All posts tagged: healthy lifestyle

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

Want More?

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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.

6 Tips for a stronger mind and more productive life

September 17, 2014 Matt Kenney Blog

I’m a big believer that one of the most valuable tools a person can possess is a strong mindset. This enables a person to plan effectively, deal with crisis and move forward productively. Like anything else, thinking in a constructive way takes practice. Here are 6 tips I recommend for strengthening your mind.

1. Keep the past behind you. Far too many people spend crucial energy focused on what has already happened instead of what could be happening. Instead of dwelling on what used to be, start focusing on how you want things to be.

2. Take “smaller bites”. Many of us have so many things that need to be done that it can become overwhelming. Rather than allowing the stress this causes to set us back, the key is to take “smaller bites.” Focus on and complete 1 task at a time before moving on to the next. This will allow you to simultaneously focus on the task at hand, accomplish things, feel better and still progress toward your ultimate goal(s).

3. Trust yourself. When things get challenging many people have a tendency to question how (or if) they’ll ever be able to find a solution. Rather than adopting that negative mindset, have faith that one way or another you will succeed. Many of the most admirable people I’ve encountered were just normal people that refused to give up on finding solutions to their problems.

4. Don’t compare yourself. With things like Facebook, there is a greater tendency than ever for people to compare themselves to their friends and acquaintances. Ultimately this is damaging, exhausting and unproductive. Rather than worrying about how you stack up versus others, focus on whether you’re growing into a better version of yourself.

5. Put others first. As human beings we often have a tendency to spend so much time in our own heads that we don’t focus enough on those around us. Placing energy into helping others (even in small ways) without worrying about what we’ll receive in return has the tendency to produce profound results. I’ve personally experienced time and again in my personal and business life that those I help often end up returning the favor to me in amazing and unexpected ways.

6. Use the ” 1 hour rule”. This is a trick that I adopted many years ago and often tell my patients about. When you’re faced with an obstacle in life there is nothing wrong with admitting you’re upset. Take an hour to feel the emotions – cry, scream, punch (preferably pillows not people) or do whatever necessary to allow some of that emotion to be released…but only for 1 hour. After that hour you need to come out prepared to create solutions to whatever issues you may be facing.

Are you playing OFFENSE or DEFENSE?

August 19, 2014 Matt Kenney Blog

In honor of the return of my favorite sport, football I am posing the question – are you playing offense or defense with your health?

Offense starts with a definable goal and every action is intended to lead toward the fulfillment of that goal. In terms of health, offense means being proactive. Defense by nature is more reactive. Being defensive with your health usually means waiting for things (usually bad) to happen before taking action. When it comes to health, NOTHING beats a great offense. Below are some of my favorite tips for building a great health offense:

· Regular exercise – if you don’t move it, you lose it
· Healthy nutrition – 80% or more of the time you should be eating healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and proteins and avoiding heavily processed foods and toxic ingredients
· Drink more water and less soda, juice, sugary drinks, alcohol and coffee
· Be more active – get outside to walk, hike or pursue activities that get you moving more
· Get enough sleep – make sure you’re getting 7-8 hours of restful sleep per night
· Spend time with people that motivate you, inspire you and make you happy – your personality is a combination of the 5 people you associate with most often so choose wisely
· Make time for yourself – time to decompress is crucial even if it’s not long
· Pursue only things that seek to build your confidence and eliminate those that don’t – this applies to people, activities, what you read and much more
· Think more positively – try not to dwell on mistakes, complain or focus on potentially negative outcomes
· Seek regular preventative/maintenance checkups to specialists such as chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopaths and massage therapists – a little prevention helps everyone!

For more information or to schedule appointments please visit www.NewBodyChiro.com, find us on Facebook (New Body Chiropractic & Wellness Center) or call (303) 347-9906.

All posts tagged: healthy lifestyle

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

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

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

6 Health Tips To Be Thankful For

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

6 Tips for a stronger mind and more productive life

Are you playing OFFENSE or DEFENSE?

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