Discomfort is a signal - sometimes subtle, sometimes loud - that something needs attention. When you ignore those signals, you’re not just tolerating discomfort; you may be allowing small issues to become long‑term limitations.
The first step toward feeling as good as you want to is acknowledging that it's not enough to just feel okay. You deserve to feel strong, mobile, and energized. If you don't, what needs to change to bring you a step closer to feeling great?
When you start paying attention to the messages your body sends, you can use that information to create meaningful change. Once you start feeling that change, it will likely motivate you to keep going and make wellness practices a central part of your life.
Chiropractic care is one piece of that puzzle, and it works best when paired with movement, nutrition, hydration, sleep, and stress management. Combining these habits with regular chiropractic care supports your body and lays the foundation for long‑term wellness.
Let's explore what this might look like in your life.
When your spine and nervous system are under stress, your body compensates in ways that drain your energy and restrict your movement. You might notice headaches creeping in more often, or that your posture collapses by mid‑afternoon. These aren’t just annoyances; they’re signs of imbalance.
Your spine is the central highway for your nervous system. When it is aligned and functioning well, it helps your body communicate more efficiently, your muscles work in harmony, and your joints move the way they’re meant to. But when misalignments occur, even small ones, they can disrupt everything from your mobility to your mood. Many people don’t realize how much their spinal health influences their overall well‑being.
Misalignments can develop from long hours at a desk, repetitive movements, poor sleep positions, or even emotional stress. Over time, these patterns create tension and imbalance that your body quietly adapts to. You may not notice the problem right away, but over time, the dysfunction builds up. Tight shoulders, a limited range of motion, or that persistent low‑back ache could be related to it. When your joints, muscles, and nervous system are working together well, you may even find a surprising boost in mood and energy.
Chiropractic care can help promote alignment through treatments in the office as well as guidance on practices to follow between sessions. Working as a team - with me as an expert on wellness and you as the expert on your life - we can come up with a plan that works for you.
Movement is one of the most powerful tools you have for feeling better in your body. You don’t need intense workouts or hours at the gym - just consistent, intentional motion throughout your day. Gentle stretching, walking, and mobility exercises help keep your joints lubricated, your muscles balanced, and your spine supported. When you move regularly, you improve circulation, reduce stiffness, and give your nervous system the stimulation it needs to function at its best. Think of movement as a daily investment in how you want to feel, not a chore to check off a list.
Even when you do a more formal workout, keep the focus on functional movements - ones that move your whole body, using muscle groups together rather than isolating individual muscle groups. The human body is designed to run, lift, throw, and push things. Incorporating this knowledge into your workouts for both the upper and lower body may look like ...
- Squats: hold dumbbells, kettlebells, or a bar on your shoulders for an added challenge.
- Deadlift: pick things up off the ground (barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell, etc.).
Nutrition
What you put into your body directly influences how you feel, how you move, and how well you heal. A balanced diet rich in whole foods - especially fruits, vegetables, protein, and healthy fats - provides the nutrients your tissues need to repair and thrive. Good nutrition isn’t about perfection; it's about small, sustainable choices. These little shifts can have a huge impact on your energy, inflammation levels, and overall well‑being.
One of the ways to determine if a food is healthy is to ask yourself if the food used to be alive; could it live or be grown on a farm? I want the answer to be 'yes' for most of what I put in my body. Another key component is to stop trusting the front of the package and start flipping it over. Look straight at the ingredient list, because manufacturers have a financial motivation to mislead us. My guiding principle is simple: if I wouldn’t eat the ingredients plain, I don’t want them disguised in a “food-like” product.
My goal isn’t to lose weight - it’s to feel good, stay energized, and support my body with real nourishment.
Hydration
Staying well‑hydrated is one of the simplest yet most overlooked ways to support your overall health and spinal function. Water helps cushion your joints, nourish your discs, and keep your muscles supple. This makes movement easier and reduces the likelihood of stiffness or strain. Even mild dehydration can leave you feeling fatigued or achy, because your tissues aren’t getting the fluid they need to perform and recover.
Even mild dehydration can slow communication between brain cells, making it harder to think clearly and stay focused. When your brain doesn’t have enough fluid, your mood can dip, and stress can feel heavier than it should. Proper hydration supports steady energy levels throughout the day, helping you feel more alert, balanced, and resilient. Drinking water consistently is one of the simplest ways to boost mental clarity, emotional stability, and overall vitality.
But water alone isn't enough. The fluids in your body aren't made up of straight H2O; you have a complex mixture of all sorts of minerals. Your current water processing and filtering systems have probably stripped away most of those minerals. Putting trace minerals in your water or eating hydrating foods like fruits and vegetables gives your body the fuel it needs to move, heal, and feel its best. For more information, see this previous blog.
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Spring is a beautiful time of year; the warmth, the colors, the longer days. It is especially appreciated in areas that are cold and grey in the winter (i.e., the Chicago area). As we enjoy the warmth and sunshine, it can be a great reminder to slow down and reconnect with the world around us.
