THE DOCTOR IS IN

Allergies

2010-05-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

Allergies are a response from your body to things you breathe, eat or touch such as pollen, dust or dander. The symptoms that you experience are from the release of histamine. Histamine affects the following systems:

Respiratory – increased histamine can cause muscle constriction and affect breathing.

Liver – becomes weakened which causes its productivity to remove toxins to be hindered and the body’s response to invaders to be compromised.

Adrenals – if the body is stressed, cortisol is released to try and promote an anti-inflammatory environment. Long term stimulation of adrenals can lead to a host of other problems.

Immune system – to fight off invaders, the body will increase in IgE antibodies, which causes the blood vessels to dilate, the intruder to migrate further into the system and the system to react with more severe symptoms.

As you can see, the histamine response can be a vicious cycle. It breaks down the proper function of your nervous system and your immunity. This is the reason that you may have been introduced to a certain pollen before and never reacted, but introducing it this season has given you horrid allergic reactions – your nervous system is out of balance and sending histamine out improperly. Something has caused a shift in your threshold and now instead of being able to properly function, your immune system is on edge and overreacts to the slightest foreign substance.

Many people like to take allergy medicine to mask the symptoms. Pharmaceutical commercials tell us that histamine is the culprit and by covering up histamine, we are now able to breathe again and are totally healthy. To this, I ask, was your body in shortage of allergy pills before? Have you given your body what it was depleted in and now it is functioning fine? Or is it that the medicine/shots/inhalers are just keeping the symptoms covered up but leaving the real underlying problem at bay?

Here are alternative treatments:

· Get adjusted regularly! Chiropractic adjustments help shift your nervous system toward the parasympathetic state and away from stress mode. This gives your body a chance to increase its immunity. It also removes any interference in the immunity pathways so your body can heal more efficiently

· Make sure your lifestyle isn’t running you into the ground. Get rest, drink water, exercise, eat healthful foods! If you think one of the aforementioned things isn’t affecting your immunity, think again. Sometimes just changing those small things can make a big difference in the way we feel.

· Ask your chiropractor about the following supplements: homeopathic medications, essential fatty acids, probiotics, adrenal support and a good multivitamin with high anti-oxidants. One or more of your systems may be needing some extra support and taking a simple supplement until it can function on its own may be an easy fix.

Oh Geez

2010-05-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

Tillie, who has always scratched the front door to tell us she needs to go outside, has recently learned that there are other doors besides the front door. Now, her favorite thing to do is go sit on the balcony. She scratches ALL DAY to go on the balcony and just sit. And then she will scratch to get back in. I think there are permanent scratches on the sliding glass door now. Oops.

If the bathroom or bedroom door is closed, she will scratch trying to get in. Even if the door is just a little cracked she will kick it in with her little paw. She is so HIGH MAINTENANCE. What a diva.

OUR TRIP TO THE BIG APPLE

2010-04-06T09:29:00.001-07:00

CENTRAL PARK

Thank heavens I wore tennies!

GOING TO A CELTIC RESTAURANT FOR DINNER

The walls were decorated with old pictures of NYC.

WICKED ON BROADWAY

Wicked was phenomenal! Funny, entertaining, great story line. Must see!

TIMES SQUARE

The number of people in Times Square was astounding. It was overwhelming. I honestly felt like we were in a different country or something.

WORLD TRADE CENTER MEMORIAL
It was hard to make it through this. Being there made it even more real and it's hard not to have a personal connection to what happened. There is a fire station right next to the memorial. I honestly don't know how those guys go in and out of there everyday living over and over what happened. God bless each and every one of them.

THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN AND HELLO DELI

ROCKEFELLER CENTER

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

RANDOM PICS

VACATIONS!

2010-03-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed yet, Michael has been having to travel quite a bit more frequently these past few months. It's a downer when he leaves. :( It's fortunate, however that on certain trips I can tag along and see places we otherwise wouldn't have set aside time to visit. The next road trip Mike has to set out on is to New York City. He leaves a week from Saturday. He knew I was totally bummed that he was having to leave again, so he bought me a ticket to go with him and moved his flight up so we could spend the weekend there! Yay! I want to go to a play, Chinatown and Central Park. Fun times, People, fun times! I have such a wonderful husband and feel so blessed with our life. God amazes me.

The vacation that we've actually been planning for a little while now finally came together and I can't wait! We are going to Hawaii in May! Whoo-hoo! We had been debating on which island to stay at, bed & breakfast or resort, which activities to plan and it finally came together yesterday. It's going to be Freakin'. Awesome.

One of my patients told me that she read a survey that said that it's not the actual vacation that people enjoy so much as the anticipation of the vacation. I'm there, Folks. Anticipating. For. Awesomeness. :)

Austin

2010-02-22T16:12:00.000-08:00

Michael is at a convention in Austin this week. I drove down with him Saturday after my patients and made a weekend out of it.

Saturday night we went to dinner at Iron Cactus and then went to listen to live music. I now truly understand why Austin is the live music capital of the world. It was impressive. What's odd is that Dallas has the exact same potential in Deep Ellum that is a big fail. I guess Dallas just doesn't have enough "weird" in its city limits to keep an artsy area like that going. We listened to a band made up of elderly men (seriously one guy was missing his teeth). At first, we didn't know what to expect. We just went somewhere without a cover hoping it would be good. When we saw the men shuffling their way up to the stage Mike whispered, "Let's stay for a few songs to be nice." When they started playing, they blew us away! We ended up staying until we just absolutely couldn't keep our eyes open because they were that awesome.

On Sunday, we drove out to the Inner Space Caverns. It's been years since I have been to any caverns and what a cool experience it is! We paid extra for a whole 20 minutes of "unpathed caves" where you get a flashlight and go back in the caves as far as you can without crawling to go under something. I wouldn't suggest anyone doing that. It was just a part of the cave with the lights off and they gave us a flashlight to wander around for a few minutes. But seeing the cave is such a cool experience. We saw plenty of little bats and they are surprisingly cute in person. :)

Mike had to start his conference on Sunday afternoon so I rested in the hotel room while he had to work. :P That night there was a little get together for his conference so I got to see some of his co-workers that I knew and meet others for the first time. And guess where the get together was? Iron Cactus! We were apparently destined to eat there. Good thing their food is awesome!

I had to catch a flight at 7:30 this morning. :( Mike drives back on Thursday. I'm grateful I got to spend some time with my hubby even if we can't be together for the next few days.

Why Would You Ever Waste Your Day Worrying?

2010-02-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

I woke up today with a new sense of purpose. Isn't it funny how easily it can get lost? In all of the "what if's," "wish I had's," and "waiting on's" I sometimes forget that today is the now. Life is not the past or the future but the present.

This seems to be a practice that I'm not very good at. In the past I have so focused on when I graduate, when I have my own practice, when I get married, when we own a house, etc. etc. etc. and have forgotten that waking up with my pug snoring louder than any human, worrying that I won't have time to brush my hair before I fly out the door to the office and wondering if I'll have enough money at the end of the month to pay my bills is all part of life. Life that no doubt can be stressful, hateful and spiteful but joyous all the same! It's easy to say "life is what you make of it" and "change your attitude and it will change your life" but honestly, I don't feel this is 100% accurate. I do believe that sometimes we can wake up and put on a fake smile and make the day better with the "fake it to make it" attitude but sometimes we just have to wake up to the "Really, God, really?" of it all and enjoy the ride.

Today, I am learning to be grateful for the now. For the miraculous now. Stress, pain, suffering, all of it. Thank you Lord for the joy of pain, for the lessons to come and the knowledge to be able to acknowledge the what the heck of it all and still enjoy it.

Check Out The New Website!

2010-01-09T21:43:00.001-08:00

Mike built a new website for the office and it looks ahh-mazing! It posts all of my health blogs on the homepage and has a search feature that will pull up any blog containing your search. Check it out and leave comments!

http://www.wholistichealingchiropractic.com

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2009-12-31T22:58:00.000-08:00

For Dad's 50th birthday, we had a "Day of Dad." We all dressed up like Dad in fake moustaches, cowboy hats, button up shirts and boots. Then we surprised him in our "get ups" and brought him his gift, a scrap booked collage of stories that people close to him had written.

Jeff dressed as Dad

Howdy y'all!

Little Val all dressed up. You should have seen her pink cowgirl boots!

Mom dressed as Dad complete with a grayed moustache

Cowboy Mike

Some people just don't fit the look...

Crystal was not about to put on a moustache!

But finally cavedDad seeing us dressed up

He thought it was hilarious
Dad opening his scrapbook
Browsing through it

Opening his card from Val

The whole gang (minus me with the camera)

Dad's book

Dad loved his birthday surprises. As Mom put it, "It's not often that we really get Dad, but when we do it's good." We definitely got him good! I think it was fun for him and it was definitely fun for the rest of us!

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-31T22:31:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, y'all! Our Christmas was wonderful. Good food, good family, good presents...Val fed Santa's reindeer the special reindeer food that she made and picked out jewelry with Grandma to leave for Mrs. Claus on Christmas eve and was up bright and early to see what Santa left for her Christmas morning. Mom made a feast on Christmas day and the boys were obsessed with shooting their new guns afterward which was really cute to watch them so excited. Val banked it from Santa and we played games all day on what he brought her. She was so cute and wanted to wear all her new clothes and hat and gloves all at once. We made great memories and had a wonderful time!

Hey All!

2009-12-13T07:38:00.000-08:00

I know I have some mad catching up to do on postings, but in the meanwhile enjoy all of the new stuff I've added to my blog! I've added some people to my bloglist that for the most part are on board with my teachings. Of course, if you read anything that sounds fishy, ask before taking it as face because I haven't gone through everything posted on all of these blogs. Enjoy! Merry Christmas!

State Fair 2009

2009-10-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

Valerie after getting the beautiful butterfly painted on her face.

She won those pigs and they didn't leave her sight. She actually fell asleep on the train holding them on the way home!

Snack time. Bring on the fried Oreos!

The cotton candy was as big as Val is.

Mike and Valerie.

Waiting on the train. We waited for one and a half hours I think. Ugh. DART let us down. The good news was there were fireworks going off behind us so we had some sort of entertainment.

Inspecting the cotton candy.
Digging in!

View from the Ferris Wheel

Michael and I went to the State Fair with Jeff's family on the day of the OU vs. UT game. It was crazy crowded but we had a blast. We didn't try the fried butter (none of us were that brave) but we did try the fried Oreos and they were amazing! Crystal said she was going to buy a deep fryer just to make them at home. LOL. I would be there everyday. ;)

Mike and I rode the Ferris Wheel, we watched Jeff and Val ride the Arctic Express, we saw the largest crocodile and alligator in North America, played some fair games and went to the car show. I was worried for Jeff as he rode the Arctic Express; I don't think I would fair as well, but he was just fine. That is, until it went backwards. LOL. His facial expression sure did change but he felt way better than I would have. I'm too old for rides now. I told Crystal if I drive down a steep hill these days, it's enough of a roller coaster ride for my equilibrium. Sad but true! Good thing Val has Jeff for things like this! :)

Southlake Oktoberfest 2009

2009-10-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

Southlake Oktoberfest was definitely a fall festival according to the weather. Luckily Michael and I had the help of our sidekicks Crystal (yes, that is a snuggie!), Valerie and Jeff. Oh, and our best saleslady of them all, Tillie. It did bring in new business and although it was a looooong, cooooold weekend I think it was worth it. I'm glad my brother's family could come help and I think Val had fun riding the train, jumping in the jump zone and climbing the rock wall. And she said the lemonade wasn't bad either. ;)

How Could You Not Love This Face?

2009-10-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Poker Face

2009-09-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

I would say that most of the time I go through different experiences and really question what God wanted me to learn. This week, however, I got the message loud and clear. I hear you God, OK, now hopefully I've learned my lesson and this difficulty I have won't be such an issue anymore, right? Then why do I have a pit in my stomach even just typing that...ugh. Oh well, I digress...

Remember one of my last posts I shared with you all how I was feeling used and walked on? Well, if you recall, I didn't do anything about it except whine. Obviously I didn't learn much from it, eh? Well, maybe that's why God decided to give me the week that i had last week.

Does anyone else out there have trouble with confrontation? It's not even so much that I have trouble with it, but that I tend to swing way too far one way or the other. It's either I confront you and tell you how horrible you are and we are forever enemies, or (what usually happens) is I decide to let things slide and hope that you will come around and realize your rudeness or selfishness or insert hurtful adjective here. In the business world, that doesn't so much happen. Weird, I know, that's what I thought. You would think that people would have the same morals, ethics and kindness when doing business that they would otherwise have when dealing with their family or friends.

Well, I'm going to give a big thanks to our condo management company, our Chamber of Commerce, a fellow doctor and others (you know who you are) who really pushed me to learn when to say "uncle." I had to stand up to each and every one of you and I didn't get to say that we are forever enemies because I have to work with you whether I like it or not.

Now if I could just work on that poker face and not let them see how hurt and full of emotion I was when discussing with them...

Smell That?

2009-09-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

Before refrigeration, we had to depend on color, smell and the consistency of our food to know whether it was edible. Now, 90% of all of the money that Americans spend on food goes to fast food giants. So why do we reach for the two all beef patties, special sauce, onions, cheese, pickles, lettuce on a sesame seed bun instead of carrot sticks and apples slices?

Well, turns out canning, freezing, dehydrating and storing food gives it a cardboard taste. No one wants something that tastes of cardboard. So what’s a fast food chain to do? Take it to the lab. Chemical factories came to the rescue in an attempt to reproduce the original taste of foods. That unique taste that a fast food burger has actually comes from a scientist in a white lab coat applying a few drops of specialized chemicals dubbed “flavoring.” Some even got smart and started claiming “natural flavoring.” Don’t be fooled; there is little to no difference between natural flavor and artificial flavor. Both are man made additives doing what they do best-enticing your sense of smell. Up to 90 % of flavor comes from the aroma of food. Our taste buds can account for bitter, sweet, salty and sour but our sense of smell is where it’s at. Basically, the science behind the scent of your perfume is the same as the one that is added to give flavoring to your sausage biscuit.

