NFP vs. Fertility Awareness: Change your language to change the world.

I recently had the honor of speaking with a group of women that all brought different experiences and input on fertility and womanhood. Coming from a higher learning perspective on health and fertility, I was amazed at what I learned. Below are some of the high light take away points:

1. Just because you have said the same thing a million times does not mean that it should not be said a million and one times. My goals in practice are not to have women exclusively home birthing, breast feeding for 5 years, and having baby only touch fair trade organic grown and washed diapers. That's a nice dream, but that isn't reality. A woman delivers her baby, a woman (and partner) makes the decisions concerning the birth and parenting of her child. A woman needs to know what she wants and surround herself with people who will support those wants and desires. Sometimes that means a C-section. Sometimes that means 'sposies. It is not my goal to tell them how wrong they are; it is my goal to empower them to know that what they want is what they are capable of. 

2 . If you want to change the world, change your language. I didn't learn this at this event, but I said it. I wasnt the first person to say this, but it is my mantra concerning Chiropractic and up until this point it never occurred to me that NFP needs a language change. Let's break it down: Natural Family Planning. So, fertility is purely for families? And purely for families looking to manage the number of children they have? OH! No, no no. Fertility, as I have said before is the 7th vital sign! Women, and men for that matter, are fertile outside of marriage. For women, the menstrual cycle is an amazing insight to health. NFP (henceforth known as fertility awareness on this page) is something to be aware of years before sex is even an option. So, despite my beautiful business cards that tout my certification as an NFP instructor, I am a fertility awareness teacher, focusing on Marquette Method. 

3. Pea Salad is WAY tastier than it sounds :) 

I implore you to consider the ramifications of your words. The words we use today will impact how our children and future generations speak on these topics. Speak to your children about their bodies, and use the terms that you want them to use as adults. Teach them early that menstruation is more than just the sloughing of endometrial lining of their uterus. Don't let your children learn about fertility the same way you did. Fertility does not imply sexuality. Sexuality is a different conversation, possibly for a different time. 

What is the purpose of the Adjustment?

The vertebral subluxation is the result of emotional, chemical or physical trauma on the body. Our body has the amazing ability to heal. When you fall and scrape a knee, you do not bleed out and die. When you burn your tongue on dinner, the burn does not scar the same way the scrape on your knee may scar. In the womb, we start as a "morula", which looks much like a blackberry. From those cells we derive a stomach, a brain, and a toe nail. Those tissues differentiate by signals. Similarly our brains send signals throughout our bodies to achieve necessary tasks; like enzyme release for digestion, the feeling that you need to use the bathroom, all the way to conception of your children. The vertebral subluxation is when that signal from the brain to the body, or the body to the brain is altered. Most often, we have a little interference and that leads to the brain sending too much of a signal. This leads to problems like anxiety, difficulty digesting food, or even headaches. So, we know what the brain needs to do, we know what the body needs to do, and we know that the body and the brain need to communicate. If a vertebral subluxation alters the communication, we should find out what the cause of vertebral subluxation is, how it happens, and how chiropractic affects brain-body communication.

Vertebral subluxations are caused by trauma to the body. This can present in emotional, chemical or physical trauma. Emotional subluxations are often times repetitive in nature. For instance, lets say a child is told they are stupid at a very early age and over time poor grades are a reflection of the child's "stupidity". At a certain point rationality begs the question, is the child actually delayed? Or is the child propagating what was placed on them years before. These are subluxations in that they prevent the child from reaching their highest level of function. Chemical subluxations don't necessarily mean chemicals under the kitchen sink. Keep in mind that water is considered the most corrosive chemical on the planet. Chemical subluxations can be from subclinical allergies as well. Finally, physical trauma is the easiest connection to make to vertebral subluxation. There are two types of physical trauma; macro and micro. Macro trauma is the traditional means that brought a patient to the chiropractic waiting room; the car accident, the fall on the pavement, the major accident that led to immediate pain and discomfort. Micro trauma is the general wear and tear of every day life; the poor posture of someone who works in a chair all day, the long term effects of a runner who ran on sidewalks with driveways super imposed upon them. 

