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, decorate an extra Christmas ornament, 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. Jason Gerard DC

Source: Lifehack.org

Here’s a way to target the neck and shoulders: dumbbells.

Strength training using dumbbells not only reduces pain, but also improves the function of your neck and shoulder area.  Here are 5 exercises that you can do with dumbbells to reduce pain and improve function in the neck and shoulders.

1. The one-arm row

2. Shoulder abduction

3. Shoulder shrug

4. Reverse fly

5. Upright row

Start with light hand weights and increase the weight of your dumbbells only after you are comfortable with the lighter weights.  The starting weight should be 6 to 12 pounds.

Perform these exercises 3 times per week.  Mix up your workouts.  Do exercises 1, 2, and 5 one day, and then the next day do exercises 1, 3, and4.  Switch back and forth each time you exercise.

When starting out, do 2 sets of each exercise 8 to 12 times.  As you get stronger, add a third set.  Once you can do an exercise comfortably for 3 sets, then increase the weight slightly.

These exercises are a great compliment to your chiropractic adjustments.  Try them out and see how it goes!  If you have any questions about the exercises, email me or ask me at your next appointment.

Have a great day!

Dr. Jason Gerard DC

Sources:

Science Daily December 28, 2009

Journal of Applied Physiology November 2009; 107(5):1413-9

I wonder if the two pilots flying Northwest Airlines Flight 188 had a feeling in the back of their minds that said, “Isn’t there 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?  Because all of us have had a time when we find ourselves a long way from the plans we made and the goals we set.

I think it’s a great idea to make plans and goals to improve 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.

Dr. Jason Gerard DC

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 muscles and joints healthy with chiropractic care and massage therapy.

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’ll talk to you soon,

Dr. Jason Gerard

Lakewoods Chiropractic

Resource: www.lifeoptimizer.org

Why is this? 

I think it’s because we were never taught to take care of our back on regular basis…like how we take care of our teeth.  The simple fact is most people neglect their spinal health.  They take a “reactive approach” which means they do nothing until a problem is already there.

The better approach would be to take care of not only your spine but your health on a regular and consistent basis.  Aging and stress break down our bodies and unless we are doing something positive to keep our bodies healthy, then we are on a crash course with back and body problems.

If you’ve had really bad back pain, you know what a life changer it can be.  It’s miserable.  It negatively affects everything.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are some simple things you can take to reduce or eliminate your back pain:

* First, it starts with “how you think.”  The bottom line is you can’t ignore your spinal health.  There is a price to pay for neglect.  The best approach to health is “attention” instead of neglect.  You will want to take care of not only your spine but the rest of your body on a regular basis…even when you are feeling good.  After all, you brush your teeth everyday and your teeth don’t have pain.  After all, who says you need to be in pain to take care of yourself?

* Next, use services that work great for back pain.  Chiropractic care has been PROVEN countless times to be the BEST choice for back pain.  So when you have back pain, make sure you get adjusted.  And when you are feeling good, get an adjustment once a month to MAINTAIN your good health.  A monthly adjustment will not only prevent major back “flair ups” but will also keep your spine healthy.  Massage therapy and acupuncture can also help with back pain and stiffness.

* Exercise regularly.  Your body was meant to “move.”  Your joints like motion, so if you aren’t moving and exercising regularly, your joints will stiffen up.  This includes your back.  So make sure you are active and exercising.  Even something simple like taking a walk every day is better than doing nothing.

* Stretch regularly.  It’s important that you keep the muscles in your back and legs limber and flexible.  The tighter these muscles get, the bigger chance you have of developing back pain.  Make sure you stretch after you exercise.

* Pay attention to how you lift things.  Make sure you bend with your legs and not at the waist.   Keep the object you are lifting as close to you as possible.  And try not to bend and twist.  Instead, turn your entire body.

* Check your mattress.  It’s important that you have a quality mattress that gives you BOTH comfort and support.  A bad mattress can be a cause of developing back pain.

* Watch your posture.  A bad posture doesn’t just look bad; it’s bad for your back too.  Pay attention to how you stand and sit.  If you work at a desk all day, or on a computer, make sure you maintain good posture.

I promise that if you incorporate these strategies into your daily routine, your back will feel great!

If you have any questions or comments, just email me.  I’d love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jason Gerard, DC

The thing is, there is only  one philosophy that works better than all the rest.  That approach is the “take care of yourself on a regular basis” approach to health. 

Unfortunately, some of the patients that I see are of the belief that they are “entitled” to have good health and feel great all the time without having to do anything.   They think they can eat whatever they want, rarely exercise, and only take care of their body when “something hurts”…and feel great.  

But it doesn’t work that way.  At least not in the long run, and especially as you get older. 

Here’s a question to think about…How come no one questions the idea of servicing a car regularly throughout its lifespan?  You know, things like keeping the interior and exterior of the car clean, changing the oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, rotating the tires, putting in new spark plugs, and so on. 

You want to know why?  Because it’s the right thing to do.  Everyone knows that if you take care of your car regularly, then it will not only run better but in the long run will cost less.  So why is it then that some people take better care of their cars than they do their health?  How come some people think it makes sense to take care of a car regularly, but not their body? 

Here’s the dilemma we all face, whether we like it or not… 

1. Our bodies all experience “normal wear and tear” from living our daily lives.  And this normal wear and tear breaks our bodies down.  