Maybe one day we will all be able to buy a big vial of burger essence to sprinkle on our carrot sticks and save ourselves calories. At least then we would know there was some sort of nutritional value behind the flavor. As is, the nutritional value to a fast food burger is about the same as eating the plastic wrapping surrounding it. Don’t let the nostalgic aromas get to you, reach for the carrot stick instead.

Lagerquist, Ron. http://bit.ly/4hOGaE

Labor Day

2009-09-08T10:00:00.001-07:00

Labor Day weekend was great! Mike wasn't on call for the first weekend since I can't even remember when. He had to reintroduce himself. I didn't even recognize him without the computer attached.

Friday, our new dining room furniture was delivered (see below). Ooh-la-la!

Saturday, we went to dinner and movies with Jeff, Crystal and Valerie. We saw "All About Steve." I really don't understand the bad ratings this movie received. I laughed and laughed. I really believed Sandra Bullock to be a kooky nerd. Way cute. We went to the Inwood Theatre that one of my friends has been trying to get me to go to for ages. I'm glad we did. The seats were A+. You know how usually you go to the movies and the weird fabric is all creepy from previous soda spills and you don't wanna know what else? Not these! They were vinyl I think. And clean. Imagine that? No creepy stains. You don't have to squint in the dim lighting or do a test brush off with the palm of your hand to make sure it's soda free. AND they didn't lean back at a weird angle or have a bump for a headrest that never quite sits at the right place and causes you to get a crick in the neck. Crick free! (In case you're wondering, I'm really not that picky when I go to the movies. However, after experiencing such a comfortable seating arrangement at said theatre, I couldn't help noticing the difference.)

Sunday, we did some shopping for the house - picture frames, new vacuum, etc. I will never again question whether or not my vacuum is sufficient. I will just go buy a new one. After vacuuming and wondering "Is this working like it should?" we finally just went and got a new one. I was excited to use it and even though I had just vacuumed that morning, I decided to use my new one. What was hanging out on our carpet despite the vacuuming done just hours prior was frightening! Pet fur=necessity for fully functioning question-free vacuum.

Our friend, Chris, came over later and the boys hit the xbox while I spent HOURS trying to print out some wedding photos from Walgreens. What a nightmare. Load. Drive to Walgreens. Images too small. Drive back. Reload. Drive to Walgreens. Half of images too small. Drive back. Rinse and repeat until 3 AM. I was determined to get some photos printed. I ended up with a beautiful wedding album. All worked out nicely. :) Eventually.

Monday, we did more shopping for the house! We found a wrought iron patio set at Academy on sale. You must note that we drove everywhere to try and find patio furniture. What's with no one having furniture? Is it the wrong season? Did they all sell out? It was mind boggling. Home Depot, Target, Walmart...you all let us down. We did end up with a killer deal at Academy with a way nicer set than we expected, though so take that other stores that wasted our time!

You know what's funny about buying things like patio furniture? When you're standing there in the isle looking at a round table with four chairs, you think "Oh yeah, that'll totally fit in my car." Then, your husband stands in line to pay and you swing the car around to load it and the Academy store worker says "it won't fit" and you think "OK, Mr. Academy-store-worker. You don't have to help us load it if you really don't want to but you don't have to lie about it." And then you and your husband try to shove in a round, unforgiving, wrought iron table top that just doesn't seem to budge into the backseat of your Civic and it hits you. You are that couple. Parked at the entrance of Academy, pushing on a tabletop so hard that you are sweating. And it's going nowhere. Everyone can see that it doesn't fit except you. But you keep pushing. And you keep hoping that people walk by you fast enough not to notice that it doesn't fit and it never will. Then you set the tabletop aside hoping that you can somehow strap it to the roof of your car and you focus on putting the four patio chairs in there. Somehow...

Don't worry folks. An hour later...success! Then you get that "See, I told you it would fit" smile on your face even though you really shouldn't because in reality, you had no clue that it was actually going to work and there for a while you were pretty certain that it wouldn't. Not to mention your husband had to go back in the store for rope to tie down the tabletop to the roof of your Civic while you drive down back roads with the windows down and your hazzards on acting like it's a totally normal occurance that you completely planned. Perseverance, my friends. Perseverance.

With our new patio furniture, we really wanted to enjoy dinner outside. Since we live in a condo, we can't have a grill on our patio and there's no space downstairs which is a pretty sad situation considering how good Mike is at grilling and how much fun it is to change up the pace from cooking in a hot kitchen. Mike decided this didn't have to be so. He wanted to get a huge George Foreman grill and cook out on our new patio table. So we did and it was a success! What great ingenuity my husband has. You never would have known that our steak fajitas weren't prepared on a gas grill (unless you noticed the extension cord running outside. Hehe). He is an excellent cook!

Something about spending the evening outside listening to music on the patio, or maybe it was just that neither Mike nor I had to worry about work or schedules, I'm not sure, but the greatest thing about Labor Day weekend was just being. Really enjoying Mike's company. Pure bliss.

My Dishes Have a Home!

2009-09-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

BEFORE...

AFTER...

Isn't this the most beautiful dining room set you've ever seen? Thanks. :)

I printed and hung the wedding pictures above the buffet in a pretty frame that looks much better in person. I also have a mirror that I want to make a mosaic frame for out of cobalt blue tile to bring out the blue in my dishes. I have no idea how to do that. If anyone knows of a good website with instructions, let me know! I have a feeling Mom can help me out with that one.

I could live on this table. I love it that much. The base of the buffet and table have that really pretty 'U' shape instead of legs which is elegant looking with the half circle pattern on the chairs and curio. AND the chairs are so comfortable! They are all cushoin-y and made of microsuede. It's perfect. I plan on having it forever. Thanks, Mom!!!

Don't Inject Me

2009-09-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you're not surprised that I found an anti-swine flu vaccine song and video. :P

Frankly, My Dear...

2009-08-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

I'm so tired. Beyond tired. My hormones are amuck and it's not fair. This is what happens when I don't take care of myself. My thyroid goes berserk and my hormones tag along. Then I get tired and crazy.

Remember back when my hair was straight and I was all happy go lucky and could dance a jig around the most energetic person? Not today. Oh those were the days. I blame chiropractic school. The stress from school stole my adrenal function and my susceptible thyroid came crashing down and now I feel like what an elderly person with diminished muscle strength must feel. That causes my hormones to be imbalanced and I become cranky.

That is what *I think* may be the culprit to my feelings this weekend. I feel dumped on and taken advantage of. It's my fault really. I could say no. Let's face it. I give away a lot of free care. Up until now, I've never thought twice about it. It's a gift and it's meant to be shared!

It started Saturday night. Mike had just returned from a week long trip, mind you, which is stressful on me even though it is ridiculous and shouldn't be. I know, I depend on him to balance me more than I should. Anyway, he's back! And I am sooo happy! A few hours later, we are going to get dinner and my phone rings. I let it go to voicemail. The same person sends a text "Jen CALL ME AS SOON AS YOU GET THIS MESSAGE. Thanks." That sounds like life or death to me, doesn't that sound life or death to you? I call back and the person says, "I have a friend in Dallas right now that just called me and told me she is really sick. Can I give her your number to come and get an adjustment?" So I give her permission. It was really considerate of her to call and make sure she could give out my number. The person calls and has caught a cold and flies back the next day. She flies back the next day! Really? Now I know that I said that I would help but A) this is not life or death B) she has all of the resources to go and get adjusted in a mere 12 hours. I head out at 10 o'clock at night to the person's hotel room and work on them for a while so they can get some sleep and drive back only missing about 2 hours of time that I could be spending with my husband who I have so dearly missed.

The next day (Sunday), my phone rings and it is the spouse of a good friend who is out of town. I answer. "Hey Jen, sorry to call you like this but..." You know what is coming after that but. "I fell and my back is hurting pretty bad. Is there any way you can come work on me?" Sure! At least he is willing to drive to my office and wait until tomorrow (which is my day off).

Last week and this week I am also covering for a fellow chiropractor. Possibly, it's the running between practices and stress of having to please her patients which all seem like new patients to me and are taking a lot longer than usual as well as seeing my normal peeps and bringing on a massage therapist into my practice this week is getting to me? I don't know. All I know is I'm cranky.

I haven't been taking my supplements and I've been eating crap. Just crap. Processed foods and wheat. Crap. And now that's what I feel like. Now I have to go to work and tell people to take their supplements and eat healthy. Hello Pot, meet Kettle. Instead I just feel like Rhett Butler from Gone With The Wind "Frankly, my dear I don't give a" well, you know how it goes. Take this as a lesson to all to eat your veggies.

The Best Things Sometimes Aren't In Pictures

2009-08-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

Michael is out of town this week and I guess him being gone makes me more grateful. Instead of sitting and missing him, I'm trying to sit and reflect on the joy in my life. I thought I would share some of my memories that I hold dear to my heart.

-The way I felt when Michael saw me walking down the aisle to him.

-Michael whispering "You are beautiful" when Dad handed me off to him. I've never felt more loved than at that moment.

-The comfort of being surrounded by friends and family in celebration of us.

-Michael and I singing at the top of our lungs with the top down on our convertible Sebring driving through Florida. (Even though the Sebring smelled because someone had obviously left the top down in the rain.)

-The billboards in Nassau. They were public service ads against AIDS that said "PROTECT YA TING! WRAP IT UP TO PROTECT AGAINST AIDS." Michael is never going to forget that. Now any word that ends in "thing" is funny.

-Waking up every morning to the freshness of the ocean.

-Not getting any sleep the last night on the ship because of a high school graduation party next door. Were we that excited about graduating high school? I don't remember acting that way.

-The moment I married Michael feeling like this was the first day to the rest of my life. Like we had everything in front of us and could take on the world. I like that my husband gives me that confidence.

-Listening to Mike talk to Tillie and Deedee when he doesn't know I can hear him. Heaven help us if we ever have girls because Mike is a sucker for precious littles.

-Realizing the graceful way that my parents are transforming into Gran and Poppa instead of Mom and Dad. It makes me want to transform back into a child and jump into their laps.

For someone who has planned out every minute of their life up to this point (i.e. me), it's nice to finally be at a place when I can just sit back and breathe and watch life carry me through. Life is like the lazy river, and I'm smooth sailing.

Dogs Need Backward Robes, Too

2009-08-03T19:45:00.001-07:00

Michael got one for Christmas and Tillie was pretty jealous. Now she doesn't have to be...

https://www.thesnuggiefordogs.com/

It's true. Dogs need backward robes, too.

Here's Your Change

2009-07-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

Obama's health care reform bill scares me. A lot. You need to read Health Ranger "What's Really in Obama's Health Care Reform," which he double checked from a posting from freerepublic.com. The healthcare bill itself is 1,017 pages long and I don't know about you, but I don't have the time or the legislative knowledge to sit down and decode that. The points that I reallllly don't like:

1) The government will set doctor wages. (Gee thanks, because I already make so much as it is.)
2) Healthcare will be rationed. This includes emergency services, cancer treatment, you name it. (Chiropractic should be more important to you now to make sure you don't get sick!)
3) Any employer who wants to use private insurance will have a mandatory audit.
4) The government will decide what treatment and beneifts you receive (and guess what...there is no appeals process.)
5) All non-US citizens, illegal or not will get free health insurance.

It goes on and on and on...how the taxes for employers making a certain payroll will be, how individuals who choose not to go under the plan will have to pay extra tax, how any illegal alien will not have to pay ANY taxes...it's just INSANE! How can anyone who reads that and understands it really vote to pass it? Surely it won't pass, right?

Movin' On Up

2009-07-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

We moved into our new apartment! It's in an ideal part of Dallas. We live right off of the Katy Trail and near way fun restaurants, cafes, custard stands, specialty shops...it's great! It's uplifting to see so many people out and about running on the trail and enjoying shopping.

Moving is such a process. I'm not a fan. Although most of our things are unpacked, I have yet to find storage for it all! The apartment is open and spacious making closet space nonexistent.

Deedee looooves the new apartment. She perches on a high step of the staircase and watches us or she sits in front of the glass door and watches for squirrels and such. Tillie seems to be a little restless in the new place. She barks every time the fridge makes noise or a door is shut in the complex. She doesn't do very well with the stairs, either. She has medially subluxated patellas (bad knees) and stairs are not ideal for her to climb up and down. Also, the staircase is open and the steps are spaced far apart so she gets scared and sometimes struggles. She's busted a few times and rolled down the stairs. However, she loves going for a walk in the neighborhood. There are a lot of other dog walkers and people around that she can say "Hi" to.

I've had fun dreaming of how to decorate our new apartment! It was an interesting decision, but I decided not to paint the citrus orange walls. Yep, that's right, orange it is. I think the dark furniture we have compliments the brightness pretty well and Mike had an awesome poster that I framed that has a toned down orangey-brown mixed with other fun colors that will make good accents. We are currently saving for a new dining room table and bed. After we get that, I will finally feel like a real grown up with furniture and not feel like I live in a college dorm. LOL. Everyone should come visit us! :)

More Wedding Pictures!

2009-06-22T22:18:00.001-07:00

Start at the bottom of the post. The pictures, for the most part, are in reverse order.

Dolphin Swim!

2009-06-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

The night after lounging on the beach, was formal night on the ship. We weren't too excited about hanging out with a bunch of bachelors, so we went to the sushi bar on the ship instead.

The next morning, we awoke on the port of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. We had to be up and around pretty early because our dolphin experience began at 9:30. We walked off the ship onto a port where we met the rest of our tour group and loaded up on a boat that took us to the other side of the island. The dolphin swim was the most amazing experience I've ever had. By far, the best and most memorable part of our honeymoon! We were in the water with the dolphins for half of the day! They are so sweet and intelligent.

