November has arrived and autumn is here.  Along with the cooler temperatures, changing leaves, Halloween costumes, and Thanksgiving preparations, cold season is starting.  From November to May, virtually every person will have at least one cold.  And, in the U.S., we spend billions of dollars to combat the symptoms associated with the cold season. 

Most people think of a cold as something we catch from somebody else and a sign that we are not healthy.  These assumptions may not be true.  As fall changes to winter and winter changes to spring, we see our environment transform.  As the seasons change, foliage changes, temperature changes, humidity changes, and even animal fur changes.  We see many profound changes in our environment and yet we often feel that should stay the same, as though we that we are not a part of the environment. 

Perhaps a cold at the change of the seasons is a healthy response to the change in our environment.  It is our sinuses and upper respiratory tract cleansing and preparing for the new season.  No amount of medication or vaccines will ever be able to stop this phenomenon, nor should it.  There is evidence that suppressing the symptoms may not be healthy.  The common cold activates a substance called protein P53.  This protein is an antimutagenic protein and is being researched in cancer and cancer treatments.  Over the counter cold remedies taken to suppress cold symptom might have other unknown long term effects.

We are exposed to a tremendous amount of viruses, germs, and bacteria on a daily basis and seldom become ill from them.  These organisms are similar to seeds; they only flourish in environments that are able to sustain them.  If our bodies are healthy and our immune systems are strong, we become unlikely hosts for these organisms, usually limiting the frequency, duration, and severity of illness. 

Chiropractic care clears the nerve system of interference caused by spinal subluxations. It allows the body to function better, express life more fully, provides greater resistance to sickness and disease and ensures greater immune response.  In this sense, it facilitates the shedding, cleansing process of the cold.  The only side effect of the adjustment is improved performance of the body and a greater ability to adapt to changes.

The next time you have a cold, before passing any judgment and blaming a co-worker or that guy on the metro, ask yourself these questions:

Have I been taking care of myself in a way that optimizes my body's function?

a.       Eating a balanced diet?

b.      Getting adequate exercise and rest?

c.       Maintaining a positive mental attitude?

d.      Visiting your chiropractor regularly?

If the answers to the questions above are yes, then rest assured that you have taken every precaution and that this cold is likely your body's normal response to a changing environment, to allow you express more life.  If you answered no, then you may suffer though an unnecessary increase and frequency and severity of colds, and I challenge you to take better care of your health. 

Breathing is defined in Dorland's Medical Dictionary as "the act of inhaling and exhaling air in order to exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide."  We all know what breathing is and that it is necessary to sustain life.  What you may or may not know is how many traditions use breathing exercises to change the quality and quantity of life.  From the yogic tradition, to martial arts, to Lamaze, breath is an important part of our history.  In a relaxed state, breath should be done by the diaphragm.  The diaphragm is a muscle at the bottom of the ribcage; when used for breathing it makes your belly move in and out.  Many people in today's society breathe incorrectly; they use their intercostals, sternocleidomastoids, and scalenes.  These are muscle that should be used for breathing primarily during physical exertion, like exercise.  These muscles cause your chest to move during respiration.  Using the exertion breathing muscles will increase tension in your neck upper back and chest, and place you in an overall more tense state, as oxygen is not reaching the lower areas of the lungs.  This is one of the reasons why taking a few deep breaths when you feel stress or anxiety can make a tremendous difference.  A simple test to determine which muscles you are using to breathe is to relax and place one hand on your chest and one on your belly and see which moves.  If you are breathing diaphragmatically, great work.  If not, this is something that is worth your time to practice.  To learn more about the yogic tradition of breath practice, pranayama, see this month's calendar of events.

We had an extra pumpkin left over from a pumpkin carving party and tried our 
friend's delightful soup.  The bright orange color of pumpkin is a giveaway 
that pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene.  

Ingredients:
3-3 1/2 lb pumpkin
olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 in. piece fresh ginger, grated
1 ½  tsp. ground coriander 
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
pinch of cayenne pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
1 medium sweet potato
½ tsp. nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs sesame seeds to garnish 
fresh cilantro leaves to garnish

1.  Bake pumpkin and sweet potato at 400 F (poke a few holes and brush with 
olive oil) for 45 minutes, until tender.  

2.  When pumpkin is cool enough to handle, cut open and scoop out seeds.  
Scoop out and chop up flesh.  

3.  Heat olive oil in pan and add onion, garlic and ginger.  Cook gently
until onions tender.  Add spices and cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in pumpkin,
stock, and peeled sweet potato.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20
minutes.

4. Cool the soup slightly and then puree until smooth.  Return soup to
rinsed pan.  Add salt and pepper and any additional of the spices if
needed.

5.  Serve and add garnish.

And, don't discard those pumpkin seeds!  Roasted pumpkins
seeds are packed with healthy nutrients, including protein, fiber, iron, zinc
and calcium. 

Thursday November 8, 2007 8:00pm-9:00pm
Journey to Wellness Workshop
Dr. Anthony will give a talk on health, wellness and how to improve the quality of you life.  Learn how to take an active role in your healing process so you can make the most of your investment.  New and existing clients are welcome.  Please register with Dr. Anthony.

Saturday November 10, 2007
Office will be closed
Dr. Anthony will be attending a pediatric seminar.

Thursday November 15, 2007 8:00pm-9:00pm
Breath Workshop
Pranayama (Yogic Breath Workshop) will be led by Alex Paraskevas, director of YogaChai -- non-profit yoga organization.  This will be a workshop focusing on using the mind to control breathing to create clarity and wellbeing.  The workshop is FREE.  Please register with Dr. Anthony.  Visit Alex on the web at www.YogaChai.com

Thursday November 22- Saturday November 24, 2007
Office will be closed for Thanksgiving