My Technology Runs Well, but my Body Needs an Upgrade.

Somewhere along the line technology transformed from tool to necessity. In some cases it has climbed to the top of the food chain highjacking our reward centers and demanding outright priority. I've seen the toll that it can take on the spine when left unchecked over a continued duration.

Technology feels like an extension of one's self. I wondered "do I have a technology obsession?" I definitely have my moments, but overall I have a healthy relationship. It did get me thinking. As a society we upgrade our cameras, computers, phones and other electronics with each improvement or killer feature. We cringe and pushdown anxiety when our computer's speed wanes or wifi signals are poor. If we're not careful we'll check our social media more times than not. We've all experienced the phantom pocket vibration (right or am I alone), yet many people struggle to perform a legitimate body weight squat. Moreover, studies show that out every 100 employees:

• 29 have obesity
• 21 have hypertension
• 17 have high cholestrol
• 9 have high blood glucose (this seems low to me)

As our tech acumen rises our necks stiffen (without intervention). We rely on our laptops at the cost of our spines and hips. Some have said that technology allows us to experience a sort of increased acceleration towards certain aspects of our lives that can come easy and it becomes obsessive.

What would change if we looked at our physical and mental health with the same enthusiasm for which we regard our technology? Better technology has a way about it. It's always upending its predecessor. However, our physical body seems to be on a path of deconditioning without investing time and energy to care for it. Believe it or not, overall health can improve, if not maintain as we age.

Inherently, people understand that we need to eat less, move more, and choose a healthy lifestyle. Which brings me back to this idea of an upgrade. Perhaps if we start to think about our health differently (as a tool or an asset) we can rework the approach and redefine expectations. A healthy high functioning body may be the best upgrade of all.

Podcast

My interview with Mikhail Alfon: Taking Ownership of Your Health

A while back one of my patients invited me to do an interview for his podcast "A Day in the Life Podcast." He is the cofounder at Blue Light Media, OC native, and a leader in brand building. You can find Mikhail on Instagram @miqk or at on LinkedIn .

If you are an OC resident and enjoy hearing interviews from other professionals in your community here is the link to A Day in the Life on Itunes (feel free to subscribe).

Link to Interview

The Conscious Professional Series: Fernanda Mello

I had the pleasure of meeting with Fernanda Mello, a Health Coach (Institute for Integrative Nutrition) and Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition (ISSA) in Orange County. She is a business owner, traveler, surfer, jiu jitsu competitor, cook, photographer and abides by the tag line “healthy choices with real food” Trust me when I say that you need a mobile spine to be effective and injury proof while training Brazilian jiu jitsu.

As a non-native orange county resident, it never ceases to amaze me the quality and number of health conscious professionals in our OC community. I'm finding that the area is rich with those seeking and helping others live a healthier lifestyle. 

From what I can tell Fernanda has a unique approach and wisdom when it comes to health. Even more she brings passion to her work, with emphasis on awareness and smart dietary solutions.

Check out her answers from our min-interview.

At what point did you decide to prioritize your own nutrition? 

I decided to prioritize my own nutrition around the time that I finished my bachelor's degree . However, I began to fully understand the power of nutrition when I started to cook all my meals and this happened when I moved to California, 5 years ago. 

You have a great list of principles that guide your overall philosophy. Of the 8 principles which one do your clients grasp first and which can be more difficult to sustain? 

My clients are usually really good at getting active, not all of them can easily stick to an active schedule, but most of them can. I guess the most difficult thing to sustain is making their own meals at home, because people tend to overthink making food at home and end up eating out in restaurants too often. I try to teach my clients that they can create easy and healthy meals without being a chef! I help with grocery shopping guides, grocery shopping lists and some tips such as good brands, places to purchase such as local farmers markets and healthy food stores.

If I’m not mistaken, you have experience recognizing and treating clients with Candida overgrowth? In your experience does a recent round of antibiotics set off your alarm? Or is there more to it and what can you share with people unfamiliar with this condition?

Yes I have experienced a lot of clients struggling with candida overgrowth and I believe it is a combination of both: use of excessive antibiotics and unbalanced lifestyle. Antibiotics kill not only disease-causing bacteria; they also kill beneficial bacteria that control our inner ecology. Friendly bacteria are so important to our immune system, ensure absorption of nutrients from the food we eat, help our mood, and many other heath benefits. Candida is a pathogenic yeast or fungus normally present in our inner and outer body, in small quantities along with good bacteria. The problem is when candida starts to thrive due to a high-sugar, low-nutrient, and low fiber diet. Fungus is an opportunist microorganism and they can spread fast if we don’t control them. A balanced diet and controlling stress can be a really successful and low invasive treatment to prevent candida.