2. We are all aging, and it’s unavoidable.  And guess what?  Aging slowly but surely breaks our bodies down. 

3. We all experience stress in our lives.  Some more than others, but we all do.  Whether it’s relationships, finances, work, environmental, etc.  And what do you think stress does to our bodies?  You got it…breaks it down. 

These 3 things are unavoidable, and happen each and every day whether we like it or not.  And these 3 things are constantly working against us to wear our bodies out and decrease our health and quality of life. 

So what should we do?  Here’s something I want you to do.  Take out a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle, and on the left hand side, write all of the things that are causing your health and quality of life to decrease.  I’ve given you 3 things for that side…normal wear and tear, aging, and stress.  You might have others to add to that list. 

Now, on the right hand side of the paper, write down all of the things you do on a regular basis to improve your health and quality of life.  These are things that will counter act the things on the left hand side of the paper that are decreasing your health. 

Do you see the problem that exists for some people?  Some people can’t write anything down on the right hand side of the piece of paper.  They aren’t doing anything on a regular basis to counteract the negative effects of list on the left hand side of the page. 

These are the people who hurt all the time.  They have a sore back or neck all the time.  They complain of being sore and stiff all the time.  Are constantly on multiple medications all the time.  They get sick all the time.  They have trouble sleeping.  They are always tired.  They rarely feel very good.

 Do you know anyone like this?  Most of us do. 

Here’s the point to all of this.  What’s YOUR health mindset?  Are you someone who believes in taking care of yourself on a regular basis?  DO YOU take care of yourself on a regular basis?  Or do you neglect yourself?  Is your lack of activity causing your health and quality of life to slip away from you?

 I’ve seen a lot of patients over the years and I can tell you that the patients who take care of themselves on a regular basis are ALWAYS healthier than those who don’t.   They always feel better, they are always happier, and they actually spend less on their health care than those who don’t take care of themselves regularly.

So think about your health and what you need to do on a regular basis to keep yourself healthy and feeling great.  Then make sure you are doing it.  And if you do, I promise you’ll enjoy a much better quality of life.

Dr. Jason Gerard, D.C.

The results showed that “hands on” treatments, led by chiropractic care, were the “top-rated” treatments for people suffering from back pain.  The massage survey also found that chiropractors were given the highest “satisfaction with care” ratings, well above those given to medical doctors who administered various forms of care to back pain sufferers.

The survey found that more than half of the respondents had pain that severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer, and 88% said it recurred throughout the year.  The report stated that while many go to a primary care physician for diagnosis and treatment, the majority were disappointed with the results.

On the other hand, the majority reported that they were “highly satisfied” with the care they received from chiropractors.  Respondents were also asked to rate the types of treatments they received.  Again, chiropractic/spinal manipulation got the top honors.

Dr. Orly Avitzur, a medical neurologist, said, “The survey showed “hands-on” therapies, which include chiropractic care, are “very successful” and I almost always recommend them.”

This is exciting news because Consumer Reports has a great reputation.  What’s also nice is that the positive comments are coming from people just like you and I, so no one’s trying to scam or manipulate what’s being reported.

So if you know someone who could benefit from chiropractic care but is skeptical or unsure of whether or not chiropractic care could work for them, please share this information with them.

I’m sure you are like me and hate to see your friends and family suffer with pain, so let them know that chiropractic care is a proven option to restore their health and relieve their pain.

Dr. Jason Gerard, D.C.
Forest Lake Chiropractor

“The wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings.  Let food be your medicine.”

-Hippocrates

Begin to consume foods that are non-processed, non-denatured, non-altered and watch what happens to your health, your weight, your energy, and attitude.  Commit to a diet that’s 80% natural and just 20% processed.

“” I lost 30lbs in 30 days by attending the Maximized Living Makeover and just changing one thing, what I put into my body.”  -Dave M.

Listen, we are all either fathers/mothers/brothers/sisters/ or cousins of someone.   Your health affects everone around you and impacts your contribution to society.  Commit today to getting one one of our Maximized Living makeover workshops, and watch the pounds fall of tommorrow.

Now living in the USA all my life, I have just always assumed things are better, safer, and more technologically advanced here.  When it came to health, I assumed we were also the best, no questions asked.  That’s when I read this in the Journal of the American Medical Association : The US ranks as the 37th healthiest country in the world.  In fact, our health system lies between Costa Rica’s and Slovenia’s, and is just barely ahead of much poorer neighbors to the south, Cuba.  If “how could that be right” came to your mind, join the club.  But here are the facts…

1.  In the US :  we’re the most medicated country in the world, BY FAR.  We take 5x more Ritalin in this country for example than all the other countries in the world COMBINED!  The average retiree is on 5 or MORE meds everyday! 

2.  In the US : adverse reactions to PROPERLY prescribed meds kills 106,000 people/ year.  That is the equivalent to THREE jumbo jets crashing every TWO days!  Not only that, but routine medical errors account for another 100,000 deaths/yr!

3.  Our infant mortality rate is AT THE BOTTOM, compared to the thirteen other major industrialized countries of the world!

4.  That doesn’t even factor in the millions of unnecessary hospitalizations every year, antibiotics given, and surgical procedures performed. 

There’s another way… it comes from within your body!  Remember the body is self healing, and self regulating.  Get checked today, and unlock that POWER!

Note: all info comes from the article ”Death By Medicine”, with 80 plus references.