Regardless as to the initial cause, there is one key factor of all subluxation and that is inflammation. Inflammation is very popular right now in the context of nutrition. People as a whole are becoming more and more aware of inflammatory foods in their diet and now science is catching up, and letting us know what the long term effects of inflammatory foods. For centuries opera singers have been told to avoid milk before singing, and to sip lemon juice to clear the vocal cords before a performance. We now know that milk is a mucus stimulating food. On top of that, many people have milk allergies that not only increases mucus in the oral pharynx area of the body but also the mucosal cells of the lower digestive tract. When the body perceives a foreign body the body will attempt to one of 3 things; the body will attempt to flush it out (diarrhea, mucus, vomitting), the body will attempt to isolate the object (the body will round up the substance, and attack it with immune cells), or the body accepts it (this is rare without immune compromising medications: this is why people have to take immune suppressing drugs when they have an organ transplant.) 

The final note is that previously I've said, "when the body perceives...". This is significant because, while inflammation in digestion and in trauma is a fairly easy topic to understand, emotional trauma/stress is more difficult to grasp. The dominant hormone of emotional trauma is cortisol. This is our body's hormone that "keeps things rolling", as in, when your brain is trying to run away from a lion, cortisol is what gives you that boost of energy (adrenaline) to run away (feelings of fear, stress, anxiety increase the production of cortisol). Cortisol makes our body more sensitive to inflammation in the long term. Thus, the every day wear and tear on our bodies receives a similar inflammation response as a major accident. This "over response" leads to chronic inflammation which leads to dysfunction and ailment. The adjustment helps reduce inflammation, and stimulate hormone production that combats cortisol secretion. 

 

Building strong children AND repairing broken men

It takes a village right? It takes a village to raise a baby? It takes a village to build a community and it takes a unified voice to change the world. While changing the world is inevitable or impossible depending on your definition, my goal is to make sure my circles of mamas are empowered to make the decisions that work FOR them. My goal is to help women meet those goals by making sure their spine is unsubluxated and providing them information on what might be best for them. This is a big task! Most women you talk to have some aspect of their labor that was taken from them: something they didn't like: something that in the moment didn't seem like a big deal, but afterwards became a big deal. Fortunately, there are several organizations and individuals out there that agree with my goal and are also working to help women make the best labor and birth decisions for themselves.

Previously I've discussed the Chiropractic principle of time. Thank the forces that be, because it is unlikely a woman wakes up not pregnant and goes to bed that night having delivered a baby. We have time! Elephants have a 3 year gestation period.... Suddenly 40 weeks doesn't sound so bad does it? We have discussed subluxation within the complexity of time, but if time is a component of subluxation, why would a baby need to be adjusted? They are squishy, and tiny, and new, and markedly not very ossified. 

Well, I'd like you to welcome Andra Allcorn to the stage. She is in the village and she is one of the hardest working people I know. Below, Andra tackles the question, "If time is a component of subluxation, why would a baby need to be adjusted?". In my opinion the piece is articulate, emotional, and speaks a truth of that unified voice mentioned above. 

Time is a funny thing. I’ve been told time doesn’t exist – it’s a man-made construct. But so much of our understanding as human beings is centered around time. But if time is a component of subluxation, why would a baby need to be adjusted?

 

Depending on your beliefs surrounding when life begins, a human life can begin 40(ish) weeks prior to birth. That’s 280(ish) days that the little human is growing and changing at a rapid pace. From 2 microscopic cells to a 7(ish) lbbaby at birth, those 40(ish) weeks that momma is pregnant they are constantly growing and changing. Depending on the pregnancy, there can be many other influencing factors that could inhibit optimal cell growth and development, such as diet, or medications. In addition to those factors, the birth process can be a lengthy, stressful transition from inside the mother’s womb to the outside world. Most often you hear pregnant mommas say their one wish is for a healthy baby with 10 fingers and 10 toes. But if the means to connect your baby to their Innate Intelligence hours or weeks after coming into this world, wouldn’t you want to take advantage of that?

A mere 16 days after conception, the primitive beginnings of your nervous system start to form. Around 7 weeks, your brain, the command center of you starts to form. With the beginning of the central nervous system forming, the skeletal structure protecting the brain and spinal cord start to develop as well. Around 4 months, the baby is lengthening and strengthening those bones. During the 40(ish) week gestation period, your beautiful baby develops and builds more than 200 bones! They grow and grow and grow until they are ready to enter into the world as tiny little babies.

