DAMAGE CONTROL, eh...I mean, HAPPY THANKSGIVING

HAPPY THANKSGIVING everybody, are you ready?
To help make sure the holiday is happy and not hurtful, enjoy these handy tips I use with my family:

1) Other people bring the pies, I bring the digestives. We are both popular.
Even people who eat like nutritionists the rest of the year tend to overindulge now - eating too much of what they love or eating foods their body is not familiar with. So why suffer?
My favorite digestives are portable, chewable, cost 85 cents, and they work (as per tests on my relatives). I get them at the Boise Co-op: chewable original papaya enzyme by American Health. They come in a small roll that fits easily into a pocket or handbag.

2) Code the cupcakes....or veggies...or soup.....
For folks who stay away from gluten, dairy, sugar and other irritants, holiday parties can be tricky. There's an easy way to enjoy the party and eat what you want: code your food.

Your baked goods and holiday fixings will look just like everyone else's, but you will be able to tell the difference by your secret garnish coding system.
That way you will know what you can eat and what to stay away from. However, I cannot guarantee that party guests will not eat all your food, sorry.

There are two approaches to this: stealth and obvious.

Obvious:
Use a distinguishing garnish that is healthy, i.e. nuts, and code the food you want to eat.

Stealth:
Code by color, i.e. using a red garnish on all the food that you can eat.

3) Start those ovens
A tip for whoever is spending hours running laps around the kitchen stations cooking or prepping: when standing for a long time, elevate one foot about six inches by using some books (or a child's chair or a box). This simple move can help relieve tired back and leg muscles.

4) For those who have been resting on the sofa all day long
One tip: MOVE!
Taking a 15-20 minute walk after a big meal can ease discomfort and burn off some calories.
Every extra pound in the abdominal region can put 10 pounds more stress on the lower back, forcing the pelvis and torso to shift and cause changes in spinal balance....leading to spinal misalignments and malfunction. Nobody wants that.

5) After the walk.....
Check out these cool holiday windows from Barneys New York. Barneys is famous for their annual holiday windows and this year's theme is Give Good Green. Enjoy!
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/11/video_barneys_christmas_window.html


Have a spine tingling holiday,
Dr. Madeline Behrendt
iwomenfilm@gmail.com
For information and education only.

NOVEMBER GREEN TIP: GREEN, CLEAN, AND DEFINITELY NOT MEAN

As we head into the celebrations of the holiday season, people think about beauty.

We take extra care preparing ourselves for a party, put special effort into wrapping gifts, and fuss over the table and foods created for this special time of year.

Why let ordinary chores, like cleaning the house, interrupt the fun ?

Instead, transform cleaning from ho hum to ho ho ho with items from Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day GINGERBREAD Collection.

For all those dedicated souls who bought green cleaning products because they were noble and wanted to help save the earth, the suffering is over. Green is gorgeous.

Mrs. Meyer's products are natural, safe, and keep humans and homes happy by using aromatic essential oils. I use the lavender line in my office and my clients LOVE the scent - it works perfectly with the soothing atmosphere I've created.

The Gingerbread collection includes:
---Gingerbread Holiday Hand Care Set - Hand soap and hand lotion
---Holiday Clean-up Kit - 4 Products
Room Freshner, Liquid Dish Soap, Countertop Spray and All Purpose Cleaner
---Gingerbread Candle

I found these all at the Boise Co-op, if you live elsewhere check with your favorite local natural foods store. If you can't buy locally, you can find the products online at: http://www.mrsmeyers.com/.

Why is a chiropractor recommending cleaning products?

Because there can be a connection between your mood and what you use to keep your house clean. And this connection is found through your nervous system.

There are twelve nerves that emerge from or enter directly from your skull, the cranial nerves, and the Olfactory is the very first one. It carries the impulses for the sense of smell from the body to the brain. The brain then processes the information and creates a response (fire, a baby, the ocean -- all have their own scents and the brain has the appropriate response for each).

You already know all the good reasons to choose cleaning products that are toxin-free, they are better for your health.

Now you can enjoy a new reason to buy something that smells wonderful - use the time spent cleaning as a chance to do something beautiful for your brain.

And then when you are done cleaning, take your beautiful brain out to a holiday party!

Be Spine Tingling,
Dr. Madeline Behrendt
iwomenfilm@gmail.com
For information and eduation only.