"I Slept Wrong" Is Code for I Am In Denial

(Image Courtesy: Keystone Chiropractic)

I've heard this at least once a month if not more often from practice members, "I slept wrong."

People say it so often it is taken for granted.  It is like the boy who cried wolf so many times that no one noticed him anymore.

Yes, I slept wrong last night, and it didn't happen by accident. I woke up today with a sharp ache in my my right shoulder blade.  It was a reminder that I did not follow my usual routine and now I am paying for it. 

I really didn't sleep wrong.  I did a lot of things wrong.  For starters, I stayed up until it was close to midnight.  I typically go to bed at 9:30.   

Also, I seemed to graze all day long, snacking on almond butter and coconut milk.  That doesn't sound too bad, but my intermittent fasting went out the window.  

I didn't eat dinner until after 8 PM.  So, the evening just keeps getting worse. I was in Ithaca and stopped at Green Star to grab something from the hot bar.  And grab, I sure did.  I got a small carton of turkey salad.  Then I noticed some nice samplings of Indian cuisine made with coconut sauce, and another dish with spinach and chick peas.  I couldn't resist a dark chocolate tart either. 

I also took a few bites of my son's chocolate whoopie cookie.  It told him it was made with healthy ingredients.  He was almost in a panic.  He said, "No way."  Well, it was till sweet and carby, but not artificial.  

When I get to bed late I can wake up with a mountainous head ache.  This morning I was lucky.  I felt very dehydrated and stiff.  I managed to escape the head pain.  I don't mean to joke about it, since I know so many people suffer with persistent headaches. I knew I was risking it because I want to stay up on weekends like everyone else.  However, it is just not a smart practice. 

I did not skip my usual bedtime supplements and I believe that helped me stave off the dreaded "I Slept Wrong," scenario.  I take Min-Tran, Min-Chex or Bio-Dent before bed. 

(If you want to know more about my health routine, just ask at your next appointment.)

When people come to me and say they slept wrong, it is usually the straw that broke the camel's back.  Alleviating the muscle tension with an adjustment is helpful, but they have to admit they are constantly feeding the fire of inflammation that gives them pain, brain fog, and low energy.  

There is never one cause.  It is a complex formula of stresses until the body finally throws in the towel and falls down on the job.  It is the perfect storm, as they say.  

The body's sensory system has a high tolerance level.  You can suffer incredible tissue damage in the organs and muscles before you are finally alerted with an uncomfortable and disruptive pain process. 

Mechanical stressors are easy to figure out.  It takes more honest introspection to admit you are exposing yourself to chemical and emotional stress, as well.  They all damage the body the same way.  

Most of the stress we ignore is the stress that requires us to seriously evaluate our lives.  Work demands, family squabbles, and financial difficulty are health wreckers.  If we don't have the courage to face them, our bodies break down.  

Denial is a disease. 

How did I go from a lousy pillow to a life crisis?  

The Perfect Storm......

Let's take care of it.  Take the negative and learn from it.  There so many ways we can incorporate the positive.  First, help your brain with a nice batch of chiropractic adjustments over the next month. 

See you at the table... the adjusting table. 
--Dr. Lisa
--Your Health Freedom Advocate

Why Healthy People Are Lonely (You Don't Have to Be Lonely)

Is it difficult to do healthy things because no one else wants to do it with you?   Do people argue with you when you explain why you want to maintain your health gains?  

This really hit home with me when I read  a recent blog from Mark's Daily Apple titled: I feel better than I ever did in my life. 
The writer said she was almost divorced when she got healthy and her closest family members got sicker. I hate to see people suffer.  Of course, no one wants to see their loved ones suffer, but it's a tricky situation.

I have many practice members who tell their friends when they are going to the chiropractor the response is, "What's wrong with you?"  When they explain they don't have any major problems, the idea of maintenance falls on deaf ears.   

I was ridiculed for running so much.  I really liked to run.  I wondered why people don't ask me questions out of curiosity?  Why do the comments have to be so mean?

So, if you have a devoted work out partner, you are very lucky. 

Diet is another emotionally charged subject.  I was reading a DietDoctor.com poll on Facebook asking people what is the strangest comment they've heard from people regarding their low carb/keto life style.  

One person mentioned how she was doing with intermittent fasting and someone told her it sounded too expensive.  

Another person said friends don't ask her to eat at restaurants anymore and another is left out of vacations because their choices are too problematic.  

How about the person who has quit smoking?  Many typical activities are now off limits in order to avoid temptation. 

Why do we feel less support?  Why do we have to turn to internet friendships when those closest to us don't share our enthusiasm?

I don't have many good answers to the why question.  But I can offer support.  If you are a practice member at my office, you are not alone.  There are plenty of folks who have goals that are similar to yours. You'll find it in the waiting room.  So, don't be shy.  Strike up a conversation.  

See you soon. 
Dr. Lisa

Read Next:  What Happens When There's No Time?

Blast from the past:  How Anguish Fueled a Mission