 

Through the transition from womb to real world, the baby’s skeleton is squeezing and twisting through the 4.3(ish)-inch-wide birth canal in a process so beautifully designed it can only be called miraculous. Adjusting to the real world after this transition can be just that, a transition. From the birthing process to learning to walk, the spine takes on a lot of force from the beginning. Specific chiropractic adjustments for infants, babies, and toddlers are gentle adjustments, using no more than the pressure you would put on your eyeball. The aim is to align the vertebrae of the spine so as to remove interference within the nervous system so that your little bundle of joy has the Innate Intelligence of their body flowing to every cell in their being. Vitalistic chiropractors focus on how the body functions, and provide adjustments that remove interference from day zero. 

                                     

Since we can’t deny that the progression of time is inevitable, just like death and taxes, wouldn’t it be wonderful to have all babies checked and adjusted, if necessary? As they continue to grow and develop into kidlets, tweens, teens, and beyond, having a nervous system free of interference will continue to serve them as they grow and grow and grow for the next 20+ years. 

 

Ketosis and Fertility; a marriage made in the blood stream

 Get ready for some citations!

Fertility is ever changing in the female body by design. I've had some men contest the idea of using Marquette method by saying, "This is too much stuff to remember!" To which I respond: You are the one that's fertile all the time! Thankfully that fertile window is established by your brilliantly designed significant other.

Simply put: Fertility is possible through the cooperation of estrogen and progesterone. There are many hormones that influence estrogen and progesterone, but ultimately those two hormones are responsible for "ripening" the egg, and creating a "nest" for a fertilized egg. 

Link number 1 below is a simplified version of how estrogen is stored in, and released from fat. Ketogenesis is a well-known state of fat loss or conversion (depending on the type of Keto), so therefore it becomes imperative to consider the implications of "rapid" fat loss on a person with high estrogen or progesterone. Over the years individuals with one sex hormone disorder or the other have noted the difficulty in weight loss, and then of course a feedback loop develops in which the person has an elevated sex hormone, and then weight causes more production of the hormone, and the sex hormone causes weight gain. 

"Evidence supporting an interrelationship between insulin and fertility exists (Gong 2002, Hunter et al. 2004) but the mechanistic actions of dysregulated insulin functioning at a physiological and cellular level as associated with obesity, remain obscure." ( Mitchell, et al, 2005--reference number 5).

So this means that there seems to be relationship between fertility an insulin, but the research isn't sure of the type of relationship. It is possible, from my perspective at least, if inflammation is triggered by sugar in the blood stream that insulin can not mediate, that that same inflammation may have negative consequences systemically.

There are many anecdotal stories of people ceasing ovulation in a ketogenic state. These stories are generally older, and based on some old research on athletic women. The fact is, that in the US obesity has become a larger and larger issue (punny, right?) Estrogen related issues are also more prominent than they were 60 years ago. What some recent studies are showing, is that women with a higher fat percentage, or women who have irregular ovulation can be helped with a ketogenic diet. So, will a ketogenic diet make you ovulate? Not necessarily. But a Keto diet can help regulate a cycle, thus making ovulation more predictable. The link below is thread on Reddit about ovulation and cycle regularity on Keto:

https://www.reddit.com/r/xxketo/comments/19a517/keto_regulates_ovulation/

**note that these comments are also anecdotal, but at present there is no accessible study available, so this is basically a anecdotal rebuttal to more anecdotes. :) 

1.The light description of Estrogen and Fat
2. Estrogen's relationship with body fat percentage
3. A REALLY good description of the estrogen/fat relationship (slightly more indepth than the livestrong article above)
4. A study suggesting that fat could be converted to estrogen through aromatization

5. http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/130/5/583.long

InCONCEIVABLE!!!!

Little known fact: I became an NFP instructor because I enjoy discussing sex.

**note: I am going to make every effort to make this post as professional as possible. There is a chance that some of the information shared here may not be appropriate for immature audiences.

Sex is weird. It's sort of like sleep; in that 1/3 of our lives is spent unconscious and no one bats an eye. Sex is this weird act where people like each other and penetration occurs. Obviously it's a pretty easy act to achieve, however as our relationships and culture change "with the times" it becomes less and less acceptable to connect with each other on an intimate level. Sex is inherently intimate, but with enough effort and disillusionment, it can be as mindless and heartless as you desire. 

