All posts tagged: better health

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – December 27th

December 26, 2019 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

Dr. Kenney’s 5 Spot

I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions. On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

Do you eat strictly over the holidays? The way I approach eating at holiday events is that I indulge in things that I am excited about but avoid just stuffing my face with things I don’t. For example, my grandmother used to bring over apples that are essentially baked using red hot candies and water. She created this recipe during The Depression, and I’ve had it every year of my life going back to childhood. It’s as much Christmas to me as the tree. Is it good for me? No. Am I skipping it? Heck no. On the other hand, cookies are not my thing so when those are everywhere at parties, I leave them be. I don’t restrict myself, but I don’t go too crazy just because it’s a holiday.

A piece of nutrition advice you like to give? Following along with the above, I believe that there is nothing wrong with eating whatever you want from time to time. Scientifically when this is a deviation from your norm, it accelerates metabolism. My advice is to not let a “cheat day” become multiple days, a cheat week or more. So, what I recommend is the day after you indulge, get right back into healthy eating and get some form of exercise in. On Christmas I ate a lot of food I would not eat on a regular day. On the 26^th I got up, did 100 burpees (while my 17-month-old clapped for me, bonus!), drank a lot of water and had a healthy breakfast of eggs and an avocado. Before my body could even begin to crave sugar or want more of the bad stuff, I had it back on the right track. Treating yourself is fine, just have the discipline to get it back under control.

A gift I’m excited about? I got a training mask from my kids for Christmas. For those not familiar, this is a mask you wear that restricts breathing and simulates altitude training. It can be set for anywhere from 3,000 feet to 18,000 feet. I’ve done a run and a couple workouts with it thus far and it’s challenging but I think it will help me as I continue training for my upcoming 100-mile race in March.

A book I love? Living with a SEAL by Jesse Itzler. This is the true story of a wealthy man, stuck in his routines that brings a very intense Navy SEAL to live with him and his family and follow him around for 30 days. The story itself is worth it but there are many lessons to be learned about breaking out of comfort zones and challenging ourselves daily to become better people.

A quote I love? “Deep in his heart, every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live and a beauty to rescue.” – John Eldredge

Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – December 20th

December 19, 2019 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions. On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

Do you ever eat fast food? I never eat anything from the fast food chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Taco Bell, etc. because the ingredients are so low quality and, in many cases, harmful. To me that’s not food. However, I will eat at fast casual places such as Chipotle and Tokyo Joe’s where I can get something healthy and quickly.

Something I do at home for exercise? Something simple that I will do at home are burpees. For those who don’t know this is a combination of a pushup, squat and squat jump and is an excellent overall exercise for your body. On days that I want to exercise but don’t have a lot of time I will do a 10-minute burpee challenge. Basically, I set a timer for 10 minutes and see how many burpees I can do. My record is 135 but usually I’ll get around 120. If you’re new to burpees start out with 10 to 20 and you’ll still feel them!

What exercise advice do you give regularly? I have plenty of answers for this, but I’ll give my top three here. First, you DO have time. I don’t care who you are or what your schedule is, you have time to do something. Second, find some form of exercise that will be convenient for you. If you’re going to work out at a gym for example, make sure it’s convenient to your house or job otherwise you’ll never do it. If you know that getting to classes or a gym won’t work for you then research things you can do at home. Finally, a great majority of the time you won’t feel like exercising and those are precisely the times when you must. You will NEVER regret showing up and before long you’ll never even think about skipping.

Do you adjust children? If so, why? Yes, I do, and I have adjusted thousands throughout my career. The spine protects a major piece of our nervous system so we need to keep it healthy. When adults have issues with their spine, they often experience pain. When children have spinal misalignments in their spine, they tend to get more visceral symptoms such as ear infections, colic, reflux, constipation, poor sleep, etc. So just like children need dental care, all children should ideally have chiropractic care to facilitate proper growth and development. Adjusting children is far easier than adjusting adults and in my humble opinion, those adjustments are the most important that I perform. All three of my children have been adjusted by me since they were minutes old, receive checkups regularly and show amazing benefits as a result. I understand that this may be not be intuitive to some but if you ask any parent of a child that gets adjusted, they will confirm how beneficial it is.

