What does it mean to be healthy?

What does it mean to be healthy? The top 5 tips from the O’Brien Family

For a school project, my 7-year-old had to create a poster about what it means to be healthy. Of course, I had many thoughts and ideas as to what I would put on this poster, but I really wanted to see what he thought. I gave him a blank poster, some crayons, and told him to just be creative. What he created was amazing, but honestly, it’s what I would expect from a chiropractic kid. His poster had a beautiful circle in the middle of healthy fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, and oranges. Above the fruit was a perfect rendition of the dentist office. (He loves his dentist and is all about oral hygiene). Next to that was his depiction of the bunk bed he shares with his brother. This represented the importance of sleep. Below the healthy foods, he drew a track. It would appear that the amount of running I do has made an impression on him, and he considers physical activity to be important. Lastly, of course, he drew a chiropractic adjustment. His accurate interpretation was a picture of me adjusting him while we both have giant smiles on our faces.

Now, if I were to draw a poster to represent what being healthy means to me, I think it would look very similar.

• Drinking enough water: If you’ve been in the office recently, you’ve seen our question of the week (your weight in lbs. / 2 = the amount in oz. of water you should drink every day). The human body is approximately 70% water; we need to make sure that we drink enough water to flush out toxins and replenish our cells.
• Being physically active: My activity of choice is running, but I do love yoga, cycling, and lifting weights. Physical activity – small amounts every day – can impact not only your heart health, but your bone density and respiratory function as well.
• Getting enough sleep: During rest at night is when our body does most of its healing. Our brain also needs enough rest to process the events of the day, prepare for the next day, and to form new neural pathways.
• Eating colorful foods: I use this concept whenever I make my salads – the colorful the better. Consuming a wide variety of fruits and vegetables can help ensure that your body is getting the nutrients that it needs.
• Getting adjusted: Making sure that your nervous system is functioning properly is the goal of chiropractic care. Not only do we want you to feel better and experience less aches and pains, but we really want your whole body to function better.

Now this is just 5 tips; there are plenty of other things we can do to keep our bodies healthy. What would your poster look like?

Dr. Shannon