Health House

It's not a secret that meditation can be a powerful tool to reduce your stress load and help guide the body out of a fight/flight response.I'm sure you've thought..."But how am I supposed to sit still for that long?""How am I supposed to clear my mind of all thoughts?""How can I even get my body to relax for that long"We get it!The good news is that there are many ways to "meditate".Check out this episode where Dr. Lauren shares a comical technique to get the same benefits ;)

I think we could all use a friendly reminder on how amazing we are every now and then. Here's yours!

The communication between the body and the brain determines how we function and show up in our everyday life.That communication is driven by our highest human need to feel safe.The symptoms you experience of pain or fatigue are all messages that your body for some reason does not feel safe.So what can we do about it?Check out this Friday episode with Dr. Lauren for more insight!

We know that when you're feeling stressed out like you're ready to to fight someone or just want to drop everything and run, this can be a sign of a taxed nervous system stuck in a sympathetic state.But what about when you freeze? Or want to run and hide? Or don't feel safe being yourself?When we get stuck in this mode, we are actually stuck in the dorsal portion of our Vagus Nerve or a deep parasympathetic state.Wait..what?You read that right!Check out this episode from Dr. Lauren as she explains new insight on the Vagus Nerve and why autonomic balance is really what we want to shoot for!

As parents, there's a lot of worry and thought that goes into making sure our kiddos are the happiest, healthiest versions of themselves.As they are growing, we wonder if we need that toy or that book or that program or that supplement to help them.I know there can be a lot of guilt and anxiety about giving them the best of the best.The truth is that it can be a lot simpler than we think, especially during the first several years of life.Tune in to this episode with Dr. Lauren as she shares two of the most impactful yet simple things you can do to support your kiddos' growth and development!

Have you been hyper focused on specific pain sites? Is it possible that you're missing the big picture and root cause of your dis-ease?When you step on a dog's tail, you hear that pain as a bark.But if you only focused on stopping the bark, you'd be completely missing the source of dis-ease at the tail.Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren and she shares more about looking and supporting the body as a complete system to facilitate your best healing!

Treating head injuries can be tricky business. A lot of focus of treatment is on the brain. But we've seen that head injuries don't just stay in the brain. When care for head injuries doesn't include the whole pictures, lingering symptoms or even new, seemingly unconnected symptoms may be present. Symptoms like neck pain and tension. Loss of neck range of motion. Depleted immune system or symptoms of altered digestion. Mood disorders. Acne. Rashes. These can all be signs that your head injury didn't just stay in the brain.Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren to find out what else happens to the body as a result of a head injury and the connection with these symptoms!

At this point, hopefully you're loving Upper Cervical Chiropractic just as much as we do (okay well maybe not THAT much).But hopefully you're really digging it!You may be wondering, what is this voodoo magic and why do Dr. Jake and Dr. Lauren focus so much on it?Tune in to this video to learn a little more about the power of the upper cervical spine!PS. This is another great video to share with a friend who you think could use our help. Thanks for sharing!!

Did you know that more and more research is coming out showing that the root cause of most dis-ease in our body is chronic inflammation?Did you also know that our favorite nerve, the Vagus, is in charge of directing our cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway?Meaning that good Vagal tone is a key player in decreasing inflammation and therefore chronic dis-ease in our bodies!Check out this video with Dr. Lauren as she gives more of a break down as well reminders on simple ways to activate your Vagus nerve!Looking for more support in enhancing your GUT-VAGUS-BRAIN Connection? Ask the team about the Feel Better, Live More course! It's a powerhouse of support for this vital bridge to health!

When considering our ability to heal and express our healthiest self, we need to look at the entire Gut/Brain connection via the Vagus nerve.Care and support of the upper cervical spine is foundational in enhancing this connection.other pieces to be aware of.For instance the balance of our gut "bugs" aka gut flora.Have you noticed...Brain fog?Fatigue?Constipation?Diarrhea?Skin issues?Brittle hair or nails?Inability to tolerate caffeine and alcohol?Symptoms worse during the full moon?Wide spread pain or achiness?There may be an underlying chronic infectious load impairing your Gut/Brain connection and your ability to completely heal. Check out this Friday episode with Dr. Lauren for more information!

