Gardening Tips For A Healthy Spine!

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Many people love the spring because they are passionate about  gardening. I am not one of them, but I do appreciate the efforts and results of others!  Once the weather warms up and people start cleaning up their yards and getting excited for planting season, I typically start to see similar patterns in people’s spines and hear about similar aches and pains from people on their visits.

Working outdoors in your garden and yard is a great form of physical activity, even better if it’s something you love. To protect your body and avoid injury, consider some of these tips when stepping out to get your garden started this season:

1) While mowing the lawn, keep your head up and stand directly behind the mower so you can keep your hips and shoulders in line with your spine. Push the mower uphill rather than pulling. Always use both hands rather pushing  or twisting with one.

2) When working in the dirt, crouch down, sit on a stool, or squat instead of bending at the waist which can strain the joints in the low back. Bend your knees when lifting anything so that you can use the strength of your legs.

3) Keep yard waste bags close to your body while lifting them.  Hold a rake with one hand at shoulder height, one hand at waist level and walk or drag the pile. Most importantly, vary your tasks and take breaks when necessary.

Avoid staying in prolonged postures involving the lower back and neck.

Your best bet for protecting your back? Consider Chiropractic care!

Waiting until symptoms appear before taking care of your body often can make the problems worse, ultimately causing them to take longer to heal. Chiropractors assess your posture and spinal joints to ensure they are moving properly and that your body is physically balanced. The results people experience from regular spinal care are profound, and the increases in their quality of life measurable.

Curious? Book your complimentary 15 minute chat with me to find out more! 705.446.9733

Easter Treats For Your Family

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The ritual of hunting for easter eggs is something that all children enjoy (even my teenage son still enjoys easter treats and the hunt for eggs – just don’t tell him I told you!), but let’s think about some of the items we place inside the eggs.

Traditional easter baskets are filled with chocolate. Chocolate tastes great, I’m a huge fan! However, our kids are not likely to appreciate the organic-fair-trade-dark chocolate that actually can benefit your health in small doses. Commercial candy and confections are filled with sugar, artificial colours, and flavours, and although they tastes great, they don’t promote health, and for many children there are adverse effect on their behaviour due to the sugar and caffeine.

Chocolate, jellybeans, and candy are fun treats for all of us, and we’ve been having fun with them in the practice all week, but consumption in moderation is the KEY! Even a teaspoon of sugar causes the immune system cells to drop substantially, and can dramatically affect behaviour. With the chocolate on the reception desk this week I’ve been using it as a great time to remind all the kids in the practice that their body needs good foods to stay healthy, and we’ve been talking about other things they need to also be doing to keep their body healthy.

This year why not consider some other ideas too? 

I’ve been asking families in the practice some of the ways they celebrate easter weekend with their children and they have shared some fantastic, creative ideas.  Whether you create a basket for children in your life or conduct an easter egg hunt, consider these tips to avoid the overdose of chocolate, sugar and unnecessary waste that is often created with commercial packages.

If you enjoy filling eggs, purchase ones (yes even plastic) that you can reuse every year and try some of these items to place inside…

  • Stickers, coins, small toys
  • Small cookies or animal crackers
  • For older children try little pieces of paper with bigger ‘prizes’  written on them. Then create a scavenger hunt to find them too!
  • Use numbers or symbols inside the eggs, and have a corresponding chart for them to follow on – they will love the challenge and skills they will build!

As with all gift-giving, don’t forget about the gifts of ‘experiences’. Many of us already have enough ‘stuff’. Movie/event tickets, lessons for a sport or hobby, gift cards for music or clothing, jewellery, sports cards, games (especially if they are ones you can play as a family!)

Get creative, have some fun, and share  some of your favorite ideas too!

ERM 037: Lorri Fleming | Nurturing Families At The Womb

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Lorri Fleming is a mom to 2 adult children, Cole 22 and Kyra 19 and has been happily married for almost 25 years. Lorri is a Doula, Parent Educator and Co-founder of The WOMB in Milton, Ontario where she is passionate about Nourishing, Nurturing and Inspiring families through life!