Quote I love? “Don’t let a win get to your head or a loss to your heart.” – Public Enemy, He Got Game

Want More? Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – December 13th

December 12, 2019 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

Dr. Kenney’s 5 Spot

I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions. On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

Are there ingredients in food you won’t eat? Yes. For space reasons I won’t go into the specifics of why today, but I will not eat any artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame-K, saccharine), hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (these are trans fats) or any artificial colors. These are all extremely toxic to the nervous system and body so they’re not worth it for me.

A piece of advice I give to my patients? Most people understand the importance of regular dental checkups. Checkups detect problems before they begin or get too far, and the regular cleanings help maintain the teeth to remain healthy and strong for longer. I recommend people follow the same principle with their spine and chiropractic care. You certainly don’t need to be adjusted every single week if you don’t wish but even somewhat regular “tune-ups” will go a long way. 90% of the worst conditions I see could have been prevented with basic preventative care.

Something I admire? Have you ever watched someone that’s excellent at what they do? I’m talking about someone that takes time to put all they have into what they do and how they do it. I call that being a “craftsman” and it’s something I really admire. Some recent examples of this that come to mind are a gentleman that selects and fits people for hats, a football coach, a waiter and a lawyer. I love to observe people like this and learn from them.

A lesson I believe in? As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I coach two football teams. One of the things I try to do with all my players is find something they do well. Some kids are very gifted and it’s easy. But others may not be and so with these kids I really search to find their “thing.” Once I find it, I over-emphasize it in practice, get them to take great pride in it and then allow them to utilize it in our games. What I’ve found is that once they can contribute what they do well, their confidence grows and I’m able to expand their roles and teach them more. There is a player I’ve had for 2 seasons. In his first, he struggled with everything but eventually I detected a strength. This season I got him in a position to utilize that strength and he blossomed. By season’s end he was one of our defensive MVP’s and went from a quiet kid to a vocal leader and great teammate. I believe that this lesson is true in life and sports: double down on your strengths and as your productivity and confidence grows, you can then begin to produce even more strengths.

A quote I love: “It’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate.” – Jocko Willink

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – December 6th

December 6, 2019 Matt Kenney Friday 5 Spot

I interact with hundreds of patients each week and get asked a lot of questions. On Fridays I like to share some of the answers I give and hope it has value for you.

Something I’m eating? I enjoy eating quinoa (pronounced keen-wah for those that don’t know). Usually I’ll make a pot of it using vegetable broth as the liquid. Then throughout the week I’ll put some in a bowl and add chopped up veggies, avocado, walnuts, kale chips, chia seeds, feta cheese, kalamata olives or any number of different things to it. I also sometimes eat it for breakfast with berries, walnuts, almonds, cinnamon and fresh honey on top.

A recent observation? On Saturday of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend my two older sons were playing a lot of video games and began to aggravate each other easily. This is unusual for them, so I asked them if they’d like me to put them through a short workout. We went to the garage and I had them doing some simple but tiring stuff for probably 15 minutes. After those 15 minutes they were like different kids – relaxed, more patient and calm. Our bodies produce a lot of energy each day. With physical activity we can burn through the portion that hinders us, makes us anxious, less productive, etc. Once that occurs, we are then able to be more driven, productive and energetic.

A common chiropractic question I receive? “Why does my spine go out of place?” I receive this question daily. The spine can certainly suffer immediate traumas that cause it to misalign such as slips and falls, sports injuries and car accidents. And those traumas can also make us more sensitive to misalignments later in life (depending on the severity and whether they lead to arthritic changes or not). Most commonly though, misalignments of the spine come from what I call micro-traumas – posture, gait, sleeping position, ergonomics, exercise (or lack thereof), too much sitting, not enough stretching, consuming too many inflammatory foods/drinks, etc. With these micro-traumas it is not one specific thing that causes the misalignment but usually rather a buildup and combination of many over time.

Something I recommend everyone do? Once a month I have a friend that I get together with that’s an entrepreneur. We have lunch together in my office and we talk through anything and everything in our business lives (and personal lives as well). He’s a high energy guy like myself so this process really gets me pumped up with ideas, motivation, etc. By the time we finish lunch each of us have a bunch of ideas to explore and motivation to as well. I think it’s important to have someone like this to meet up with that inspires you in some way (and/or that you inspire as well). Talking to positive, motivated people is an excellent way to fuel progress in any endeavor.

Quote I love: “Every next level of your life requires a new version of you.” – Inky Johnson

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5 Ways to live like an athlete even when it’s not game day

June 17, 2015 Matt Kenney Blog

As a chiropractor and athlete myself, I regularly treat and interact with people that compete in a multitude of sports. Today I’m sharing 5 common traits among athletes I think we should all embrace to improve our health and quality of life.

