We Only Get One Chance

THE ANTI-FAN

I attended a football game at Michigan State University this past Saturday “GO SPARTANS!!!”. I love going to the campus, I love being in the stadium and I just love everything about a day of college football. It was the most beautiful day for a football game and we sat in some really great seats…well, great seats to watch the game, not so great seats for one particular fan, or “anti-fan”, that sat behind us. The entire game, this anti-fan shouted out the meanest things. He was a MSU fan and I am pretty sure one that has been attending games for years and years. He was loud, angry, negative and down-right mean. They would do something great and he would be sarcastic with his support. They would do something bad and he would shout something like “WELL WE HAVE GROWN TO EXPECT THAT FROM YOU GUYS!!!” They would start moving the ball down the field and he would act shocked, they would have a turnover and he would go back to his “of-course-that-just-happened” attitude. It was unbelievable that someone would pay money to come to a college football game and knock their team so much…to top it off, he was not quiet about it. His wife was with him and a younger woman sat on his other side…both of them were ultra-quiet…and it went on the entire game.

There are two things I learned from that…1. I am really glad I do not have anyone in my life that is that negative and 2. if you are a fan, BE A FAN!!! There is a saying “You get more bees with honey than vinegar”. If you are looking for positive results, it is important to have a positive attitude. Now some would ask, how much effect could one guy in the stands have on a team that is down on the field? and, does it really matter if one guy is being negative in a crowd of positivity? Have you ever heard the saying “One bad apple spoils a bushel”? I was not letting him effect me on a conscious level, but who knows what he was doing on a subconscious level to my energy, much less everyone else around him. More than anything, if a guy is that pissed off and negative at a wonderful college sporting event, I can only imagine what he is like in a stressful situation. If someone like that is the patriarch of a family, I would wager his negativity infiltrates his family members…and I know for a fact that it is effecting his health.

It isn’t always easy to keep a positive attitude, especially when life seems to be throwing you lemons…but what about that saying “When life throws you lemons, make lemonade”. By writing about this, I am by no means complaining about him. I am hoping to increase the awareness around attitude. When someone asks “How are you?” let’s run through 2 possible answers. “Not bad.” is one possible answer…but “Not bad.” leans towards negative energy. What if when asked how you are, you answer “I am good.” or “I am really great!”. Even just saying those two answers, as compared to the first, really changes the energy of how you are feeling…and in essence changes the energy in and around your body.

How are you spending your life? Where are you focusing your energy? What small changes can you make to shift your perspective in a more positive direction? Let’s start today…we only get one chance to make this the best life possible!

HALLOWEEN

Halloween means 2 things to me…COSTUMES AND CANDY!! The costume part of the 2…pure fun! The candy…a double-edged sword. Candy does a weird thing to me. It is fun to eat, tastes amazing, and releases “feel good” and comforting chemicals in the body. I always have mixed feelings about giving away candy at Halloween…and it mostly has to do with the detrimental effects the sugar has on immune system function. I have settled this battle in my head by giving out caramel apples at the Cafe. It allows me to still have fun with candy but also get that apple in there as well since…”An apple a day keeps the doctor away!”.

So this year I decided I wanted to do a little more educating when it comes to sugar and the immune system. What is the physiology behind sugar and the immune system and why is sugar so detrimental?

Interesting to note, October-February seems to be dubbed “Cold and Flu Season”. I would like to open your minds a little bit to the fact that it may be better termed “Sugar Season”. Halloween starts with the candy that can last for weeks, then Thanksgiving is filled with deserts, and December is the month of endless holiday parties, Christmas cookies, wine and other cocktails.

Do you want the physiology? The major players in the immune system, namely the white blood cells, need vitamin C in order to do their work. Vitamin C and sugar have a similar structure and if sugar is around, it will bind to the activation site and block Vit C. When you ingest sugar you can think of your immune system slowing down to a crawl. Not a good thing. Then do that over and over for days, weeks and potentially 2 straight months…guess what? COLDS and FLU VIRUSES set in!!