Also, with medical advancements in the past 75 years there's been huge cultural shifts on sexual liberty in the form of hormonal birth control, condom availability, and more invasive/permanent contraceptive methodologies. These advancements all have benefits and drawbacks. I came to NFP because none of them were an option for me. 

So, what is NFP?

NFP stands for natural family planning. Natural family planning is a methodology of avoiding or attempting conception. NFP is sort of an umbrella term, in which there are approximately 13 methods available. If you are familiar with NFP, at this point you are probably thinking of the rhythm method, which is when you look at a calendar, and add 14 days to the first day of your menses, and abstain for 5 days before and one day after (this is a very rough summary). Today, there are many methods aside from the rhythm method. The cervical mucus methods were my gateway drug. I started there, and then a good friend recommended Marquette Method. I am a doctorate student, and I really, REALLY didn't want to have a baby in school. I needed some assurance if I was going to engage in sexual activity, that the likelihood of conception would be comparable to the methods mentioned above (birth control pills/condom usage). 

I could absolutely come at this topic from a place of fear, but intimacy (consenting) is not to be feared. So, yes, Marquette method is over 98% effective at avoiding or attaining conception, and that's great! But that's not the focus here.

Marquette method utilizes either the Clear Blue Easy Fertility monitor, or test strips (Wondfo) to detect luteinizing hormone.  Believe it or not, women are not constantly fertile! Most men are fertile constantly. Women are truly fertile for about 36 hours. When you combine the statistics that sperm can live in the reproductive organs of a woman for approximately 5 days,  a woman and man have a combined fertility window of 10 days (5 days before, 1 day of ovulation, and 24-36 hours after ovulation).

I am an avid fan of Marquette method, but I'm an avid fan of drinking water, why did I pursue the certification to teach other people about NFP? I should have mentioned this in my original post, but my goal as a Chiropractor (I am not a current licensed Chiropractor, I am an intern) is to empower women to make the best decisions for their health; specifically in the context of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. The simple facts are: our bodies are ever changing, and ever accommodating to our environment (at least an unsubluxated one ;)). Blood analysis, or any lab work for that matter, is a snap shot in time. It is a single moment. Further more, I can't speak for what is being taught currently in schools, but when I was in school (and most of my clients), we were taught, "You can get pregnant at any time! So, you better not!" And now, we have an entire generation of women who either think or are being told by their medical professional that they are infertile. How many women do you know right now who have at some point in their lives have either thought or been told they were infertile? It is an epidemic! That thought process is literally the first step of disempowerment in parenthood. It perpetuates the idea that we are dependent on an outside redeemer to save us from our broken little bodies. One thing I appreciated about the Marquette method is that in their teachings they only refer to infertile couples when one or both partners has had a sterilizing procedure; everyone else is "sub-fertile", which implies that fertility is attainable. Obviously, it is necessary to point out that there are people who cannot conceive. However, estrogen dominance and the related diseases are NOT a deathwish for baby dreams.

Intimacy:

I won't even try to lie, I am absolutely tee-totally addicted to social media. It's not even the pretty kind where I post informative things and talk to beloved relatives that are far away. I scroll, sometimes for hours, and nothingness. One of my favorite phrases is, "It is common but not normal." That phrase definitely applies here. I doubt I am alone in my addiction, but it doesn't make it ok. Matter of fact aside from the current research on the implications of backlit electronic devices, the distraction of looking at the phone instead of the vast eyes of my husband is arguably a waste of time. 

Yet again, I think this is a cultural epidemic. So, how does my social media addiction relate to Marquette method? Easy: As mentioned above you do not have to have intimacy to have sex, but if you want to have sex and not get pregnant (or get pregnant), a certain amount of communication or cooperation is necessary. When I am instructing clients, I tell them that charting is not enough. I could sit with you and show you what each symbol and color means until we are both blue in the face, but the fact of the matter is, in the heat of the moment... You are going to need a sign. I recommend visual cues. I tell clients to buy a calendar, and as you chart (the paper/electronic charting is massively beneficial not only for correlating signs of fertility, but also for medical history), you should also mark the days on a wall sized calendar. Make it your own! Make symbols for "safe" days, and symbols for "unsafe" days. And then, there's no reading glasses or confusion, when you see the calendar with a giant [insert personalized symbol here] you know that you are good to go! Also, if you are using test strips or the monitor, the male partner can easily help interpret or read for you while you chart. It might take 20 seconds, but at the end of the day you are on the same page. These activities inherently bring consciousness to fertility, and as Dr. Fehring says, the 7th vital sign. 

