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Last month, my son turned four years old…my how time flies! It’s amazing to think of how much he has changed, which I know all parents experience (no matter what the age). I love to think about how healthy he is based on his health challenges the first year of his life, and how far he has come.

Not everyone knows that we adopted him when he was 13-months old, though many of you do. He was 6-weeks premature, he was vaccinated his first year of life (not something we would have chosen to do), he was not breastfed, and who knows how healthy his birth mom was during her pregnancy. Or maybe I should say how not healthy she was, but we don’t know.

Yet this little guy is a very healthy 4-year old. He never gets sick. He sleeps great and he has a great attitude. I really have to believe that the two biggest things keeping him healthy, is that he is getting checked & adjusted almost every week, and he takes his Juice Plus gummies daily. Not being breastfed and getting vaccinated are two things that challenge his immune system, and he seems to have overcome that.

The Juice Plus gummies (whole food supplements) are absolutely giving him the nutrients he needs. He use to eat everything, now he is as picky as ever. He eats those JP gummies, getting 17 organic fruits & vegetables everyday, and he gets the nutrients he needs – in whole food form. Hopefully someday he’ll eat the real stuff, but for now, he’s four years old and it’s okay.

The other thing that is helping him stay healthy is getting adjusted. The central nervous system controls everything in the body, including the immune system. When there is nervous system interference, the body simply can’t function at it’s best, and that is when health challenges or pain set in. Getting adjusted and removing that interference typically results in the body being stronger, and health improving. I know that my little guy is healthy because he gets adjusted. Chiropractic is not just for adults; it’s not just for back pain. Chiropractic is for everyone, including kids, and it’s all about health.

Ever had a “normal” headache? It always amuses me when people say they get headaches, you know, “the normal ones.” Well, let me tell you there is nothing normal about a headache. Nothing.

Headaches can be caused from a variety of different things, including dehydration, food allergy, environmental toxins, vertebral subluxation, stress, as well as other things. Not everyone gets headaches, thus there is nothing normal about it. A headache is a sign that there is a problem, something is wrong and needs to be addressed.

We have had great success in helping people with headaches, especially if it is caused by subluxation, something chiropractors specialize in. Recently two different patients have told me they no longer have headaches. In fact, it happens so often that it is something I almost take for granted – yup, chiropractic can help. Sure there are times it can’t, but in many cases, adjustments, drinking more water, stress reduction and better posture all can help. However if you are subluxated, the body cannot function at its best potential and healing is affected.

Have a headache? Get checked by a chiropractor, it can make all the difference in the world.

When the alarm went off at 6:15 this morning (on a Sunday), I rolled over, hit snooze, and then got up nine minutes later. Who likes to set the alarm on Sunday mornings? Well I knew it was for a good cause and because of this, almost every Sunday morning I’m getting up early to meet my friends and teammates at Get Fit Atlanta to head up a group run.

Get Fit Atlanta (yes we have both a website & a Facebook page) is a local running and triathlon training program, aiming to get people out the door and doing something they never thought they could do (or improving on a race they’ve already done). We’ve had many people over the years who have joined our group as a walker or even just a “couch potato” who ended up finishing their first marathon or ½ marathon under our training. What better thing could you do for yourself? You get in shape, lose some weight, meet new people, and accomplish something you may never thought possible. And for those of us who live hectic lives constantly giving to our family, employers and others, it’s time to give to ourselves. Lets take care of us, and do something for us. Well Get Fit Atlanta could be that group.

We met today at 8:30am, however I went earlier so I could get in a 6-mile run before we did the 3-mile group run. For the next several weeks, we’ll be running three miles, hoping to encourage others to join us. The goal is to finish a half marathon or full marathon in the fall, and yes, training starts now. The race will be here before you know it. And believe it or not, there are many races out there to choose from. Most involve a long drive in the car or even a flight on an airplane, but in my mind, why not visit a place you’ve always wanted to go, and get some sightseeing done in the meantime? Many of our runners have already done 3-4 marathons, and are looking to improve, or just want running partners and motivation.

We’ve got several races we’ll be targeting in the fall, ranging from the local Silver Comet half marathon, to the Savannah marathon & half, to other races in Chicago, Philadelphia, Florida, and more. Why not join us? We have several coaches in Kennesaw who have experience and can help you, at whatever speed you may be at. Give us a try.