So let’s approach this holiday season with a little more awareness…and a little more will power to steer clear of all that sugar. Indulge some, but keep it to a minimum and I bet you will find more energy to enjoy the celebrations, friends and family, and I bet you will come through the winter season a little happier and healthier.

I am by no means saying that I keep my diet completely clear of sugar. On most days I do however I found myself digging in some on Halloween with all the goodies we had at the Cafe of LIFE. I also found myself experiencing some intense sugar cravings on Tuesday, needing extra sleep on Tuesday night and a good portion of Wednesday and am finally feeling back to normal. It is fun while it lasts…tastes great while it is in your mouth and I feel good about it all for about 3-4 minutes. Then I spend 3 full days recovering from it all. It simply is not worth it.

We may as well do the best we can with the choices of what we put in in our bodies…we only get one chance.

HELP OTHERS

“We are all just walking each other home” -Ram Dass

FLASH MOB

This past weekend I had my first flash mob experience!!! How fun! Flash mobs are happening all over the world these days. Have you heard of it? Basically people choose places where there are predicted to be large crowds and start some music and do a choreographed dance. If you have ever witnessed one, it begins with just 3 or 4 people. Then a large group gathers around to watch and a portion of the spectators are actually in on the dance and join. Then usually there is another section of the crowd that seem innocent but are actually in on it too and join and when it is over, everyone goes back to doing whatever they were doing and act like nothing happened. It is about bringing joy to others through the element of surprise and dance.

So I got wind of this group called Flash Mob America and I registered with them to receive their updates. It just so happens they were coming to do one in Ann Arbor…and you know me, always looking for rich, rewarding experiences…so I decided I would make it a point to join in the fun. I arrived at 9am for rehearsal which lasted for 3 hours. We went over and over and over the dance and learned about the specifics of how it develops because there is no actual practice time in the chosen location. There were about 80 people that were at rehearsal and it was awesome to see it all come together.

The flash mob took place at the Artisan Market in Kerrytown area of Ann Arbor (the same location as the farmer’s market if you have ever been). The 80 participants walked around shopping leading up to the time it was supposed to start which was 1pm. Then out of nowhere, we here the beginnings of the song “Party Rock”…which literally starts with the singer yelling “PARTY ROCK!!” Then 4 people began the dance and it evolved from there. I was fortunate to have a friend standing by and videotaped the entire thing and I wanted to share it…and my incredible dance moves, jk :)…with all of you.

If you get wind of a flash mob happening in your area…check it out, join in and have some fun. We only get one chance…dance like no one is watching…or dance like the whole world is watching and shake that booty and make it count!!!

SOMETIMES…

Sometimes…wearing the medal the next day actually helps with the soreness that follows a run like that. It makes me smile!

“A journey of a thousand miles (or 13.1) begins with a single step.”
-Lao-tzu

Most don’t even thing twice about their medals but sometimes wearing the medal makes for a great day!!!

ANOTHER HALF DOWN

Can you say, “HOLY SORE LEGS, BATMAN!!!!” I ran the Detroit Half Marathon for the third year in a row yesterday. It is such a fun race and draws me back year after year.
It started with a cool, fall morning, a few sprinkles and some pretty intense wind. I decided to stay downtown Detroit with some friends because of the 7AM start which was a very good choice. The past 2 years I had to wake up at 4AM to make it to the race on time and that is brutal.

I have a few pictures that I want to share so you can see some of the sights along the race. It is so much fun to run across the bridge to Canada and back through the tunnel to the US.

Also I recently learned how to breathe…after almost 7 years of long distance running, in the past month, I finally

Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - another half down - Dr Erica Peabody

learned how to breathe and it is making a HUGE difference. In fact I cut off 26 minutes from my time last year…26 minutes!!! That is 2 minutes per mile difference which is significant. I will let you know what I mean when I say “I learned how to breathe” in a future post but for now, I am just celebrating the accomplishment. Crossing the finish line is one of the greatest feelings in the world and I am sure is what keeps runners coming back for more and more. I didn’t have my running buddy with me for this race, but he caught up with me when I finished and those are the best hugs ever!