It’s pretty clear that you practice what you preach in terms of life balance and activity. Is food the source of your activity levels or does getting out (surfing, jiu jitsu, yoga) act as a catalyst for eating healthier?

For sure!! Eating real food is always a good way to keep my energy levels steady, provide enough vitamins, mineral, and phytochemicals to help better recover results and performance! Eating natural food is also an amazing self-care practice and keep us more in tune with nature!

What sort of nutrition programs do you employ with your clients (duration, macros, elimination, etc.) 

I mostly encourage more real food consumption and minimize industrialized food. I focus on quality rather on quantity. It depends on people’s body type, energy levels, lifestyle, and regular schedule. I don’t focus only on what people eat, but how they manage their stress, self-care, etc.
I try to keep track of food intolerances or allergies as well, so sometimes elimination diet can be super helpful.

Okay, on a serious note. Favorite yoga pose and Jiu jitsu submission?

I love crow pose and child’s pose (amazing reset and resting pose)
Jiu Jitsu submission: cross collar choke. 

Finally, can you speak to what your ideal client looks like from a mutual fit perspective.

I believe that being healthy can have many definitions! It depends on each person and their lifestyle. But most importantly, being healthy is a constantly practice of self-care. Food plays a huge role in how we balance our inner ecology and overall energy levels, but it also important to balance other important aspects of life (physical activity, spirituality, personal relationships, work environment, increasing nature contact, and more). I love to see my clients having healthier choices, feeling more energized, sleeping better, having more energy, and loving themselves for what they are.

12 Ideas On Why You Should Have Started Chiropractic 10 Years Ago.

1. Health is simple disease is complicated.
2. Spine-related disability is on the rise, and low back pain is now the leading cause of global disability
3. Disability from other musculoskeletal disorders has also increased nearly 50%
4. Life with pain interferes with work, financial stability, family, sleep, activity, etc.
5. Drugs and surgeries should be avoided unless it’s an absolute emergency
6. You want to function at high-to-normal levels with your healthiest years ahead of you
7. When the spine is not aligned it can impact the function of the nervous system.
8. Chiropractic looks to eliminate the root cause and can help co-manage a variety of conditions.
9. Degeneration and an inflexible spine is not due directly to aging, but occupation, lifestyle, nutrition, and daily movement patterns.
10. Research supports the notion that chiropractic is effective for prevention and as a first-line treatment for neuromuscular pain
11. It’s an investment in your health and opportunity to learn how to interact with your nervous system.
12. Adjustments and soft tissue manipulation may promote range of motion, sensory and motor control, and overall joint health.

Interview Series Part 5 of 5: Cassie Piasecki

Exercise, Experts and Spine & Joint Health

(Back for more? Skip the introduction and go directly to Part 5)

The health benefits of regular exercise are well known.  We exercise for weight loss, physical therapy, enhanced performance, aesthetics, and general well-being.  I see patients from all walks of life and each one of them faces his own unique set of challenges to health and fitness. Injuries can pose short-term or long-term challenges and frustration.  It’s easy to feel as if you’re backsliding rather than making strides toward your fitness goals.

As a chiropractor, I know that spine and joint protection are key to avoiding injury during exercise. I look at exercise through this lens and attempt to educate my patients about the structure and function of their spines and joints.  I also want my patients to enjoy the fulfillment which comes from exercising in a variety of ways while experiencing pain-free training.

With that goal in mind, I’ve created a 5-part educational series in which I interview a master Pilates instructor, yoga instructor, physical therapist, strength coach, and a spin instructor.  I want to introduce you to different types of exercise with an emphasis on spine and joint protection.  I hope you’ll benefit from the unique insights provided by these fitness experts.

INTERVIEW SERIES: PART 5 OF 5

CAssie piasecki, gritcycle Spin instructor, pilates Instructor, and entrepeneur.

My final conversation was with Cassie Piasecki.  Before the interview, I agreed to take an early morning spin class she was leading. It was my first experience with GritCycle. I had a great time and enjoyed this style of spin when compared to a more traditional spin class. Her class was full and I developed a quick appreciation for what it takes to be a good instructor. Cassie has zest for physical activity, healthy living, and is full of energy.  You can learn more about Cassie by visiting her website. Here are the questions I posed to her and excerpts from her responses.

