There is a great deal of info on the web and in the news about “being healthy” yet, what does that really mean? Does it mean you can run a certain distance?
wear a certain size?
do a pushup?
have cholesterol below 200?
sleep without waking up a dozen times?
have a BMI of a certain number?
feel good about yourself?
live to 100?
be able to procreate?
eat and properly digest whatever you want?
Obsession with “being healthy” can be a hindrance to life and vitality just like any obsession can ruin a good thing.
Here is what I, Dr. Amy, think about the pursuit of good health (and you can thank my husband and our great, thoughtful conversations for this philosophy.)
Each morning you have the good fortune to wake up and make a series of many decisions according to your values. Every thing you do is a choice between options of other things you could have done instead.
The first question to answer, therefore, is… what are my values regarding health and vitality?
Just to spark thoughts in your own brain, here are some of mine:
+movement is a celebration of my body and the vitality I have – I want to express it with fun movement that makes me feel great on most days (but no obsession about having to do something everyday)
+keeping excellent nerve flow in my body with weekly chiropractic adjustments, posture awareness, posture exercises, and good spine habits (yes, I hold my phone up in front of my face to text and you should, too!)
+being outdoors for at least a few minutes each day
+being strong and able to do yoga including arm balances
+good family relationships (morning coffee time and evening dinner time conversations are super important to me)
+giving 100% to my job as a chiropractor (gives me a sense of purpose which leads to happiness and health, in my opinion)
+working on getting 8 hours of sleep per night and resting when I can at lunchtime
+eating yummy fruits and veggies and protein and fat regularly – at least 3 times per day
+allowing and enjoying something that makes my heart sing everyday – sometimes it’s chocolate or ice cream and sometimes it’s an extra yoga class or a movie or tv show, or all of those things in a single day!
+friends and laughter – nothing beats laughing with my “chick” friends
+taking vitamin D, fish oil, magnesium, vitamin C, and eating fermented foods most days
+reading for learning and for pleasure – another thing that makes my heart sing
+keeping a clutter-free environment makes me feel happy
+allowing myself to have a “bad” or emotional day where I want to curl up on my bed and cry – “feel the feels and then move on” is my motto and it sure beats fighting with the feelings and trying to stop them
You get the idea. Navigating through one moment to the next on a given day, I get to make choices that support these values of mine. One of the ways you can tell if your values are real for you, is to act according to them (or the opposite of them) and see how it makes you feel.
For example, if you value getting outdoors for a walk, how do you feel when you do it? How do you feel when you go several days in a row without doing that outdoor walk?
If you value relationships with your family, how do you feel when you spend time talking to each other and looking in each other’s eyes versus how do you feel when everyone is spread around the house on their own “glowing screens?”
If you value feeling rested and getting 7-8 hours of sleep, how do you feel when you go to bed by 9 or 10 PM versus when you stay up until 1 AM playing a game or being on Social Media?
See? It’s all choices even though some of your daily choices have turned into daily bad habits. But guess what???? It’s fixable. You can start today.
First step: write out your list of values
Second step: select one or two things on that list and make new choices today
Voila! A healthier (and happier) life is yours no matter what your waist size, cholesterol level, or how far you can run.
And, as you may know by now if you have viewed other videos or heard me lecture on health, a clear flowing nervous system is an excellent overall health indicator. Getting adjusted to keep the spine subluxation-free and the energy of the body flowing and doing its jobs optimally, is a great foundation for health for you and your family. This is truly a vitalistic view of health and well-being.
-Dr. Amy Mercovich