On the ferry to the dolphins.

Passing some extravagant docks on our way to the dolphins.

I have the video of most of our interaction with the dolphins, but I can't find it since we started packing to move! I'll try to post it when I find it.

This was our girl, Aunty V. She was so smart, it was amazing! We were told she didn't like men and she wouldn't go near the other men in our group, but she loooooved her some Mike! She kept going back to him and swimming around him and when it was time to push us across the water, she practically threw Mike up in the air.

Aunty V gives sweet kisses but she smells like a big stinky fish! We fed her, made her dance (which was hilarious), watched her gargle the water with her blow hole and jabber her teeth to tell us she liked our fish we gave her and spit water at us when she didn't like us...it was amazing.

HONEYMOON!!!!! - Days 2-3

2009-06-10T18:26:00.001-07:00

I've tried and tried to upload these pictures and all I could do was make this slideshow, but the picture quality is horrible. It also has a weird date at the beginning that I can't figure out how to fix. Oh well, I'm at a loss. At least you get the picture even if they are small and slightly scrambled. This was our day at Cococay...

HONEYMOON!!! Days 1-2

2009-06-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Even looking at these pictures, I can't believe we were at this paradise. Our honeymoon was so action packed and there's so much I want to tell you about! I'll try to just describe the pictures.

Mike checking in to our honeymoon suite at Hyatt at the airport. It was so late and we were exhausted! It's a beautiful hotel and our room was huge! Too bad we were only there a few hours. Our flight was bright and early the next day.

Watching the sun rise before our early flight out to Florida.

At the airport admiring my beautiful ring!
t.
In Florida approaching The Monarch Of The Seas! It's HUGE.

The first thing we did after getting on the ship is check out our private deck.

Mike checking it out. We were so tired. I was ready for a nap and just as I was about to crash we had to do an emergency drill. Ugh.

The Florida coast at Port Canaveral isn't as pretty as we expected but the ocean is breathtaking no matter what. To look at the horizon and just see water...

Florida wildlife. Big old birds.

The coast guard races around and around the ship as it takes off. I guess that's normal?

Officially on vacation. Blue skies smiling at me. :)

Finally relaxing.

Some Florida natives hanging out on their yacht.

The Kennedy Space Center in the distance. Don't worry, we went there the following weekend that we spent in Florida. You'll see plenty of pictures of that soon enough.

More crazy coast guard going around and around.

Port Canaveral, Florida.

Some boaters after we started taking off.

The coast guard went ahead to make sure the boats got out of our way.

More of the port.

Finally at sea, we made our way down to dinner where they seat you at a table of 8. We were seated with a quiet couple also on their honeymoon and 4 others on a fraternity bachelor party. Needless to say, we didn't hang out at that dinner table and ended up spending the other meals at the buffet or other restaurants on board. We ended up going to bed earlier than usual the first night so we could wake up to spend the day in Cococay, the most beautiful beach I've ever seen! Beach pictures coming soon...

May 24, 2009

2009-06-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

Wowee! What a perfect wedding Michael and I had! I can't think of anything more...perfect! Words don't express the gratitude and love I feel for everyone and everything that went on for our big day. We will certainly never forget it. The best weekend of our lives. :) The Gallaghers, Est. May 24, 2009 (I love that, Steph!). Here are a few pictures of our big weekend that we were so blessed to have everyone share with us.

The Rehearsal

Getting Dressed/Setting Up The Reception

The Wedding

The Reception

Thank you all for coming and contributing to where it all began as Mr. and Mrs. I love you all! More wedding and honeymoon blogs and pictures coming soon!

It's Coming!

2009-05-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

Guess what, folks? The wedding is fast approaching! I just had to clue y'all in on how beautiful Mom has made this wedding. She has made the most beautiful bouquets and table settings you have ever seen. Just wait for it! You're going to love it. I promise. 11 days and counting...

Get Your D’s from “D” Sun

2009-04-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

There is a common misconception when it comes to skin damage from the sun. The sun is actually something to welcome because it helps us to get Vitamin D. *Vitamin D is a valuable nutrient that can help prevent osteoporosis, depression, prostate cancer, breast cancer and can even effect diabetes and obesity.

Vitamin D is produced naturally from UVB rays. The sun gives off both UVA and UVB rays but the UVB rays are the only ones that are beneficial. However, UVA rays can penetrate through glass, unlike UVB and they can also penetrate much deeper. UVA therefore may be the real culprit behind photoaging, wrinkles and skin cancer. The real kicker? Most sunscreens today do a pretty good job filtering out the good rays, UVB, while letting through skin-damaging UVA light. Even a sunscreen with SPF 8 can block up to 95% of Vitamin D synthesis. Furthermore, many sunscreens contain major toxic chemicals that your body is absorbing. Your best bet is to avoid the sunscreens altogether! Does this mean to soak up the sun without any protection? Absolutely not.

The best way you can catch some “D’s?”…start getting your sunlight in ten minute increments. Most of us produce about 20,000 units of vitamin D after about twenty minutes in the sun. That is one hundred times more than the government says you need every day. So, at ten minutes a day, you are still getting the vitamin D that your body needs and you aren't harming your skin by absorbing too many UVA rays. The most important thing to remember when out in the sun…don’t get burned! If you are going to be in prolonged sun exposure and are at risk of a sunburn use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. They are nontoxic and block out harmful UVAs.

*http://www.naturalnews.com/003069.html

What to Eat, What to Eat...

2009-04-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

What is a balanced diet? The food pyramid has changed over the years and it can be confusing trying to decide portions and balance of food choices. Food combinations are usually very important and can vary from one person to the next, but in general there are two major food groups you should always have on your plate, protein and vegetables. Green leafy vegetables are best but more colorful veggies are great alternatives to change up the routine.

Protein choices vary depending on your health and metabolism. Just remember, fat is necessary in your diet but best from food sources other than animal so lean cuts of meat are generally healthier. Healthy fats can be found by eating avocados, walnuts, fish and using coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil.

Things to avoid when deciding on what to feed your family include alternative sweeteners, processed food, high fructose corn syrup and dairy. Try to avoid meals that contain too many starches like heavy pastas and breads. Vegetables actually count as a carbohydrate so adding high starch items is usually overkill on the carbs.

For more information on what food choices you should be making, I recommend reading "Eat Right 4 Your Type" by Peter D'Adamo or "Take Control of Your Health" by Dr. Joseph Mercola.

Peter Cottontail

2009-03-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

I bet you guys didn't know that Peter Cottontail lives in front of my apartment in the woods? It's true. Tillie wakes up every morning just dying to go outside and hunt him down and chase him off. I think she's more about Jesus' resurrection than about the fluffy bunny. She's not a fan of the cottontail. Not a fan at all.

Have You Heard About This?

2009-03-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

There is currently a House and Senate bill that will virtually kill all organic farms and produce. It's called the Food Safety Modernization Act (HR 875): Criminalization of Organic Farms. The bill is House H.R. 875 and you can find out more information here and bill Senate S 425 here. The Bills will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous sprays. All farms and growers will be instructed and regulated by the newly formed agency to 'make sure there is no danger to the general public and the appending food supply.' The attempt is to 'standardize' the agricultural industry.

At first this may appear as if it is only directed at commercial farms but this WILL include backyard gardens that grow food for consumption by a single family and not intended for resale. Most prior Bills that started off with such intent are later expanded in their scope and become more restricted in nature.

Please click to SIGN UP to put an end to this bill and send to anyone you know asap. From what I understand, this bill is on the fast track and could get voted on very quickly.

The bill is lobbied by the Monsanto Company, the maker of Round-Up and GE (genetically engineered) seeds. You can get more information on Wikipedia or on the web elsewhere about them if you're interested.

The name of the plan is Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009. Safety, huh? I'm not feeling so safe. Let me know if you have any questions about what you can do!

Big Plans

2009-02-18T10:47:00.000-08:00

Busy bees are we! Michael and I have been so overwhelmingly busy the last few weeks.

The sublease of the current space for our business is up next month. Can you believe it?! I can't. The first months of owning a chiropractic office have flown by. I say with a breath of relief that I am now only remembering the triumphs and the tribulations are beginning to fade into the background. With this big step, we fall back to square one. Are we going to be approved to stay in the current space or are we going to have to run around frantically trying to find somewhere else to dwell within our current patient base? Eeeek! I'm counting on the first one. ;) If not, I know that God will provide and I will be in the space that is best for me and the business. I'm still going loopy on the inside waiting for this decision to fall. Tough go.

The wedding details are coming together...finally! I know everything has been last minute and if anyone is unable to go due to prior arrangements then we will understand. You better have a darn good reason but we will understand.Just kidding!I'm going this afternoon to look at more venues and will have a date soon (hopefully!). It's been really hard finding a venue this close to the date but we both really like one venue in particular. It's The Little Chapel In The Woods on TWU's campus in Denton. The only availability they have is the Sunday night before Memorial Day so be sure and keep that weekend open! Here are some links to the chapel. It's looking like we will have the reception somewhere else because their reception halls are "vendor exclusive" with no outside food allowed. It's back to the drawing board on that one!

http://www.twu.edu/tour/little_chapel.asp

Our original plan was to save our wedding money that my family so generously saved for a house! That means we are house hunting as well. Uhm Cameron, can you be our minister and our realtor? :D I'm sure I'll be calling Steph about that soon enough! Exciting!

What You Don’t Know You’re Eating Could Be Making You Sick!

2009-02-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

It is well known that monosodium glutamate has severe side effects. It can poison your nervous system and cause things like headaches, tremors, mood swings, hives, heart palpitations, seizures and even death. It has been classified as a neuro-degenerative causing agent. Some neuro-degenerative diseases include Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease.

Do you know what to look for to avoid MSG in the foods you may be buying? Because MSG has been considered a preservative, it may not read “monosodium glutamate” on your labels. Know what to look for and you can avoid physical symptoms of neurotoxicity.

Here is a list of additives that ALWAYS contains MSG:
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed Protein
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
Plant Protein Extract
Sodium Caseinate
Calcium Caseinate
Yeast Extract
Textured Protein
Autolyzed Yeast
Hydrolyzed Oat Flour

Here is a list of additives that FREQUENTLY contain MSG:
Malt Extract
Malt Flavoring
Bouillon
Broth
Stock
Flavoring
Natural Flavoring
Seasoning
Spices

Here is a list that MAY contain MSG:
Carregeenan
Enzymes
Soy Protein Caseinate
Whey Protein Concentrate
Soy Protein Isolate

Make sure these “preservatives” aren’t in the foods you are eating and keep your nerves free flowing!

We're Engaged!

2009-01-03T23:33:00.000-08:00

At midnight on New Year's Eve, Mike popped the question! I am so unbelievable happy and honored. Mike is such a wonderful man and makes me feel so special. He took so much care in keeping the proposal a surprise and making sure our moment was perfect. It was just that. Perfect! I was dumbfounded when he pulled out a ring and asked me to be his wife!

The night started with tickets to the Stratosphere on the west end of the Las Vegas strip. The tickets were for the New Year's Eve On Top Of The World party. I'm still on top of the world even after! :) We had reservations for dinner and then a New Year's Eve party on the top floor. The Stratosphere gives you a view of the entire strip so we were excited to see the fireworks start at the far end of the strip and progress to us. We had the most amazing food at the revolving restaurant at the top of the sphere. You really must pause here to reflect on the depth of the awesome-ness of the food. Each. course. was. that. good. Because of the tickets Mike had purchased, we both got four courses so we ordered different things shared bites of this and that. Of course it was waaay too much food but every bite of every dish was the most unbelievable experience.

With dinner, Mike ordered us a bottle of Perrier Jouet champagne. It's the champagne with the beautiful hand-painted bottle and flutes. It came with a commemorative box encasing the bottle and glasses that we used. I can't wait to pull those out on our anniversary every year and reflect back on this moment. Our wait staff was overwhelmingly courteous. They give you 2 waiters per table to make sure your glass is never empty and you never have a lag between courses. I felt like a princess.

The party on the top deck had everything you can ever imagine a party to have. We had already ate and drank so we didn't indulge in the drinks or the hor d'oeuvres of egg rolls, pastry puffs, fondue fountains, fruits or desserts but I'm sure they were tasty. There was a live DJ who played dancing music and it was fun to watch people try to jive with the beat. There were a few who I feared were going to hurt themselves but I suppose they made it through without severe whiplash or over-exertion. Hehe. They didn't have enough seats, so we were left with no choice but to lean on a low unused bar. A couple from Mobile, Alabama had the same idea so we got to know them pretty well. Nora and Bill. She is a teacher and he owns a music retail store. They were celebrating their 36th wedding anniversary and were a sweet, Christian couple with an adorable accent. They didn't gamble, just came for the shows (so they say ;)). They kept us entertained until midnight when we left our spot to find a better viewing area of where the fireworks were going to be set off. (I ran into her after the fireworks when we were leaving and was able to tell her the news. That made it so exciting to be able to share it. She was jumping up and down for joy and said that it had made their trip to Vegas worth it. So sweet!)

We walked around the sphere and stopped at a great view of the strip. Party favors were handed out so we each had a fun brightly colored top hat/tiara and noise maker. When the DJ started the count-down, fireworks immediately started at the opposite end of the strip and progressed toward us. "Auld Lang Syne" began to play and I turned to kiss Michael. As I turned back around to see the fireworks, he showed me the ring and asked "Will you be my wife?" I was stunned. Sweet Michael proposes every time he kisses me so my first thought was that he was just doing that, being sweet. I was like "Mike, is this real?" Ha ha! I couldn't absorb it. He had been redirecting any thought that I had about him proposing all week. "We need to wait until your business is settled. We need to wait until finances are in order. I haven't had a chance to talk to your dad (even though he had). I need to start saving for a big screen TV!" (Yes, he actually said this just a few hours before! I slyly pointed out the fact that he should be saving for something shinier. He just shrugged. Like it wasn't a priority. Even though all along, he had already purchased a ring!) Sneaky devil. I think my jaw was on the ground. He laughed and says, "Yes, it's real!" I just started crying and hugging him when he was finally like "Are you going to answer?" I was so overwhelmed with emotion, I forgot to say yes! "Yes, of course! I love you I love you I love you!" I think I cried with joy for the rest of the night. I am the happiest girl alive! My Michael is the greatest man and surprises me everyday. This one, though, is going in the history books. ;)

Us right before the engagement.

