Chiropractic Care For Southern Maine

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

That being said, there are times in life when things don’t go as expected.  I know a lot of people who are under a tremendous amount of stress right now.  So I thought it might be helpful to talk about ways to handle the stress.  Here are a few tips you can use to improve how you feel when you’re under stress.

1. Calm Yourself Down

Before you do anything else, try to calm yourself down.  Don’t panic.  Take deep breaths and try to relax.  The rest of the tips below won’t help you if you aren’t calm.

2. Feed Your Mind With Positive Thoughts

When you’re under stress, it’s easy to fall into the vicious cycle of negative thoughts.  The problem with this is the negative thought cycle will actually make things seem worse than they already are.  It’s important that you break this cycle so you don’t become a victim of your own thoughts.

3. Think About The Good

When under stress, our minds tend to focus on the negative and not the positive.  So direct your mind to the positive.  Even when things are going bad, or things are stressful, there are good things happening in your life.  Think about the good people around you.  Try to balance out your perspective so that you don’t dwell on only the negative.

4. Look At The Big Picture

Something you’re stressed about might not seem as bad if you step back and look at the big picture.  Try to get another perspective on what’s going on.

5.  Believe That Everything Will Be All Right

What you believe has an effect on you, whether you like it or not.  That’s just the way it is.  So if you believe that things will go wrong, then that would usually be the case.  On the other hand, if you believe that everything will be all right, you have a much better chance of that actually happening.

6. Exercise

When you’re under stress, make sure you take the time to exercise.  Exercise is related to positive mental health and helps with depression and anxiety.

7. Forgive

Mahatma Gandhi said: “The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”  Sometimes in life, you need to forgive others.  Sometimes you need to forgive yourself.  Work on forgiveness.

8. Take Action

Things in your life aren’t going to get any better if you just sit around and do nothing.  Focus on solutions to improving your stress and any problems you have in life and then set up the action steps you need to take to make it happen.

9. Gratitude

Practice gratitude.  What are you grateful for?  Who are you grateful for?  Focus on what’s right in your life instead of what’s wrong.  Every day answer this question…”What am I grateful for?”  Focusing on gratitude regularly is very powerful.

10. Get Adjusted

Chiropractic care has a tremendous stress reducing effect on your body.  Make sure you take care of your body regularly when you are under stress.  Make sure you are eating healthy foods, getting plenty of rest, and keep your spine and nervous system healthy with regular chiropractic care.

I hope these help you out.  If you know anyone who’s under a lot of stress, email them these tips to help them out.

Have a great day and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Dr. Pete

Resource: www.lifeoptimizer.org

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An important part of our growth and motivation as people lies in contributing to the greater good, being part of something greater than ourselves. There is plenty of room for simple acts that create small measures of happiness for you and in the lives of those around you.

Here are ten little gestures, all of them easily within our grasp, that can spread goodwill in our own communities, as well as increase our own sense of mindfulness about the people around us and our relationship to them.

Tip generously: When you have great service in a restaurant, leave a tip greater than the usual 15% to 20%. Leaving a larger than usual tip for great service not only puts a little extra money in your servers’ pocket, it tells them that they’re appreciated- a message that often slips our minds in our demanding, service-now society.

Compliment someone: Tell someone how much you like the job they’re doing, their outfit or new haircut, whatever. Be honest and sincere. Don’t expect anything in return, just let someone know that something they’re doing is great and move on.

Be totally open with someone: Let someone know exactly how you feel about something on your mind.  We often keep too much to ourselves; letting someone into your thoughts can be a great way to show your trust and appreciation of them.

Give someone a book you’ve read: Making a gift of something you’ve read and enjoyed is more than just a nice gesture, it’s a way of showing someone that a) you think of them, b) you understand them, and c) you want to share something with them. The moment doesn’t end when they take the book - once they’ve read it, you can talk about your reactions together.

Make something for someone: Bake an extra batch of cookies, draw a picture, make a simple gift, and give it to someone for no good reason. Like giving someone a book, it tells them that you were thinking about them and wanted to do something nice for them, and that it’s something you made adds a nice touch. Give without expectations - whether they return the favor or not, whether they like it or not, whether they’re nice to you or not, these are all irrelevant.

Send a letter, email, tweet, or text message out of the blue: Email someone you haven’t spoken with for a while, or text someone you see every day just to be nice. Maybe they’ll respond, maybe not - it’s beside the point. They just need to know that they’re important to you.

Commend an employee to their manager: It’s one thing to tip or compliment someone for their service, it’s another to contact their manager and tell them what a great job they’ve done. If you don’t have time at the time of service, note the employees name and call, email, or write a letter later.