It’s never too late to start and you are never too old. I would say the average age of runners is probably late 30’s, as we have a few people in their 20’s but most of the runners are in their 30’s, 40’s or 50’s. Many have recently started running. We have coaches (like me) who have been running for 20+ years or so, and can help with encouragement, training plans, guidance, motivation and more.

GFA is a great investment in your health. Join us today, we’ll help find you a race and you’ll finish something you never thought you could.

As someone who has run 10 marathons and more than two dozen half marathons, I participated in last week’s Publix Georgia Half Marathon more of a “run than a race”, something I had never done before. I tried to pace a friend of mine to a sub 2-hour finish; at least that was our goal. It was somewhat relieving to know I didn’t have to push myself really hard (normal finish time would have been about 1:45-1:50). I knew my friend could run better than she had in the past, she just had to learn how to pace herself and “race” smarter.

So off we went, aiming for a 9:00 min/mile average. Slow down I told her, you’re starting too fast, don’t get caught up in this crowd. You’ll be okay, trust me, hang back. First mile 9:04, cool, we are right on target. Ok, here’s our first water stop, now skip the first few tables and go to the back ones, there are less people there. Grab the cup and squeeze it, you’ll instantly form a spout to drink from, plus it sort of covers up the water so it doesn’t spill anywhere. Toss the cup to the side; aim for a trash can, make it easier for the volunteers to clean up.

Sun’s coming up, look at those great views of the city. Take it all in, enjoy this. Hey, on this hill make sure you swing your arms, pull yourself up the hill. Let your arms do the work. You’re doing great. And look at all these curves in the road, I want you to run the tangents. Remember the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so cut across the road slowly, and get to the other side. And here’s another turn, do that again. Run the tangents, always.

A downhill, yippee! This is called free speed, don’t brake with your legs, let them turnover and zip down this hill. Let it fly. Check out these cool stores, buildings and houses, look at all the fans, enjoy yourself. Sure, easier said than done, I know.

Piedmont Park ahead, now look down, don’t look ahead of you. Pay attention to the 10-feet in front of you instead of the big hill, it will make it seem easier. I know it’s hard. Ok, another hill, keep on going. Use your arms, don’t look up. And now a downhill, more free speed, take it when you can.

The finish line, only ½ mile away, no walking, don’t give up now. Around the corner and there it is, look at all these fans! Enjoy it! Smile for the camera!

While we missed the sub 2-hour mark by four minutes, I still was able to pace my friend to a 12-minute PR on that course, so that was a huge victory. It was a fulfilling race, helping someone achieve a goal and not feeling the pressure to push myself too hard. There’s not much better than that!

Recently I brought my dog to the chiropractor (who works out of a vet office) and she was pleased to be able to feel the ribs on my dog. You see in the veterinary world, they look to see if they can easily see & feel a dog's ribs in order to determine if they are healthy or overweight. Kalo had been a healthy number, but over the summer, Kalo had put on a few extra pounds, most likely because the heat limits how much outdoor exercise she gets. So her number had increased. However, the cool winter weather let her run with me, chase tennis balls all day long at the office, and burn off lots of calories. As a result, she dropped the weight and is healthier again.

So, can you feel your ribs easily, or are you overweight? What if MD's used that to determine the health of people in our society? My guess is that a large percentage of people can't see or feel their ribs, so they would be classified as overweight by the vets. And I bet that is true. So next time you aren't sure about your weight, feel around, see if you can see or feel your ribs. It's something to think about.

Now….back to what probably caught the attention of most people. Yes, dogs can get adjusted. Animal chiropractic is a real thing, with it being especially very common among horses, though many dogs & cats get adjusted as well. Why don't I adjust my own dog? Mostly because I'm not trained in it, and I don't want to mess around with my dog without proper credentials. Kind of like twisting yourself and "cracking" your own back or neck, you don't want to be doing that. I'd much rather bring her to a professional who knows what they are doing.

Kalo likes getting adjusted, she doesn't move around, it's like she instinctively knows she has to stay still. Dr. Heidi adjusts her neck, her back, her pelvis, her feet, and even her jaw (from holding onto that tennis ball so much). I know it helps her, I mean dogs have spine's and nervous systems as well, why would we not take care of them?

There are only a few trained & certified animal chiropractors around here, let me know if you want more information on any of them. Chiropractic works, whether it's an animal or a human being.