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Health & Fitness

Skip the shot...fight the flu naturally

Around this time of year, something starts spiking - any guesses? That's right, flu season is ahead of us with gifts of chills, aches, fevers and more...

It’s that time of year again - resolutions abound and gym memberships are spiking. The start of the New Year brings out people’s best intentions and plans for a successful year ahead. Around this time of year, something else starts spiking - any guesses? That’s right, flu season is ahead of us with gifts of chills, aches, fevers and more...

I don’t know about you, but I vote to skip the flu this year. And while this may be controversial to some, I’m also opting to skip getting a flu shot. Instead, I’m focusing on continuing to strengthen my nervous system and body in order to maintain optimal health. Personally, I haven’t had so much as a sniffle since January 1, 2006.  Not coincidentally, that’s when I transitioned, as first a client and then a practitioner, into Upper Cervical Chiropractic care. 

The medical community is in unanimous agreement that the secret to fighting the flu is a healthy immune system. But, just like money can’t buy you love, money also can’t buy you a healthy immune system. There’s no pill you can pop, or a shot that can strengthen it. Instead, here’s the magic bullet: a healthy immune system comes about as a result of having a fully functioning nervous system and body.

In many ways, this is old news, since the relationships between the nervous system and the immune system was reported by the New York Times in 1993. According to that article, “Scientists have found the first evidence of an anatomical connection between the nervous system and the immune system. Nerve cell endings in the skin and white blood cells of the immune system are in intimate contact, and chemicals secreted by the nerves can shut down immune system cells nearby.”

In other words, the nervous system and the immune system work synergistically, so keeping your nervous system strong will naturally and effectively boost your immune function. That’s great news - but, how do you do that?

First, you start by making sure that your body is properly aligned from a structural perspective, so that your brain and body can communicate the way they were intended--without interference.  For me, that was achieved in 2006, when I first received Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care. You can read more about my experience here.

In addition, I would be remiss in neglecting to mention a few other key directives. Get enough rest every night. If you are groggy waking up, you are not getting enough sleep and are already operating from a deficit. Start your morning off with a glass of lemon water (coffee doesn’t count) and continue to drink water all day long. If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated! Have another glass of water and smile knowing you are supporting your health. While you are at it, try to eat the best you can and don’t forget to MOVE your body - get some exercise every day!

I know I’ve used a lot of exclamation points, but these are imperatives and they are simple things you can do every day to support your health. I am passionate about proactive health and wellness care and make every effort to give myself and my patients the best possible chance for a healthy, dis-ease free lifestyle. I hope you will join me!

In this blog, I share about current issues relating to chronic pain and the reduction thereof, optimal health and wellness issues. In future posts, I’ll look forward to telling you more about my specialty, Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic Care, which focuses on removing nerve irritation to restore communication between the brain and the body. It’s different from general chiropractic care, as it involves only adjusting the top two bones in the neck. In the meantime, if you have any questions or topics that you would like to see me address, please let me know in the comments section below; this blog is for you, the reader, and I’d love to answer any questions that might be out there.

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If you’re more interested in learning about my practice, please visit my website, check out my facebook page, email (drgray@restorechiropractic.com) or call me at 610-341-9300 anytime.

Thank you for reading this, I'll be in touch soon!

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