In addition, it’s a season that supports both physical health and mental well-being. As the weather shifts, your body and brain respond in ways that can improve mood, energy levels, and overall resilience. However, spring never seems to last quite long enough. It is easy to miss the beauty of the season due to obligations that keep us busy, especially while the sun is out.
It's easy to think we will take time to enjoy it later, only to realize the season slipped by. But missing spring feels like missing a small gift of joy. Choosing to step outside, even briefly, is a way of being present for something beautiful. So, take a walk, sit in the sun, breathe deeply. Stepping away from some of your routines will help you embrace something lighter.
Let's look at the benefits of intentionally embracing spring this year.
Light & Mood
One of the most important changes in spring is the increase in daylight. Longer days help regulate your circadian rhythm - the internal clock that guides your sleep and wake cycles.
One of the best sleep hygiene tips is to get sunshine first thing in the morning. Exposure to natural light in the morning suppresses melatonin (the hormone that makes you sleepy) and boosts serotonin, which plays a key role in mood stabilization.
It is especially important for people who are affected by seasonal mood changes. Reduced sunlight in winter is often linked to fatigue and low mood, while these brighter mornings often bring a natural lift in alertness and emotional balance. It doesn't lift everyone's mood, but many people feel its benefits.
Outdoor Activity
Warmer temperatures tend to get us outdoors more, and often that means more movement. Physical movement is known to improve cardiovascular health, enhance immune function, reduce inflammation, and increase endorphin release (which also naturally elevates mood).
Finding movement that we enjoy can be a key to getting the movement we need. When we enjoy our movement, we just need to make time for it. We don't need to muster up the willpower to force ourselves. So, find a movement that you enjoy and save your willpower for other things.
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Natural cleaning products made with simple, plant‑based ingredients are becoming popular. They are often referred to as "green" cleaning products and can be just as effective as conventional cleaners without the harsh ingredients.
The rise of “green” branding has opened the door to a lot of confusion. Companies often use eco‑friendly buzzwords or earthy packaging to make their products seem safer or more sustainable than they really are.
Many brands rely on vague terms like “non‑toxic” or “natural,” which aren’t regulated and don’t guarantee anything about the formula. This practice - known as greenwashing - can make it difficult for consumers to know what they’re actually buying.
It can be extremely difficult to find green products, since there are so many chemical names we are unfamiliar with. The Environmental Working Group's ingredient database, finding a company you trust, or making cleaning supplies yourself are great ways to make sure your cleaning supplies are really green.
Let's look at some ways to build a cleaning routine that’s both healthier for your home and kinder to the environment.
"Green" Cleaning Supplies
According to the Environmental Working Group, "U.S. law allows manufacturers of cleaning products to use almost any ingredient they wish, including known carcinogens and substances that can harm fetal and infant development. And the government doesn’t review the safety of products before they’re sold."
EWG’s staff scientists created an easy-to-navigate hazard ratings system by evaluating the ingredients, rather than relying on a company's claims. They used that information to create a Guide to Healthy Cleaning, which allows you to search for information on specific products. You can also print out this one-page guide to healthy cleaning, which will help you evaluate store-bought cleaning supplies.
These products tend to be gentler on indoor air quality, which is a big win for anyone sensitive to synthetic fragrances. They are also free from hormone-disrupting chemicals called obesogens and other toxic ingredients.
A Dirty Hoe
If you do not want to look up each product you use, there is a trustworthy source for your cleaning supplies right here in Warrenville. A Dirty Hoe is a small business that I trust enough to use in my home and carry some of their products in my office. You can find them at "A Dirty Hoe." They have laundry detergent, hand soap, and toilet bombs with all-natural ingredients. It's also a great place to find gifts like bath bombs, body scrubs, candles, etc.
My Sister's All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe
My sister, Joelle, lives with her family on a homestead. They prioritize their health through natural living, nutrient-dense whole foods, and limiting their exposure to toxins. She has a recipe for a homemade all-purpose cleaner made from baking soda and vinegar. You can't get much simpler than that, and it works wonders.
Just mix
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½ cup vinegar
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¼ cup baking soda
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½ gallon water
Store it in a spray bottle, and use it to clean showers, bathrooms, and windows.
What are your favorite natural cleaning remedies or products?
Dr. Jamie
* For information on my sister's life as a mom of five kids living on a homestead with two cows, more than twenty chickens, and a bunch of vegetables, follow her at From Scratch Farmstead.
In 1957, Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes tried to invent a 3-D wallpaper by sealing two plastic shower curtains together with heat. The results were disappointing, and it was a complete failure as wallpaper. Failing can lead to embarrassment and shame; however, their failure is why we have bubble wrap today.
A decade later, Spencer Silver accidentally made a weak adhesive that peeled off without leaving residue when he was trying to make a strong adhesive for the space industry. It was far from what he intended, but it was used to develop Post-it notes.
