Did you know: We are designed to be Healthy
“The nipple rule” for good posture, progress takes time, do we have the right definition of health and more
Yesterday I went for a Health Talk by a friend who is a Chiropractic, and I learned so much!
Hoping to share those first thoughts of an absolute Rookie — so that if you’re thinking about visiting a specialist or your doctor for that long-overdue health check — you take action today. Because our health doesn’t wait for us.
#1 “Chiropractic” is a noun!
I've always thought that it was an adjective! I thought the “noun version” of all variants associated with this word is “chiropractic” — and so I didn’t even know how to use this word properly in a sentence. Is it a noun or a verb…? OK — now I know it’s a noun!
#2 The definition of health is not the absence of symptoms. But of physical, mental, and social wellness.
(P.S.: This is a definition from the World Health Organization in the 40s) seems that someone already figured out the wisdom but over time we just forgot about it!
#3 We are designed to be healthy.
What a powerful message that was for me!
The imagery that Dr. Ariel gave was when she went on a hike and saw some charred trees that were burnt by a forest fire. But she wondered to herself: Why do the green saplings just grow out on top of the charred tree trunks?
Talking about good design…:)
Well, we are designed to thrive and be healthy — unless there is an interference with the body’s natural system.
Let's examine this in the next section…
Interference to the natural state of our body
Interference can mean many things.
Stress is the most common type of interference to our well-being. Then there is interference in the context of chiropractic, which is known as a Subluxation.
#1: The three sources of stress:
- Physical
Did you know: Long hours of sitting and working in front of the computer are also sources of physical stress?
I recently realised that one big stressor is being disconnected from my body. I only realized this when I started regular yoga group classes and the mindfulness and connection I experienced during and after the session helped me feel so much calmer. It was only then when I realized what I've been missing all along.
- Emotional
Although the label on this is "emotional", in our context today, this can also be social as well. Since the pandemic hit, our new ways of living and working has made us disconnected from our social circles, overconnected to our phones, and the boundary between work/ rest has been significantly blurred.
Is it time to examine your emotional/ social stressors?
- Chemical
We are what we consume. I live in a big city with small apartments and badly equipped kitchens. This coupled with hectic work schedules means that we very often opt for takeaway, and we also hardly look at food labels. Dr. Ariel's talk alerted me to the fact that malnourishment means more than consuming junk food — it also means not getting enough fibre or water!
Since I'm an aspiring health nut, I will try to pay attention to what I'm eating.
What about you? Has this inspired you to rethink how you are nourishing your body?
Can you identify three sources of stress that are interfering with your well-being today?
#2 Subluxation
The definition of subluxation is:
" Dysfunction of a spinal joint, changing the body's ability to self-regulate, heal and repair."
In the context of chiropratic, this is the interference that is stopping your nervous system from being able to function normally.
It's possible to have a subluxation and have no pain.
Well…since I'm not a medical expert, here is a slide from the talk, if in doubt, please seek medical attention!
“The nipple rule” and the importance of good posture
(for illustration, refer to cover photo of story)
Dr. Ariel also mentioned something interesting about our posture and how we hold our phones…she coined the term “the nipple rule” as a rule of thumb for us to refer to when determining if we are holding our smartphones in the right position relative to our heads.
What it means is that our phone should be at a level at least in line with our nipple or higher, if not, we are putting too much of the weight of our heads on our spine in the wrong way…
Finally…remember that progress takes time…
Don't be discouraged, whether you are recovering from an injury, learning something new, or making a change in any kind of state, remember: We get good results over time.
Expectations deviate (a little from reality) but it doesn’t mean we are not on the right track.
Let’s all keep this in mind and know that we are making progress if we persist even if at that moment it doesn’t feel like it.
P.S.: Here’s the website of my friend’s practice if you are interested in finding out more https://www.atlaschiropractic.hk
Finally, if you want more information, here are the notes I took :)
Hope you find this useful and that you'll start thinking about the importance of taking care of yourself this week!
Subscribe to my posts!! :D If you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing to my posts with the link here!
Did you know? If you want to read more stories and want to try earning an income from your stories, there is a Medium Partner Program which costs $5/month or $50/year. Consider joining the club and meet other hardworking writers today, it will be fun, rewarding and who knows how much you can earn :)
