"The only real education comes from what goes counter to you."

Andre Gide

Unfortunately, due to the intermittent nature of information on the internet some links provided within the body of our newsletters may no longer be functioning. We apologize for the inconvenience.

August 2005

The office will be closed the first week in August. Brad will be available for massage therapy. Check Office Happenings for more details.

Contents

1. Working Hard at Being Healthy
2. Question of the Month
3. Fitness Corner
4. Health News
5. Office Happenings

Working Hard at Being Healthy

“77-year-old triathlete passes funeral home several times during race, but won’t be stopping there any time soon” reads one headline. “Cancer can be beaten” reads another. These captions were on the front page of the sports section the day after the World Masters Games triathlon. Both of these inspirational stories involved triathletes and why they participate in the sport.

Doug Knowles, 77, was the oldest of the 852 Masters competitors to tackle the Olympic-distance course in Edmonton. He struggled through the 1.5 kilometre swim, fought the wind on the 40 km bike leg, then toughed it out through the 10 km run. He was exhausted but determined to cross the finish line. “That was my main goal – to finish,” he said when asked by the reporter. “If I had to walk in on my hands and knees, I was going to do it…”

In 2003, Mike Gorman weighed 280 lbs and just been diagnosed with colon cancer. He was 30 years old at the time. He knew he had to change his ways and he turned to triathlon. After enduring radiation, chemotherapy and surgery, he dropped 60 lbs and was ready to tackle Ironman Canada but his cancer returned. He battled again and made it to Ironman a year later. He made the trek to Edmonton to compete again. “This is a lifestyle now,” he said.

To compete in triathlons, it takes a lot of hard work and discipline. While these athletes are great examples of this, Knowles also made the connection to health. “You never give up trying,” he said, “Why would anybody want to retire. I would rather work hard at being healthy than work hard at being sick.” I think that too often people think that good health is a right rather than something that is earned.

Choose to work hard at your health. Find inspiration in life whether it is a sport, your family, your job or yourself. With that motivation your health becomes a priority because you need it to follow your passion. Throw in some hard work and who knows were your health and life will take you!

Question of the Month

Why are re-scans important after I have been under care?

The re-scans of the nervous system after you have been under care for a while are important. They can tell us how well you are progressing in the parts of the nervous system that you are not aware of. The scans show us the relationship between the spine and the nerves that go to the muscles and organs. By doing the scans, we can see how you are working on the inside. This, combined with other information, allows us to stay on top of how well you are doing overall and provide you with quality care.

Fitness Corner

Scott McDermott writes a great monthly newsletter about health and fitness that you can receive by sending an email to mybestbody@shaw.ca. Scott has tons of experience in the field, is well read and a recent Ironman Canada qualifier. If you want to start working harder on your health, this is an invaluable resource. His topics for August are:
                1.Hospital Food – A help or hindrance? 
                2.Suffer from motion sickness? Here’s help! 
                3.If I eat that, how much exercise do I have to do to burn it off? 

Health News

Childhood pastimes are increasingly moving indoors 

“The fundamental nature of childhood has changed in a single generation. The unstructured outdoor childhood – days of pickup baseball games, tree houses and be “home by dinner” – has all but vanished,” this reporter writes. “Today childhood is spent mostly indoors, watching television, playing video games and working the Internet.” Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-07-11-pastimes-childhood_x.htm

This article brings up important issues. The lack of outside play has a direct correlation to rising obesity rates. Too much playing of video games and computers has shown to effect brain development. Even “over-parenting” our children regarding playtime is another issue. There are no easy and quick answers to this matter but it is one we all need to be aware of. Encouraging outdoor play for all of us including our children is very important. 

Office Happenings

1. Office Closing. The office will be closed from Friday July 29 at 10:45 a.m. until we re-open on Monday August 8 at 8 a.m. Brad MacLeod, the massage therapist, will be available during that week. To reach him, call him on his cell phone. His number is 396-3169. Dr. Dave Lajeunesse at Pines Chiropractic Centre, 343-0909, will see any patients who are requiring care while I am away.

2. Ice Cream Day. Join us on Friday August 19 for Ice Cream. We will be handing out ice cream cones to anyone who drops by on that day. Come on in and enjoy a summer treat.

3. Wellness Orientation Workshops. Our workshops for August are Wednesday August 10 and Monday August 15 at 5:30 p.m. here in the office. They are a great way to introduce friends and family to chiropractic and increase your understanding as well. See you there!

4. Office Hours. There is no change in our office hours but here they are if you need them. Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:00 to 12:30 and 2:00 to 5:30, Tuesday 8:00 to 12:30 and Thursday 1:00 to 7:30 pm.