I feel like every time I tell someone that I'm a chiropractor, there's usually a joke made about how "bad" their posture and/or movement is.It makes sense. It's obviously something we look at and support as a part of our profession.But it seems like most of the time, the solution that they come to is that they just need to sit up or stand up straighter.But I want to share with you a professional secret.Your body should UNCONSCIOUSLY know how to direct your posture and movement. Your nervous system should be able to coordinate it and you shouldn't have to think about it!Another secret?There's this muscle. And it has been said that if this muscle is not moving appropriately, then no other movement in the body can happen properly.So what is this muscle? How should it be moving?And how can you get to a place where "good" movement and "good" posture just happen for you?Check out this Friday episode to find out more!

Do you know what our highest human need is?Love? Food? Connection?Research suggests that our highest human need is actually safety.So every second our nervous system is scanning our internal and external environments to get a sense of how "safe" we are.The 5 Ts are the source of stressors that can make us feel unsafe and shift us into protection mode.From this state we can't heal and grow and express our best selves.Check out this episode from Dr. Lauren for a deeper dive into the 5Ts so that you can gain better awareness on how to reduce your stressors to perceive more safety!

We know it can get frustrating when you feel like you need to be adjusted every visit and you're not sure what's happening to knock you out of alignment.We know it can get frustrating when your progress is going slower than you'd like and you're not sure what's holding you back from healing faster.Sometimes there is no good answer to these frustrations.Sometimes the  only thing the body needs is more time to heal.As we are giving it that time, let's assess if there is more to do to support that healing process when you're out of the office.We want to bring your attention to how your body structure is in your daily activities.Is it possible that the way you're doing certain activities is slightly stressing your structure?Is it possible that the accumulation of those slight stressors with each repeated activity is leading to a bigger stressor than you realize?Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren as she brings awareness to common repeat use injuries in your day to day.Making small adjustments to this could be the game changer you've been looking for!

Have you heard about this really cool tissues?It's this amazing interconnected web surrounding and supporting every structure in the body.Trauma can cause it twist and form adhesions impacting not only the structure of our body but also the hydration of it. See? So cool!Ball rolling is an amazing tool to help balance the fascia and support your alignment. Check out this episode as Dr. Lauren discusses the best way to do ball rolling.PS. She shares another amazing fact about fascia in there too. Did you hear it?

Do you remember what your x-ray looked like?Was your cervical curve normal? Was it straightening out? Or was it even heading the opposite direction?Do you know why we want that curve to be normal? Do you know what it tells us when it isn't?Tune in this week with Dr. Lauren as she shares some of the important reasons why we want to see a normal cervical curve and what else you can do at home to restore it if needed!

Have you been doing all the things to try to see results in your healing?And now you're too burnt out to keep going?Or does it feel like there's too much to do to get healthy?And like there's no possible way you can do what you need to to feel better?What if you looked at change differently?Do you think you could get different results?Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren to understand how to flip the script to make changes to your health more easily!

Tracking statistics in business is one of best ways to determine how well your business is doing. Is it growing? Plateauing? Or even floundering? The same can be applied to your body!Do you find yourself wondering what your health is doing?Are you healing?Or are you headed toward dis-ease?At Vibrant Life Center we are constantly tracking progress but there's an easy metric you can also monitor daily at home!Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren to learn more so that you can firmly take the drivers seat when it comes to your health and wellness!

Have you ever had a friend or family member that you knew could benefit from care in our office?Did they cringe at hearing the word "chiropractor"?Maybe you said, "No, no they're different!" but to no avail...Send them this episode! Dr. Lauren talks about what makes VLC different from other local offices!