There was a photographer at the restaurant and Mike bought these pictures they took of us!

I'm almost blinking in mine but I think his is really good!

Mike at our table. You can see the pretty champagne glasses in front of him!

The banana bread-chocolate mousse explosion dessert at the restaurant.

The view from our table.

A picture of the table looking out at the view.

The original table set up.

Even the butter was in little "Stratosphere" moldings!

An ice sculpture in the foyer of the party.

The ring!

Mike playing video poker later in the trip.

Ready...Set...Get Healthy!

2008-12-28T22:33:00.000-08:00

January is almost here…time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. Resolutions are on the rise and most include having a healthier year. After the over indulgence on holiday treats, January is a great time to start a detoxification regiment and lay the foundation to wellness!

Detoxification is important in order for your body to function at optimum efficiency. This will promote healing, increase immunity and allow an overall feeling of well-being. Detoxing can resolve chronic aches/pains, allergies, weight management and increase energy levels. It involves cleansing the system of harsh chemicals (food additives, preservatives, flavorings, colors/dyes, pesticides, heavy metals), irritants (food sensitivities including corn, wheat, soy, dairy, sugar, eggs, peanuts), stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, MSG, Aspartame, Sucralose) and depressants (alcohol). Obviously, this is not something that can be done overnight, but don’t despair! There are many great resources to help you along the way.

Depending on where you are on your road to health, different measures should be taken. Always follow close supervision from a professional. If this is your first detox, it may be a better idea to start to add in cleansing foods to slowly start the process, rather than briskly rush toxins through your system which can be harsh on your body and actually make you feel worse. If you are further along in your healthy living, an elimination diet will be more appropriate. If this is the case, on your next visit to Wholistic Healing Chiropractic, muscle testing can be done to see which diet is right for you during your detoxification process. Either way, if you are just beginning your journey or currently living a healthy lifestyle, the detox footbath is a helpful tool to cleanse your system! Read more about the detox footbath here.

Along with cleansing, it is important to replace the bad with good. When going through a detox, your digestive system will be changing PH levels, absorption levels, permeability and bacterial lining. It is important that you give your digestive lining the ingredients necessary to replenish and work properly. The first that I would start with is a high quality probiotic. The probiotics Wholistic Healing carries are living cultures of a healthy balance of intestinal flora that support immune function and decrease colony populations of harmful bacteria. This formula contains FOS molecules which attract bifidobacteria in the gut. Another helpful product Wholistic Healing has available is GreensFirst, a supplement high in fiber containing vegetable ingredients to give you the nutrients, vitamins and fiber that you will need. You may also need a supplement to support liver, kidney or digestive function, if these meridians show up during your visit. It is important that you get muscle tested for supplements before taking them.

If you have any questions or are ready to start your detoxification program, give us a call today!

I found this in my drafts...oops

2008-12-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

I was about to post a new blog and I saw that I had uploaded these pictures of my birthday flowers my parents had sent me. Yes, that was almost 2 months ago and apparently I forgot to post them. Whoopsie! They are still very pretty flowers so I will post them, nonetheless. :) Thanks Mom and Dad!

2008-12-08T15:20:00.000-08:00

Why not?

How To Handle The Holiday Stresses

2008-11-22T10:27:00.000-08:00

The holidays are upon us. To most that means good food, good people and extra stress! According to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, the top reasons for the extra stress are not enough money, not enough time and the fear of racking up more credit card debt. If you’re feeling the extra stresses this holiday season, keep in mind that you are not alone.

This same poll concluded that holiday stress is a growing concern as 25 percent of Americans are worried that the excess stress could affect their physical health. In order to cope with these stresses over one-third of Americans stated they turn to eating and drinking alcohol. On a positive note, the poll revealed that 45 percent of Americans use exercise to cope with stress, while 44 percent utilize religious and spiritual practices. Most people turn to what they are most familiar with when faced with stressful situations and as such, a common familiar coping strategy involves eating or drinking alcohol.

Rather than resorting to these short-term fixes, here are some healthier and longer-lasting stress-relieving techniques as written in Science Blog Dec 2004.

Think of holidays as a way to reconnect with people and solidify good relationships
Keep your holiday task list simple to avoid overwhelming yourself by setting goals that aren't realistic
Look at stressful situations in a broader context and keep a handle on blowing things out of proportion
Before a holiday stressor gets the best of you, find out what the underlying cause of the stressful situation is and focus on that
Don't ignore your own needs and remember to take the time to participate in activities that are meaningful and relaxing to you

By practicing these techniques and taking care of yourself, the mind and body will become stronger and more resilient to stressful situations as they surface throughout the holiday season.

Life Is Wonderful

2008-10-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Michael is taking me to Houston for my birthday to see my most favorite musician (and my really the only musician that I somewhat like. Weird, I know. I don't have much of a right brain so music isn't particularly entertaining to me). Anyway, it's Jason Mraz!

Every morning, I listen to his song called "Life Is Wonderful" and it makes me happy and in a good mood to help people. It's full of inspirational lines. My most favorite line is "it takes the dust to have it polished." It makes me feel better about being all dusty sometimes. :)

In other news, I overheard a woman talking about how her child was scheduled to have tubes in his ears due to chronic infections and I wanted to run up to her and yell, "Don't do it!" I didn't, but I was close. I've become a weirdo. :P Pray for me.

Tuesday, I met with my CPA. He was astonished at what I was charging people. This isn't the first person that has told me that my rates are too low, and I know I could be making a lot more money but I'm not in it for the money. He told me I could take time for charity after I pay off my student loans. Humph. My loan payments are lingering in the near future, creeping up in the shadows, ready to pounce on me and strangle all humanity that I have to give. I hate them. But I don't want to make people worry about affording their health care because of them. I refuse to budge! For now. Maybe by a Christmas miracle I can continue on with my low rates and not have to worry whether I can afford rice and beans whilst paying off my student loans? If I will it hard enough, it shall happen!

Supplements...The Good, The Bad, The Essential

2008-10-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

Why do we take supplements? When looking at your diet, I would like you to ask yourself some questions: Am I getting all essential nutrients from the food that I eat on a daily basis? Is it possible that with the quality of food that I am eating, I am receiving enough nutrients to allow all chemical, hormonal and structural processes to take place within my body? Does my body need extra nutrients in order to give me the energy that I need to get through my day and handle all of my stresses?

Although eating a well balanced diet is necessary, in today’s world it is rare that we are getting everything that we need from the foods we eat. That is where supplements come in. It is imperative that we take a HIGH QUALITY supplement on a daily basis to ensure that our body gets the proper nutrients. High quality supplements are those that contain bio-available nutrients, meaning that our body can break them down and use them. This is not true with most supplement companies because they are not regulated. What that means is although the label states that each pill contains a specific amount of vitamins, those vitamins aren’t necessarily in each tablet and may not even be recognizable forms for your body to use.

So, how do you find the right supplement for you? There are many great brands out there as a general rule, but everyone is different. What’s right for you may not be right for anyone else. The best way to find out is through muscle testing conducted by your chiropractor. As a rule, EVERYONE needs to be on a multivitamin and an omega-3 supplement. Even children! Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid. Essential means that your body cannot make it on its own. You must either eat a diet high in omega-3’s or take supplements.

The brand of vitamin varies from person to person. Most often, the vitamins that are over-sold and over-advertised are not the best quality. When shopping for an omega-3 supplement, keep in mind that you should not have an aftertaste or burp up the flavoring of the supplement. If you do, that supplement is not right for you. Also, thoroughly read the label on children’s vitamins. Make sure that it does not contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and dyes or contain wheat, soy, corn or dairy. There are plenty of supplements out there that you and your kids will love and will probably line up to take them each morning!

Family Fun

2008-10-14T12:32:00.001-07:00

Michael and I went home this weekend and it was so wonderful! Joshua flew in from NC and we just hung around the house like we never left.

Friday, Dad made homemade pizza that Mom insisted was 'meat lovers' because it had hamburger AND pepperoni. It was yummy. I haven't had homemade dough in a long time. The boys were out hunting until pretty late but that worked out because we ended up getting there at 7 instead of 4. Interestingly enough, I had a patient who was 37 weeks pregnant who had a breech baby and needed to be seen so I stayed around to adjust her. She goes for an ultrasound tomorrow so I'll keep you updated as to whether her baby was able to turn after her pelvic cavity opened up or not.

Saturday, we went to see Granny in San Angelo. She cracks me up. She's always playing sneaky tricks on people and getting them all riled up about things. She's voting for Obama. You should ask her about it. That night, we went to see 'Eagle Eye' at the Abilene Mall. We originally went to see 'Quarantine' but they were sold out. Sold out? Only in Abilene. LOL. 'Eagle Eye' turned out to be an awesome movie. I would recommend seeing it.

Sunday, the boys hunted...again. Mike now thinks he needs to buy a shotgun. Thanks for that, Dad! I'm not opposed to it, but I do believe he was just fine without the gun.

It was so good to be home and see my brothers again. I already miss Joshua's shaven legs (he's so weird) and Jeff's ZZ-Top beard. Growing up is no fun.

We Survived

2008-10-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

It was a tough go, but we made it through Southlake Oktoberfest. It was crazy windy all weekend and pretty warm (I got a fever blister from it :( I put some Vit A on it this morning and it's already shrinking, so no worries) but it definitely could have been worse. The prize wheel was a huge success! The kids saw it from a mile away and would drag their parents over to spin the wheel. We gave away about 100 or so mugs, coozies and pens with my logo so I'm hoping that will generate some business. I also have about 50 or so contacts and I'm expecting at least half of those to become new patients, so it was definitely a success! Mom and Dad were a huge help and poor Mikey sat out there with me all weekend and had to carry all of the heavy boxes with mugs and never complained. I definitely could not have done it without them! Oh, and Tillie was a great salesperson. She brought people over because she's just so darned cute.

After Oktoberfest ended last night, Amelie and I met up with our friend, Lilia from Panama. She came to the states to see her sister and luckily, we had a chance to catch her while she was here. She is 6 months pregnant and oh so cute! She's only been gone a year (since we graduated) and in that time has started her business, got engaged and married and pregnant! Man, time flies. It's funny though, because now I can't picture her not having a pregnancy belly. It fits her so well and I'm so excited to see Raul, Jr.! I'm pretty sure she's having a boy even though I want her to have a girl. Haha. She isn't getting any ultrasounds done because they're really not necessary and doesn't want to shock the baby with sound waves just to find out the sex. Also, she's having a natural childbirth and studies show that the anticipation of finding out the baby's sex helps speed the labor process. She's going to make a great Mommy. (Oh, and Steph, I ended up getting her a Bella Band. The Hotslings were $64 and up and Amelie had already got her a similar gift but it was a Target brand. At least now I know where to find them for the next baby gift, though! Haha. Thanks!)

Now, on to a great week and an even greater weekend! Joshua is coming home Friday! Yay!

Nut'N Honey

2008-10-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Do you remember that commercial? "Whatcha eatin? Nut'N Honey. What do you mean nothing?" Hahahaha. I miss that commercial.

Right now I'm doing "nothin." Just watching the Vice Presidential debate. It stresses me out. Am I alone in this? War, nuclear weapons, bankruptcy, increased taxes, energy crisis...aaaaaagh!

I think a more suitable name for this blog is "Deep Thoughts by Jennifer." Did anyone see the SNL skit, "Deep Thoughts by Jack Hannah?" Makes me think of that except it's not funny....

Tillie is chewing on her bone. She loves bones. Her mouth is too small to eat them so she ends up slobbering on them until they get soggy enough to swallow. Gross. Her belly is round and full right now. I gave her leftover pot roast and vegetables; yet, she still chews on her bone and acts as if she hasn't eaten in days and days.

I need to get my hair did. My roots have grown out so much, I'm embarrassed to look at myself in a mirror. It is so expensive to get quality highlights and a haircut in this area, that I have put it off. I'm afraid I have put it off too long. Booooo to spending money on a haircut!

Tomorrow after a full day of work, I have to work a booth at Oktoberfest in Southlake until 11 pm. Those of you that live nearby should come! Mom and Dad bought me a prize wheel. It's way fun. The prizes are as follows: Wholistic Healing pens, Wholistic Healing drink holders and Wholistic Healing coffee (or tea!) mugs as well as free adjustments, physicals, supplements, etc. Now, who wouldn't want to win that?! :P Hopefully, I can get a lot of patients from it. It's been a mess to get a booth and prizes to give away thus far. I paid an arm and a leg for the stinkin' booth and then the chamber advertises me as "Wholistic Health." Not even "Chiropractic" after it. I called, I emailed, I harrassed, yet the only response that I receive is a week later in an email that states, "I will see what we can do." Uhm, how about you give me my money back? Frustrating. I would be terribly rude, but the smarter side of me knows that I need to build a long lasting relationship and shouldn't make waves. I'm burning up inside. It's gonna be a loooong weekend: 4-11 Friday, 10-11 Saturday and 12-5 Sunday. Yucky. Luckily, Mom and Dad are coming down to see their prize wheel at work, so I get some help! I'm looking forward to seeing them. I miss my family.

Halloweeeeen!

2008-09-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

One of my patients sent these two headbands home with me for Tillie's Halloween costume! I think she likes the bunny one better (or hates it the least). I don't know how I will give her pug tail a poofy bunny hiney yet, but even just the headband cracks me up.