If you have any questions feel free to contact me via the Google+ home page. I encourage conversation on this topic as one that is close to my heart and my purpose. 

Next up:  

Ketosis and Fertility; a marriage made in the blood stream

Some research for your viewing pleasure: 

1. Efficacy of Marquette method with correct and incorrect use
2. Getting started with Marquette Method

Chiropractic Principles

If you are part of the 85% (rough estimate) of people who do not regularly see a chiropractor, it may surprise you that there is a philosophy and accompanying principles to receiving care. Most of them are pretty straight forward, a quick Google search will give you all 33 principles, but today we will focus on my favorite:

Principle No. 6: The principle of time- There is no process that doesn't require time.

That's it...verbatim. It hurts to read doesn't it? If you are remotely concerned with grammar, your eyes are probably bleeding a little from an official statement from a profession...an ENTIRE profession... with a double negative tucked in. It hurt me. I had to do a project on the principles my first quarter of my doctorate program and I complained IN the project about the grammar. Let's consider that a speed bump and keep on trucking. If it's more of a road block, go pace for a few minutes in the sun and come back and start below:

Time. 

In the previous post we discussed weight loss as a measurement of health. Weight loss is an easy representation of our culture's inability to perceive "time in" versus "time out". Most people do not wake up 40 pounds heavier than the day before. If this happens to you I would suggest seeking medical attention because that implies a serious issue. Plenty of people are on "ask yahoo" or random weight loss forums asking, "How can I lose 30 pounds in 2 weeks?" They probably didn't gain 30 pounds in 2 weeks, yet they expect to lose it. 

However, I would argue this isn't the most alarming form of disregard for time. The worst is when a person makes poor decisions for, let's say 10 years, and after some time their body begins to show signs of neglect: inflammation, pain, dysfunction. These consequences usually surprise people, and the instant reaction is to take a pain killer. And WOW! Those pain killers really work! I should know, I took them in bulk store proportions for about 10 years. Often times we want to cut corners. We want "insta-health". 

Insta-health sounds great doesn't it? Do none of the work, none of the input and boom! You wake up one day with a 65 BPM heart rate, 110/70 blood pressure, ideal body fat percentages, and did I mention you'll look great naked! (And make a 6 digit income, and drive a drool worthy car...I mean if I'm dreaming here, let's go big!) And imagine if all of the bad habits we accumulate could be undone over night with the use of a pill. This sounds like heaven.

The reality is that we are a culmination of chemical compounds that have been assembled and disassembled trillions of times in their existence; but right here and now, you are you. Our parents made a decision to DTD (do the deed, for my non-NFP folks) and sperm meets egg, morula, zygote, fetus, infant, toddler, kidlet, tween, teen, young adult, adult, senior, and then you will one day die. So will I. But the point is that you did not begin your existence today. Maybe you did...maybe today is a new you and a new way of life. Or maybe the life you lead to day was determined by the diet your great great great grandfather ate 250 years ago. The point is that every aspect of our existence, our observations, our interactions, and our world is dependent on time. Time creates and destroys mountains. 

Often times when people start Chiropractic Care, they are surprised or upset when they find that they will need to come in for 3-6 months. The brilliant thing about Chiropractic is that if you ARE in pain (you do not have to be in pain to see a Chiropractor), you most likely won't be in pain for those 3-6 months. Most often pain resolves fairly quickly. However, much like weight gain (consider this a clumping with the pain/inflammation/dysfunction), typically you don't just wake up one day in pain. Aside from acute macro-trauma (car accident, falling, etc), most of us spend decades with poor habits that lead to that sudden onset of pain. So, if we use the idea of "Time", it makes sense that putting a decade of, let's say looking down at your lap to read a text or the morning paper, into your spine may take more than 2 weeks to rectify. You may not experience pain, but as more and more research shows, pain is sort of the last stop on the Body's "Hey Something's Wrong!" Train. So if we take into consideration that pain is NOT a marker of function, and the objective is to be healthy and functional, the goal is for you to NOT need constant Chiropractic care. The goal is for your body to properly function and adapt to it's environment. In this sense the chiropractic adjustment is re-teaching the body where it belongs in space. So while the pain goes away, the body is still accustomed to it's previous position. The care plan that a patient receives should be an estimate of how long it will take the body to re-learn proper proprioception.

