5 Ways to Improve Your Life

5 Ways to Improve Your Life - Part 1

1. A good Bed. I send most of my Patients to Ibrowse Furniture in Parkgate, Rotherham. www.ibrowsefurniture.co.uk They sell beds which will suit most shapes and sizes, and they are half the price of your high end suppliers like Silentnight, Sealy, or Tempur. Not everyone can get on with a Tempur mattress, even with their heat-dispersible membrane. So I don’t suggest buying them. For the best overall solution I suggest a fully sprung (2000-3000 springs) medium mattress with a 50-75mm foam mattress topper . This final measurement should be the one which is defined by your body shape and whether you are male or female. The Gentleman who doesn’t want to be hot in bed may choose 50mm to give slight comfort but less ‘give’ so the heat doesn’t increase around his body. Ladies may like a bit more comfort and usually handle the heat better, so 75-100mm will be OK. Of course, an additional overlay could be bought if the right depth is not available built in. Anyone a little rotund around the midriff may need to go for the higher spring count. Beds will normally last about 5 years maximum. So expect to pay around £500-700, but certainly I don’t see a point in any mattress being more than this price, no matter what the label or salesman suggests.

2. A good dentist. A recent, and as far as I know, unpublished study in the world of European football, suggests that roughly 50% of all insidious onset musculo-skeletal pain comes from an origin in your bite position. Now this may seem strange initially, but a lot of my patients who have seen me over the years will know a little more about this subject than even their local dentists. The bite is held by the most powerful muscles in the body, for their size, and should they become imbalanced, they will produce an uneven tension in the internal membranes of your skull and spinal column resulting in anything from a flat foot, knee problems and Hamstring strains, to low back pain, shoulder impingements , migraine, and tinnitus! And all this can begin with a tooth being filled a little too low, or the usual bicuspid extraction pattern for supposed ‘overcrowding’ in early teenagers. We use Alan Moffat BDS in Pitsmoor Dental Practice, Sheffield, who I have had the pleasure of training with and who has a vast understanding of the functional corrections of the teeth to enhance full body health. And my basic rule of thumb: never have teeth removed unless they are dead…overcrowding is not a reason for removing teeth…as many dentists insist!

3. Some indulgence! If you’ve talked to me about food and diet in the past, you will always hear me say that you should never walk past the cake shop and deny yourself that fresh cream bun you fancy…especially if you are on a diet to lose weight. Cravings and desire are quite normal factors of human psyche, and whilst over-indulgence may lead you into harm, the removal of desire will also rebound you toward ill health. Human health is not all physical, and emotion is a big part of health. I recommend an 80% good diet with a 20% indulgence level…which should create a happy balance.

4. Sport. A lot of people ask me “what exercises should I do?” and my answer is usually quite minimal. If you are being treated, the chiropractor will tell you what needs to be done before recommencing any serious exercises…so wait until your body is ready. This is particularly important with pelvic injuries, which is the centre of your strength. If you are in good condition, or at least good enough to start exercises, the first rule is to do something you want to do. Simple. Exercise needs to motivate you, and your mind needs the physical exercise also in order to stay healthy. If you are competitive, then choose competitive sport. The best sports for total body benefit, with less reactivity, are badminton and volleyball. If you don’t like competitive sports, then Swimming is a good choice…if you can swim! I’m not a huge fan of yoga, pilates or gym classes, but like the ‘indulgence’ category, if you like them, do them!...but don’t overdo it! High performance is not good for the human body. Moderate performance is good. And don’t run or go jogging if you haven’t been shown how to run, as strange as that sounds; you will damage yourself!

5. Food Supplements. Our foods are nutrient depleted. Don’t take my word for it; even the UK government has said it! (not that that says much either!). Leading nutritionists around the world will tell you that our farming methods are wrong, and our farm produce is devoid of healthy nutrients. Supplements are an easy way to put back what you may be missing, and if you get the right ones, you will feel some huge benefits. ‘Foodstate’ vitamins and minerals are best, but more expensive than those on the high street generally. Antioxidants, multiminerals, supergreens and fish oil are the supplements I take myself…as I remember to. This covers a ‘multitude of sins’ as I call it…so when you have had a poor diet for a while (like on holiday!), they come out of the cupboard for a few days following. If you are taking supplements, reduce alcohol intake for 24 hours as absorption rate is much lower when the liver is working harder.

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