Six things a female health practitioner does to stay healthy!

Hoping to make this post about something women are actually interested in, I went to research topics in a leading Australian women’s health magazine for inspiration. I quickly discovered that apparently all women are really interested in is ‘getting better sex’ and ‘dropping a jeans size in 5 days; reasonable I thought. Then again, I’m a young woman and when it comes to my health, I have more worries than just getting better sex and looking thinner in a week. What I’m really after is a chocolate that makes me drop two dress sizes in three days and makes it impossible for men whom I desire to resist me!
Actually, no. What this is really about is helping women get factual information about their health, get healthy and help them live the life they desire. So, below are my little cheats that help me stay healthy as a health practitioner. Borrow them if you want; it won’t work for everyone, but at least start trying to incorporate some of these things into your life.

4.    I listen to music (A LOT!)

Right now, as I’m sitting here typing, I have music on in the background. (Yeah, it's Bob Marley and I have to stop every 30secs just to have a little hip groove in my chair!) Music has this incredible ability to reach an individual and instantly change the way they're feeling. Music is constantly going in my life, in my practice, in my car and in my home. Want to feel healthier? Grab out your old tapes (yeah, remember those) and put them on! Instant energy boost I swear. It’s better than a triple shot espresso!

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3.    I move frequently

Most mornings, I get up at 5.30am so I can stumble out of bed, poke my contacts in my weary eyes and go to the gym. I’m not going to lie, most of the time, I hate myself for it and have to stop myself from turning the car around at every red light to go back to bed. But, once I'm done, I always thank myself. It’s my routine, and routines allow us to incorporate healthy habits into our busy lives. I believe in consistency. If I constantly move, I feel better for it and I'm always on the go at work. It’s a blessing I drink so much water that even if I have to sit for 6 hours to do a bunch of paperwork, I have to get up and pee at least eight times!

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2.    I have a food plan

Every Sunday morning I sit down and plan all of our meals for the week ahead. This includes our breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. The truth is, just like everyone else, I’m pretty busy. Most nights of the week I don’t leave my practice until after 7.30pm. Not only does planning our meals ahead actually save me a lot of time but it saves us a fortune. It’s awesome. I don’t have to think about what we should have for dinner every night at the end of a long day; we don’t waste any food as we usually have dinner left overs for lunch the next day. This plan also ensures that we are having a good balance and variety of healthy nutritious foods. This has literally changed my life. I’ve lost weight because of it and because I actually nourish my body with good whole foods, I feel amazing.

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1.    I have a sexy lunch date on Fridays!

Every Friday, I have a sexy lunch date! It’s with myself, at the beach. Exactly five minutes from my practice, there’s a beach and the car park looks over the bay. It’s my favourite place in the whole entire world (mind you I haven’t exactly seen much of the world!) Nevertheless, every Friday, I run away from work for about an hour to eat my lunch in absolute bliss! I need this. This is my time (I actually turn my phone off) and I decompress from the week I’ve just had. This time allows me to be a better practitioner/boss/daughter/sister/friend/girlfriend/cat owner. I’ve found if I don’t give myself this one hour to breathe, I want to start high-fiving a lot of people in the face. It’s better for everyone that I have this time to allow myself to unwind.

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5.    I see other health professionals

I have an awesome chiropractor, a great GP, a Chinese medicine doctor, a myotherapist, a naturopath, podiatrist and a personal trainer! All of them are amazing. I need these seven health practitioners in my life to take care of me so I can take care of other people! Truth is, I have a really bad back and bending over people all day isn’t exactly great for it, hence my three weekly appointments with my chiro! I also know the importance of my nervous system working well for my health and body. All these practitioners constantly inspire and challenge me (The personal trainer is certainly the biggest challenge..... 30 minutes of blood, sweat and tears every week!) to create better health decisions every day so I can be the healthiest I can be!

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6.    I cry

All health professionals have to put on this façade that we are really well put together and well-rounded individuals. Most of us are not. How do I keep this act up? I cry. And I mean UGLY cry! We all know crying is incredibly therapeutic. In my line of work, you get to deal with some really awesome people and some not so awesome people. If I didn’t cry, I would end up crunched over in the foetal position in hysterics and that could come across as slightly unprofessional. Secondly, as a Chiropractor I deal with people, with real issues, and real life and death health crises. I see everything, from the pure joy of two new parents to the heartache of two parents that just lost a child. From the fittest athlete to the moment I just knew it would be the last time I ever got to see one of my terminal cancer patients. Some things get to me, so I have to cry; I am human after all! I encourage every woman to have a decent cry once in a while. Crying is just so good, good for you and good for your health!

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