Now, this discussion opens itself to a number of critiques. Because I am in the process of opening this can of worms, let's list out a few:

1. If time causes subluxation, why does a baby need to be adjusted?

2. Why would I need to see a chiropractor if I am not in pain? 

3. What can a chiropractor do for proprioceptive issues?

These are totally future blog questions. Next up though, I'm going to give you a little background on Marquette Method and NFP in general...quirky title name to come. :)

Is losing weight a sign of health?

A good friend posed this question to me earlier this week and I was struck by what a complex question this is. I want to address it as thoroughly as possible, but before I do that I'd like to give a brief explanation of what Ketosis/the ketogenic diet is.

Ketosis is a state of being; ketogenic is the way of eating (WOE). So, you are IN Ketosis, and you adhere to a ketogenic lifestyle. The ketogenic diet is described as a composition of specific macronutrient ratios consisting of 5% carbohydrates, 75% fat, and 20% protein. Commonly this way of eating (WOE) results in a calorie deficit, however calories are not considered a priority especially in the initial stages of Ketosis. This diet is arguably the "original" primal way of eating for our species, but beyond that it has hundreds, and probably thousands of research articles on its effect on patients with epilepsy, MS, diabetes, PCOS, neurological disfunction, and over all estrogen dominance disorders (3). Now that we've discussed the diet, what is Ketosis? Ketosis, as mentioned above is a state of being. Ketosis is what happens during and after Keto-adaptation. The body prefers and will use carbohydrates from our food for energy. When the body does not observe carbohydrates coming from digestion, the body will produce ketones which will lead to gluconeogenesis in the liver. Ketones require fat breakdown to exist, so if you are overweight, Ketosis can take fat from your body. If you are not overweight it becomes necessary for the fat to come from your plate. I know that if you are not familiar with Ketosis, the first thing you might think is, "Is this like Ketoacidosis?" Short answer: No. Long answer: No, they have very very little in common. Ketoacidosis has easily 100-1000X the amount of ketones in the blood compared to Ketosis (1). Unless you have certain insulin disorders (DMII is not one :)), it is thought to be impossible to induce ketoacidosis through diet alone. Keto has been recommended for the afore mentioned disorders for almost 100 years now, however in the past 2 decades more research has been produced on the benefits of Keto and diabetes mellitus II (2).  

So, I suppose the first step in determining if weight loss is a sign of health is we must decide if weight gain is a sign of poor health. First, let's go ahead and remove some outliers; rapid unexplained weight loss or gain is not healthy, weight gain for underweight people is healthy, and weight loss for those who are overweight is healthy. Now, what determines that a person needs to lose weight? Tricky tricky! Need implies necessity, necessity implies lack of function due to weight; our bodies are complex beyond our comprehension, within this there are systems dependent on systems dependent on systems. More and more we see that subclinical deficiencies are making an impact on organ systems and maintaining health (4). I am not beyond the idea that some people's constitutions require a heavier load, however I do think that each body has it's own structural limits. Research also suggests that our organs have a limitation in the workload they can handle; for instance long term variances in blood volume is shown to damage arteries. Or, long term blood sugar variances have been shown to tax the pancreas and ultimately reduce insulin production and/or sensitivity (DMII).

What is health? This is a philosophical question. But fortunately for you this is my jam! Health is not the absence of disease. Health is a culmination of physical signs and state of mind. Health is being able to work towards physical and lifestyle goals without physical limitations. If you want to run a marathon; you should be able to train for it and complete it. If you want a new job you should be able to apply mental focus and enthusiasm to attain a new position. If your body or your mental state prevents you from making or achieving goals; this is unhealthy. Age is irrelevant; there is no age in which goals lose value or purpose. I once cared for an 89 year old woman who set the world record for running her last marathon at 84 years old (She no longer holds the record!!!)