As Henry Ford said, "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” If you embrace failure as a part of learning, you will not need to play it safe. You will be free to try innovative ideas with the potential for huge success.
It is okay to try, fail, learn, and try again. If you never fail, your goals may be too small. It might keep you from failure, but it will also limit your growth. Shifting your mindset to accept failure as a part of growth can help you keep going despite disappointment.
Let’s explore why many leaders believe that failing is a step on the path to greatness.
Fail Forward & Talk Kindly
Children fail many times while working toward new milestones. Think of a baby learning to walk. Do they master it on the first try? No, the progress is slow, and they fall over-and-over. Do children learn to roller skate easily without any challenges? Probably not. When they persevere despite failure and learn from their mistakes, they often master the skill. Winston Churchill said, "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."
Enthusiasm can be seen in those around the child as well. Just think of that toddler starting to walk; a good parent says words of encouragement. They go a few feet in front of the toddler and say, "Come here" in an excited voice. No one gets mad or scolds the toddler for falling. When a child falls while learning to skate, a parent may say, "I know it's hard, but you've got this."
What if we talked with ourselves with the same compassion?
Self-Compassion
Speaking compassionately to ourselves frees us up to try things we may otherwise shy away from. Think of a child who is afraid to be mocked vs. one who knows they have people cheering them on, whatever the outcome. Which child would you want to be when trying something hard? Why not be that for yourself?
Many people treat themselves more harshly than they would speak to anyone else, especially when they don't succeed. We need to begin challenging our inner dialogue when it says harmful things we would never tell another person. It takes time to change it, but we can begin by noticing our thoughts.
Put a little space between the words and who you are as a person...
- If you find yourself thinking, "I am stupid," try changing it to, "I notice I'm thinking I am stupid."
- If you find yourself thinking "I am a failure," try changing it to "I notice I'm thinking I am a failure."
- If you find yourself thinking, "I am never going to achieve this," try changing it to "I notice I'm thinking that I will never achieve this."
Eventually, you can begin to challenge those thoughts and look for proof that negative self-talk isn't true. The goal is to follow Brené Brown's encouragement to "talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.”
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Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic once said, “Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.” These words are dramatic; however, sitting for long periods can impact circulation, metabolism, joint health, and even longevity.
What’s even more surprising about this is that the negative effects of sitting even show up in people who exercise daily. Movement isn’t something we can “bank.” It's something our bodies expect consistently throughout the day. A one‑hour workout, while beneficial, cannot fully undo eight to ten hours of stillness.
Our society tends to think of movement as a time set aside for working out rather than something that can be built into our day. Challenging that perspective may help us to be more intentional about the movement opportunities we can create throughout our days. Developing the habit of moving during the day can have a big impact on how our bodies function.
Let's learn from the animal kingdom, our ancestors, and our children about natural movement.
Orcas in Captivity
In the wild, an orca can swim up to 100 miles a day, navigating vast oceans with freedom and purpose. In captivity, that same orca is confined to a tank, swimming in small circles. Over time, its dorsal fin may collapse - a physical sign of unnatural living conditions.
Like the orca, it is easy to find ourselves moving in limited, repetitive patterns that don’t reflect what our bodies were designed for. This may involve...
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Sitting for hours in the same position
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Walking only on flat, predictable surfaces
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Wearing shoes that restrict natural foot movement
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Repeating the same exercise routines
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Using machines that dictate our movement patterns
These habits slowly shape our bodies - and not always in beneficial ways.
Impact of Restricted Movement
While we don’t have dorsal fins, we do have our own warning signs that our movement has become restricted or unnatural. These often show up as...
Often, problems are the cumulative result of years of limited movement, repetitive stress, or lack of natural load on the body.
Cavemen Didn’t "Exercise"
Our ancestors didn’t schedule workouts. They didn’t need treadmills, dumbbells, or fitness trackers. Movement was built into their survival - walking long distances, gathering food, carrying heavy loads, climbing, building, and adapting to the natural environment.
This kind of movement was...
In contrast, modern exercise often involves repetitive motions, isolated muscle groups, and machines that guide our bodies through narrow, unnatural ranges of motion. It’s no wonder our bodies feel stiff, weak, or imbalanced - we’ve traded natural movement for artificial patterns.
Lessons From Children
Children naturally move throughout their day. They wiggle, climb, jump, crawl, and explore without thinking about “exercise.” Stillness is something they learn; movement is their instinct. They don’t move because they’re trying to burn calories; it’s how they interact with the world. It feels good, and they have fun with it.
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You might think that eating healthy, getting enough movement, staying hydrated, and sleeping well are the most important habits for staying healthy. You may even recognize that having a limited amount of alcohol and refraining from smoking is crucial to your well-being. While these things are extremely important, there is something else that most people forget - connections. 
Most people move through their days thinking that feeling “okay” is good enough. They chalk up stiffness, fatigue, or recurring aches to age, stress, or a busy schedule. But your body is constantly communicating with you, and discomfort is rarely random.