In this conversation with Dr Melissa Longo Lori talks about how life changes with adult children, and why she believes that nurturing comes from wrapping our arms around our children, while at other times from letting go. Lori openly shares some of the struggles she and her husband have experienced, but how their faith, strong communication and the support of others has helped keep their family strong.

With her children growing up Lori has been able to focus her attention on opening her dream business – The Womb, a place for all things pregnancy, postpartum and life with children. In this space Lori shines and works with other moms to help them find support, inspiration and ways to care for themselves and their new families.

Another great conversation with another everyday rockstar mom!

Healthy Hearts! Lifestyle Tips & How Chiropractic Helps

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Cardiovascular health is important throughout our lives, and our cardiovascular organs are part of an incredible system within our bodies that gives every single cell in our bodies the fuel to function. Your heart pumps blood to all parts of your body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to every single cell through the arteries. Once the cells have received the oxygen, the blood is returned to the heart through the veins. The systematic, rhythmic relationship between your lungs and your heart is what refuels the blood with oxygen so that this cycle can continue endlessly. With every beat of your heart, blood is moving through the chambers of your heart and then being pumped through your body. Its truly an amazing system!

Heart disease results when the heart has to beat faster than the normal healthy rate to perform its job. When the arteries are clogged blood needs to be pumped through them at a faster rate with greater force (“high blood pressure”). The sad news is that far too many times the first symptom of heart disease is a serious heart attack! We can’t see the heart gradually losing it’s ability to function properly, which is why waiting for symptoms to start isn’t the  wisest approach. 

Most people can quickly think of all the known risk factors for heart disease – smoking, high cholesterol, alcoholism, obesity, lack of physical activity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and a poor diet. It’s estimated 9/10 Canadians have at least one of these risk factors, and 4/10 have 3 or more.

There is another risk factor! Did you know spinal misalignments can contribute to heart health too? When the vertebrae in the spine are not moving properly(subluxation) the heart’s ability to internally regulate itself is disrupted due to impingement of both the nerves and the arteries. Once proper function and movement is restored with spinal adjustments, proper nerve and circulatory flow returns. Research has shown that chiropractic spinal adjustments can lower both blood pressure and heart rate, allowing your cardiovascular system to function the way it was designed to.

Although heart disease remains one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide, the great news is that the majority of risk factors are lifestyle choices! Change your habits and you change your risk.

Make choices to keep your heart working properly by considering the following:

Stress Less: High stress levels cause blood pressure to rise, heart rate to increase, and disturbances in heart rhythm. Evaluate the stressors in your life and make changes! Learn how to cope with stress effectively, and find professional support as needed.

Eat Well: Choose a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains. Avoid packaged and processed foods which contain extra fats, sugars, preservatives, and sodium. Avoid high consumption of fried, fatty foods. 

Quit Smoking! Just do it. There is nothing health promoting about this habit whatsoever!

Get Moving: Move your body everyday for at least 10 minutes. Exercise helps relieve stress, and supports every system in your body including your cardiovascular system.

Get Adjusted! To support nerve function, heart function, and for a healthier body overall!

Have questions or need more direction? Let me know how I can help.

~ Dr. Melissa

ERM 036: Kathy Boose | Entrepreneurial Life, Active Living & Listening To Your Own Voice

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Kathy Boose lives an active life in Collingwood Ontario with her husband Jason and two children, Damen and Abby.  She has spent her career in Recreation, Fitness, and leads classes at various studios in the Collingwood area.

Ready for a change to better support her active family’s needs, Kathy decided to use her 20 years of expertise in Lifesaving skills to launch her own business and now teaches Standard First Aid, CPR and AED training sessions, as well as training for youth such as Babysitter, Home Alone and Lifesaving Courses.

