Stressed out? Consider what happens to the body during prolonged periods of stress.

Our sympathetic nervous system is the system responsible for shunting blood to our limbs to allow us to quickly, swiftly move to safety and away from danger. It is our flight and fight system- "the true Stress response".  When we live a stress filled life and are already made to be Type A and perpetually stressed, that physiologic (actually happening in each cell of our body) response remains active, whether there is danger or no danger.  The problem is, is that our brains cannot differentiate what is a TRUE danger vs. a perceived danger.  It responds to both, the SAME way causing the cells in the body to prepare for "fight and or flight".  This is an energy dependent mechanism which requires a tremendous amount of fuel to perseverate the response. If your "fuel tank" is low or on empty, the body will leach fuel (glucose) from your muscles and continue perseverating the flight and fight mechanism.  Breaking down muscle to give the body fuel is not a mechanism one wants to perseverate.  If this process goes on long-term, the body will increase its production of cortisol (hormone) that further breaks down muscle to keep the Stress Response ON. 

Most of us have perfected this stress response, including me!  But, we have to also perfect how to turn it OFF.  Muscle loss is detrimental in so many ways, not to mention the destruction prolonged elevated blood pressure causes and high levels of cortisol.

As you prepare for a new season, prepare with stress reduction or management in mind.  Plan a bit more to keep yourself on track.  BREATHE, take time each hour to focus on slow steady breaths...in through the nose, our through the mouth.  Finally, keep it in perspective...don't sweat the small stuff and remember what is most important in life - and enjoy it!

This past weekend we completed session four of our Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) training.  What an intense weekend!  We endured 30 hours of live streaming lectures from Friday through Sunday.  The detailed lectures on difficult material wiped Dr. Kelly and I out.  We felt like we suffered a concussion by the time we were done on Sunday.
What did I learn?  One of the most important things in life..."there is NO URGENCY in attempting to MASTER anything.  For that which has purpose and is driven by one's heart to deeply love and master, will take A LIFETIME."  This is encouraging as we work extremely hard to understand all the profound abilities of the brain and train under the master himself, Dr. Carrick.
What an honor I will have next week to be in Atlanta and int he presence of a master mind that will attempt to help a few wonderful people from our community, who are suffering from injuries and illnesses that have drastically affected their lives.  I pray for their health to be restore and their lives brightened.

I just finished washing and storing and using that of which I was making for supper tonight from my BlueBird Gardens CSA share.  What a wonderful bounty in such a tough growing season.


Unfortunately, Americans have lost sight of what "real fresh, real wonderful, real satisfying food is." Why?  
My thoughts are: complete laziness. It does not take a rocket scientist to wash and store that which the TRUE rocket scientists GROW FOR US! After all, that is super hard work.  To pick a bag of peas, is WORK. To grow it, WORK!

Americans are unhealthy by choice, not because of circumstances beyond their control.
My challenge to you and yours is to prioritize and refocus on the bounty at your finger tips.  Then simply take 15 minutes each day to wash and eat some veggies.
As I write this, I am listening to BUBBLE GUPPIES, but above that noise, I hear a little girl chomping on fresh lettuce and saying mmmmm mmm mmm Mama!

Wake up America!  Eat small amounts and choose foods that fuel you to help you serve others.  Satisfaction comes from service, not from Self Service!

Dr. Ala

Every day we work with several patients who are working toward a healthy lifestyle through our FirstLine Therapy Program (FLT).  This program allows us to help each specific patient overcome health obstacles and enjoy optimum health.  But, getting there and staying there is not always easy.  It is our goal to coach and encourage patients as they work on gaining healthy lifestyle habits.  
If you have worked with us on making healthy lifestyle changes or are considering making some changes, consider the changes this way.
First, it is not a race. Treat it like trying to learn to play a new instrument. At times fun, at times frustrating. Mastering an instrument, like mastering your health takes practice. In fact, lifelong practice and then some become good at it, in fact, real good and others improve and stay average. 

It takes consistent behavioral changes daily.  Think before proceeding with any food choice. Think less of eating and more on other important daily health goals. After all, it's just food!

Here is a recipe, directly from the kitchen of Dr. Ala:

Here is an awesome, easy dish that you must try. 

Using chicken breasts, thighs or even a whole chicken. 

Use a dutch oven or casserole dish. I use a clay pot with a covered lid.

Season chicken well with sea salt and pepper. 

Olive oil the chicken down well. I use basil olive oil and sometimes garlic olive oil. Plain is good too. 

Then add 1 whole head of garlic peeled and put in the pot OR stuffed into the whole chicken. 

Add 1 -2 oranges cut in half; remove seeds and squeeze the juice into the pot of chicken. Leave the whole orange in the pot to cook. 

Finally, put in a bay leaf if desired. 

Cook in the covered casserole at 350 until chicken is done. Varies depending on the amount of chicken used and if cooking a whole chicken. 

Easy great recipe. Enjoy.

Summer is finally here!  Before you indulge in the BBQing, ice creaming, beer quenching habits that are vogue in summer, step on the scale and decide to be less "vogue" and more "vague" in your indulgence. 

Rather, go for a walk, a run, a jump, a swim, a bike ride…..and burn some of those stored winter calories that are hanging around your hips or gut. Set a new max limit for your weight and work hard at staying below that ceiling limit!  

Happy summer and Happy Memorial Day, especially to those that have sacrificed for our freedom. Thank you to all of our soldiers and their families.

Wow, our heads are still spinning from all we learned, or attempted to learn, at our conference last weekend.   The series of conferences we have been attending are on mild TBI (traumatic brain injury) or concussions.
Dr. Carrick lectured for 12 hours straight on the neurological pathways of one area of the brain stem.  Then after lecture, which he assumed we understood all he said, we observed as he treated a patient.  The patient was a 9-year-old boy who had a concussion.  After the injury he was unable to walk and was forced to wear extremely dark glasses and double ear muffs as the input of sight and sound in his environment was too much for his brain to handle.  This input caused his brain to send signals to his muscles to contract, leaving him unable to walk or stand.
Dr. Carrick assessed him on Friday and by the time we watched him treat the patient he was already 50% better.  Dr. Carrick plans to have him even much more improved this week as he works with him.  Needless to say his parents were amazed and overwhelmed with joy as they watched their child improve.
We were able to observe as he treated this patient, and he would often ask, if we understood what he was doing.  Dr. Carrick didn't understand why we didn't get it all, he said, "I just lectured on these pathways for 12 hours...don't you see?"
Wow! We are doing our best to understand and learn all of this information.
It was a very informative weekend, and an inspiring one besides.  Dr. Carrick has given his life to see patients get better.  That is his one and only motivation, and it is very evident.  The example of this 9 year old boy is only one case where he has used his gifts of understanding the neurological system to give him a better quality of life!
It is our goal to understand the neurological system as well so we too can help people experience a better quality of life!
Stay tuned as we continue to learn!