1. “Be bulletproof.” This is my term for preventing injuries. Many factors play into the avoidance of injuries but the ones I feel are most important are: varying your workouts, getting different types of exercise (cardiovascular, weights, yoga, etc), stretching and getting enough recovery sleep (7 hours minimum). I also recommend receiving holistic checkups such as chiropractic adjustments (every pro team has a chiropractor for a reason!), acupuncture and/or massage. Remember, the human body, much like a sports car is designed for high performance. Don’t allow a lack of preventative maintenance to turn your Porsche into a garage-bound piece of junk.

2. “Don’t put sugar in your gas tank.” You would never think of putting anything other than the proper fuel into your gas tank for fear that your vehicle would break down. The same analogy applies to what you eat and drink. If you want to be healthy, pain-free, performing well and feeling great than you should seek to put only the best things possible into your body. I’d recommend decreasing/eliminating alcohol, sugary drinks, sugar, white flour, artificial ingredients and any medications you don’t ABSOLUTELY need. Next I would increase water intake, fruits, vegetables, protein source, and healthy fats and make sure to take a good multivitamin/mineral.

3. “Challenge yourself.” I read once that the difference between a jogger and a runner is the signature on a race application. Whether it’s physical activities, your job or personal life it is imperative that you constantly challenge yourself. That means different things to each of us. Personally I sign up for increasingly difficult races, publicly speak regularly (this was unthinkable for me years ago) and spend many hours analyzing my business and implementing strategies that lead to growth.

4. “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” One thing I’ve found that athletes understand better than most is that regardless of how great you are, how much you’ve prepped or how amazing your intentions may be; sometimes stuff is just not going to go your way. These instances are NOT failures but rather opportunities to make you more resilient. For example, I ran a race last weekend and felt great going in but within a couple miles my tank was on empty and it was a struggle. No matter what I tried I just couldn’t get things going like I normally do. Midway through the race I just accepted that it was a “grind it out” type of day. I wasn’t thrilled with my finishing time but refusing to quit when I was exhausted and hurting was satisfying. Feelings like that help me deal with adversities that confront me in my personal and business life. The difficulties in your life are ultimately what will help you grow as a person.

5. “There is no secret sauce.” Our country has an obsession with quick fixes. Unfortunately when it comes to your health, there really aren’t any. Learn from trial and error, take baby steps, set goals both short and long term, learn from people with more experience and embrace consistency. You won’t win the war overnight but you’ll start winning the battles that lead you there.

Dr. Kenney has won multiple awards for “Best Chiropractor” and specializes in motivating and helping patients achieve their goals of better health and pain relief. For more information please visit www.NewBodyChiro.com, find us on Facebook (New Body Chiropractic & Wellness Center) or call (303) 347-9906.

8 Most common reasons patients need my help

February 18, 2015 Matt Kenney Blog

As a chiropractor, I’m often asked by friends and acquaintances what initially prompts patients to come see me. Today I’ll share some of the most common.

· Pain and symptom relief. This is generally the most common reason patients initially come to see me. A thorough evaluation helps to identify problems caused by the spine which then can be fixed by a good chiropractor.

· Reducing reliance on pain medication. There is no doubt that medication has an important place in our medical system. However, many people come to me frustrated at their reliance upon over the counter or prescription medications to feel better throughout the day. Many of my patients are people seeking out a natural way eliminate or reduce their use of pain medications.

· Improving motion. When I meet with a patient for the first time they often tell me they feel older than they are or that they move like the tin man. In many cases the causes of this are spinal issues that I can correct.

· Preventing arthritis or slowing the progression of arthritis. Just like your teeth can get decay, so too can your spine. Spinal decay is known as arthritis and is caused by lack of joint motion and incorrect positioning of your spine. Regular checkups can help prevent arthritis (if not yet present) or prevent it from getting worse (if already present).

· Pregnancy. As the body changes during pregnancy it places great stress on the spine. By re-aligning the spine I’m able to help alleviate a great deal of pregnancy-related discomfort. Trust me when I tell you, no group of my patients are happier with the relief chiropractic provides more than pregnant women!

· Healthier children. Some are surprised to know that pediatrics is a large part of my patient base. Parents trust me to care for their children for reasons ranging from ear infections and colic to general wellness. Having cared for so many children over the years (including my own) I can say first hand that regular chiropractic checkups for children make an enormous, positive impact upon health and development.