How's that stress treating you?Neck pain?Shoulder tightness?Tummy troubles?What about low energy?This is for you!We've already talked about the important connection between the gut and the brain.We've talked about how the Vagus is an important connector between the two and how it's responsible for creating more resiliency to life stressors.We've talked about how the adjustment can help support this along with love with your gut.And in this video Dr. Lauren adds one more tidbit to take your resiliency to the next level!Check it out :)

Females! This one is for you! Did you know that your period is an important vital sign?Tracking your cycle and paying attention to what symptoms your experiencing when in relation to your monthly pattern can give you great insight to your level of health.Do you know what your period is telling you? And do you know how to move forward?Check out this video with Dr. Lauren to learn more!

Have you ever been frustrated about how often your body needs to be adjusted?Have you wondered what else you could be doing at home to help?Check out this week's episode with Dr. Lauren! She fills you in on the muscle you will want to start activating and how to do so!PS. If you loved this episode, be sure to check out and sign up for our May the Movement Be With You Challenge for even more support on a better moving body!

Has it started yet?All the texts or calls wondering if baby is here?Starting to go a little crazy?In those last days of pregnancy there's very little that won't put you over the edge as you patiently wait for the arrival of your bundle of joy.Maybe you've tried it all too...The spicy food.The walking.The dates.The sex.Is nothing working?Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren for another idea to support an easier, more timely birth!If you aren't currently 37+ weeks pregnant, do someone who is a favor and pass this episode onto them!!!

We all want our kids to be the healthiest version of themselves.So when we hear or see...Trouble breastfeedingColicRefluxAllergiesAsthmaConstipationHeadachesMissed milestonesChronic coldsClumsinessPlagiocephalyDifficulty with sensory/motor processingWe wonder, what do these all have in common?? And what can we do to give the gift of better health to our kids??Check out this week's Friday epsidofe to find out more!

Have you ever wondered what causes you to lose your alignment? (hint: it's not just physical trauma)Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren to uncover the causes of subluxation aka misalignment!

Wouldn’t it be better if healing was completely linear?If stress didn’t exist?And that tension didn’t increase our pain?Believe me, if I could wish you to this world I would in an instant!But we’re human.And on a journey of healing that has ups and downs.So what kind of more natural support is there for your body as you navigate periods of increased stress, tension, and pain?Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren!

So many times, as a new mom we are hit with the importance of meeting major motor milestones…Is baby rolling?Did they crawl?When did they start walking?There is A LOT of pressure put on hitting these to the point of stressing out any new parent.Cue the worry, guilt, and obsession…So what can we do now in the first three months of life (and beyond) to prepare baby to hit these milestones easily and comfortably?Listen to this episode with Dr. Lauren for super easy tricks or share with a new parent you know that could gain more confidence in caring for their new baby!

Development of the cervical curve starts really early on with two critical movements!In our office we see the vast majority of kids and adults coming into the office with a loss of that cervical curve.This can spell trouble for optimal brain function and our ability to work higher functions like stress reduction, communication, and memory.As adults we can work to restore the curve as long as we do work and we have the ability to extend and rotate our head and neck in an optimal range.Dr. Lauren breaks down the how in this episode!

Do you notice these things in your kids?Open mouth posture?Mouth breathing? Especially at night?Snoring?Trouble managing emotions?It’s worth noticing now because it is so much easier to improve function as a kid then as an adult!Dr. Lauren talks about what these signs may mean and why it’s important to make changes if they are present! Check it out!

Stressed to the max?Feeling disconnected?Not healing or feeling well?Did you know that having proper function of our Vagus nerve can help improve our ability to handle stressors, connect with others, and feel our best?Dr. Lauren shares some simple exercises to help improve your vagal tone in this short video!

Does it feel like no matter what you do or eat there’s always this underlying urge to grab something sweet?There may be a another reason why besides just a lack of willpower!Check out this video with Dr. Lauren for some insights!