Teach someone how to do something: Share your skill or talent with someone by showing them how to do something. Not so they won’t bother you with it, but so they can move a little bit towards improved mastery of the world around them. Have patience and respect for the person you’re helping - you’re giving them a gift, not compensating for some lack in their character.

Let someone shine: Put a spotlight on someone else’s talents by letting them take over a presentation, deferring to their wisdom, asking them advice, or otherwise flex their “talent muscles”. Especially if they are junior to you, giving them a chance to strut their stuff shows that you trust them and appreciate them, as well as allowing them to get the attention they deserve (and which might often be obscured by your own shadow).

Connect like minds:Introduce two friends or colleagues who you feel have something to gain from each other. You’ll be letting them know you value them - and maybe creating a partnership that will make everyone better off.

You’ve probably heard the saying “Practice random acts of kindness”, and that’s basically what I’m talking about here. Anything that shows people you care about them has the potential to make the world, or your small corner of it, a better place.

Have a great day!

Dr. Pete

Source: Lifehack.org

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One of the most common questions I get from parents is, “Is chiropractic care safe for children,” or “Can my children come in here and receive chiropractic care?”

The answer is yes, chiropractic care is safe for kids, and yes, you can bring your kids in to receive chiropractic care.

The thing you need to know is that chiropractic care is not “age related.”  Anyone from newborns to people 100+ years old can experience the benefits of chiropractic care.

Someone who doesn’t understand chiropractic may say, “My child doesn’t have back pain, so they must not need chiropractic care.”

However,that’s the wrong thinking.  That would be like saying, “My child doesn’t have any teeth that have pain, so they don’t need to brush their teeth.”

Doesn’t make sense, does it?

The bottom line is that when you take care of things, they are always better off.  That could be your body, your teeth, your car…whatever.  When you neglect your body, you pay a price.  When you take care of your body, it simply works better and feels better.

Children who get chiropractic care feel great just like their parents.  They also don’t get sick as often, and their bodies are able to grow and develop without structural problems.  And it’s also very safe!

A new study by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) was just published this month in the biomedical journal, Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing.

As far as safety is concerned, out of 5,438 office visits, there were only 3 adverse events from the chiropractic care, a .00055% chance of reaction considered negative. (That’s well below a 1% risk factor, so based on the results of this study,children have a 99+% chance of having no problems receiving chiropractic care). Not only that, but he three adverse events that did occur were minor discomfort following the adjustment and were readily resolved with continued adjustments.

In the study, both parents and chiropractors indicated there was a high rate of improvement with respect to the children’s presenting complaints.

So this study showed that chiropractic care for children was very safe and very effective.  There are a lot of great benefits of having your kids under chiropractic care, so if your children aren’t receiving chiropractic care, now is a great time to get them started!

Email me if you have any questions or comments. I’d love to hear from you!

Yours in health,

http://www.icpa4kids.org/

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Do you ever get the feeling that there’s something you are supposed to do but can’t remember what it is?  I think that happens to all of us at one time or another, but did you see the story this fall about the plane that flew past its destination?

I wonder if the two pilots flying Northwest Airlines Flight 188 had a feeling in the back of their minds that said, “There must be something I’m supposed to be doing right now, but I can’t remember what it is?”

After all, their flight was scheduled to land in Minneapolis, but both pilots were so busy on their laptops that they overshot their destination by 150 miles.

How pathetic is that?  You would think the pilots would have been paying attention to minor details like:

*The fact that they were flying at 35,000 feet and were responsible for the safety of 144 passengers on board.

*Flight control had been trying to contact the pilots for over an hour

*People were trying to call the pilots on their cell phones

*The pilot’s instrumentation in the cock pit showed that they had veered off course

*The time on their watch would suggest they were late for something they were supposed to do…land the plane in Minneapolis and hour ago.

This was such a debacle that the White House was being briefed and F-16 military fighter jets were ready to take off…because the flight was off course, off schedule, and out of contact.

This is definitely an “Are you kidding me?” moment. But we’ve all seen this story before by countless individuals.  Think about it.  How many people do you know who set goals, talk about their dreams, and plan out their objectives for a better life only to become distracted?  They’ve veered from their flight plan and find themselves off course and off their schedule.

Does this sound familiar to you?  All of us have had a time when we find ourselves a long way from the plans we made and the goals we set.

January 2010 is here and it’s a time when people set New Year’s “resolutions” and goals focused on improving their lives. Some people want to lose weight and get in shape, others want to resume their regular chiropractic care program. Some want to do better in their jobs, and others want to improve the relationships in their lives, and so on.

I think it’s a great idea to make a plan at the beginning of the year with the goal of improving your life.  But remember, there is a good chance that circumstances will cause you to veer from your plan.  And when that happens, don’t stress out about it.  Just make the decision to get back on course.

