Another morning at Dr. Andy’s. Our offices are next to each others and many an hour we spend talking, drinking cheap vodka   juiced vegetables, and eating Hostess Ding Dongs embedded with Skittles organic bran muffins. During one of these “brainstorming” sessions I started to complain about feeling sick. My head felt like someone had used it for a cutting board and my stomach felt like vinegar and cottage cheese. Dr.Andy looked at me and said, “You know getting sick can be healthy for you”! I said “ drinking the fluid out of your ink jets can make you bald”. I didn’t think a Chiropractor could move so fast! When I awoke he said “hey, I’m being serious, I gave a lecture about this a few weeks ago.”  Andy is great at what he does, education. This is an excerpt from that discussion.

Most people don’t realize that most of the chronic diseases we have today actually result from what we do on a daily basis.  They are driven by how we eat, the American lifestyles we lead and our current medical practices.

In our society acute illness (colds, fevers, etc.) is viewed as a bad thing.  It is almost seen as the precursor to something catastrophic:  “If I get a cold, I might get worse.”    Our society has gone into a perpetual state of fear.  Making matters worse we are no longer taking responsibility for our health, we simply shift the blame for it to the Doctor.

Let’s discuss what actually happens when you get sick.  The body encounters an invader, like a flu bug, that activates the immune system.  The body then releases White Blood Cells (WBCs) that target the invaders, engulf them and then create natural antibodies that kill them.  Simultaneously, the WBCs creates a copy of the invader that memorizes its properties.  These allow for the body’s immune system to recognize the invader the next time the body encounters it and respond to the threat faster; lessening the amount of time your body feels sick or rundown.

In the body, there are “dis-ease” processes going on at all times.  The term dis-ease is used stating there are varying degrees of sickness and wellness going on simultaneously.  Your immune system is constantly fighting off invaders such as bacteria, viruses, and other forms of infections hence the varying degrees of sickness and wellness one feels. However, we don’t always express symptoms of infection such as a runny nose or cough.  Symptoms can occur when the system is overloaded for too long and the body starts to break down.  To use an analogy of your body as an automobile, you are driving your car and you rev the engine too high for too long, so you will eventually wear down the gaskets, burn up your oil, and warp the metal of the engine.   This all leads to eventually blowing the engine.  As we go about our lives and our daily business we don’t eat properly, we don’t sleep enough or correctly, we ingest too many chemicals via drugs, other cleaners and cosmetics, we don’t exercise, and we are over stressed most of the time.  By doing this, eventually our bodies break down and get sick.  Unfortunately, in our society we usually suppress all forms of coughs, colds, and fever that the body would use naturally for its defense and we get sick anyway.

In short, as we overload our bodies, our ability to resist sickness is reduced.  This leads us to a natural process that occurs with many infections and injuries called inflammation.

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or irritation that leads to symptoms of redness, pain, heat, swelling, and loss of function.  It is the body’s attempt to remove harmful stimuli and heal.  Inflammation is not always seen but is developing all the time. Inflammation is produced in the various systems of the body–nervous, endocrine, and digestive to name a few.  The body does not always express inflammation the same way it comes into the body.  Some examples of this clinically are:
Airway- Mucous buildup, Cough, Runny Noses, Sinus Issues
Intestines- Diarrhea, Acid Reflux, Indigestion, Bloating
Skin- Rash, Acne, Hives
Nervous -Irritability, Listless, “Leave Me Alone” attitude

As was mentioned earlier, we overload our systems constantly.  When this happens, our ability to resist sickness decreases, our sensitivity increases, and inflammation occurs.  In contrast, if we start removing these stressors, our resilience increases as well as a decrease in occurrences of inflammation.

How do we remove the stressors?  We start off by no longer overloading the system chemically, physically, and emotionally.  Chemically, start by changing your diet with limiting simple sugars, portion control, and quality of foods.  Physically, you simply need to exercise.  Move around more during the day and use ergonomics at your workplace. Emotionally, learn to de-stress.  Learn how to recognize stressors as well as how to avoid and cope with them.

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The basic theme is to develop a balance which ultimately will limit the amount of inflammation development.  By slowing down, eating right, reducing stress and getting some exercise, one can decrease one’s susceptibility to getting sick either via a cold, runny nose, fever, or inflammation.  When every system (nervous, digestive, muscular, endocrine, etc.)  is balanced, you feel better and reach an optimal level of performance.  When your body works at this level, you feel better and you will have a positive impact on those around you.  Remember, your health affects everything you do and everyone you know

Once again thanks Dr. Andy for your insight…learn more about Dr.Andy at http://creativechiropracticsolutions.com

A choke of grief heart hardened I
Beyond belief a broken man too tough to cry

Surf’s Up
Aboard a tidal wave
Come about hard and join
The young and often spring you gave
I heard the word
Wonderful thing
A children’s song

” Surf’s Up” - The Beach Boys

When I’m working, there are some days that the only “sunlight” I really get is from the music that I play in my office. Music can sometimes be my closest “connection” to God. Sometimes a paticular song can be God’s closest connection to me. Spirit has such a way of communicating through music. Try it sometime. When you hop into the car, ask God to play a song just for you . Chances are you’ll be moved to tears or truly inspired.  I’ve found that what’s spiritual for me may not be spiritual for you. I still wanted to make a short list of the tunes that are really making my heart sing for the week. I hope some of you will comment on your favorites! It’ll give me new songs to download! Think of what makes your “heart” sing! Well here’s my short list,

“Surf’s Up” - The Beach Boys (the last minute and half of this song is “Spiritual” beyond measure.)