Kathy is passionate about her family and her business, and you’ll hear it in this interview with Dr. Melissa Longo!  During the conversation Kathy shares the big risk she took to become an entrepreneur, but why it has been an amazing change in her lifestyle and allows her to be more present with her kids. Kathy shares some of the ways she manages mom-life and business life, as well as how she and her partner keep their marriage strong.

Living life to the fullest and putting her family first are her ultimate goals. You can learn more about Kathy on her website www.trainingforlife.ca or contact her at kathy@trainingforlife.ca.

Another great conversation with an everyday rockstar mom! Check it out!

Colds, Coughs, Congestion & Chiropractic!

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Many times when people in the practice are dealing with colds, coughs, sore throats, or congestion they want to stay home, but you’ll often hear me encourage them to come get adjusted and stress the importance of it during illness.

If germs were the only factor that made us sick, we would all be in serious trouble! But a healthy body is dealing with germs everyday, and does not become ill. Sure, some bacteria or viruses are more threatening than others, but in general when we become ill it’s because our body’s ability to cope with the demand on our immune system has failed.

Congestion, coughing, sneezing, fevers, and a runny nose are all signs the body is effectively creating an immune response to help the body eradicate the bacteria or virus causing the infection. This is a good thing and not to be suppressed! Medications to make you feel better offer temporary relief, but often create other imbalances in the body that can affect your long-term health.

As per any ailment, my recommendations are always to support the body as best as you can and strategize to boost the immune system, and Chiropractic care is a huge contributor to a healthy immune system!

Chiropractic works:

A study by a neurologist found that 92% of children with chronic tonsillitis had upper cervical misalignments, and after studying 76 children with chronic tonsillitis it was concluded that “tonsillitis goes hand in hand with movement restriction in the cranio-cervical skull and neck junction”

If you’re sick and suffering make a spinal check-up high on your priority list. In addition to increasing fluids, sleep, and nutritional support, your body will likely recover without any other intervention and give your body better health moving forward.

~ Dr. Melissa

Disclaimer: Chiropractic is not a cure or treatment for common illness.

ERM 034: Melissa Enfield | Yoga Philosophy For Everyday Life, Big Picture Thinking & Post Partum Anxiety

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Melissa Enfield is a Yoga, Pilates and Ballet Barre instructor in Collingwood, ON.  Her crazy life includes two wild little boys, one large husband and a new puppy – because why not? Having suffered post partum anxiety after both pregnancies, these days Melissa focuses her fitness practice on using our connection to our bodies to calm the anxieties of life.  Through Buddha Rider Yoga and Cycle Studio in Collingwood, Melissa teaches a variety of classes including fitness for new parents as well as an introduction to yoga for children.  Her sense of humor and empathetic approach to guiding humans big and small through the process of physical awareness defines her work.

In this interview with Dr. Melissa Longo, Melissa candidly shares her experience with post partum anxiety, and what helped her get through it. Melissa also discusses how the yoga philosophy shapes her daily life, and how living with an attention to taking care of yourself as a woman is key to being present for your family.

Another great interview with another everyday rockstar mom!

If It’s Not Broken…

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So many times when I speak with someone about what I do, they comment “I would hate to know what you’d find in my spine, it’s probably a mess!”.  This attitude still surprises me.

The attitude “if it’s not broken, why fix it” does not apply to the human body.

Some of the sickest people on this planet have no symptoms and “feel fine”. We all know people who seemed to be fine but then suddenly are diagnosed with a major illness. People who ‘suddenly’ have a heart attack, stroke, are told they have cancer.

Waiting for your body to give you symptoms is like waiting for a bomb to go off…everything is quiet until suddenly there is a huge impact.

I cannot tell you how illogical this seems to me, but I certainly didn’t always look at health this way.

Like many people, I too viewed things differently, only responding to challenges in my body with medications. Luckily, 20 years ago, a shoulder injury forced me to see a Chiropractor, and from that point on everything changed. Not only my own health, but my attitude about it.