· Improved athletic performance. Nearly every professional team has a chiropractor on staff. The reason is that with a properly functioning musculoskeletal system athletes are able to perform better, recover quicker and more effectively prevent injuries. I continue to help athletes across a variety of sports by addressing sport-specific issues of their spines and extremities.

· Better overall health. Your nervous system controls your entire body and a large portion of that nerve system is protected by your spine. Therefore, you may be surprised to learn that keeping your spine healthy actually helps improve overall health. I cannot tell you how many thousands of times I have helped a patient with their spine that has in turn produced an immediate and dramatic improvement in some aspect of health they were not expecting.

Use these tips to improve your health within 1 month

January 8, 2015 Matt Kenney Blog

1. Choose an unhealthy food or drink you regularly consume and cut it down to at least 50% within 30 days. This will create physical results and discipline.

2. Learn to cook and prepare at least 2 healthy meals. Simple recipes are perfect and an easy way to begin eating better.

3. Don’t skip breakfast. If you start the day with breakfast you’ll have greater energy and be less prone to overeating at night.

4. Increase your water intake. Whatever you’re ingesting now, shoot for at least 1/3 more.

5. Take a good multivitamin. The best multivitamins are food-based (come from food), the worst kinds are synthetic and will be sold in drug stores for the same price you pay for coffee.

6. If you’re currently exercising, increase your intensity. Upping the intensity prevents stagnation and leads to faster results.

7. If you’re not working out, start performing exercise a minimum of 3 times a week for at least 20 minutes per session. If you don’t move it, you’ll lose it.

8. Complain less. Whining, complaining and fighting on Facebook are all examples of directing your energy toward negativity instead of results.

9. Listen more. Most people are great at talking, learn to listen more and you’ll be shocked at what you can achieve as a result.

10. Schedule an appointment to improve your health within 30 days. For example, visit a chiropractor or personal trainer.

Dr. Kenney has won multiple awards for “Best Chiropractor” and specializes in helping patients achieve their goals of better health and pain relief. For more information please browse our website, find us on Facebook (New Body Chiropractic & Wellness Center) or call (303) 347-9906.

7 Tips for more successful New Year’s resolutions

December 30, 2014 Matt Kenney Blog

Today I’d like to share some of my tips for making better New Year’s resolutions:

1. Keep it simple. Rather than making a series of resolutions that you won’t keep, make 1 or 2 (preferably just one) that you can focus on.

2. Be original. Don’t feel you have to copy the resolutions of others. Select something that is important and specific to you.

3. Understand your “why.” A crucial part of any goal is your reason for wanting to achieve it. The more specific you are and the more often you think of those reasons, the more likely you’ll be to succeed.

4. Write your goal(s) down. Statistically any goal that is written down has a far greater chance of success than those that are not.

5. Create action steps. Once you’ve set a general goal it is important to have a series of action steps in place to achieve that goal. For example, if weight loss is your goal than your action steps may involve making it to the gym a certain number of times each week, eating more of a certain healthy food or eating/drinking less of certain unhealthy food on a daily basis.

6. Tell others about your goals. Making others aware of your goals is a good way to keep yourself more accountable. You’ll be far less likely to quit when people are regularly inquiring about your progress.

7. Reward yourself. Resolutions should not be punishment, as you start to make progress it’s okto reward your hard work. For example, when I help people with nutrition I often tell them that if they eat healthy throughout the week it’s alright to indulge in 1-2 bad meals as a reward. Creating incentives like this leads to greater success.

Dr. Kenney has won multiple awards for “Best Chiropractor” and specializes in helping patients achieve their goals of better health and pain relief. For more information and regular updates please find us on Facebook (New Body Chiropractic & Wellness Center).

6 Health Tips To Be Thankful For

November 26, 2014 Matt Kenney Blog

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I thought I’d share some tips I’ve learned over the years that I’m thankful for. These tips have made a tremendous difference in my life and the lives of many others I’ve encountered.

1. Spend less on “stuff” and more on experiences. There are only so many things any of us need and often the more we acquire, the less fulfilled we are. I believe like many that spending money on experiences is far more fulfilling and exciting.

2. Simplify. Rather than adding things to our lives, often subtracting things is the key to happiness. This may include ridding ourselves of people that make us feel bad, minimizing bills and/or debt or any number of other possibilities. Eliminating things we no longer need inevitably leads us to better places.