“Vida La Vida” - Coldplay  (a coming of age song for me. Very cool.)

” Love and Mercy” - Brian Wilson  ( The title reminds me of tolerance everytime)

“Warwick Ave” -  Duffy  ( when this gal sings…I feel it!) 

” Blue” - Lucinda Williams  ( this tune reminds me of the two most important girls in my life)

 there are so many more….but I hope this inspired people to use music this week and every week. Can’t wait to hear your favorites at work!

Sunday, back in D.C. and hanging out with a lot of old friends and loving it!

It seemed that I was surrounded by a sea of loving, gifted, and creative energy. People living by example and not opininon. Especially my old childhood friend Tony Powell. Tony’s energy was positive, almost contagious! He eagerly wanted to sop up every aspect of positivity around him, and convert it into “life excitement”.

This is definitely a man who made a clear decision to embrace family and friends, using them as a pool of wisdom AND knowledge.

He’s even been dubbed “a 21st Century Renaissance Man” by the Washington Post.  Powell is a choreographer, composer, painter, sculptor, photographer, filmmaker, graphic designer, and writer.

He is a 1995 graduate of the Juilliard School and directed his own dance company, Tony Powell/Music & Movement, for 10 years. This native Washingtonian has won numerous awards from the Maryland State Arts Council for his choreography, and his 4^th String Quartet received the first ever Metro DC Dance Award for Original Music.

He has written three scores for the Internationally-renowned Parsons Dance Company, and he has created over 100 ballets for companies including The Joffrey Ballet, The Washington Ballet, The Maryland Youth Ballet, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Ballet Theatre of Maryland, The Manassas Dance Company, and Odyssey Dance Theater.

His largest commissioned piece, Contredanse, for 18 dancers of Odyssey Dance Theatre, premiered in March 2007. “Impulse,” his most recent work for Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago was selected to illustrate the cover of the August 2007 issue of Dance Magazine. He currently has commissions to create works for Philadanco, the Ailey School , and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company in Denver, Colorado.

Support for the creation of his work has come from The Cafritz Foundation, The Washington Post Company, The Meyer Foundation, Verizon, Philip Morris, The Mead Family Foundation, Allesee Family Foundation, The Dreyfus Foundation, and The Philip L. Graham Fund, among others. He has taught ballet and modern dance techniques at The Washington School of Ballet, The Academy of the Maryland Youth Ballet, Towson University, Harrisburg Dance Conservatory, Manassas School of Dance, Joy of Motion, Feet First, The Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and Jones Haywood School of Ballet. Also Tony has a new blog http://wwww.tonypowell.wordpress.com its a work in progress.. and it may already be up and running as I type this.

Once again Tony, good luck on all your ventures! It has been a pleasure and most of all….FUN!

I wish I could leap like this! However there would be a strong chance I would land on our dog Angel, roll out the door and land face first in the recycling bin. Our trip to D.C. gave us a chance to reunite with longtime childhood friend, Tony Powell. He introduced us to his lovely wife, Kellie and thier wonderful kids! What a prosperous and loving family. Kellie told a little about her passion for dance.

This gal has got dance in her blood. Kellie first entered the dance studio at the age of three. Through her many years of training, she studied ballet (both Vaganova & Cecchetti methods), pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, & modern with her grandmother, a former Rockette. This training was supplemented and enhanced by her work at The Duke Ellington School for the arts and several professional dance companies. She was founding member and ballet mistress of Tony Powell/Music & Movement* , and Adrain Bolton Dance Company. With these very successful dance companies Kellie graced many area stages including such venues as The Kennedy Center, Dance Place, Publick Playhouse, and New York’s City Center.

Wow. Damn. Wow again. I JUST LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY LOVE!

Kellie also told us about her dance company”Fusion”…. She and her business partner Candra Preshong saw an opportunity to not only create dance scholarships for under privileged kids in the D.C. area but to work with schools and other non-profit organizations to support performing arts programs, parent teachers associations, and offer the services of our professional dance company to organizations that otherwise would not be able to afford it.

Did you know that kids who participate in dance are less likely to be overweight? Dance also teaches coordination and rhythm, while instilling discipline, increasing strength and improving posture. Kids also learn how to participate in a structured environment, follow directions, and have respect for themselves and others.

For adults, and especially seniors, dancing provides an opportunity for socializing and building relationships, as well as reducing stress and boosting their immune systems. And for kids and adults of any age – its just plain fun!

If you’d like to donate to this worthy organization -http://fusiondancecompany.org/Support3.html

* Tony, what’s a ballet mistress?