodies. Circulation increases when you move your body and with that oxygen increases as well. Circulation is how nutrients and oxygen are transported though the body and delivered to all organs, tissues, muscles and glands. Muscles also need to be moved and stretched every single day. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, in order to be healthy you have to MOVE WELL EVERY SINGLE DAY and nobody is exempt.

Our quality of life is determined largely by our attitude towards it. Wake up with a smile or wake up with a frown, it is going to set the tone for your entire day. The days add up to weeks, weeks add up to months and then years and life goes by rather quickly. Life is only a fraction of what happens to us, and mostly our reaction to it. Be grateful. Even when things don’t seem to be going your way, be grateful for something. Take some time to express gratitude silently to yourself and maybe even out loud to those around you. It doesn’t matter how old our young you are, in order to be healthy you have to THINK GOOD THOUGHTS IN YOUR LIFE and nobody is exempt. Chiropractor Fenton Michigan Smiling Flower

Have you ever really taken time to think about sleep? At night, we literally leave this conscious state and step off to some place while our physical body rests. Sometimes this is to dreamland and sometimes it is quiet and
uneventful. Either way, we sleep. Our body shuts down and goes into restoration mode. It is a time for rebuilding, regrouping, integrating and healing and our bodies require it. Every. Single. Day. It doesn’t matter how old our young you are, in order to be healthy you have to REST WELL, take some down time and rest and nobody is exempt.

Patients come to the Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic Center every week for over 10 years and I help them through the chiropractic adjustment. The greatest thing about chiropractic care is that the adjustment helps keep the body connected to it’s power source, the brain and nerve system, and allows it to do everything it is supposed to do, better and more efficiently. I also do my best to help my patients understand the NATURAL LAWS OF THE BODY. I ask things like “How much sleep have you had lately?” and “How much exercise have you gotten today? This week?” and “How much water have you drank today? This week?” and “What are you doing to handle stress in your life?”

Some reply a resounding “YES! LOTS!!” and I realize that so many are committed to their own health. However, some reply with answers that DO NOT follow the NATURAL LAWS OF THE BODY as described above. These are not laws I just made up…this is really serious business and involves your body and your life.

WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE KNOW WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO BE HEALTHY AND THAT’S IT!!!

There are no shortcuts.

There is no easy way.

There is no magic pill.

I talk about water on most of your visits because the importance of being properly hydrated is underestimated. But now you have to go out there into your life and DRINK YOUR WATER!!! You have to, that is all there is to it.

I love you and this is why I am expressing to you the fact that it doesn’t matter how old or young you are, in order to be healthy you have to FOLLOW THE NATURAL LAWS OF THE BODY and NOBODY IS EXEMPT!!!! Got it? Now get out there and get to work!!! 🙂

ADDICTION

I have uncovered an intense addiction I had no idea about.

Ten months ago, I began a new and different journey with my health. Many of the “healthy” things I was doing, especially where my diet was concerned, weren’t the most complete choices I could be making. Unbeknownst to me, I was chronically depleting my body of a few key nutrients that eventually led to disfunction of certain organ systems. Good news, it was all fixable and 70% of that has been taken care of by diet change and a tailored plan of supplementation.

There still remains a few nagging small concerns and 2 of them fall on the “autoimmune” spectrum.

I have been working closely with a nutritionist on this path and have come to the conclusion that going “gluten-free” was a necessity and so 10 weeks ago, I began my gluten-free journey.

I knew it was going to be a little challenging, however I have succeeded in completing harder tasks in my life, or at least that is what I thought when I got started.

Living in a small town is a challenge in and of itself due to the simple fact that there aren’t many resources. Fortunately for Fenton, there are 2 really great health food stores right in town and one of them tailors their entire store to the gluten-free popluation.

Day 1 of my new life was simple. I was highly aware of the shift I was making and so there was a lot on my mind, lets just say I was obsessing about food.