Getting to serious business: Weight is one of the 6 vital signs. Obesity has a negative impact on physical and emotional health. The most commonly prescribed medications in the US are drugs that support hormone secreting organs (Thyroid/Pancreas/Uterus). While my previous statement is inference, Metformin, hormone-replacement therapies (HRT), and birth control pills (BCP) are directly related to this conversation. I don't think it is possible to deny the weight:health ratio, however a quick Google search of "Does BMI matter?" Will show you the controversy over determining what "over weight" means. 

Also, within the confines of defining health and word choice, there is a systemic allusion to sustainability and longevity; this inherently means that weight loss cannot be healthy (weight loss is not something you can do indefinitely, therefore it is not healthy). Weight loss should not be a lifetime pursuit. So I suppose my answer is weight loss is not a sign of health. Weight gain is not a sign of health. Equilibrium and the pursuit of affairs outside of the 6 vital signs, is a sign of health. (The last 3 statements can only be true if we remove the outliers mentioned before.) Healthful pursuits are a sign of health, but that does not necessarily mean weight loss or gain. Despite ancestral inclinations of using food to define culture and society, I would call for a transition away from this. We identify with comfort foods, and we make friends around dinner tables. What if we made friends on hiking trails? Or standing in line at the DMV? Or, let's go super modern.... What if we made friends in meetup groups? You see, that's precisely what I've done. 

I am 28 years old. My body has only recently shown signs of trouble; I am fairly healthy. I am overweight, I am anemic, and I occasionally have heart palpitations. These are all things that have existed for years. However, I noticed these things more when they began negatively impacting my life. I began to notice them when other things in my life were going poorly. I moved to a city that I hated, I was surrounded by people I didn't like, and I went from LIVING outside to being inside 23 hours a day. I went from running and riding my bike 20-30 miles a week to not exercising for 9 months. This was my form of depression. It bled into everything. I made friends with people who were depressed. I sank away and despite the extra weight, despite the anemia, and despite the heart palpitations, that is the first time I have felt in poor health. About 4 months ago I started the ketogenic diet again, I registered for a distance bike race, and I forced myself to go to meet ups where I was certain to be the newbie, and a complete stranger. My life is coming back to me. Not only have I lost weight, not only have I actually started TREATING the anemia and heart palpitations, my friends are more supportive, my community is stronger, my life is on a good path. 

Poor health cannot simply be defined as high blood pressure, weight gain, or any other dis-ease. Poor health is the systemic representation of deviation from an innate path. Our culture makes social media addiction a light joke; but we don't see each other anymore. We are more connected and less attached than ever. So, despite the irony of sharing this on a blog, I woud implore you to buy a coffee for the person behind you in line. Carry a small packet of coloring pages and a few crayons for the impatient kid in line at the DMV. When you know you'll be walking in an area with homeless people, tuck a care package in your purse. Smile, just to smile. When you see the overweight man walking down the side walk, say a little prayer that he keeps working. I encourage you to step out. If you like something, there's a pretty good chance there's a thousand people out there who like it too. Make friends! Make connections! Will these things make you lose weight? I don't know. Maybe? But more importantly they press us to the hard lines of our comfort zone. One of the most wonderful men I've ever known told me once, "Life grows in adversity." In recent months, along with my Keto diet, my outings, and my random acts of kindness, I feel refreshed. And while healthy weight and blood pressure are important, so is feeling human. I am optimistic for your healthful pursuits. Please let me know if I can help you in any way. 

Also, if you have reached out to me, I am so honored! Thank you for giving me your time. Next up: Chiropractic principles (Specific focus on the principle of Time!) 

Sources:

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Proper Introductions

Hi! I am Sam. I am a Chiropractor in Santa Maria, CA. I realized over the past several months that I've been getting repeated questions, that have pretty complex answers. I should note here that I don't have all the answers. I am a huge supporter of specialization. Therefore, my research is specific to my specialization. With my previous statement it shouldn't come as a surprise that I am a supporter of research. Everything I write on will be something I have actively participated in, or something I have research articles available for you to read upon request. Now that I've got you on the edge of your proverbial seat, my specialization is fertility, pregnancy, and post-partum. I am a certified Marquette method NFP instructor, and am available for one on one instruction as well as group style classes.

My intentions for this blog are to share articles and information on my experiences with Chiropractic care, natural family planning, and the ketogenic diet. Don't worry, I will cover these topics in later submissions. 

