Twist and Ouch

by Dr. Adam Rushford

Iam not a big fan of addition by subtraction when it comes to health. I hate to tell a patient that they can’t do something that they love just because it might add stress or strain to their body. My approach for my health and my patients is simple. Instead of changing the environment to suit the weakened body, I strive to meet lifes environmental challenges.

Like anything else, there is best practice for being able to achieve this. Listen, I am glad you see a Chiropractor, Massage Therapist, and PT to give you pain relief when you are in acute distress, but this approach is reactionary. Weather trying to achieve success in finance, personal relationships, or sports, you have to take a proactive approach. Being reactive is the equivalent of just putting out fire after fire and doesn’t allow you to form a foundation of success that you can continue to build on.

Your body houses one quadrillion nerves that transmit messages from your brain at 270 mph to over 32.7 trillion cells that perform over 200,000 functions every second. And we have the audacity to say that we “know our bodies.” We know very little, and the little that we do know is just pain based. Do you want to be the pain free golfer or do you want to be the strong, mobile golfer that has excellent control of their club. Here are some rules:

• Be motivated by the carrot (a stable, balanced, mobile swing) and not the stick (running from pain) when developing your plan off the course. Violent rotation, after violent rotation is damaging to your body, so develop rehabilitative processes that addresses optimal mobility, strength, alignment, and nutrition to help your body recover.

• Chances are, you are an expert in something that you get paid for.

Now think of your customer trying to do on their own what you are an expert in. Wasted time, frustration, and poor outcomes ensue. Get an expert who has devoted their life work understanding how your body functions and not just how it feels, and use them to guide, motivate, and improve your life. When finding an expert, be picky, get referrals, and don’t be afraid of communicating and asking questions.

• Never, ever, ever, ever start the golf season without first getting a tune up. Every spring, the most common diagnosis in my office is Weekend Warrior Syndrome.

This is transmitted by hibernating for 5 months and then hitting 18 the first sunny 60 degree day.

You tune up every other piece of machinery in your garage in the spring, before you put it to work, so why neglect your most important tool. Schedule an in-depth evaluation of your alignment, mobility and strength weeks in advance of the season, to recalculate what deficiencies you need to strengthen before you tee off on one.

Not a golfer? You could replace the action of golf with whatever your purpose and passion is in life and the same rules apply.

“Doc, could my golfing be affecting the health of my back?” This is a question I hear frequently in my office every spring and summer. My answer, “If you let it.”

May

Emotional

Create a Spring and Summer vision board. Use magazines, poster board and glue. Identify the things you love to do during the warm months daily.

Social

Find and help maintain a community garden.

Spiritual

Try vibrational healing music for Spring. You can find it on any music sharing format. It helps raise your spiritual vibration.

Personal

Learn about plant medicine and how it may help your body, mind and soul. Or, become an expert and talk with others about it.

Space

Make your bedroom smell like Spring. Wash all curtains, comforters and linens. Wipe down walls. Pull out all furniture and vacuum behind. Have your carpets cleaned. Bring the May flowers from inside to decorate your spaces.

Preserve Lemons the Mediterranean way.

Ingredients: 8 large lemons ½ cup kosher salt 2 tablespoons of sugar 2 tablespoons of pepper corns 4 to 5 dry bay leaves Fresh lemon juice of 7 to 8 lemons

Instructions:

Cut about ¼ -inch of the top and bottom of the lemons. Cut each lemon into quarters part-way through so that they remain connected at the bottom.

Transfer the lemons to a large bowl and toss well with salt and sugar. Open up the lemons and stuff with sugar and salt mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. The lemons will release some juice.

Financial

Find a B.F.F. (Best Financial Friend). Ask them to be your accountability partner. Have them help you create a financial gym, and then together, give your money a workout. Take your work outside anytime possible. Suggest an outdoor day for your workplace. The next day, transfer the lemons and their juices to a large, sterilized canning jar. Press them down firmly.

Physical - It’s Mediterranean May

Here are some healthy tips to eat like they do in Italy and Greece:

• Fill your plate with colorful produce with protein on the side. • Eat small amounts of dairy and keep red lean meat to a minimum. • Use olive oil or avocado oil in place of butter for cooking and spreads. • Skip the salt use fresh herbs and spices for seasoning. • Drink water, coffee or tea to replace sugary drinks. • Keep wine to 5 ounces per day for a women or 10 ounces a day for a man.