As I sit outside in the sunshine on this beautiful day in Vermont I wanted to touch on some of the knowns and unknowns of health. There are many things in life that we know are either good or bad for our bodies. Throughout our life we make choices on how to care for our body. As people age they often begin to realize the benefits of maintaining their health. They wish they knew this at a younger age because they begin feeling the consequences of earlier actions. Unfortunately, health is not merely the absence of disease or symptoms.

We know, through research, study, and experience, that eating healthy (organic, natural, fruits and vegetables) is good for the body. We know it gives us more energy, more fuel for the body to use and helps keep our immune system, digestive system, and many other pieces of the body functioning at their best.

Likewise we know that eating poorly (unnatural, GMO, fast food, chemicals, sweets) is bad for the body. It doesn't provide the proper nutrients that the body needs to function. Often we can feel the difference and our body will tell us when it likes something or doesn't. Gluten intolerance and lactose intolerance are examples of the body telling us this.

Sleep is known to be necessary for the body. On average an adult needs approximately 8 hours of sleep per night and this is another thing we can feel. Sleep enables the body to restore itself, heal and recover. Proper sleep is essential to maintaining good health.

Exercise is another facet that we know is good for our health. Proper exercise keeps the cardiovascular system (heart and lungs) working properly, keeps our immune system strong, and keeps us from many lifestyle diseases that are common today such as diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

Lack of exercise can be felt and seen in most individuals. Often there is weight gain, lack of energy and other telltale signs.

The last aspect most people know is drinking water. We know that water is 70-80% of the body. It is in every cell and tissue. We also know that a lack of water can lead to dehydration which causes headaches, stiffness, soreness, and cramping. Water is essential to a healthy life and is one of the vital nutrients our body needs.

The main point that is being touched on here is that most aspects of health that are known in society tend to be things we can see and feel if we are doing improperly. Most tend to be common knowledge and the negative side effects are known. For example everyone knows smoking causes cancer.

The vital part that people do not understand is the area chiropractic deals with. Every system in the body is controlled and connected. The control mechanism is your nervous system. The brain tells every part of the body what to do and how to run. So what happens if there is an issue telling the stomach how to digest healthy food, or telling the muscles how to heal after exercise, or the heart to pump properly. What happens if we cannot sleep deeply, or cannot use the water we drink optimally.

The answer is the body starts to deteriorate.

But we do not feel anything.

A healthy nervous system is one of the only aspects of overall health that may not have symptoms when it is functioning poorly. A majority of the nervous system does not cause pain, and even the part that does is the slowest and least efficient.

This means that by the time you feel pain it is too late.

Maintaining this flow of information is essential for true overall health. It is the control mechanism, the main, bottom line, most important system of the body.

When we are looking at the many facets of health it is important to recognize all things that enter and exit the body, all areas that can keep us healthy, and attempt to do as many things correctly as possible. Do you want a way to benefit every aspect of health and align with healthy eating, yoga, massage, exercise, sleep, drinking water, sunlight, social relationships, and all of our other known healthy lifestyle choices?

Chiropractic is for you and it will benefit you and your family to be regularly checked and corrected for nerve interference so that all of the hard work you do now doesn't go to waste.

Tell someone you know of the benefits of chiropractic care.

It might be the greatest gift you could ever give them.

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