Swimming In Poison

2008-09-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

Toxins are in the food you eat, the air you breathe and the clothes you wear. Your body does an amazing job of filtering out the toxins you are exposed to, but when is enough, enough? Everyone responds to toxins in a different manner but here are the most common symptoms of toxin overload:

Enzyme dysfuntion
Altered metabolism
Reproductive disorders
Fatigue
Headaches/generalized aches and pains
Obesity
Mental fog – many people may feel that they have “cobwebs in their brain” or experience increased forgetfulness or an overall feeling of being out of tune with their body
Sugar cravings
Muscle and vision problems
Immune system depression
Allergies/Asthma
Endocrine disorders
Chronic viral infections
Less able to tolerate/handle stress
Skin break-outs

Even if you aren’t exhibiting symptoms, I would suggest detoxing at least twice a year in order to make sure that your body is not holding on to unhelpful waste. Especially considering that a study in the British Medical Journal estimated that perhaps 75 percent of most cancers are caused by environmental and lifestyle factors, including exposure to chemicals. Another report, this one by the Columbia University School of Public Health, estimated that 95 percent of cancer is caused by diet and environmental toxicity. Wake up and smell the smog, People; it’s time to detox!

If you have never done any type of detoxification program, then I would suggest starting out by cleaning up your diet and environment.

1. Buy and eat organic produce and free-range, organic products as much as possible. This cuts back on the amount of pesticides, synthetic materials and unnatural hormones you will ingest. It also increases the amount of nutrients you take in which will help protect against what toxins you do come in contact with.
2. If you can’t avoid eating non-organic produce, wash your fruits and vegetable thoroughly. You can also remove the outer layer of leaves if possible to avoid digesting high levels of pesticides.
3. Avoid processed foods of any type. Fast foods, over-processed grains and sugars, low-fat and sugar-free products.
4. Switch over to natural brands of toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antipersperants and cosmetics. You will rid many toxic inducing ingredients like aluminum, sodium lauryl sulfate, excess fluoride and many other harsh chemicals.
5. Only use natural cleaning products in your home. You may even make your own cleaning solution with vinegar, baking soda and water. Check out http://www.vinegartips.com/cleaning for more information.
6. Use the ionizing detox footbath to rid your body of free radicals and allow your organs to function at a higher level.

If you’re ahead of the game and already do the above listed, then a more serious detox program may be better for you. Consult your chiropractor to get a specific detox regiment for your body type.

For a more in-depth discussion check out the following books and websites:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/02/19/common-toxins.aspx
http://www.drrapp.com/
“Our Toxic World - A Wake Up Call” by Doris Rapp, M.D.
“Dr. Earl Mindell's Unsafe at Any Meal: How to Avoid Hidden Toxins in Your Food”
http://www.ehow.com/how_2066336_avoid-food-toxins.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art
http://www.allergictoliving.com/index.html

God's Love

2008-08-23T22:59:00.000-07:00

I hate that I take advantage of the ability to have those that mean the most to me in my life. I've been blessed. I have the most wonderful and supporting family and loved ones. I love my momma and daddy, but I don't let them know often enough.

Today I went to the gym and hung out with one of my good friends, Amelie. She seemed kinda down and mentioned that yesterday was the 3 year anniversary of her mother's passing. Her mom died of brain cancer. She fought it for 3 years. I remember when her mom passed. I remember hearing when her mother was immobile and even later when she could no longer make complete sentences. I remember the progression of the horrible illness and what it did to all of the loved ones involved.

When we walked outside after talking about Amelie's mom, it had rained and there was the most magnificent rainbow in a complete arch panning the sky. Amelie said it was the same rainbow they had witnessed the day of her mom's passing. It was definitely God winking down on us to let Ame know her mom was with Him.

How ungrateful that I haven't enveloped those that are here with me in my love. I do love you all! :)

Cats & Dogs

2008-08-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have read this before, but it cracks me up so I'm posting it. In my house, I think it is actually backward. Deedee is very content but Mike and I are convinced that Tillie is plotting our deaths.

"Excerpts from a Dog's Diary"

8:00am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

"Excerpts from a Cat's Diary"

Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.For now .

I Love My Job

2008-07-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe I've already been open for a month. So far, great things are happening, folks! God has brought me the people that I can really help and it is amazing to watch their bodies heal and their spirits change.

A few days ago, I received a call from a patients mother. She was in tears as she told me the story of everything her daughter had been through and how her 27 year old daughter had lost hope of ever feeling good or even normal before she had come to see me. She told me it was a miracle that her daughter even came to see me at all because she had given up on doctors or trying to get better. I was amazed to hear this. I had no idea her outlook was that desolate in the beginning. This woman said she's been praying for someone to help her daughter with all of her ailments (and trust me, she has quite a few). I've only seen her daughter a few times over the course of about two weeks, but the transformation has been amazing. Turns out, most of her 'diseases' were related to food allergies, nutrient deficiencies and harboring emotional pain. At her second appointment, the daughter showed up as a different person. She said she had never had so much energy in her whole life and she could feel a major change. While on the phone, her mother told me that there had been a prayer chain to help her daughter about a week before they received my information and every since then, they have been praying over me to help her and others. I told the woman to keep those prayers coming at me! How awesome that people were praying for me to have the knowledge to figure out how to direct them! Equally awesome to see every day how my knowledge fits in to God's plan to effect other people's lives.

Another patient came in yesterday with major changes. She has been on blood pressure medication for three years. After just two weeks of treatment, her blood pressure has fallen and she has an appointment with her M.D. to get off of the meds! She was so excited. The funny thing is, that's not even what she had initially come to see me for.

I could go on with other stories because they are all very special to me, but the point is...I love what I do! I couldn't be happier. :)

A Morning With The Hamburglers

2008-07-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

I took Tillie to a puggy's day today! I thought it would be a good way to get to know some people in the area and make new connections. It was hilarious!

Everyone met at a dog park nearby and someone brought a wading pool so the pugs could stay cool. Of course, Tillie wore her swimsuit. ;) Other pugs were in their gear, too. One of them was dressed as a lifeguard...so funny. His name was Henry Pee Pugpants. He was a huge pug. I don't know that he could even walk around the pool, much less save anyone's life but I wasn't going to ruin his dream by telling him that.

Tillie ran and played the whole time. She loves other dogs. I think it's something about being around others who accept her hamburger obsession. Noone there judges her for stealing hamburgers. It's a pug thing.

I'm pretty sure she had a crush on the 14 year old "Killer" who doesn't get around too well. He's so old that his face has turned white and he's so obese that he has trouble going to the bathroom. I think Tillie may be a gold digger. He was wearing a really nice bandana and I think that was her alterior motive. She followed him a lot and sat in the pool with him.

Boy, was she tired afterward. She sprawled out in front of the A/C vent and slept the whole way home and then more after she got home. I took pictures but I don't know where the USB to upload them is. Bummer! I'll post them when I find them. Here are some that others took and posted on the meetup site:

Tillie and her friends. Even though that pug is ginormous, that is not Killer. They didn't have a picture of him so I will have to show you when I find the USB.

Tillie is so rotten. She didn't like it that Chloe was getting attention and had to come over because she was jealous.

I've Been Tagged!

2008-07-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Tara...You could be next!

1. If you could inherit a comfortable home in any city in the world that you could use but not sell, where would you want it to be?
I would want a summer or winter home. A real getaway somewhere exotic so that I could go there and feel relaxed and comfortable. It would also have to be somewhere I could have fun. So, I say maybe in Venice or Florence. Wine and cheese, Baby!

2. If you could be instantly fluent in one other language that you currently do not read or speak, which would it be? Why?
Since I speak so many languages, this is a hard one. Psych! I would learn Spanish, but from someone who speaks with a Brazilian or Venazuelan dialect. It's the prettiest sounding to me.

3. If you were given an hour to spend an unlimited amount of money in any store in the world where would it be?
Only an hour? In that case, I would go to Fry's Electronics so that I could just buy the whole store for Mike and we wouldn't have to go there every other day for a new cable or microchip or mouse. Haha! He'd appreciate that.

4. If you had to give your children to the care of someone famous, whom would you pick?
Well, if we are talking about my current babies...Sam, Tillie and Deedee, then I would give them to Ellen Degeneres. Does anyone really question that one? ;) But, if we are talking about a real live human being that I make with my own DNA that might be a tough one. Maybe Dr. Phil and Robin?

5. If you could cast an actor now alive to play you in a new film, what kind of film would it be and whom would you choose?
Meg Ryan in a romantic comedy. I used to really like her.

6. If you could have an elegant dinner alone with anyone presently alive, whether you know them or not, who would you want it to be?
It would be Michael. Dinners with him are always special. And maybe the rest of my family. Let's just make it a party!

7. If you could resolve any single dispute, anywhere in the world what would you solve?
I wish that it was easy for people to have faith in God no matter what race or nationality they are.

8. If you were instantly able to play one musical instrument perfectly that you have never played before, what would it be?
The violin.

It's my turn to tag someone -Jen and Amanda. Have fun!

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

I loooooove fireworks and I am so excited about the 4th! Yay for sparklers!

Wholistic Healing Pics

2008-07-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is what you see when you first walk into my office. Under the clock, I'm putting "WHOLISTIC HEALING" in these letters I bought from Walmart but I haven't stained them brown yet. There is more seating on the left as well as the receptionist desk as you see 2 pictures below.

This is that wall to the right in the above picture. The picture of the cross on the wall is actually way prettier in person.

This is the extra seating I was talking about. That big box is in the picture because my new adjusting table had just been delivered. You can see Mike's little head sticking up above the receptionist desk. Hehe.

This is the adjusting room when you first walk in. It was before I had my new adjusting table.

This is the wall that you can't see in the previous picture. It's the view from my desk. You also can't see the pretty mirror hanging to the left of the door. Like I said, you have to see it in person. These cell phone pics aren't that great.

The Office

2008-06-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

I'm finally up and running! I opened my doors last Monday after a ton of work painting, hanging, measuring, buying and making Dad and delivery men drive all over Texas to get my furniture. Luckily, with the help of Aunt Cindy and Uncle Don as well as used office furniture stores, I was able to completely furnish all 500 square feet in what I consider to be beautifully decorated. Everyone is invited...no, encouraged! to stop by and check it out. A) You know you want to come see me and B) It'll make my neighbors think I'm already really popular and they'll send their friends to the new amazing chiropractor. ;)

Everything is running extremely smoothly. I love my office. It's just the right size and it makes me feel at home. Sometimes I want to sleep here. Ok, not really. But once, I did fall asleep on my adjusting table. I had been up oober late the night before decorating or buying stuff at Walmart or something and I was just going to read my magazine that I bought to furnish the waiting area and poof! I was asleep. For only like ten minutes and then the crazy supervisor of the management company came flying in here screaming about trash stickers or signage or I don't even know what and that was the end of that. I jumped and almost fell onto the floor when I heard her screaming at Michael. He told her I wasn't here. What? Don't judge me. You would fall asleep too under the exact same circumstances.

So far, I've had a grand total of two patients. Whoo-hoo! But they come in twice a week so I've had a couple more adjustments than that. My small business attorney and CPA stopped in today. I'm really lucky to have such great people working with me. My CPA always tells me to trust in God and my business will grow. My small business attorney says he doesn't know how to market because most lawyers are paperwork phenes and don't really socialize much. Lol. Next week, I'm going to go around to neighboring businesses and introduce myself and offer a discount for services. If anyone has any other ideas on how to get my name out there, I'm open to suggestion! I might also run an ad in the local paper. Mike's been working really hard on advertising online, so I have ads on Yahoo! and Google. I was going to join a woman's group, but they break for the summer. I've heard mixed review about the local chamber and BNI but I'll probably join them anyway as long as I have the time. I've heard this is a word-of-mouth town, so hopefully I can find the biggest mouths and treat them first! :D

I'm so excited to help people and know that God put me here for a reason. Even if it is only to help one person. I'm going to give that one person the treatment that they need to get better. The rest is up to Him.

Pictures to come.

Warm Weather Is Here And So Is Your Need For Hydration!

2008-06-06T08:09:00.000-07:00

You've probably heard that you need to drink eight 8-ounce cups of water each day, but did you know that number is merely for children? If you are larger than a child, you should be consuming more. A good rule of thumb is a quart for every 50 pounds of body weight. That means if you weigh 200 pounds, you should be drinking a full gallon! Athletes should drink even more.

Our bodies are made up of approximately 70% water. It flushes things through, transports important ions and hormones and allows our cells to function properly. Without adequate amounts, symptoms such as dry skin, headaches and constipation will occur. Long term side effects can cause organs to slowly stop functioning.

Here are some helpful hints for your summertime thirst-quencher:
-Your source of water is important. Spring water is best due to the fact that it contains valuable minerals.
-Another good option is filtered water. Filtered water can be obtained through low-cost filters, such as those provided by Brita or PUR brands. Another recommendation of mine is the GE SmartWater brand.
-Avoid distilled water due to the fact that it has no mineral content in it and can drain your body of minerals. Certain mineral deficiencies have been tied to hair loss and decreased immune function.
-Avoid tap water due to the added chlorine and fluoride which can cause bone loss and lead to osteoporosis.
-Glass or clear polyethylene containers are best.
-Another option are the BPA (Bisphenol-A) free containers. BPA is found in plastics and exhibits hormone-like properties and imitates the effects of naturally occurring estrogens. This can cause a hormone imbalance and lead to a multitude of symptoms.
-Don't drink ice-cold water. It can harm the sensitive lining to your stomach. Room temperature beverages have been shown to boost metabolism.

Enjoy your summer by drinking plenty of water! Your body will thank you.

Old Man Farts

2008-06-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

I joined this amazing gym up the road in Flower Mound. I've been a member of the 24 Hour Fitness but I'm not happy with the gym that's nearby. Plus, my membership there was about the end soon anyway.