When breastfeeding isn’t going right, the whole newborn and postpartum experience is much more stressful than it should be!Mom may be in pain…Baby might be losing weight..And everyone might be crying. Often In this video, Dr. Lauren talks about how chiropractic care may help support an easier breastfeeding journey!Share with a new parent who needs it

Skin issues.Mood disorders.Altered bowel movements.Does this sound familiar?Dr. Lauren makes the connection between these symptoms and your gut.

What does colic look like?Lack of sleep.Overwhelm.Feeling inadequate.At the end of your rope.It can feel like torture because as a parent one of the worst things is seeing your child in pain and not being able to do anything about it.I know that this is not the postpartum experience you were hoping for!Unfortunately the exact cause of colic is unknown. We can’t ask our baby what’s wrong or what hurts.Most experts believe it to be either stomach pain or head pain. Gut. Brain.In this video, Dr. Lauren discusses how the gut/brain connection is just as important to look at in infants and how it may be the culprit in colicky babies.You’ll want to save this and share this with any struggling parent you know

How many times do we mix morality with what we eat?“I was so bad today, I ate a whole plate of cookies!”Or“I did so good today, I only had a salad for lunch!”Or“I had a great day, I worked out so hard and completed that project, I deserve to eat this!”We can easily find ourselves in the cycle of making ourselves out be good or bad based on what we’re eating.Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren for a little eating psychology to reframe how we’re speaking to ourselves concerning our food choices!

Dr. Lauren has been chatting a lot about nutrition and gut health.Have you wondered what chiropractic and the gut have in common?Or why you suddenly had all these pimples pop up after a head injury?Or why your tummy trouble sometimes also give you a headache?Check out this episode! Dr. Lauren dives into the important connection and why taking care of both ends can be really important in solving the whole puzzle!

A lot of attention is placed on what to eat but did you know that the timing of eating is equally if not more important?I’m sure you’ve heard, maybe in your high school health class, that the best way to eat was 4-6 smaller meals throughout the day.The idea behind doing this was to balance out your blood sugar during the day.The research is now revealing new information!Check out this episode where Dr. Lauren breaks down a more insulin friendly way of eating that also fits better into our natural sleep/wake cycles!

The food that we eat can have a big impact on how we feel and function.Sometimes we are experiencing these more mild symptoms like constipation, fatigue, brain fog, general achiness and we can’t quite shake them.It’s frustrating and no fun to carry along these symptoms that just don’t let you feel like your best self!This is a perfect scenario to consider embarking on an elimination diet.If you haven’t heard of an elimination diet, it involves removing common allergens from your diet for a certain number of days.But that’s not all!Dr. Lauren chats more about the most important part of an elimination diet and what it can tell you in this episode!

In our busy days, mealtime can get rushed and squished into very small windows.It seems like we’re either on the road trying to get the kiddos to their next great activity or trying to squeeze in every last bit of focus at work to be able to get it all done and be home in time for some family fun.See?No time for meals here…This can look like us shoving food in our face at our desk or in our cars to get the next thing done.Besides the loss of enjoyment of a good meal, eating too quickly or in a stressed situation has other serious implication.We miss out on chewing!What’s so important about chewing?Check out this episode! Dr. Lauren breaks it down!

Have you ever heard the term naked carb?No I’m not talking about a donut running around in its underwear…The term naked carb refers to eating a carbohydrate without any accompanying fat or protein during your snack or meal.This has a bigger glycemic effect on the body versus if we had that same carb with fat and protein.Do you know the most likely time we get naked carbs?And how to balance it out to better balance your blood glucose?Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren!

What is she talking about?Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren to find out more!