Happy New Year-I look forward to seeing you soon!

Dr. Pete

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Today I want to talk to you about fats.

A lot of people think that to lose weight you need to cut the fat out of your meals. This thinking seems reasonable since fat is higher in calories than protein and carbohydrates and low fat diets are very popular.

But this thinking is wrong.

Research shows that there are a lot of advantages to eating “good fats.”  A moderate amount of fat in your diet will help you lose weight, feel full longer, and avoid binging.  The trick of course is to eat healthy fats.  So here are five of the best fats you should be eating on a regular basis.

1.Fish

Fish like (wild) salmon, albacore tuna, herring, mackerel, and sardines contain beneficial amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for good health.  Most experts agree that eating two servings of fatty fish per week is safe for people worried about mercury or other toxins in the fish.

2.Olive oil

Olive oil is loaded with monounsaturated fat, antioxidants and healthy nutrients.  They have also been shown to lower bad cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.  Just don’t use it to cook on high heat. Olive oil breaks down under high heat and should be used uncooked or for light or low-heat cooking.

3.Avocados

Avocados are a great source of monounsaturated fat.  Another benefit of they have is when you eat avocados with other foods, like in a salad for example, you absorb more antioxidants and phytonutrients.  Avocado slices are great on salads or sandwiches or any other way you choose to enjoy them!

4.Nuts

Almonds, pecans, cashews, and walnuts offer good nutrition - full of antioxidants,minerals, and monounsaturated fat. Eating moderate amounts of nuts on a regular basis also helps you weigh less. Nuts should be eaten in moderation, though. Some nuts contain high amounts of omega-6 fats, that can counteract the positive effects of omega-3 fats. Another benefit of eating nuts is they’re rich and satisfying so it doesn’t feel like you’re eating “diet food!”

5.Flax seeds

Flax seeds contain fat, protein, and fiber, and are a great addition to your diet.  You can grind them up and add them to salads,vegetables, oatmeal, or any other food where you want a nutty flavor added.  Flax seeds are a plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, but should not be used a a substitute for omega-3 fatty acids from a fish source, since your body processes them differently.  Because of the fiber content, eating flax seeds will also help slow your digestion and keep your blood sugar stable.

So go ahead and try adding these fats to your meals on a regular basis.  Not all fats are bad, and these will be a great addition to your diet.

Email me with any comments or questions. I love hearing from our patients!

Yours in Health,

Dr.Pete

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With all the stress going on these days, I’ve noticed a lot of people complaining about headaches.

So I wanted to send you a quick email to share with you 5 ways you can eliminate headaches before they even start…WITHOUT pills!

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1. Obey Your Alarm Clock

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According to Dr. Lisa Mannix, a spokeswoman for the National Headache Foundation in Chicago, pressing your snooze button may turn you into a head case. As it turns out, snoozing in for more than an hour after the alarm clock goes off can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle and set you up for a tension headache later in the day.

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2. Eat Smart

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The substances in processed food–such as nitrates in luncheon meat and monosodium glutamate (MSG) in some ready-to-eat food items–can trigger a migraine in certain people. To be certain that you don’t get”hit in the head” when you least expect it, grab an easy-to-eat fruit when you feel hungry. Better yet, make an effort to lessen your consumption of processed food.

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3. Get Adjusted

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In her article, “Stop a Headache Before It Starts,”Jaydine Sayer explains: “The main sensory nerve in your forehead is rooted at the base of your neck–which is why experiencing muscle tension there or in your shoulders can lead to head pain.” When the spinal bones in the neck get locked up and subluxated, it will cause muscle tension and nerve irritation that can cause headaches.  Getting chiropractic adjustments regularly easily solves this problem for most people.

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4. Drink Water

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Doctors reveal that dehydration is a common cause of headaches.When your body loses fluids, you also begin to “wilt” like a parched plant. All your body functions go haywire and pretty soon you’ll feel your head throbbing.

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5. Take a Breather

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Tension headaches set in when you’re stressed out. This is when your cortisol and adrenaline levels surge. When this happens, your body is forced to pump out sugar. “The rapid change in glucose levels can set you up for pain. You have to give yourself a few minutes to decompress so stress won’t get to you,” states Sayer.

There you have it. You can avoid the agony of a mind-numbing headache by doing these simple things. There’s no need to pop pills when you can get rid of pain the natural and healthy way!

Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Dr. Pete

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Hi Pete,

I was doing some research online the other day and found some information that I thought worthy to share with you.

I know that many of my patients are either parents or grandparents, and if you aren’t, this is still important information to know.