So, the gym in Flower Mound has everything that you would ever need. It's 3 floors and has a million classes to choose from at any given time: treadmill, cycling, water aerobics, weight lifting, yoga/pilates, step; you name it. This evening, I decided to take a cycling class. I've always enjoyed the ones at 24 and wanted to give this gym a go. At most gyms, the 6 o'clock hour is the busiest time because people are getting off work, so I expected the class to be packed. When I walked in, there was one very obvious trait among the other class attendees. They were all 40+ men except for about 2 other women. I guess that's not abnormal for a family gym like this one, but it was a vast distinction from the trendy 24 Hour.

Overall, it was a great class! At first, I thought the instructor was trying to be cute and her outfit was a joke. "She must be going to a costume party after this," was a thought that ran through my mind. She was dressed in a unitard that looked like a one piece bathing suit over bicycle shorts; you know, like what you would wear with your scrunched socks in 1983. Her outfit was complete with a rolled tie dye bandanna headband under her large curled bangs and heavy blue eyeshadow. Luckily, she was missing the socks. But it turns out she wasn't joking. This is what she dresses like normally. At least her music and instructions were up to date and the hour flew by.

All in all, it was a pretty unmemorable workout; great but not memorable. Except for one thing...the hovering green cloud that hung in the air. Gas is suppose to diffuse, right?! All of the older men were regulars and knew each other by name. If this is the case, then the farter must be a regular too. I don't know if I will be returning to the Thursday 6 pm cycling class. That is the most unbearable smell I've encountered. Even for a gymnasium full of stinky people! Maybe next time I'll sit in the front row in front of the fans just in case.

Sex & The City

2008-05-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

I went and saw Sex & the City on midnight last Thursday night and it was everything that I wanted it to be. Sweet Michael took me to the opening premier because none of my friends are around anymore.

I'd never really watched Sex & the City until about a year ago. My friend Cori had the entire series on DVD. We would swap series between all of the girls to catch up. They were addicting! I never thought I would be one to get into them but Carrie left you feeling hopeful and happy at the end of her narrative.

Anyway, we were all suppose to go on our own and watch the show. I'm glad Mike took me! If any of you guys are fans, you should go! Even if you're not, Mike had never seen a show (so he says ;)) and he followed it just fine. You will love it, I promise.

She Wore An Itsy Bitsy...

2008-05-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

We went shopping today and I couldn't resist buying this for Tillie. The family is going to Red River, NM in a couple of weeks when Joshua gets his month of leave and Tillie will be all set! She's ready to show off her booty.

I think Tillie likes to wear bikinis.

Pirate's Booty

2008-05-23T17:02:00.001-07:00

Earlier this week, I took Samson and Matilda to the lake for some much needed exercise. I think Tillie was a fish in another lifetime. As soon as she saw the lake, she took off running and dove head first and swam to her heart's content for an hour. I had to make her come out of the water. She loooved it! I knew she loved water because when I run a bath she climbs up and topples in. Then she splashes and splashes and will climb on the back of the tub (it has a ledge like steps in the back) and jump off like she's diving off of a diving board. I guess that should have been a clue. That girlie loves water.

Samson is another story. It cracks me up that the horse of a dog is afraid of everything. If a bush blew and a twig hit him, he would jump and run to me. It's beyond comical. At one point, he was wading in the water (and that's an exaggeration. He never got more than his paws wet) and he saw a rock jutting out of the water in front of him and he got all scared and started growling. Even after I walked up to it and touched it, he thought for sure the rock was going to run after him and bite him. He wouldn't go near it. I don't know that he's necessarily afraid of water, but he's afraid to get too far from me and venture out. He's our sensitive little boy.

Oh, and Tillie found a hidden treasure. Tillie is pretty good about learning when I tell her not to chew on things, but for some reason it's impossible for her to resist sunglasses. If I leave my purse on the floor, she will dig through it until she finds my sunglasses and then take them in the corner and gnaw on them. That's why it's so funny that she found this old pair of glasses along the lake:

She pranced around with them like they were a grand prize or she had just taken them from a ship full of pirates.

ZZzzzzZZZzzzzz...

2008-05-23T11:21:00.000-07:00

Are you getting enough sleep at night? Adults need a recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night in order to achieve optimal health. When we sleep, our pineal gland restores our body of melatonin (to help our circadian or sleep rhythm) and serotonin (important for many things including depression). These are among other hormones which are vital to our metabolism and cellular oxidation.

Lack of adequate sleep can lead to behavioral changes including mood swings and irrational or immoral attitudes and actions, loss of concentration throughout the day, decreased energy, headaches, digestive problems or lowered immunity.

If you aren't getting enough sleep, it's important to find the cause. Do you have trouble falling asleep due to restlessness or mind wandering? Do you have trouble staying asleep due to nightmares or awaking to go to the bathroom? Figuring this out can help treat the cause and allow you a better night's rest.

Here are some helpful tips so you can catch your "z's" and keep them:

-Exercise regularly. 30 minutes at least 3 times a week can rid underlying anxieties that you may have. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or this will hinder your ability to fall asleep.
-Sleep in complete darkness. Even the slightest bit of light can throw off your hormone production and disrupt your sleep rhythm.
-Read inspirational or spiritual literature before you go to bed.
-Consciously slow your breathing and imagine your body relaxing. Start either at your forehead or your toes and climb all the way up until your whole body is relaxed.
-Avoid bedtime snacks. If you must have something at bedtime, try a relaxing tea like chamomile or ginger. Definitely avoid sugars or grains.
-Listen to a relaxing CD of nature or white noise.

If you are questioning whether you have sleep deprivation, keep this in mind: you should be able to fall asleep within minutes of laying down; you should wake up in the morning without an alarm clock; and, when you do wake up, it should not be a jolting or disruptive event and you should feel refreshed. If you fit in this category, try the above mentioned techniques. If you are still having trouble, try such products as the rising sun alarm clock and talk to your chiropractor about underlying causes.

Reality Bites

2008-05-14T00:22:00.000-07:00

Here is the reality...

Mike did not take the rent house. Before he signed the lease, it had rained and the master bedroom flooded and mildewed. There were other problems, too. The landlord turned out to be the realtor. The realtor lied about being the landlord so that he could swindle more money by making statements like "the landlord needs someone to move in now. The landlord needs X for pet deposit," etc. etc. It was very sneaky and untrustworthy.

So here we are. Mike's rent is up at the end of the month. It would be wise for him to just get something temporary; like say, an apartment for a shorter term, save up some money and then buy. But there's Sammy. The apartment complexes in this area don't like big dogs. Sammy is very large. Well over the weight limit. Besides that, it wouldn't be fair to Sam. He needs a yard and room to stretch out his big paws. But then, he's very lazy and would probably be ok in an apartment. He doesn't run around much or chew on things or get in trouble. But if he had an accident...well, let's just say it would only take one to ruin the carpet. And living in an apartment, he would have to learn to go to the bathroom on a schedule when you walk him down which could take some training. And you would have to pick it up with a doggie bag. Eeew. It would take at least two per trip for him.

I think about not seeing Sammy's droopy eyes anymore and cry. He is such a sweet creature. He wants to hide his big head in your lap or under your armpit and would cuddle all day if you let him. I love him.

Traveling Adventures

2008-05-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

Mike took me and the pups to Kingwood last weekend. It's always so hard to travel with Tillie and Sammy. Samson is getting so big that he almost takes up the entire back seat of Mike's Civic. He usually ends up sitting on Tillie. She just sits there looking like a squished bug with her tongue sticking out and eyeballs protruding.

They like to go to the Gallagher's back yard. Sammy is a gardener. He makes sure that by the time he leaves, there is not a plant left that is still alive (sorry Mrs. Gallagher!). They both love the low lying ivy. That's the usual hang-out for them to curl up and get some rest. And the good news is that they haven't figured out how to kill that yet.

Mike's sister, Tara, was up from Victoria with her beautiful baby girl, Hannah. She's such a treat! It's always good to see them.

On Saturday, I met up with a friend from college who lives down there now. We talked like we never lost touch. Funny how that happens. She's planning on coming up to Dallas to visit. Good times!

Opening Soon!

2008-05-06T18:15:00.001-07:00

Today I went and put a deposit down on the space in Southlake! Yay! It still has to be approved by the current tenant (it's a sublease) and the owner, but the realtor congratulated me and said it shouldn't be a problem! Finally! It's such a primo space. In the square. Above the shopping centers (Gap and...get this...Starbucks!). I'm so excited. It's pretty small; only a reception area and a treating room, but to me it's perfect.

So, no, I don't have it yet. But I'm pretending that I do. And unless I hear otherwise, you must all pretend with me. It should only be a few weeks. The realtor said he anticipates me starting the lease by the end of the month. Go to the website and check out my space...181 Grand Avenue Ste 200 Southlake, Texas 76092. www.southlaketownsquare.com.

Monthly Catch Up

2008-04-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

I officially finished with Parker College of Chiropractic! OK, it was like almost two weeks ago but I'm just now telling about it so I'll pretend like it just happened. I think it seriously took this long for it to even sink in. Not that it totally has; I still feel like I'm holding my breath until I get that diploma. Nonetheless, I do feel some sense of relief. :)

I am still looking for an office space. The space that I loved had landlords that were unable to negotiate and it really was more space than I needed. I'm still having trouble finding a realtor. I've probably talked to five and they will only show me spaces that they have. That means they're not really representing me. Their interests lie elsewhere and it is so frustrating. If I ask them to represent me and not the landlord they want me to sign a contract stating that if they find me a space and the landlord doesn't pay their commission, then I am responsible for paying their commission. No thanks. I go to look at more space next week so hopefully my finances will be strong enough and my business plan will convince them that I am worthy of signing. There's one space in particular that I am really excited about looking at. It's much smaller so it's reasonable rent, a sublease so it's shorter term and it's in the beautiful square. I'm trying not to get my hopes up though.

I got to see Joshua, as previously noted! His spirits and looks are as beautiful as ever! He is such an amazing person. I'm lucky God picked him as my brother.

Summer came through Dallas this weekend for her mawmaw's surgery. :( It sounds like her mawmaw did really well, as expected. I got to go to lunch with Summer and her mom and step dad. They are just the sweetest ever! They even came and picked me up and took me to Chuy's. My car had a bad wheel bearing so I was without transportation. I don't know what that means beyond the fact that there has been an ever so faint whistling noise and Dad says my tire could fall off. Well, it's fixed now. Finally.

Mike is getting ready to move closer to me in Grapevine! He found a beautiful little 3 bedroom home right near the lake. He moves at the end of next month. Yay for saving on gas money!

OhmigoshOhmigoshOhmigoshOhmigosh!

2008-04-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

We've received word...Joshua is coming home on Saturday! Actually touching ground in the United States! We're not sure when he'll be able to come home. He lands in Fort Bragg and we are hoping he will get a long weekend the week after he lands and we will be able to see him then. Mom and Dad are flying to North Carolina to be in his receiving line. How cool is that?! So emotional, though. I can't wait to see him!

Also...I looked at the most perfect office space in the entire world today! I'm really crossing my fingers that it works out for me. It's so perfect. It's right across the street from high school just off the main road. When you pull up, there is a really neat and eclectic water fountain that would be just in front of my doorway. It has room for growth and even enough room for a massage therapist. Hopefully, we can negotiate the rent down just a tad and they will accept our financials. That is pretty much what we are waiting for. They even said they can hold it until June when I'm licensed! Pray, pray, pray for me!

It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

2008-03-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

Friday, I went to a vendor event at a church revival in Southlake. Jamee and Amelie had scheduled it a few months ago, apparently, thinking it was in Flower Mound (their neighborhood). They invited me along to help get my name out in the community. I made a few contacts that hopefully will come through once I open in a few months! Still no news on a space. I've contacted a few Realtors who unfortunately, have been the least bit helpful. I've actually called more places and checked out more on my own than they have done combined. I guess they just don't need the business. Ah well. God's timing is in His hands and I can wait it out.

I know that this is terribly rude, but I must inform you guys of Mike's crazy neighbors. Seriously, the strangest group of people reside on his block. I have always found them amusing, but until recently have just taken it at face value. Until I actually articulated their qualities all at once, I suppose I just tossed aside their hilarity. Now, I feel it is almost my obligation to allow someone else the entertainment that Mike sees on a daily basis.

Across the street, we have a lonely woman probably in her fifties who stalks Michael and runs out whenever he goes outside. We first noticed her probably the day that Michael moved in. "Michael! Jeeeeennifer! I have to tell y'all something!" (I don't really remember when or how she learned our names because we have yet to learn hers.) She always screams that out like she's about to tell us the house is on fire, but when she catches up to us, she simply fills us in on the gossip that she has spied out on the block. "Watch out for those people next door. They drink."She has tracked me down a few times and always asks about the puppies and whether or not I can help her with her fibromyalgia; of which I always give her my card although she has never and probably will never call me due to the fact that she could no longer talk to me about her pain and suffering whenever she sees me. She is always loopy because she lives off of pain killers, yet she constantly complains of falling asleep whenever she is sitting down. I feel sorry for her. She has about 20 cats that live with her indoors and two dogs that she can't control even though she brags about her niece being a dog trainer. We once caught her spying on a backyard party across the street by peeking through the fence in a dark alley, but she pretended that she was just looking for one of her lost cats.

Next door to her, is Rocky. I'm not quite sure how this group of people live in such tiny quarters, but from what I've seen, there are two women with toddlers living here along with Rocky. Together, somehow that adds up to about five cars. I sometimes see the women outside with their babies but they aren't very friendly. Their children are always crying and they are usually not doing much about it. Rocky (not that we know his actual name; it's just what we've always called him) can be found every night at about 10 pm until midnight punching on his punching bag. It's a sound that you cannot miss. Pat, pat, pat, pat, pat. For hours. Every night. When he's not pounding on the bag, you may see him running down the road. Awkwardly enough, we always seem to be pulling in to Mike's driveway right about the same time that he is sprinting into his. Mike tries with all of his might not to hum "In the Eye of the Tiger" in front of him. We have no idea what he is training for. He doesn't speak to us either.