The Chiropractic approach is just that – an approach to supporting your body from the inside-out in every way.  Giving the body what it needs from the top-down (neurological function from the brain through the spinal cord), as well as all the other ingredients necessary for optimal function….food, hydration, movement, love and social connections, sleep, purpose and passion!

Chiropractic is not just an adjustment or treatment for a symptom, it’s an approach to looking for the causes of problems in the body, rather than just reacting to them.

Waiting for something to happen before you take action often makes the healing take longer, and requires more investment of your time and resources.

People who choose to make chiropractic care a regular part of their life understand this, but they also see the profound changes in their health, and are more empowered to be in control of their body. It’s a beautiful thing to watch in my practice and something I will never tire of.

People often hear me say “health comes from choice, not by chance”. Choosing to honour your body and give it what it needs on a consistent basis is one of the wisest decisions you can ever make.

If you’re still struggling with some aspects of your health, ask for direction.

If I can’t help you, we’ll find someone who can.

Life is short. Give yourself the gift of better health so that you can live more fully.

– Dr. Melissa

Forget Resolutions, Why Not Set a WORD instead?

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Anytime is a great time for making changes in your life, but there is something special about the start of a new year. Whether you feel you need to make some drastic changes, take a few small steps in a new direction, or simply get back into an established routine, commit to doing something  this month to live a better life. I’ve never found resolutions work, and I stopped setting them years ago. Instead, I love this concept and have been implementing consistently. Maybe this year you might want to give it a try!

Think about your aspirations – what do you want for the year ahead? Is there an overriding theme that comes to mind for you? Can you sum up your intentions in a single word? I bet you can.

A great word can set the tone for your actions and keep you focused.  A word can also serve as a reminder of what’s important when everyday  ‘life stuff’ frustrates us. For example, when my sons were young and I wasn’t in practice, my word was “Nurture”.  It reminded me of my focus on raising my sons and looking after myself.  It allowed me to accept that my career aspirations would be fulfilled at a later date, and that the little boys in my kitchen were simply more important for the time being. In other years the words “Grow”, “Balance” and “Focus” have worked well for me.

A great word sets your intention and will help manifest the people, places,  opportunities (and challenges!) to help you achieve your goals.  A good friend recently shared her story of using theme words during the past few years. “Abundance” was her focus at one time and she grew her business substantially. “Love” was her focus another year, and she met the man she married.  Metaphysics aside, what you focus on tends to happen!  The simple act of awareness can powerfully  keep you oriented towards actions that support your goals, and make you more likely to attract success.

Your ‘word’ might come to mind easily.  You may already have one that has been running through your thoughts repetitively, especially if you have set resolutions or goals for yourself. If not, carve out some time in your week to think about it. Sit quietly and reflect.   Journal if it helps you sort out your thoughts, or, on a blank sheet of paper simply write down words that depict your hopes and dreams for the year ahead. Something will pop out at you, or you may notice a pattern in the words you write down. Don’t over-think it!

Friends, colleagues, and people in my practice have shared their words with me for added support and accountability. Here’s some of their theme words to get you started:  Relate, Believe, Focus, Simplify, Build, Mindful, Refresh, Rejuvenate, and Fun.

Once you have your ‘word’ write it down where you can see it regularly. Use it as a password so you have to consciously think about it many times a day. Place post-it notes all over your home if you need to. Get creative and do what works for you – and share your ideas! I’ll tell you my word!

One word is easy to remember. Pick one for yourself and let it shape the months to come.

Set an intention for what you want 2017 to mean to you, choose a word to define it, make deliberate choices and take action! I’m here to help if you get stuck 😉

~ Dr Melissa

ERM 033: What’s Your Theme Word For 2017?

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What do you want 2017 to look like for your business and your family? What are the most important things for you to achieve and learn, and how do you want to feel? More importantly, how are you going to make some changes?

Listen to this episode with Dr. Melissa Longo to hear her top strategy for setting her intention and directing all goals for the 12 months ahead.