A recent study done late last year at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic has shown that chiropractic care provides a lot of benefit for children who have colic.

If you’re not sure what colic is, it’s generally defined as persistent crying, not likely to be soothed by a caring parent, mainly occurring in the late afternoon and evening in infants who are well fed and healthy.

Colic is a condition with no known treatment protocols that have been proven to be entirely effective, so having a study that shows positive results with chiropractic care makes chiropractic a reasonable option that parents may want to try.

By the seventh day of the study, crying was significantly reduced by about 2 hours on average.  Four weeks later, colic had disappeared in 82% of the infants undergoing chiropractic care.

Great stuff-not only for the babies but for their parents as well!

The bottom line is that a properly functioning nervous system is just as important in infants as it is in adults.  Stress and other imbalances have a negative affect on our bodies.  In children this can cause colic and other symptoms.  And as you can see by the results of this study, chiropractic care is proven method of helping children get healthy safely and naturally.

So if you know someone who has a child with colic and it’s not getting better, send them this article and have them give us a call, We’re here to help!

Have a great day!

Dr. Pete

Source: www.mycentraljersey.com,March 16, 2009

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This story is pretty cool.  One of the greatest football players in NFL history has decided to publicly endorse his support for chiropractic care and the chiropractic profession.

Jerry Rice, one of the best wide receivers to ever play in the NFL, and also a star on the popular television show “Dancing with the Stars” has teamed up with the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress to let the public know about the positive benefits of chiropractic care.

Checkout some of Jerry Rice’s comments:

“My first experience with chiropractic care was right before the 49ers were to play the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII in 1987.  A couple of our key players were injured and a chiropractor turned things around.  I quickly became a believer and ever since I have had the benefit of chiropractic care.”

“Football is a very rough and vicious sport.  I took some vicious hits from players nearly twice my size.  Thankfully, I had the durability to withstand these tackles or I would have never succeeded or lasted as long as I did.  Chiropractic was the key to keeping me in the game.”

“Dancing with the stars was every bit as exhausting and challenging - though not nearly as brutal as football.  It required many hours of practice.  I had aches and pains that I never had before.  Again,chiropractic made the difference - and kept me dancing and in competition.”

If you’d like to see the video of Jerry Rice talking about chiropractic care, it’s on YouTube.  Just Click the link below to watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CAsGNlQEnI

Did you know that most professional athletes receive chiropractic care on a regular basis to keep their bodies healthy and performing at their best?  It’s true.

And even though most of us aren’t professional athletes, that doesn’t mean that we don’t suffer from stress, aches and pains, stiffness, fatigue, soreness, or other problems.

The cool thing is chiropractic care will improve our quality of lives and keep our bodies healthy just like it does for pro athletes.  I hope you understand that chiropractic care is for much more than just pain.  It can keep your body healthy and functioning at its best.

The patients we have in our office that include regular chiropractic adjustments as part of their overall health plan are happier, less stressed, don’t get sick as much, sleep better, are more productive at work and don’t have as many aches and pains.

The days of chiropractic care being thought of as a treatment only for back pain are over.  That thinking is severely outdated.  Chiropractic care has been proven to do much more than that, so please take advantage of all of the benefits that chiropractic care can offer you.

Have a great day!

Dr. Pete

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Have you ever eaten a pomegranate?  They are the fruit with the little red seeds in them.

Well, it turns out that pomegranate juice has some pretty powerful health benefits.  Some research was done a few years a go and I want to share with you some of the findings because they are pretty interesting.

Check out the benefits discovered in the research study:

*After one year of pomegranate juice consumption (3 ounces per day), systolic blood pressure decreased by 21%.

*After one year of consumption, the antioxidant health status increased by 130%.

*Oxidative stress is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease.  Consumption of pomegranate juice lowed the oxidative stress levels in the blood.

*A significant decrease in the LDL cholesterol levels after 6 months of consumption.

*Was shown to decrease atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries.

So let’s recap the benefits really quick. By consuming only 3 ounces of pomegranate juice daily, over time there is a good chance you would obtain the following health benefits:

*Lower blood pressure

*Increased antioxidant health status

*Decreases carotid artery atherosclerosis (plaquing)

*Lower oxidative stress levels

*Lower LDL (”bad” cholesterol) levels

Those are some good benefits, so I’d recommend you consider adding this juice to your diet.  You can buy pomegranate juice in your local grocery store.  You want to find brands that include the whole fruit, peel and all, when juiced. Some good brands include POM (usually somewhere in refrigerated produce section and Knudsen (on shelf in a glass bottle).

Enjoy your day-I look forward to seeing you soon!

Dr. Pete

Source: Clinical Nutrition, June 2004, 23, 423-433

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