I read on your bio that your favorite quote is from Joseph Pilates. “ “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” Can you discuss what that looks like for you?

Answer: My "life quote" from Joseph Pilates is "Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness." It doesn't matter how much money I have, how big my home is, how much I love my friends, family, and career if my health isn't at its best.  I've got to FEEL great and be healthy to enjoy life.  I take care of me first and then everything else falls into place.  

What are the most important aspects of teaching any type of fitness modality?

Answer: I feel that the most important aspect of teaching any type of fitness, other than being safe, is to make the workout less about the physical outcome and more about the mental benefits.  It's easy to push someone physically, but when you can get people to feel a workout in their gut, their heart and in their brain, that's where we can have the most impact.  Sure!  I want my clients to looking smoking hot and move pain-free throughout their day, but I want them to feel empowered, more creative, more confident, energized, happy, sexy, and less stressed.  THAT is what you get when you can tap into deeper things other than the booty.  

What attracted you to The American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP)?

Answer: I become a Holistic Health Practitioner through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners after going through Keri Glassman's "The Nutrition School."  Getting her certification allowed me to gain the AADP's stamp of approval.  After being a hardcore dieter for more than 20 years, I finally woke up and learned how to use food to fuel my body rather than starve it.  I wanted to teach as many women as I could about eating real food and sought out a program that taught that same approach.  Keri sets the standard in this department.  It was key to me to learn from her.  She's now not only my mentor but a friend!  

As a serial entrepreneur, mother, and multi-class instructor, what is your self-care therapy of choice?

Answer: You are right!  I am a busy lady.  My self-care of choice is going to sound so cliché, but it is my workout.  I move my body every day in addition to teaching my classes.  Those classes aren't my workout.  I need "My Workout."  It happens every morning even if I have to wake up and do it in the dark.  These workouts allow me to be better at everything I do.  They boost me up and calm me down.  My other self-care of choice is playing with my pups.  They always take things down a notch. 

What brought you to GritCycle? How is it different from a traditional spin session?

Answer: GRIT Cycle is my jam!  I live a few blocks from the first location in Costa Mesa.  I went in and took a class a few weeks after they opened.  The minute the overhead lights turned off and the blue lights came on, I knew I had to teach there.  I auditioned right way and a few month later was teaching my first class.  It's not your 90's spin class.  This is a dance party on the bike.  It is also a full-body workout since we incorporate full body movement and a weights section in the 45-minute long class.  It's a high energy, mood lifting, stress-reducing big bang for your buck.  

In your experience, what are typical spin-related injuries?

Answer: I don't see too many spin-related injuries at GRIT.  I think it is because we are trained to set up our clients in a safe position on the bike, and we cue the moves effectively.  If anything, people love coming to GRIT so much that many don't take time off to rest or do another type of workout.  They get GRIT-addicted so overdoing it could become an issue.  

Have you had to deal with any injuries or physical setbacks throughout your carrier?

Answer: As an instructor, I'm always over-exaggerating my moves on the bike by about 30% so that people can see what I'm doing.  I make my moves big, so you'll do them right.  I also teach a LOT... both cycling and Pilates.  Sometimes I get sore, or my knees will feel a little funky, but it passes. (Knocking on wood now!)  I'm careful in choosing all of my own workouts so that they compliment what I do on the bike. 

If you were forced to stick with one type of exercise, which would you choose and why?

Answer: If I could only do one type of exercise, what would it be?  OH Man!!!!!  I can't choose one.  I'm going to say Pilates.  I want to be able to move freely and with little to no pain for the rest of my life.  Pilates is something that I'll be able to do forever, and it will keep me strong.  

When you teach high-intensity workouts 6 days a week, how do you protect your spine and joints?

Answer: I protect my spine and joints by lifting weights and doing Pilates.  Both modalities strengthen my core and all of the supporting muscles around the back and knees.  I want to move my body in all planes and Pilates especially allows me to that.  I'm also a believer in the power of cryotherapy.  It works to decrease inflammation in my joints. And, I love a good massage.

I thank Cassie for this interview. She has a unique point of view regarding personal health. Her approach to exercise and nutrition is a lifestyle choice rather than a series of  diets and bouts of  on-and-off again exercise. If you have questions for her here is here website (see her Move the Needle Now program) and Instagram profile.