I recently took my husband on a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada to celebrate his 30th birthday. We relaxed at the pool (it was still 80 degrees in Vegas, a nice change from the weather we had been experiencing in Minnesota), saw a couple shows and dined at some fabulous restaurants. Before we left my husband insisted we spend some time at the Blackjack tables. I do not fancy myself a gambler; I went to the Casino when I turned 18 and cashed in after winning $20 on the nickel slots. My husband, however, likes to press his luck every once in a while in the hopes of winning big. Like many of the millions of Americas who visit Vegas every year, we came out in the red. I fussed at my husband, “Why would you risk loosing our hard eared money? Don’t you know that statistics show we are more likely to lose than win? Why would you want to take that chance?”

I thought about Vegas today as I sat down to write this blog. Most people recognize gambling, whether it is at the Casio or betting on a sports team, is likely to result in money lost. Some people choose to take the risk while others simply stay out of the game. When it comes to their health, however, most Americas are gambling with something more important than money- they are risking their lives. 

Chances are that you, or someone you care about, gambles everyday with unhealthy lifestyle habits including: a poor diet, a lack of exercise, too many over-the-counter or prescription medications, too much stress and not enough sleep. Leading research proves that these lifestyle habits lead to obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes- the four leading causes of death in the United States. While there is a chance that a person can lead this type of lifestyle and not develop health problems, it is the exception and not the rule. Just as I told my husband in Vegas, there is a possibility that you will beat the odds, but why take the chance?

It is easy to prevent illness and injury by simply developing healthier habits. Instead of stopping at McDonalds for an Egg McMuffin, or skipping breakfast altogether, grab a piece of fruit or a protein shake in the mornings. When you go to a restaurant, share a meal with your dinner companion or pack half of your meal in a to-go container for lunch the next day. Drink more water and less sugary beverages. Start exercising everyday, even if it is just for 15 minutes. Take time to de-stress in the evenings: read a book or take a bubble bath. If you experience pain or soreness, get checked by a Chiropractor instead of just masking the symptoms with dangerous, over-the-counter medications.

Our health is what we make of it. If we gamble with our money we must be prepared to lose it. If we gamble with our health we  must also be prepared to lose, and in doing so we can lose everything. Why take the chance?

Yours In Health,

Morgan Pink
Community Relations

Most of us are familiar with the classic Shel Siverstein book The Giving Tree. For those of you who are not, it’s the story of a relationship between a boy and his dear friend who happens to be a tree. As the boy grows older his needs change, and the tree always finds a way to help the boy. When the boy needed money, the tree gave him apples to sell. When the boy needed a house, the tree gave him her branches so he could build a house. And when the boy was old and lonely and wanted to get away, the tree gave him her trunk to build a boat. The tree gave and gave until all that was left of her was a small stump for the old man to rest on.

The relationship between the boy and the tree is much like the relationship that we have with our bodies. When we are born, our bodies have all the components we need to get us through life. It gives and gives to us each day to get us through life. As we get older, our needs, like the boy’s, continually change and we put more and more demands on our body to provide for us. This begs the question, if we are not willing to give back to our bodies, what will we be left with in the long run?

When you put fuel into your body, are you providing it with the appropriate nutrition it needs to grow healthy and strong? Are you giving your body the building blocks for optimal health, or are you casually filling it with calories it cannot functionally use, which in turn becomes detrimental to its overall wellbeing? In order for your body to give to you each day the way it was made to, you need to fill it with the foods that it was actually designed to consume.

Are you taking the time to give your body the physical activity it needs to reduce the overall stress level on the system and keep it physically strong? Do you strengthen your body so that it can in turn be strong for you when you need it to do work for you? If you want your body to withstand the everyday stress you put on it, you have to give back to it through the physical activity it needs.

Do you take the time to build healthy relationships and find things that make you mentally healthy? The body responds to mental stress the same way it does to chemical and physical stress. Are you adding to your overall stress by being in situations that create unhappiness in your life, or do you actively seek to put yourself in jobs, activities, situations and relationships that nourish you.

Our bodies are something that can easily be taken for granted as we get up each day and go about our business, assuming that they will provide for us each day like they have  in the past. Take a moment each day to remember that like the tree, the body is actually giving and giving and giving to us, and it needs a little something in return. It may not need to be a grand gesture, but just think how much our bodies might appreciate it if we just tried to do one thing each day to give back a little. Giving back just may ensure that in the long run, your body may be more like the big beautiful tree in the beginning of the story rather than the stump the boy is left with in the end.

Yours in Health,
Breanna Tivy, D.C.