Most of my articles will not be personal, so I would like to take a moment to explain how I came to those three topics. Please keep in mind that I am a human being, and I have not been perfect in any of my pursuits, but thankfully that is not a goal of mine. I welcome questions and comments at any time. Comment below, or feel free to contact me through the contact information also provided on my google+ page. 

1. Chiropractic: 

 This may shock you, but I didn't go to the Chiropractor for the first time because I was in a car accident or in pain. I was 19 years old and my allergies were becoming a problem. I was sick every month with allergies and I felt like I was going through 2 packs of medication a month: 1 non-drowsy tablet in the morning, and 1 tablet at night. Around this time my aunt developed a tumor on her kidney, and thankfully it wasn't malignant, but it was a wake up call that I needed to be aware of the stress I was putting my kidneys under. I googled "allergy home remedy" and kept hearing about Chiropractic. I hesitated for a few months, went in for an exam, didn't go back for another month or two, then finally I went in and got adjusted. I stopped having allergy issues. Then fast forward 4 years, my boyfriend (now husband ☺️) dislocated his knee and required surgery. He was a poor college student and didn't have health coverage at the time of the accident, and I was working for a Chiropractor as a Nanny. She was really surprised when I told her of his predicament and immediately told me to have him come in. My first reaction was, "What can you do for his knee?" But then, he went in and began care. Two months later he was walking around without any help. My favorite part of her interaction with him is that she offered him HOPE. She said, "We can help your body perform at it's best." Telling a healthy, obnoxiously active man that he has to have surgery and probably can't do all of the things he loves anymore is the opposite of hope. About a year later she recommended that we check out Chiropractic school. We did, we loved it, and here we are. 

2. NFP (Marquette Method): 

Like many women, when I was 18, I was told I had a hormone related menstrual disorder that required a hysterectomy or birth control (what? like...is that traumatic or something?). So, like a good patient I began taking oral birth control. During my intake from the above mentioned Chiropractor, she asked, "What condition are you taking the birth control pills for?" When I told her, she responded, "Does it help?" And I thought about it and realized that it didn't. It was supposed to make my menses shorter, or lighter, or more regular....and it really didn't. So, I went to my MD, again, like a good patient, and told him I was planning to stop. In hindsight he was incredibly understanding and supportive. I dabbled for a few years and then a wonderful friend introduced me to the Marquette method (MM). As a doctorate student who really didn't want to conceive while still in school, it's efficacy and objectivity was a huge reason why I chose it. It is AS effective as barrier method (approximately 98%). 😍 

3. Ketogenic Diet:

I was 25 years old the first time it occurred to me that out of 40+ family members, I was one of the few without a thyroid medication prescription. At the time I was overweight, but I wouldn't consider myself obese at that point. I did some research on candida and chronic systemic issues, which led me to Ketosis (Keto). I did it for a month, loved it, but stopped. I did it the next year for a month, and stopped. I did it the following year for 4 months, and stopped. And now, I'm doing it for a year with the intention of keeping it going. I am very goal driven. If I was a puppy, I would be all about those treats as positive reinforcement! So every time I've started the Keto diet, I have met my goal of longevity. However, what I've noticed is that my body responds well to this eating style; and as a product I don't have plans of stopping. The ketogenic diet is described as a low carb, high fat diet. This way of eating (WOE) is based on the methodology by which your body makes/stores/uses glucose. If we consume carbohydrates, our bodies can directly use them for glucose. If we consume a low carbohydrate diet, our bodies can convert fat in our body (or if you are at a healthy weight, fat from our diets) to convert into ketones, which research dictates as a more efficient glucose producer. If you are geeking out right now, and are displeased with my usage of the term "efficient", please know that I do not mean efficient in terms of abudance, or ease of conversion, but long term sustained glucose sourcing (i.e., no sugar crashing/3pm low energy). But there will be plenty more on this topic later! The basics for now: 5% net carbohydrates, 75% fat, 20% protein. I recommend if you are interested to go to the link below to calculate exactly what that means for your daily intake, and download myfitnesspal to start tracking your carbohydrate intake. Also, those suggested macro percentages are only appropriate in certain circumstances. Please find someone you trust (or email me and I can help) to help you determine what your macros should look like.

A keto calculator resource


ketogains calculator