Every year I get to this point, after finishing my big goal for the year of running a half, I promise myself that I will keep running on a regular basis to include one long run per week…then 2 months go by without even lacing up my running shoes. This year it is going to be different. I am pr

omising myself, and letting all of you hold me accountable to, running at least twice a week and walking once. I’m really going to do it this time…especially now that I am making some headway with my times, I don’t want to take any steps back.

Ever considered running a Half Marathon? …or even a 5K? It starts with putting one foot in front of the other and having the confidence to reach for big goals. Need recommendations about how to start? Come talk to me!

SITTING AND SITTING AND SITTING…

I am not sure how this is happening… I have been out in practice for over 6 years talking to people about the challenges that sitting all day has on our health. Our culture tends towards jobs that are done in a seated position for long hours everyday…sometimes 8 or more hours…plus an hour drive to and from work. It is one of the most unhealthy and stressful positions for the body to be in. So right now, I have been sitting for almost 4 hours. I have taken three 5 minute breaks to walk around and move. I have another at least 21 hours to go over the next 3 days. I am not sure how this is going to work out.

When I look back to my days of being a doctorate student, we had 35 hours of mandatory attendance

(35 hours of mostly sitting) classroom work and another 15-30 hours of studying (mostly sitting as well) per week. Since graduation and now being in practice, I sit for a maximum amount of 20 minute periods at a time and usually more like 3-5 minutes. So my question is how am I at the chiropractic college and being required to sit for hours and hours and hours when this is the very place I learned how stressful sitting is on the spine and nerve system? Seems there should be some sort of a walking class, or standing desks or something here.

Thank goodness (insert sarcastic tone here) that I learned to sit long hours when I first started elementary school, and kept doing it for 12 years through school and another 10 years in college. Looking back, I have had enough training to know how to do this, however because I have so much more awareness about the body, bio mechanics and health, this is incredibly difficult. You may think that sitting stress has to do with just the low back…but sit long enough and it will effect the upper back, the neck, circulation and nerve supply to the glutes and lower extremities…and all kinds of other things. I understand why elementary classrooms are designed with seats and desks and requirements to stay in them for organization, but maybe…just maybe this is where all of our health problems start.

Our bodies were meant to move, they are designed that way and are happier when doing so. I am grateful that my classes are full of chiropractors and that I can get adjusted frequently when I am here. I also know that I was going to be needing some serious exercise to counter-act some of this stress which I have planned for and will make a priority.

Are you sitting all day? Are you taking actions to counteract those daily stresses? Switching jobs is a much bigger challenge than counter-acting the effects of that sitting job and long drive have on your spine and health…do yourself a favor and take this information into account when looking for after work activities. We only get one chance.

ATLANTA, GA

I am on my way to Atlanta, GA. It seems like a long time since I have spent any real time there. It is another home for me. I spent a few years in school there and am still quite connected with the LIFE Chiropractic College and many people that are involved at the school. One thing about Atlanta, I love the diversity. Have you been to Atlanta?

At one point I heard that 75% of the people that are in Atlanta are transplanted…mostly from the north. That makes for the city having an interesting personality of a northern feel with southern hospitality. This small town of Fenton is incredibly non-diverse…what would be the correct word for that? Homogeneous? I don’t know…but I know you get the point. When I moved home I was shocked at how far I had to drive for any culture…and not to mention cuisine. I tend to steer away from “American” food and do not care much for Italian either. I had to drive 30-45 minutes to get things like Thai, Sushi, Indian and Ethiopian food. Things are improving slowly but surely but I love being in Atlanta where you can find all kinds of fun food on every corner.

I lived in Atlanta at a really special time in my life. I began chiropractic college and was making the greatest life-long friends and learning and growing so much as a student, but more importantly as a person. It was a time when I began to focus inward and really look at what makes me me and how I got that way. With this amazing group of friends, we spent a lot of time in introspection. Seems we were all digging for answers to the same questions…What is life really all about? Why am I here? What is my purpose? How can I live in a peaceful way? How can I serve others? What do I want to manifest in my life? How can I become more healthy and whole? …and the late night conversations filled with philosophy, connection and laughter are really precious memories for me.

