Recently we lost one of our foremost authors and success teachers, Stephen Covey. Covey wrote the landmark personal growth book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” regarded by many as the greatest business and self-development book of all time.

His second habit to build a great life is to “begin with the end in mind” – in other words, to be clear on the vision of what you’d like to accomplish.
This enormously powerful tool is used on the path to “personal leadership”. It supports you in becoming more determined to lead yourself to a successful outcome regardless of your starting place. It invites you to get very clear about what you want and fortifies you to address any obstacles that may interfere.

This is more than simply managing the circumstances of your life — it’s more about doing whatever it takes to get that desired goal.
As a chiropractic patient you have the opportunity to apply this habit, by imagining what you want your ultimate health and wellness to look like. What would a life of wellness be like? What would being healthy be like? Beginning with the end in mind will clarify your decision-making and help you get there the fastest and best way possible.

Keep your eye on your target and do whatever it takes to get to the end you have in mind – that’s how the most successful people do it, and you can too.

Modern living has its advantages, but there are drawbacks as well, and the inactivity and excessive eating of unhealthy foods, coupled with the body function imbalances from poor lifestyle habits, have led to an all time high in obesity in our communities.

In fact, in 2010 it was discovered that 35.7%, over a third of all adults, and 17% of all children are obese, meaning that their body weight was 20% or more above their optimal weight. This doesn’t even include those who are simply overweight, and it points out an unavoidable fact – if we don’t do something about this trend, our health care system will collapse under the weight, since obesity seems to lead to many serious diseases, like heart disease, diabetes and even some cancers.

If you or someone you care about is obese or moving in that direction, there’s plenty you can do to make things better. Awareness is always the first key – call it what it is, and admit the problem, so you can start to work on it.
It’s unmistakable – you’ll need to eat less and move around more. Go easy on the exercise in the beginning, but even walking for a half hour three times a week, even if you have to work up to it, can be very beneficial in burning fat and trimming down.

Set goals, and work at a reasonable pace. Weight reduction is not a sprint, it’s a marathon – develop better habits of eating, depending more on fresh, wholesome foods and less on processed foods filled with sugar and fat. And drink water – the more the better.

Get help if you need it – it’s no shame to seek advice on this challenge. Consult your chiropractor, who may be able to help you choose better nutrition and design the right exercise program, or at least direct your attention toward the latest thinking in this area. Get your weight under control – not only will you look and feel better, but you’ll decrease the chance of serious illness, too.

Every day millions of people experience a wide variety of painful conditions – low back pain, neck pain and headaches among them.
Yet current research shows that there is a simple solution for people who are afflicted with these conditions.
For example, last year a study was done called the Mercer Report, where some of the world’s best scientists evaluated chiropractic care compared to physical therapy, exercise and other medical treatments. Chiropractic care was found to be by far the most effective answer to the back pain riddle.
In 2001, a report was released by Duke University showed that chiropractic adjustments provided almost immediate relief for headaches originating in the neck, and resulted in significantly fewer side effects and considerably longer lasting relief than commonly prescribed headache medications.
As researchers take a closer look at chiropractic, it compares favorably to most medical treatments in these common situations. So if you know anyone who is complaining of back pain, neck pain or headaches, point them toward your chiropractor – they don’t have to suffer.

Dear Patient and Friend,
Why are some people healthy while others are not?
It’s easy to chalk it up to genetics, that some have better raw materials to work with, and this is not entirely inaccurate. But much as some athletes have natural gifts and others have to work harder to achieve their objectives, so it goes with health and wellness – regardless of your inborn tendencies, there are things you can do to improve your chances at glowing, vibrant good health and vitality.
Good health and wellness boil down to lifestyle habits and decisions – some more obvious than others. For example, if you eat fresh, wholesome foods, balancing and combining them effectively, then your body gets the fuel it needs and works better. If you drink enough water, get enough rest, and exercise appropriately, you’ll feel better, look better, and your body will work better. If you meditate, get regular massage or perform some other stress relaxation technique, then you have less stress and less wear and tear on your body. Most people are aware of the importance of developing patterns of behavior like this.
But your body also requires some maintenance to work at its best – and one of the most important things you can do is to keep your spine and nerve system healthy with chiropractic. Your nerve system is the control system of your body, and when it is working well, your body thrives. When it is not working as well, your body doesn’t work as well.
Well-informed people include safe, all-natural chiropractic care among their lifestyle choices – it’s the difference that makes the difference in health and wellness.