Directly next door to Mike is the meanest woman I've ever met. She makes me uncomfortable. She is actually quite attractive. Probably in her thirties. Dresses really nice. Slender and blond. But mean. She doesn't really communicate, so much as she barks at people. She has two dogs that share the chain link fence with Michael. One is a really sad looking blue dog who almost has to have been a rescue dog by his mannerisms. He is very skittish and looks like he might bite you out of fear. The other is a hound dog. Her name is Georgia. We know this because every time Georgia goes outside she starts howling at something and the neighbor comes out and starts cursing and yelling Georgia's name. Mike once was outside and overheard her phone conversation. She was cursing about someone that she works with. She curses a lot. When Michael first got a puppy, she came and knocked on the door and told Mike to bring in his puppy because the dogs haven't properly been introduced. We still have no idea what she meant by that.

Does everyone have such strange people on their block? These are just the people directly surrounding Mike's house. Not that we don't love them for who they are; it's just that I think their quirkiness is amusing. I'm sure they think the same thing about us.

Shout Out!

2008-03-13T23:00:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is Jeff's birthday! Happy birthday, Bubba! Hope it's a great one! I sent him something in the mail, but I didn't actually put it in the mailbox until yesterday. Ooopsie. It will be a tad late. Tuesday was my friend Amelie's birthday, too. We took her to brunch yesterday at Mimi's Cafe. If you've never been there, you must go and have one of their amazing muffins. Wonderful!

I bought Tillie and Sammy shirts for St. Patrick's Day! Tillie's said "I put the me in awesome" and Sammy's was a hoodie that just said "Varsity." That lasted all of one day. They tried them on and Michael left them in the backyard to rumble and before you know it, the shirts are in shambles. :( But, I did get some poor quality pictures before hand. Have a happy St. Patrick's Day!

Insight

2008-03-07T12:25:00.000-08:00

At a motivational assembly I attended a few weeks ago, the speaker talked about how she used to feel hopeless and useless. She said that she was once suicidal and experienced the lowest level of depression imaginable. She said that she didn't trust who she was and certainly couldn't imagine that anyone would appreciate her for everything that she was. She didn't even see everything that she was. She said that she used to take those little quizzes in the Cosmo magazine and she would cheat and circle answers that she thought were cool, but not what she actually did or felt or believed. She said she would put those out on her coffee table so that if anyone ever came over and happened to flip through them, they would see her answers and think she was so much better than she really was. Her point in telling this, was to go on to talk about how she pulled herself up from the bottom to become something great and achieve success through chiropractic. I would like to make a different point with her story.

The reason that I got into chiropractic was to help people. Amazingly, back then I had no idea how much I could offer from everything that I learned. Recently, I've found that my most favorite technique to use on patients is energy work. Every cell in your body has a specific energy from which it functions. This energy can be interrupted by emotional stresses, illnesses, diseases, trauma or psychological factors. Emotional energy balancing allows your body to return to its natural state and heal itself. It is amazing stuff.

After practicing on about 100 visits or so, I've found that the hardest thing for people to do is to love and accept themselves. And it is hard! How many times do you take a look at yourself in the mirror and say, "I love you?" How many times do you reassure yourself with words of confirmation? Repeat after me: I completely accept and love myself and my power as a wo/man. Sounds silly, doesn't it? But it was probably hard to say, right? Challenge for the week: Remind yourself at every chance that you love and completely accept yourself for who you are, what you've seen, what you've done or haven't done and really mean it. It's easy to tell others how much we love and admire them. The new found respect that you have for yourself could give you the strength to accomplish things you've been setting your heart on.

Go Vote!

2008-03-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

Today is voting day for the Texas primaries. Texas is suppose to be a deciding factor for Democratic candidates. I love the fact that the democrats are the only ones getting the publicity (sarcasm). Well, I take that back. Republicans are getting publicity for an improper relationship with a lobbyist. RME. I'm saddened that there are not better candidates running. I'm disappointed in the conservatives. Obviously with Joshua being in the war, that is the topic that I most focus on when looking for who to put in office. In my opinion, there is not a clear cut conservative. McCain has a good view on war but I don't agree with his border policies or abortion rights. Huckabee is a hard line conservative and I like most of his views but he doesn't have a definite plan for the war. Neither one of them have the charisma to carry the country which is in desperate need of a morale boost. If Hillary is elected, I may have to move to Canada. Obama seems to think you can reason with suicide bombers. We could be in trouble! I'm definitely praying for the right person to be in leadership of our country. You should too! Go vote, Texans!

Mike is out of town in California until Friday so I have Tillie and Sammy. They crack me up! Sammy is finally realizing that he is bigger than Tillie and won't cower down to her anymore. Tillie still teases him and badgers him into subordination, though. Tillie will find a toy and prance around with it in her mouth and Sammy will want it so bad, but he's so uncoordinated and slow. He trips over his own feet all of the time. It's so cute.

I've been working on finding an office space, but it's not easy! I'm wondering if I should find my own realtor instead of just calling listings that I happen to run across...??? I still have plenty of time and know that I will find the right place, but right now maybe I need help looking? Mike has been working on my website really hard and it's coming along great! You guys can check it out. It's not finished. I still have my pictures to put up and a lot of information to fill in. Let me know what you guys think of the layout though. http://wholistichealingchiropractic.com/example.html

Tillie Has A New BFF

2008-02-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

Friday Mike and I went to watch a band that he knows pretty well. They're called Titan Moon and the members are really great Christian people with a Indie-type sound (I guess that's what you call them?). It was fun. They played in Fort Worth. We looove Fort Worth. We went to dinner at H3...again! and then went to Sundance Square to some small trendy place (which is weird because I wouldn't think Fort Worth had a crowd like that an truth be told we go to Ft. Worth to escape that type of crowd but nonetheless...). We had a good time. They are good company and we met some of their fans that are good peeps as well.

I had off Thursday through Sunday and you would think that I would have accomplished bunches, but I didn't. :) Pretty much all that I succeeded in doing was laughing at Tillie as she tried to sneak up on the stuffed barking dog that Mike bought for her. It was wonderful. (The doing nothing. The Tillie barking was OK, too.) All in all, I feel rejuvenated and grateful.

Tillie and her new best friend.

Who Rained On My Parade?

2008-02-20T10:23:00.000-08:00

I am in the most negative, horrific mood ever. Not really that anything happened. Nothing at all happened actually! Why, then, do I feel so down and out?! Things are good! I'm about half way through Internship III, I have great things ahead of me with the new practice, yet all I can think about is how I'm suppose to go to this stupid assembly in 30 minutes and sit there for 2 hours surrounded by people that I have nothing in common with and in a place I don't want to be in. On top of that, my staff doctor seems to have a grudge about having me as an intern because he "wasn't suppose to have anymore tri 9's" and has no problem helping everyone under the sun except for me. Even an alumni came in for me today and he has a nice chat about helping her find space and giving her connections to her community. I feel like an outsider who has to beg for hand outs that noone helps because they don't like her. :( And it's all totally me. It's all my attitude and perception. Tons of people are helping me, yet I can only focus on the negative. I have to change my attitude! Fine. Starting.....now. ;)

Wholistic Healing Chiropractic

2008-02-17T11:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, not to overwhelm you with blog posts, but I totally forgot what made me especially busy this week...I've decided to open a practice in Southlake, Texas! It's just outside of Dallas near DFW airport. It's a beautiful community; a very wealthy area known for it's excellent school systems and football program. It was actually rated in the top 20 cities of the US by Money Magazine and others.

So, above is my logo and the name of my clinic and I've started looking for space. I'll probably be opening for business in Julyish. Be praying for me! I need reasonable rent, equipment and some swift but smart decision making skills! Oddly enough, I feel very at peace and relaxed about the situation. That could be because I haven't faced major decisions yet and it's still a ways down the road or it could be what I've been praying about for the past year...peace and a sense of finding the correct path. We shall see!

This Week

2008-02-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

Who knew a week could fly by so fast? A very busy week, I suppose. Valentine's Day was great for me too! Mike had told me in advance that he was getting me Godiva chocolates and he had made dinner plans for a Japanese Steakhouse. He gets so excited about his plans that he can't wait, so I got it out of him like a week before! Hehe. That morning he had called me and kept asking if I was going home for lunch which I hadn't planned on but found the time for anyway. When I walked in, he had small pieces of paper held down by Hershey's kisses. Each one led to the other and he had written comments that said "This kiss is for..." and they eventually led up to a bunch of kisses that said " I heart U!" and a dozen red roses. So sweet and thoughtful.

Also, this week, I got to spend time with my friend's 8 year old little boy. Mike had to fly to California for his manager's funeral Saturday night and my friend had plans so I offered to keep her son. We had so much fun! We ordered pizza and rented an XBox game and played all night and all morning until we beat it just in time for his mom to come and get him. He cracks me up. He's lived in Dallas for almost 4 years but still has a huge West Texas accent. While we were looking at video games, he would say "That game there sure is a good game, Jen." You can take the boy out of West Texas, but you can't take the West Texas out of the boy. Lol. What a gem.

Airports

2008-02-17T10:32:00.000-08:00

I have a love hate relationship with airports. Everyone hates the hustle bustle of people frantically trying to get to their gate and selfishly rude people with no understanding of the fact there there are others in need of reaching their own place of arrival or departure; yet, I'm always awed at the number of different people all gathered in one place. I like to daydream about where each person is headed or where they came from and why. Is the rude girl with way too much makeup who refuses to make eye contact or smile at anyone else going to meet her sugar daddy in Vegas because she doesn't have enough respect for herself to fulfill her own goals and dreams? Is the young man wearing his Army greens coming to or from war, or is that sparkle in his eye pride and a sense of accomplishment from recently finishing bootcamp and excitement in returning home to his family for a warm welcome? How cool is it to think that there are so many amazingly different people in the world and God is able to individualize each one in his own way and give them each their own specific plan? God is cool. So are airports.

Vegas, Baby!

2008-02-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

Vegas was awesome! It was so good to see all of the chiro girls. It was just like noone ever left. We had a ton of fun! We went to Margaritaville the first night, which is oddly entertaining with the girl sliding down the volcano into a tub of water and all of the people walking on stealts. One of them made some of the girls balloon hats to wear around. Fun times!

The next day we spent at the chiropractic expo. It's huge and has all kinds of cool alternative health information. Although Lilia and Cori picked out the most lame seminar ever that I had to spend 1.5 hours sitting through, it was really fun to walk through the expo and we saw a lot of alumni that we used to know. That night, we had Lilia's and Katie's bachelorette parties! It was a blast. We made them wear tacky veils and everyone else wore these light up pins that said "party in progress" on them. We ended that night spending everything in our purses on high dollar Wheel Of Fortune slot machines where we obviously didn't win.

The last day, we did some shopping and went to a show at Bally's that was The Price Is Right Live where they had the same guy (Randy something) that used to do the commentary and the host was the guy from Whammy. I didn't get called to come on down and I was really anticipating getting to bid. :( Oh well, I probably would have embarrassed myself anyway! I was way off on the prices of most things. Katie got called for an automatic $10 or something though!

It was a fast trip but all in all it was perfect! I miss the girls so much and considering they were my comfort for the last 3 years, it's been really lonely without them. I don't, however, miss the Sidewalk Cafe and their $20 omelets (that's pretty much all we ate for the entire 3 days). Vegas is expensive, but amazing; especially when you're with such sweet, fun girls. I'm really thankful that I got to spend those rough years slaving at the books with such positive and inspirational people and it's wonderful that we can make it back together every now and then.

No, I don't have any pictures. I left my camera sitting on my kitchen table and noone has emailed out the others but I will post them if and when I recieve them! Bummer, I know.

Picture Update!

2008-02-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

DeeDee likes to model for the camera. It's sometimes hard to get a good picture of her because she is so black but she's pretty much beautiful.

This is Samson (AKA Sammy, Samsonite, SamBone, Samsam. It's amazing he's learned his name, really.) And next to him on the rug is Tillie's favorite cheerleader chew toy that she doesn't like to share.

Tillie always looks surprised, doesn't she? LOL. Notice her bling hanging down from her pink collar?

The Fort Worth Symphony Play! for Mike's birthday. It was pretty neat to hear all of the old school songs. There were many that I didn't recognize even from the pictures they displayed but I think Mike knew most of them and they even did Halo just for him.

Do you want a hamburger?! Tillie loves hamburgers and it can get her attention even in the midst of her frolicking in the park. She usually cocks her head one way then the other then barks!

Mike's birthday, I think. I was just being silly, I guess.

Tiffany (l) and Jamee (r) last night at Tiff's bday party. I think she had fun and Sambuca was fun with the R&B band and good food!

Me and Jamee last night. I forgot we were doing a ghetto pose so she looks really mean.

More Birthdays!

2008-01-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

Today is my friend Tiffany's birthday! Everyone wish her a happy birthday! We shall celebrate tomorrow at a hip place in uptown called Sambuca that she has wanted to try and everyone around will go and it will be a great time. :)

With her birthday, I'm realizing that I am old. Not in number, but in soul. You may laugh, but I am serious. I was talking to another friend yesterday, and we realized that we had spent all of our lives in school and while other people our age have families with children to keep them young, we have our careers. Not that I don't love what I do, but I always imagined having children sooner rather than later because I want to enjoy them while I am young. I say them like there even is a them. Maybe one child someday. The friend I was talking to is 27 and her husband is 30. Those numbers just seem so much older than we are! Ahhh, it's a sad day when you finally face your mortality.