Imagine this…You just had a great, tasty lunch.Your body feels good – full but not stuffed.You’re ready to tackle your afternoon!But then, not even two hours later, you feel hungry again! Oh and tired.WTF?This happens all the time!“How could I be hungry again?” you wonder.You’re feeling really frustrated because you’ve noticed since the quarantine there’s some extra weight hanging around and you’re trying to be more mindful of what and how much you eat.But the hunger is real! And it’s making it really hard to manage your calories.What can you do?Well, have you heard about the hypothalamus? It’s a key control area of your brain for many body functions. It has difficult time distinguishing hunger versus thirst.So what could this hunger and fatigue actually be instead?Dehydration.Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren for an experiment to test this theory.It could be just the thing you need to help you overcome that afternoon slump!

“Every organ in your body is connected to the one under your hat”This is one of my favorite BJ Palmer quotes!{Side note: BJ Palmer is the son of the founder of Chiropractic and made huge moves to develop Chiropractic into what it is today.}I think it’s a really fun picture of our nervous system as the master builder of our bodies.You can’t interface and react to your environment without the nervous system directing your actions and responses.Which is why we love it so much in this office and make it our goal to support it as much as possible!But what about nutrition?Where does what you eat fit into this equation?If the nervous system is the master builder, nutrition (aka what we eat) is the building blocks.So…What kind of house are you building?Check out this video with Dr. Lauren for a little nutrition mindset!

Say hello to Susie! She wakes up one morning and is getting ready for work. Already she is having a great day! Great hair? Check!Great energy? Check!Running on time? Check!See? Just a great day!!On her way to work, she stops at red light which is no big deal because she’s not in a hurry. But the person behind her does not stop and Susie gets rear-ended.Bummer!Susie gets out of the car. Because she is having such a great day with minimal stressors, she is able to stay calm. She is able to communicate with the driver of the other car. She is able to get the information she needs to move forward. She’s not overwhelmed because today she is easily able to connect, problem solve, and be creative. She’s got it all handled! This little “bump” doesn’t keep her from having a great day!Now meet a different Susie.A Susie that was so tired the night before that she slept through her alarm.A Susie that was running late.A Susie that was not having a good hair day.A Susie that is pissed off for having to stop at this particular stop light because she is already late to work.How will this Susie react to getting hit by another car? How is this going to affect the rest of her day? How is this going to affect her nervous system and health?And which version of Susie are you showing up as in your day to day?Watch this video with Dr. Lauren to find out!

This is your reminder that you have more power than you know!Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren for some mindful motivation :)

Does this sound familiar?"My dad had a bad back so my back is always going to suffer.""My grandmother and mom have autoimmune disorders so it's only a matter of time before I get one too."The Truth:We've been made to believe that our bodies are genetically designed to break, that it's only a matter of time before we get some pain or illness. It can leave you feeling out of control, like "what's the point". In reality we have much more power to direct, change, and enhance our health an our lives. Check out this episode with Dr. Lauren to find out the secret sauce our bodies have to overcome our DNA!

In this episode Dr. Jake discusses how to start a good habit. You can expect: - identifying roadblocks- setting your strategy- planning the timeEnjoy!

In this episode Dr. Jake compares and contrasts the mechanistic vs. vitalistic mindset as it relates to health. You can expect: - a breakdown of mechanistic and vtialistic mindset- how that directly applies to our health- what we can do in the short term to implementEnjoy!

In this episode Dr. Jake discusses the effects of electromagnetic field radiation on the body. You can expect:- what an electromagnetic field is- how it applies to our health as human beings- how to limit exposureEnjoy!

In this episode Dr. Jake discusses going grain free. You can expect: - How grain ties into overall gut health- Challenges with removing a category of food from your diet- Suggestions to eliminate inflammatory foods from your dietEnjoy!

In this episode Dr. Jake discusses anxiety. You can expect: - Dr. Jake's experience with some people's perceptions of anxiety- the biology of anxiety- action steps Enjoy!

In this episode Dr. Jake discusses how your overall energy and mitochondria are linked. You can expect: - what mitochondria are- how the impact the energy available to your body- how to support your mitochondria for better energyEnjoy!