Day 2 started and ended pretty easily and the change appeared to be progressing smoothly.

Day 3…not so much. It turns out that I fall into a category of people that are “addicted” to gluten. When I sat back and watched what was coming up for me as well as discussions with my nutritionist, I became keenly aware that about every 3 days, I need a “gluten fix”. I needed something to spike my sugars and give me that endorphin kick.

So I pressed on and for the next 4-5 days, it was an hour by hour choice to not eat anything containing gluten. Of course, because I was so focused on getting over the hump with this process, all I could think about was eating gluten. As the days ticked by, I watched as my body’s cravings decreased little by little.

Three weeks into this process, a mourning phase set in. I remember driving home from the gym and passing by Uncle Ray’s Dairyland and becoming overwhelmingly sad because I was never going to be able to eat cookie dough ice cream ever again in my life. Do you know how much cookie dough ice cream I have eaten in the past decade? Maybe one serving. It is not something that I have on a regular basis, however in that moment, that was really sad to me.

Over the next couple weeks I came to terms with WHAT I EAT and WHAT I DO NO’T EAT and it is as simple as that. I stay strict and do not allow for little slip-ups. With gluten, and especially when dealing with gluten addiction, it is not something you can have “here and there” or “once in a while”. For me, I have to remain clean and clear of it altogether.

Today it has officially been 10 full weeks. When I first started, I thought it would be a bit challenging. In retrospect, I have to say it has been one of the hardest things I have done, but now that I am here on the other side, I am happy, healthier and will keep my life free and clear of gluten.

I have never dealt with an addiction before in my life and though this is to a mildly noxious substance, I have a bit more compassion to those who deal with addiction of any sort on a daily basis. It seems as I go through life, I am presented with lessons that do exactly that, build more compassion. I also believe that being compassionate is one of the keys to living a happy, healthy and well-rounded life…or at least I hope so. Thank you for this lesson, Universe!!

YOGA TRAINING UPDATE

It is amazing to me how much time lapses lately before I get back on to my blog. My intention is to blog more often that I do however doesn’t time just fly by! Anyways we are a month into yoga teacher training and I wanted to give you an update about how things are going. It has been an interesting process to start the day with meditation, become vegetarian and have an asana practice (that means practice yoga) everyday. It has been a good change and addition to my life however I have also noticed that besides the three things listed above, my life is still the same. I am having to do a lot of reading and journaling on a schedule now to make sure it all fits in, however it is what I do on a daily basis anyways. I haven’t had anything really profound or any “ah-ha” moments happen just yet, though I also know that during this process, the transition can be really subtle and unnoticable on a daily basis. Today begins a 21 day cleanse from a book called “Clean”. An MD designed the plan and wrote the book to allow a way for people to use his system. He comes from a mindset that our internal environment and our overall health come from the building blocks that we put in our bodies and that we never allow our bodies a chance to switch into detox mode. His program is designed around drinking breakfast and dinner (smoothies/soups or fresh juices) with a food meal for lunch and allowing 12 hours between dinner and breakfast so the body has time to get past the digestion mode and into the detoxification mode. It seems like a real simple and easy-to-follow detox/cleanse program that I am looking forward to seeing how my body does. So far so good but it has just been one meal so far. 🙂 Spring cleaning of the house is such a mainstream idea, I often like to do spring cleaning of my body at the same time to wash away the sluggish-ness of the long winter months.

If you are not interested in doing a detoxification program full force, how about some other simple ways to detox:

-take 10 minutes out of your day to lay and do some deep breathing

-increasing the amount of water you drink

-adding fresh squeezed lemon to your water

-finding time to sweat everyday – working out, sauna or steam room

-skin brushing – light bristle brush used all over the skin prior to showering or bath

-cleaning up your diet and include lots of raw, organic fresh fruit and vegetables

If you haven’t started already, it would be really wise to become a little more conscious about what we put in our bodies. Every decision we make has ripple effects into the future…and we only get once chance.