Fats For Thought

2008-01-24T14:03:00.000-08:00

This just in...fat on your hips is better for your brain! I read a new research article today that suggests that women with an hourglass figure may on average be brighter and have more clever children. Go women with back! One possible reason is the greater percentage of omega 3 fats found on the hips. The study examined 16,000 women and girls, and found that women with a greater difference between the waist and hips scored significantly higher on cognitive tests, as did their children. Those with a waist-to-hip ratio between 0.6 and 0.7 achieved the highest scores. Fat around hips and thighs holds higher levels of omega 3 fats, which are essential for the growth of the brain during pregnancy. Fat around the waist may have higher levels of omega 6 fats acids, which are less well suited to brain growth. Good sources of your omega 3's which you must receive from nutrition because your body doesn't produce them are fish, flax seed, and walnuts.

While on the subject of fats, do you know the best oils to cook with? I would only have two in my kitchen. Probably the most well know would be extra virgin olive oil. Another one that is even better than that is coconut oil. I've been hearing about coconut oil for a little while but just now started using it. When looking for oils, you want to have saturated fats. Saturated fats don't have any double bonds in them and therefore are easy for your body to reuse. Unsaturated and trans fats are not easy to break down and your body ends up storing them instead of utilizing the free energy. Coconut oil is also high in omega 3's. Corn, sunflower, safflower and vegetable oils are high in omega 6's and not helpful. So start melting that coconut oil, girls and be proud of those birthing hips!

Vaccinations

2008-01-21T21:45:00.000-08:00

I log into my yahoo page and look at the top stories: "Despite mandatory childhood vaccinations, chickenpox is on the rise in North Texas." Interesting. It states that as of 2001, Texas requires all children entering kindergarten to receive the chickenpox vaccination. I have to question the reasoning behind this. Is it merely for convenience purposes (I don't have time for my child to be sick) or is it monetary (whoever makes that vaccine is now rolling in dough and the FDA actually may be receiving kick backs for mandating it). I don't really see any other purpose to eradicate chickenpox. It can be serious in adult cases where the adult was never exposed to the virus and it can lead to shingles later on in life but a mandatory vaccination? Really? Well, it must really be working well considering the rise in chickenpox AFTER the vaccination has been out for a while. Ha. Way to go FDA! Thanks for making the chickenpox mutate and become a serious illness where before it was a mild childhood nuisance.

I often have parents question the debate on vaccinations. It is a highly controversial debate and ultimately up to the parents. In no way am I telling people not to vaccinate their children. That being said, I have done much research and know that I, personally will not be giving a majority of the vaccinations. The facts are astounding.

The Institute of Medicine held a meeting to review research that has been found, which links thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative in vaccines, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. The panel used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccine Datalink, which concluded that children who are given three thimerosal-containing vaccines are 27 times more likely to develop autism than children who receive thimerosol-free vaccines.

Thimerosal has been gradually removed from vaccines since 1999, however it is still present in many vaccinations, including virtually all flu shots.

During the review, medical experts discussed the results from a study that showed urinary mercury concentrations were six times higher in children with autism, as opposed to normal-age/vaccine matched controls. They also said that they found evidence that suggested the link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism had a higher risk than that between lung cancer and smoking cigarettes.

Let's face it, mercury is a potent neurotoxin. Injecting it into a child with a rapidly developing nervous system can have terrible consequences. Consequences that go way past having a fever, malaise, fatigue, irratability, nausea and pain at the injection sight of the vaccination.

It is true that in many childhood vaccines, the mercury has now been removed -- but only to be replaced with equally damaging toxins such as aluminum and formaldehyde.
Here is a partial list of some of the other fillers that vaccines can contain:
-aluminum hydroxide
-animal tissues: pig blood, horse blood, rabbit brain, dog kidney, monkey kidney, chick embryo, human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)
-monosodium glutamate (MSG)
-phenoxyethanol (antifreeze)
-sorbitol
-sucrose

Parents feel guilty if they don't give their kids vaccinations. There are billboards across town with toddlers in diapers and their building blocks spelling out "vaccinate." Ads are placed in the newspaper. The FDA has once again successfully misguided the public into thinking that without vaccinations, their child may catch a dread disease. Go to the CDC website and don't just glance at their charts, read up on where the data came from, the exact numbers, and just how prevalent the disease is in your area. Mike recently had to go to India. If you go to the CDC website, it pretty much spells out death without a handful of vaccinations. I could go through the list and point and laugh at each one individually, but I will spare you. Anyway, after researching it, we found the stats were mere "guesses" and anyone in the country who exhibited suspicious symptoms was diagnosed as having Hepatitis B, polio, malaria or some other dread disease. Needless to say, Mike ate, slept, bathed and lived in nasty India for 2.5 weeks without vaccinations and came back disease free (not that we didn't have a vigorous detox and adjusting party upon his arrival).

And even then, the immune system is an amazing thing! Naomi Judd is at the Parker Seminars in Vegas every year. She was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, a serious illness with a fatal prognosis. Through nutrition, supplementation, adjustments and detoxification there is no illness present to date.

You might be amazed to find out that your child is building his/her own immune system on their own without vaccinations and thus making it harder for those mean bugs to penetrate later on! Take care of your children the way that you are comfortable taking care of them. In my opinion, prevention is key but it's not through vaccinations; it's through building the immune system not breaking it down with harsh preservatives.

You Are My Sunshine

2008-01-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

Why is it that when you look forward to having a day off, it always seems to turn out to be a gray, rainy, drizzly day? I had such high hopes of walking the doggies and getting some vitamin D, but the clouds had other plans. I do believe they get some demented pleasure out of watching everyone scrambling about in the rain trying to pretend it's not pouring down on them in order to savour their days off. I imagine them giving dark fluffy high fives to one another for every large drop that hits someone squarely on their heads. Mean clouds. You just wait until the sun gets sick of your silly antics and pushes you away!

I did, however make it to the Northpark Mall and do some unnecessary shopping. Mike gave me a Nordstrom gift card months ago for my birthday and I attempted to find some pretty something to brighten the dull day. No such luck, probably due to the fact that everything in that store costs $300 and that's if you're looking at the sale rack. Lol. Making my way around the bend, I ended up at the Bare Escentuals tiny entryway and bought new foundation and some sparkly eyeshadow. Happiness comes in such small packages. :D

Oooh. I also booked my flight to Vegas for in a few weeks. All the chiro girls are getting together for a reunion and celebration of all of the engagements and weddings that have/are occuring. It works out because Parker has a huge seminar with awesome classes to sit in on and big names in chiropractic will be there. Good times indeed!

Videogames and Puppy Dog Tales

2008-01-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Mike's birthday! He turned 28. Old, I know. ;) I had a theme for the whole weekend...videogames. I got him Halo 3 (I know, just fueling the fire), a bag to carry his XBox in with the controllers and stuff for when he takes it down to Houston, and a new shirt and tie for Saturday night; I bought tickets to the symphony. It's called Play! (yes, that exclamation point is part of the title) and it is music from videogames, so hopefully that'll be fun. I think we'll meet up with friends after that to go karaoke which I'm not very fond of because I've never been able to sing, but everyone else seems to be pretty excited about it. I also made ice cream cone cupcakes and put them together and painted a nintendo controller on them with frosting. It wasn't very pretty but it was cute and I tried! We ate them anyway and gave Samson and Tillie one too. Sammy ate his in two bites and Tillie licked on hers for a while getting frosting on her nose which was so cute!

Today, Tillie threw me for a loop. She's only 7 months old and she started her heat! I had actually just talked to the vet last week about getting her fixed. A little late for that, eh? Well, I called and talked to her today and she said to wait until this is over which could take about 2 weeks! I'm suppose to keep her crated except to go outside where it is freezing for two weeks?! Oh vey. That's not very fun. Poor little princess!

Creative Thinkers Needed!

2008-01-16T20:11:00.001-08:00

Mike thought it would be nice to have a webpage for my patients with a ton of chiro info on it (grand idea indeed!) and I'm trying to think of a suave name for it. I was thinking of "Aligning Life" ???? What do you think? Have any ideas? "Snap Crackle Pop"? LOL. JK.

Also...since no one has suggested any topics that I can rant and rave on, I'll throw a few topics out there and you guys pick the most interesting!
-Kids and chiropractic...ADHD, ear infections, allergies, cranial and atlas subluxations, vaccinations
-Neurology behind a subluxation in layman's terms
-Aspartame, MSG and alternatives
-Supplements...the good, the bad, the essential
-The chiro first aid kit...what everyone should have in their medicine cabinet
-How and why to detox
-Emotional stress and how the body deals
-Common symptoms of the non-adjusted
Or anything else your heart desires. :)

I started back at the clinic and despite having absolutely no pride left in my whole being, I am enjoying getting to treat again. I get questions from the few people left there who actually know me and I sometimes feel like I'm being overly criticized by others there and it's probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do; but, I have amazing people that are really helping me out and every day someone makes a small comment of encouragement that boosts me back up to at least sub-par and I finish out the day with a smile.

This morning, I was listening to a Christian broadcast about how God doesn't speak to us through burning bushes anymore (Moses was lucky), but through people's mouths instead. That couldn't be more true. Thank you baby Jesus for sending out those words of encouragement to me these past few days! And, as nerdy as it sounds, (pretty much because it's totally nerdy) I get so elated over being able to diagnose fun ailments. Not that any ailment is fun, but herniated nucleus pulposus and osteophytic IVF encroachment have the same symptoms and putting the pieces of the puzzle together to get the final diagnosis is a trip. :)

The Middle Ground

2008-01-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

Something that I struggle to communicate with my patients is the ability to find the middle ground in their lifestyle changes. For example, I was explaining to one patient the difference in herbs and OTC or prescription drugs. I was explaining that aspirin is actually willow bark, which is completely legitimate to take but only when needed. I was explaining the difference in OTC aspirin and the willow bark found in a natural market. Aspirin, is processed, synthesized and made as cheaply as possible. We are trying to give our bodies a more holistic form that would be found in nature, just as when it was discovered. Everyone reacts differently, but for the most part, your body will react more positively and more efficiently when you take something that is in its natural form. This is something that you should NEVER bargain with. Natural is natural is natural people. (On a side note: Then, I was explaining to this particular patient when it is necessary to take an aspirin. Listen to your body. Does your head hurt because of lack of sleep? Stress? Hormones? Dehydration? Lack of blood supply? Allergies? Why are you covering up your symptom with an aspirin? Don't you think you should work on resolving that issue? Your body can take care of itself people. You just have to figure out why it's hurting and help it!)

Later, I was talking with a patient about the benefit of eating organic. Most people are concerned about how costly organic foods can be, and trust me, as a starving student, I understand that. I think everyone has a different area where they draw the line on this one. Do you eat organic simply to get a higher percentage of nutrients from your foods or is it to reduce the number of pesticides/antibiotics you consume or maybe to eliminate any possible neurotoxins or high fructose corn syrup or bad preservatives? Have you also thought about your cleaning items? Does it not concern you when you clean your bathroom that your throat and eyes burn? Or when you mop your floor your children and pets shouldn't be near it or they will get sick? What about hand soaps? Do you realize that by using "antibacterial" that you are actually making it harder to kill the bacteria a few generations down the colonizing line? Did you know that it is actually the friction of the action of hand washing that kills more germs than it is the actual soap? Now, obviously these are all areas of concern when shopping. However, you have to really try to be money conscious if you are pinching your pennies. There is a give and take on this one guys! Plan ahead and do the best you can and after a while, you will figure out where to cut corners. When you really think about it, this is your life. Wouldn't you rather spend money preserving it than on the bills it will take fighting when something bad comes along?

Suggestions for pinching your pennies and still avoiding bad stuff:
-Read the labels on things! Obviously avoid the things in the paragraph above, but more importantly if it has di- mono- bi- and then some big words...probably not good and therefore not worth your money.
-A great all purpose cleaner that kills just as well as the strong smelling harsh stuff: vinegar and water. When all else fails, try to think about what your grandparents used for cooking and cleaning. They went through the Great Depression and couldn't afford the chemical stuff found in stores.
-Find your local organic farmers! Especially if you have an extra freezer. You can place an order for half of an organic cow and eat on that through the whole year. Same thing with chickens, eggs, milk and fruits and veggies (although I'd avoid milk altogether unless it's raw and even then, I'd try to find goat milk. Their protein is more like the human form and doesn't cause as many allergens.)
-Use coupons. Even natural markets have weekly ad specials; you just have to find them.
-Buy online. This one was new to me but Mike found most of the products we use for half of the cost when you buy directly from the wholesaler. A really great site is www.luckyvitamins.com.

Good luck and don't skimp on the good stuff!

Purpose and plan

2008-01-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

I was recently talking to someone about my future goals and plans pertaining to my career and in many ways I feel blessed. Many people wander through life questioning their God given purpose. I have already found mine. It is crystal clear that chiropractic is my calling. More than that; it is impeccably clear. So, one would think it should be simple from here, right? Ah, you would think *shaking head*.

It's a good thing that I think everything happens for a reason. Otherwise, I would have fallen into a deep depression months ago! JK; But not really. I find myself on an unvisited path and I can't see through the trees. I find myself expressing to God that this is really not my style. If He would just mail me a map of where I'm suppose to be headed and idk, maybe put asterisks next to events explaining what lessons I should learn, that would be great. Thanks. But...I do understand that from change comes growth and am looking forward to see what God wants me to learn and grow into because it's blatantly obvious no map is awaiting in my mailbox now or ever. I guess that's the thing about God. He expects us to communicate with Him and stuff to keep us in check so He can't just give us a map ahead of time. In the meantime, I felt compelled to blog about not only what goes on in my life, but also blog about my passion in spreading health and the amazing things that I have learned about the human body. Maybe someday, I will have enough postings on such topics to be able to incorporate them into my website to my office. It could be slow growing though because I'll probably only post when I feel passionate about the topic but we shall see, eh? ;)

To my undetermined future and passion for health and wellness...the doctor is in! :)