Atlanta was home of the first Cafe of LIFE office I had ever been to. Cafe of LIFE is not a franchise, it is more a concept of shifting chiropractic away from a medical setting. The day I walked into that Cafe, and the first adjustment I received from the chiropractor, changed my life forever. It was a pivotal moment that I will share the specifics of in a later blog in case you haven’t heard the story. My path to some deep core healing began in Atlanta, and entering the Cafe of LIFE that day was a catalyst for that.

So when I get back there, I become really nostalgic. All the sights and sounds and smells and feels take me back to a really sweet transitioning point in my life…and also the point when I learned what it means to SERVE. I will spend the weekend in seminar and reigniting my internal flame with laughter and community and the enjoyment of being back on the campus and in a place that taught me so much about me. Have an amazing weekend everyone!!!

I REMEMBER…

I remember this feeling. I am in a new house and a new bed and I have yet to move the rest of my furniture into the new place. Over the past couple days I have had some upper back stiffness and I feel really hunched over and locked up. I am sitting at my desk at my office Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic and trying to remember when I felt this last…and then it hit me…it was prior to the purchase of my Sleep Number bed.

I remember waking up for years feeling like I got hit by a truck while I was sleeping. I was (and am) working out, drinking lots of water, stretching and doing yoga on a continual basis and at that age (and this age), there is no way my body should have felt (and currently feel) like that. (I am not trying to be a commercial for Sleep Number by telling you all this.) I purchased my bed 2 years ago after stopping in a store on a recommendation of another chiropractor. Everything they were telling me was making sense and when I got it home and tried it for myself, I was really, really impressed and amazed with my ability to rest and feel rested in the morning. It is one of those things that after sleeping on it for so long, I had forgotten the difference…until the past 2.5 weeks.

The biggest challenge I have now is that my Sleep Number bed I have at home is a queen and my new master bedroom has a king and requires a king…so I am going to have to go and purchase a king Sleep Number in the very near future. People that come in and get adjusted at my chiropractic office ask me all the time what bed I recommend. I always give them my personal experience because what else can i possibly talk about besides what I have done myself.

We spend a third of our lives in bed and it is important to make an investment in the quality of sleep we get. How can we possibly move through our days and do what we need to do feeling like we got hit by a truck sometime during the night? Just for the record, there are many really good quality beds on the market. Everyone is slightly different and our bodies have different requirements when it comes to relaxation and sleep. The best advice I can give on sleep position is to make sure your spine is as neutral as possible…making sure there are no twists, extra stress or sagging occurring…and I am grateful to know what I need to do about this and where to go to return to happy sleeping!!!

LESSONS AND LESSONS AND LESSONS…DO THEY EVER STOP?

Guess what? No the lessons don’t ever stop. What i realize in life is if we don’t listen and learn the lesson the first time around, it is bigger and louder the next time, and bigger and louder the next time. Life is really grand…however I have been in a lot of transition for the past month or so and I am ready to go into coast mode for a bit and have some peace.

Some things I have learned lately…

-be patient

-keep exercising

-allow others into my personal space

-don’t take things personally

-don’t make assumptions

-I love a peaceful life

-sitting for hours starting at a body of water is very relaxing

-family is the greatest

-I am very passionate about assisting mothers in their birth process

-I am back home and can really feel my roots

-my body can function for 39 straight hours without rest

-when I lay down in my bed, let the day go

-even if I don’t feel like doing yoga, go anyways…that feeling will change

-parking my yoga mat in front of a heater really steps up my practice

-I am grateful for how and where I grew up

-saying a heart-felt deep “I’m sorry” is really powerful

-I love my book club

-people make mistakes in life…really BIG ones sometimes…and it is OK in the end

-I love my work work more and more every day

-friendships/relationships come and go

-sometimes it is best to let go, and sometime I need to hold on really tight

-Fenton is often a little too small for me

-I couldn’t live in Fenton without Ethos Yoga Studio so close

-I may give my right big toe to have a Trader Joe’s open in Fenton…and I am pretty sure there are a few that would join me

-I love fall

-I really want to go visit New Orleans again…without tropical storms next time

What have you learned lately?