3. Concern yourself only with what you can control. We live in a world with constant struggles, pressures and difficulties. If we focus on too many of them we become overwhelmed, frustrated and often bitter. The best approach is to apply our efforts to the things we can actually control such as in our business and personal lives. This leads to a more positive outlook, confidence and sense of fulfillment.

4. Complain less. Ultimately, complaining is wasted energy and effort. Instead of making excuses or directing blame to others, work on coming up with solutions. Your friends and co-workers will thank you but most importantly, you’ll feel better.

5. Find new challenges. I believe it’s important to continually test yourself in new ways. Sign up for a difficult race, volunteer for a new position, give a presentation or do anything that requires you to step out of your comfort zone. Meeting new challenges raises your confidence and teaches you to become stronger and more effective in everyday life.

6. Do not neglect your health. Ignoring your health such as being inactive, eating poorly or doing nothing about your pain will INEVITABLY end up catch up with you and land you in crisis. Even worse, often times once you’ve reached crisis level you’ll end up with fewer options for correcting your health issues. Become more proactive about exercising, eating better and getting yourself out of pain before it’s too late.

Dr. Kenney has won multiple awards for “Best Chiropractor” and specializes in helping patients achieve their goals of better health and pain relief. For more information please find us on Facebook (New Body Chiropractic & Wellness Center) or call (303) 347-9906.

How to use the 80/20 rule to improve your health!

October 30, 2014 Matt Kenney Blog

One of the things I often mention to my patients to improve their health is to follow the “80/20 rule”. This means is that if you follow healthy fundamentals 80% of the time, then the 20% of the time when you aren’t as strict won’t negatively impact you nearly as much. In other words, it’s a way to make progress while still having flexibility with your decisions. Here are some specific examples:

1. Nutrition. Inevitably when anyone wants to begin eating better they begin thinking of the foods they’ll no longer be able to eat. There’s no reason you have to abandon the treats you enjoy altogether, but you should “earn” them first. Eat well 80% of the time and then take pleasure in the 20% of the time when you’re dying for something decadent or less healthy.

2. Beverages. Bad beverages are essentially liquid calories and a recipe for weight gain, inflammation and poor health. You should make water and healthy beverages your best friend 80% of the time and make alcohol, juices, sugary drinks, artificially sweetened drinks, etc the exception to this rule.

3. Exercise. I am a firm believer that EVERYONE should exercise and that EVERYONE has time to do something to accomplish this, even if it’s only 10 minutes a day. Since there are 52 weeks in a year, if you worked out 80% of those weeks it would equate to 41 weeks. That means in a year you’d theoretically be able to miss 11 weeks (nearly 3 months) and still have exercised 80% of the year. Shoot for this 80% goal at minimum, exercise at least 3 times per week during those weeks and you’ll notice amazing results.

4. Thoughts. Researchers estimate that human beings have anywhere from 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day. Unfortunately it is also estimated that for many people, 80% of these thoughts are either negative or self-limiting. The most successful people in athletics, business and life understand the link between positive thoughts and achievement. Make an effort to start thinking more positively about yourself, your life and the people and events around you and you’ll notice a profound difference. As an example, I recently read a book on the extremely difficult Navy SEAL training. Many of the instructors interviewed mentioned that while the program itself is so physically grueling, mental toughness was a much more reliable indicator for success than physical prowess.

5. Relationships. This is not a category most people would apply the 80/20 rule to, but I feel it’s important. All relationships have ups and downs but my opinion is that you need someone that makes you happy and also helps make you better as a person. If you believe your partner provides this for you 80% of the time (or more) than you’re probably with the right person! If however, that’s only the case 20% of the time (or less), than it may be time to make a change. Being with someone that makes you unhappy detracts from every facet of your life. You owe it to yourself to find someone that helps make your life better. This same principle can also apply to friendships.

Dr. Kenney has won multiple awards for “Best Chiropractor” and specializes in helping patients achieve their goals of better health and pain relief. For more information please continue to search our website, find us on Facebook (New Body Chiropractic & Wellness Center) or call (303) 347-9906.

All posts tagged: better health

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – December 27th

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – December 20th

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – December 13th

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – December 6th

5 Ways to live like an athlete even when it’s not game day

8 Most common reasons patients need my help

Use these tips to improve your health within 1 month

7 Tips for more successful New Year’s resolutions

6 Health Tips To Be Thankful For

How to use the 80/20 rule to improve your health!

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